Halo:Zero

[Laird]

Check it out

For you Halo nuts that haven't gotten your fill of Halo, check out this cool side scrolling action game based on Halo.

[TheMuffinKing]

ohh spiffy!

[DesertFly]

While this is a neat idea in concept, their execution falls a little flat. Besides the obvious issue of lack of length (I beat it in about 20 minutes), it also has a few little quirks that could be cleaned up to make it seem more "Halo" (as well as easier.)

For example, when you try to fire the sniper rifle, it makes you stop, and pans the screen to the extreme left or right as long as you hold down the trigger. When you release the trigger, the gun fires. There's no way to move or look ahead without firing, so you're basically going to waste ammo by scouting ahead unless you know there are enemies ahead (if you're repeating a level.)

Also, the damage done by the weapons seems to be off. Until you get the shotgun, the needler is the best weapon you can have! The pistol is completely useless (much like in Halo 2), the assault rifle takes entire clips to kill even grunts, and the plasma pistol and rifle don't do any damage (which I suppose is true to the games.) Even the rocket launcher is of limited use. You don't face any vehicles while you're on foot, and the few hunters you face are killed much more quickly with grenades.

Finally, it's difficult to tell both when you're hitting enemies, and when you're getting hit. The first problem you can eventually adjust to by trial and error, but the second remains troubling. The game would have been much better if there was some sort of indication that you were getting hit, such as having the screen shake or flash red, rather than forcing you to tear your eyes away from the action to check your health and shields every half-second.

Still, it's free, and it's not horrible, so don't hesitate to give it a try.

[Noble Ire]

So far, its quit fun, even if the needler is too good.