The original Halo is a game I had never played before and honestly, I can 100% see WHY this game was such a hit when it released.

The enemy AI is pretty impressive especially for the time, the gameplay loop is great as it seems to reward both bravery in combat as well as thoughtful (but quick) planning, and I think the soundtrack helps elevate the scenes that play out both in and out of gameplay.

There's a lot to love about the original Combat Evolved and I look forward to playing the rest of this series...also I like Cortana a bunch.