Halo by X-box

Halo by X-box
Rated for Teens

Readers Annotation: This is a science fiction first-person shooter game which centers on a war between humans and aliens.

Summary: This science fiction first person shooter game focuses on a war between humans and aliens known as the Covenant. The term 'Halo' refers to Halo megastructures: large, habitable ringed structures. You can have a tournament in one and two player mode but you can also have up to four players play in an exhibition game where you try and kill each other. There are the standard three difficulty settings: easy, intermediate, and large. There are many different aliens, weapons, and levels throughout. Like any shooter game, the goal is to kill the aliens and that can be accomplished through various machine guns and even grenades. To move on to the next level, there are various checkpoints throughout.

Critical Evaluation: What makes this game so appealing is not only its science fiction subject matter and the violence but the different levels and aliens that you come across throughout. These are not your typical aliens. The creators of this game have cleverly made aliens that sort of mimic our human species. Some crawl, some fly, and some walk. They are gruesome and the different weapons causes for some gruesome deaths. Depending on the weapon you carry, there are different strategies in trying to kill the aliens. This is the appeal; it is not your typical shooter game, there is strategy involved. Add to this that you are technically killing aliens for a good cause, which is to save the human race. Unfortunately, it is bloody and graphic much of the time. Unlike Wii games, this game requires skill and practice since there is so much strategy involved.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Aliens
2) Humanity
3) Killing
4) Defense
5) Strategy
6) Weapons

Challenge Issues: There might be a bit too much violence in this game.

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Why Included: This is a game that I used to play with my friends back when I was a teen. It is still popular with teens today as this game on X-box has timeless graphics and game-play.