Unfortunately me xbox is broken, apparently the result of canine urinatory activity. A most untimely mishap, especially over the festive season; indeed a gift I received, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, is useless to my great disgust. This has led me back to't PC games, namely Half-Life and Alpha Centauri. The juxtaposion of a lack of Halo fixes and my subconscious reapprassal of these games and this article. Is Halo the Master Chief or is Half-Life the Mack Daddio?

Graphics

Given the disparity in release dates it is unfair to directly compare the two, though in this hypothetical battle Halo is the unequivocal winner. Half-Life is based on the Quake II engine and at the time looked spanky - though I never thought the world hung together very well. A game released in the same year (i think) Zelda 64 to my eyes looked better and had more characer, though I digress. Half-Life just doesn't look right to me, the progenitor Quake II looks better, though in pure progess as defined bu Modernists it shouldn't. Coming at the advent of 3d accelearation and PCs of massively growing power it did showcase the outdoor world that was missing from first person shooters(FPS) till that time.

Halo on't other hand just works, though its an unfair comparison. The Bump-mapping, the *huge* out doors, the personality in the animation it is better. Considering in an objective manner Halo was always a technology demo for'th xbox as well as a flagship game whereas half-life was always an experience not a game. Half-life was that most amazing of things in that it blew away the conventions of rigidity in structure of Games - graphics weren't that nessecary.

Halo 1 Half-life 0

Sound

Here I think both games are paragons of virtue and genuine masterpeices. The sense of immersion in both games is truly astounding and sound is paramount in this. The voices of Scientists and Barneys fill you with a sense of purpose - the cries of 'I'm with the science team' being drowned out bu Grunt gunfire only serves to hasten the end of the perpetrators with extreme prejudice and anger. It is cool, it evokes true emotion.

Halo scores extremely highly too. The sheer personality of the alien grunts chattering in their childlike tounges removes the satisfaction of their butchering, and instead, for me, evokes the grim sense of duty so apparent in the Master Cheif. Similarly the gruff cry of 'Hu-numan' from the shadows, only to hear a thwock of a Elite Pistol Whip. Panic, Panic, Panic! Very Cool.

Halo 2 Half-Life 1

Weighting

This is an issue close to my heart - I am a console gamer and a pc gamer. Of the two control systems(pads vs mouse and key-board) I prefer pads. If you're good at mouse and keyb. then pinpoint accuracy is yours, and I am your next victim. However Im not that kind of player - circle strafe is far easier with two analouge sticks, movement more natural and just generally better. Of course you'll disagree, but then I disagree with you so were equal . I know that theres autoaim on Halo but so what? Unless you're holding the gun in your hands how can anything be ought but a simulation anyway?
Seriously the weighting is the issue at stake and Half-Life is to loose. It feels like Gordon F. is on roller skates - theres no solidity to his movements. He is a point in virtual space, not a person. The Master Cheif is to me however, a real person. It isn't in me Xbox but on some beach some where or in an alien ship. It feels like he is actually jumping or crouching. It is real.

Halo 3 Half-Life 1

Multiplay

Here it just gets pointless. Does TFC and CS count? Does the PC halo count? Fuck it they all do.

Halo 4 Half-Life 3

Ultimatley this is a pointless debate I prefer Halo. The real test is when the sequels are released. Oh it'll be fun.