Eric Holmes Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 It’s an incredible feeling. You sit down, grab your controller and all distractions are gone. The main menu comes on and the familiar haunting melody greets you. For most people, when the profile is chosen , the mission and difficulty are selected and you crash land on the Halo ring…it’s a video game. It’s a virtual battle that’s not real. They play for fun, they play because it is something they could almost never truly experience in real life and if they did, more than likely it would NOT be very fun at all. They appreciate the characters but they can’t truly relate to them or the experiences they are going through on the TV screen. There is a small portion of the American population that can relate to these characters and situations almost to a “T” minus the wort worting elites. I remember when the first Halo came out I was instantly hooked. I fell in love with the story, the music and the gameplay. It was unlike any other game I had ever played. It made me feel as though I was almost making difference in this unreality. Like I was really exploring some ancient alien relic or fighting tooth and nail an almost impossible battle against an endless foe. Now that I am older and I have been to place where you really get shot at and blown up by IED’s, this game has taken on a different meaning for me. I remember when I bought Halo: Reach back in 2010 before I deployed it was just like every other Halo game I had played. It was a blast but it always felt as though something was missing. I wanted to be able to relate to these characters and situations but couldn’t. Now everything is different. Being with the Navy and Marine Corps team and having been to Afghanistan in Helmand Province performing Route Clearance missions I can appreciate the story even more intensely than I ever could before. The games have taken on a new meaning for me, one that many people probably won’t understand. Not only is gaming now almost therapeutic for me, it also allows to make sense of some of the things I experienced out there and put it all into a perspective I can digest better. I am sure there are other service members out there reading this who understand what I am trying to say. There are a lot of first person shooters out there but none of them inspire me now like the Halo series does. The Master Chief stoically taking on the enemy wherever he meets them and the heroic members of the UNSC mirror many everyday men and women in the actual battles of today. There are real people like that out there and I have had the honor to know serve with some these incredible people. Some people will read this and say “Holy **** man, it’s game.” To me it has become more than a game. It has become something that helps me cope with the stress of my past experiences and move on to live a normal life again. It brings me back to my roots as person. Being a huge Halo fan, my kids and wife now share my enthusiasm for the series. My son recently wrote a piece about the characteristics of his favorite superhero and how they relate to him. I thought it was curious that one the characteristics he put down was “Hope”. His explanation for how it related to him was: “ Master Cheef gives us hope like daddy give me hope that he com hom.” I was floored. So, for all of you working at Bungie and 343i you are already beginning to influence the new generation in a significant way. As awesome as the series is however I do have some minor suggestions: As a Corpsman in the United States Navy who works with Marines on a daily basis, it stings a little bit every now and then when I hear a character in the Halo universe ( especially the Master Chief ) refer to a comrade as “Soldier”. Now, I have nothing against the Army, in fact one of my good friends from high school is a 68W but if we are talking about the UNSC , Marines refer to each other as “Marines”. For all of us on the Navy & Marine Corps team, it would be great if 343i took a better look into the world and structure of the Navy and Marine Corps so they can emulate it more realistically. The Army has Gears of Wars, don’t give them Halo as well! On a more personal level…in Halo: Combat Evolved the Marines actually call out for Corpsman when they are wounded. I am begging for 343i to bring this back. As a corpsman, it is an impressive feeling and makes me feel even more connected with the story line. Nothing gets a Corpsmans heart racing more than hearing a Marine calling out for it…even in a video game. I have pre-ordered Halo 4 limited edition and will be taking 4 days of leave just to play the damn thing. Keep up the hard work 343i! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semperfispartan Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 Wow first thank you for your service 343i give this guy a halo 4 console !!!!!!! Truely nice story to read thx for postin it reminds me why i love halo!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJL Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 Wow, thats an amazing story you got there. very nicely put, god bless you and everyone else serving and protecting our country everyday... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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