This is tough. Objectively, this game hasn't aged well. I didn't play it until 2017 because shooters really aren't my thing. Keep that in mind here too, I don't play a lot of shooters, just not my jam.
What Halo has going for it is a decent narrative (shamless plug for the VGBC discussion; we didn't talk a whole lot about the plot, but it's still a step up from other shooters), and fresh ideas that would inspire and redefine the genre, so it almost has to be judged on what came after, where we'd be without it. I dislike making that a major factor of a review, but sometimes a game is simply so foundational that it's hard to overlook.
If you've been living under a rock, Halo: Combat Evolved is the first in a series with... many (the exact count is debatable) sequels and spin-offs. You play as Master Chief battling your way through a strange planet and surrounding ships/stations. Along the way you will do battle with ... a grand total of 8 unique enemies. Seriously, that's it. Your trusty AI Cortana (who is really the onboard AI from the ship you arrived on, but kind of becomes yours) will accompany you on the journey.
You'll pick up a variety of weapons, some human using traditional bullets/slugs/rockets, and some made by your enemies, the covenant, that typically use plasma energy. You can carry two, but there's no dual-wielding (not until the sequel). Careful experimention (or desperation when you run low on ammo) will reveal different weapons work better against different enemies, so there can be some interesting decisions, though most of the time I found myself just going with "what do I have that I like using" because just like the enemies, there isn't a huge variety, and you're further constrained by what you can find ammo for.
As you navigate the levels, you may find yourself needing or having the option to use one of 3 drivable vehicles, though I hesitate to apply that description to one of them. The iconic Warthog, where your buddies or NPC-controlled marines can hop in the back and shoot things while you... hmm.... again, I hestitate to say "drive." The Warthog steers so slowly, even
@joob can finish a game in the time it takes to turn. The Ghost and banshee are much better, but also rare.
Fundamentally, the game is very short and very repetitive. It does mix things up halfway through when it goes from 4 to 7 types of enemies (the 8th won't appear until the very end), but still, it's rough around the edges. It's hard to actively recommend this game in 2024, but if you're interested in the series as a whole, it won't take you that long to blast through it; though I'd seriously consider just putting it on easy or even watching a recap on YouTube and jumping straight into the sequel.
