I’m talking, of course, about Master Chief (not the Master Chief, as the Time article calls him), the star of Halo an FPS that I hate with a burning passion. And although I do not dislike it less after the two articles, I do respect it more.

I am a gamer, so let this not be taken as the wife-who-just-doesn’t-understand-gamers. I don’t like, however, FPS games: I don’t like not being able to see behind me…I honestly often don’t care what the story line is, I’ll probably get swept up in it, as long as there are progressively more difficult bosses and puzzles. I love the Prince of Persia (for xBox) franchise, as well as Ninja Gaiden/Grand Theft Auto series, although I’m not certain I’d enjoy playing it. There are a lot of amusing jokes one doesn’t notice while playing.

But I hate Halo.
There’s something that happens when DH plays Halo that I’m not certain I can articulate, but I really dislike it. He gets completely wrapped up in the game, bitter if he can’t pass a level, and loses all track of time. Okay, maybe I do the exact same things when I’m engrossed…but it’s at a different level than when he’s playing Guitar Hero. I don’t know, maybe there’s just something more primal about Halo, that accesses the monkeybrain better than pretending to drive or to play a fake guitar. When each new version comes out, he is essentially unreachable for about two weeks, and then off and on for about three months after that.
I’ve gotten to where I will watch him play, just because that’s something that I can do while he’s playing…and the story line’s not bad. Especially for a video game. It’s got some great cinematics and fairly believable characters (you know, for being set in a future filled with aliens on a ring-shaped planet). There are some kickass weapons…and maybe I’d be into it if I could get around the whole not-being-able-to-see-behind-me thing, which is unlikely.
I bought him the xBox, which we both use, for Christmas years ago, but refused to buy Halo, since I’d seen him play it at a friend’s house (he bought it himself). When Halo 2 came out days before his birthday, I bit the bullet and got it for him, laying down some rules (try not to play past 4AM because you know you’ll be cranky the next day), mostly for naught

But Halo 3 is now out. And fortunately, it’s exclusive to xBox360, which we don’t have (I want a Wii!). Unfortunately, the next DOA and Tenchu are already out for 360…and rumors relate that PoP and Tekken (Tekken!) are next. So I can’t say I won’t use a 360 if we get it….I’ll just have to deal with Master Chief in my living room for another season. And maybe, if Cortana, Guilty Spark, & the Arbiter (I really like the Arbiter) come back, maybe I’ll watch a few rounds…but I won’t like it.