This game can be both entertaining and addictive, but I honestly don't know why everyone went so crazy about it. It's got great AI, but that's the only thing in it that you don't see in other games. In any case, a lot of people think that it is too violent for teens. Of course, they'll say that about any shooter game that gets this popular. The fact of the matter is, it deserved a T rating. The violence in it is entirely sci-fi epic action violence, and it isn't even very gory, not to mention the fact that you aren't shooting at humans anyway. There's also some minor swearing. I can kind of understand parents' concern with games like the "Grand Theft Auto" games (even though I do love them), but this game really doesn't have anything in it that you won't find in your average T-rated game.
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Halo: Combat Evolved
(2003, Video Games - First Person Shooter, Rated M, Play it on: Windows)
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 16. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
This sci-fi shooter with loads of violent killing of aliens.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 16–18
The good stuff
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Educational value:
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of Halo: Combat Evolved was written by Jeremy Gieske
Parents need to know this game is very popular, and it's likely that your child will have access to play or at least observe this game at some point. Most of the game consists of fighting in a non-stop, science-fiction-based battle against aliens. Blood and violence abound, making it best for those 16 and up.
Families Can Talk About
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- Families can talk about why this game has become one of -- if not the most -- popular action game franchises of this generation. Is the sci-fi story so much better than other games? Does the level of violence make a game like this more immersive than its competitors? Is blood necessary in a 3-D shooter or is falling down enough to confirm the enemy is dead?
More on Halo: Combat Evolved
What’s the Story?
HALO takes place in the future, where humans are fighting a losing battle against the technologically superior "covenant," a group of alien beings driven by radical religious beliefs to destroy all humans. To make things worse, it appears they have found a new weapon of incredible power: "HALO," a mysterious and massive ring/space station orbiting a foreign world. As the game progresses, the player discovers an enemy even worse than the covenant: It would seem that while the covenant was attempting to activate halo, they inadvertently released "the flood," a vicious alien life form that survives by taking over the body of an organic host and then spreading to the next victim. Once released, "the flood" immediately begins possessing the covenant and humans alike, and the player realizes "the flood" must be stopped to prevent the destruction of the entire galaxy.
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Is It Any Good?
As first-person-shooter games go, HALO was inventive for its time, and even now, it's a graphically appealing game. The game has an interesting and mysterious story, and allows the player to pilot and drive cool vehicles, and be immersed in a massive battle around a foreign planet. But the game has the same pitfall as many other first-person-shooter games: Ninety-five percent of the game is simply shooting things that get in your way.
The game tells a very dark tale, and most of the game consists of one continuous battle with plenty of blood, screams of agony and explosions. HALO is a first-person, shoot-everything-that-moves type of game. The action is infectious, and the story, while somewhat typical, is well-written and interesting. Plenty of bloodshed and a storyline that will most definitely scare younger players relegates this game to the 16+ crowd of gamers.
ClosePublisher’s Details
Released on 5/30/2003, price $25, not online enabled
ESRB rating: M
ESRB rating: M
Our Members Say
See all 126 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Safety isn't an issue
It's not nearly as violent as many make it out to be.
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
Awesome game
I started playing Mature games at ten years of age and have enjoyed it ever since. Never a dull moment with this game, in fact, this is the first game I played, by then it was on Microsoft's Xbox console,but still enjoyable.
- I rate this title off for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Easy to play
combat evolved?theres no fighting. why does it says COMBAT evolved?
- I rate this title off for age 9 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Negative role models
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Safety isn't an issue
Over-rated game, in more ways than one
Halo has sold over ten million copies, and for the life of me I don't know why. It's got a terribly small selection of weapons, very little dialog, is obscenely linear, and includes the most annoying system ever used in a game; the infamous check-point save system. Which will give you Deja Vu and a headache from pulling your hair out at the same time. As far as content, nothing bad in it at all. The marines use some salty launguage a couple of times, but not nearly enough to be an issue. The violence really is not too bad by today's standards. Really, for the life of me I can't see how it got rated "M". Still, in both gameplay and content, Halo is over-rated.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents don't feel there are good role models |
| 100% | of parents don't think the messages are positive |
| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
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openmindeddad recommends:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
for kids age 14
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
for kids age 14
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