Some awesome first games. I shockingly didn't suck
too much ass despite never playing Halo seriously before in my life. Some quick notes:
- I am
not down with this "push the D-pad to talk to your team through the headset" crap. Please tell me I can change this in the options menu?
- All the weapons feel useful except the plasma pistol, which no longer tracks. Dual wielding spikers is awesome, and I like how the maps are set up to give you easy access to weapons for both hands (see: a pair of spikers just sitting on the rim of the base in Valhalla).
- Speaking of Valhalla, you + sniper rifle = I Win button. I'm looking at you purg3, you a$$hole
- Is it too much to ask to be able to choose the game type I want and play with my friends at the same time? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but it seems that the only party type that allows for a party of 8 is Team Training, which randomizes the type of match being played.
- Graphics are blah. Yes, it's a beta - I don't care. What I'm seeing on my screen right now is pretty "blah," and that makes me upset.

I never really held Halo to such a high regard that I'd expect it to be the graphical showpiece for the console, but I guess Gears has completely spoiled me. But I've been playing f@ckin' Gunz: The Duel for the past week, so let's just say I won't lose sleep over the graphics.
- The missile pod is RUDE. \m/ -_- \m/
- Everything felt completely balanced - health, weapon placement, jump height, etc.
Overall, I want to keep playing more, and I can't say anything better about it than that. Ghaleon, snack, Y2Kev, and the rest - please accept my friend requests!
