Zero Punctuation

[Finger]

Just about the best game reviewer (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/2541-Zero-Punctuation-The-Orange-Box) there is.

[Zervun]

Yup Zero Punct = WIN

the reviews are so rocking entertaining with a flip that is so on point.

[Salt Lick]

Since most people stop at the credits this is worth posting again. Watch past the credits.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/2928-Zero-Punctuation-Sim-City-Societies

[coll9947]

I think he's hilarious, but I absolutely disagree with his Halo 3 review. You either get Halo or you don't. The key is: IT'S MORE OF A SPORTS GAME THAN ANYTHING ELSE. What other games have a replay mode where you can watch the action from any angle at any speed any number of times? Sports games! Yes it's a shooter, but it turns a shooter into a sport. Even more so than something like TF2 or any PC shooter. The Halo engine is just... perfect.

Halo has an environment that has very specific rules for how the player can move, shoot, jump, etc. etc. It all just works so perfectly together. Once you play enough of it you realize that it's extremely well balanced weapon-wise, and that there are rules for engagement that must be followed if you want to even stand a chance. Splash damage is predictable (unlike TF2 rockets) and the physics are tight and fluid and compared to games like TF2 or UT, produces a lot less anomalies that make you say "WTF!?"

The learning curve is painfully steep when playing against seasoned veterans, and the campaign's purpose is purely training for multiplayer. You can't just run at someone guns blazing, you have to plan your attack based on your weapon, their weapon, and your respective locations and trajectories. Beating it on Legendary solo requires strategy and just plain old good aim.

Sports games tend to attract a more... mainstream... crowd to consoles, and Halo has a bad rap for having a lot of shit-talking assholes in online play -- I think there's a direct connection. I think for a lot of people that traditionally only played sports games on consoles (the biggest selling genre in console gaming btw) they were turned on to Halo and appreciate it for its sport-like gameplay, whereas normally they aren't drawn to many shooters because of a lack of competition-oriented gameplay.

Plus I have noticed that most people who hate on Halo just suck at it because they never gave it a fair chance in the first place because the first time they played it they're 12 year old brother whooped their sorry ass.

Yahtzee hates on guitar hero 3 just because it was hard as hell on the higher difficulties.

I LIKE difficult games, I think the point of a game is to be challenging. Play Halo 3 consistently with your 3 closest gaming friends until you all know each others' styles instinctively and that's where most people start appreciating the beauty of Halo.

For example: With my Halo 3 buddies, we are all to the point that it does not matter what weapon each of us has, because the Halo engine allows any weapon to beat any other weapon if you have the proper skill. SO, in confrontations, it becomes a battle of wits -- predicting my opponent's move, faking them out, that kind of thing. The mechanics of the game fade away and it becomes truly a battle of strategy, in a genre that so typically throws strategy out the window for pure firepower.

I'll admit, Halo is generally only fun with A) people you know, B) those people roughly the same skill level, and C) changing up the gameplay consistently upon mastery of basic techniques to ensure a changing learning curve for all involved. BUt if you have those pieces put together, it's a pvp experience that can hardly be touched by other games.

[Salt Lick]

I beg to differ. Microsoft said a while ago that it sucks once you compare it to other shooters available on PC so they won't bother with that market anymore. Not in those words, of course. Halo is a mediocre shooter. PC sales are piss poor. It sold well initially because there was nothing better for the console. It sells well now because people are into the series.

I used to be the biggest Halo fanboy... until they actually released it. I have been following the series since it was first announced. Before then, if you count Marathon as a part of the series (some people do). I still have all the "exclusive prevews" from PC gamer and NextGen. Then Microsoft bought Bungie and crushed the game into their console. I still bought the game as soon as I could, even though it had obviously been gimped to function on the x-box. I hated it. It sucks a sick horse cock.