HALO LEGENDS DVD Review

For those unfamiliar with the upcoming DVD, here’s a quick description (from the DVD) of what Halo Legends is all about: “This sweeping science-fiction saga delves into the rich Halo universe with seven exciting stories (told in eight parts) focused on Master Chief’s mysterious origins, the Spartans’ advanced combat capabilities and the tense rivalry between Spartans and Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs). Created in collaboration with some of the world’s leading animators from Japan, Halo Legends draws you into the center of humankind’s ongoing battles with the Covenant, dynamically depicted in cutting-edge animation styles that delivers breathtaking visuals and gripping adventure. Go beyond the game – and join the roll call of Halo Legends.”

In a nutshell, you get seven different Halo related stories. An “Origins” story (told in two parts), “The Duel” (a Covenant focused story), and than five Spartan stories.

If you’re familiar with the Halo universe and some of its history, whether from the game or the novels, you can skip the “Origins” stories, although “Origins I” is interesting because it covers who made the “Halo”, why, and the consequences of using this new weapon were.

“Origins II” covers humankinds’ thirst for war and the development of the Spartan program. If you’re all full up on “humans are warmongers”, feel free to pass on this section.

Both “Origins” episodes are a little slow, so be warned. I would only recommend watching through them if you need to brush up on your Halo history, or are unfamiliar with the universe... The animation and artwork for the two “Origins” stories isn’t great, but the story is interesting, especially for those not very familiar with the Halo universe or its history.

The first real story is “The Duel”, which focuses on a Covenant storyline. It’s VERY stylized and focuses on the betrayal of the honorable “Arbiter” and how the “Arbiter” title, while meant to be an insult, ended up becoming a title for the very elite Covenant troops. It took a little bit of effort to really get into the story, as the artwork is initially unbearable to watch. After a few minutes we were able to sit back and enjoy it as the story began to unfold.

The remaining stories, “Homecoming”, “Odd One Out”, “Prototype”, “The Babysitter”, and “The Package” all follow Spartans, which when it comes down to it, is what we really wanted to see. Each one has its own story and follows different Spartans. Stories include reasons why those in the Spartan program can’t go home, who’s a “Tough Momma”, to one of the early prototypes for the Spartan armor.

“Odd One Out” is definitely one that’s worth watching, especially for those that want to take a break for the other “heavy” stories included in the DVD. It’s light-hearted, fun, and even throws a nod to some Dragon Ball style martial arts action.

“The Babysitter” touches on the rivalry between the ODSTs (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) and the Spartans. It actually ends up being a quite touching story and was also one of our favorite stories on the DVD, although the Spartan looks a little “big-boned” from time to time.

“Prototype” let us see an early prototype of what we’re assuming is Spartan armor. The story here is decent, but the action sequences once Ghost powers up the “Prototype” are where this story really shines. This particular feature was in our top three for the DVD.

Our favorite story was by far “The Package”, due to its intense action sequences and the great 3D work that was done for the story. It also follows the Master Chief, our favorite Spartan hero, which we can never get enough of. We would have liked the sound-effects to be a little better, but the action sequences and first-person views from the Spartan helmets as they blast through the Covenant was enough for us to thoroughly enjoy the story.

Overall, if you’re a fan of anime you’ll probably like HALO LEGENDS. If you're a Halo nut, you'll most likely love it.

HALO LEGENDS is due to hit store shelves next Tuesday, February 16.