Number 10:
Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary/Books/and a developer that cares about 10 years of continuity:
Anyone who has read the new GameInformer knows how the story starts, and it was a bit amusing to see the Halo 1/2 call back.
The ship is being boarded by the Covenant, and John is called back into the fight, good times.
It also opens our first mystery in the game; why are the Covenant attacking John, and more so; how did they find him?
Reading Glasslands kind of gives us hints to how this all goes down, but it’s going to be interesting to see what really happens.
343 has also dropped hints Cortana going crazy, could we quite possibly see another Durandal type plot, where John is forced to destroy Cortana? And in doing so losses a bit more of his humanity? Possible.
All I know is plot seems to matter, so much so that they have restructured the entire game to be apart of this expanded universe.
Number 9:
Loadouts:
My initial knee jerk reaction was “WTF this isn’t CoD, -Yoink-!!!”
However as more information has come to light on this it makes more since. Let me explain;
You wont be able to spawn with the Shotgun, the Sniper or Rockets. What you will be able to spawn with are the core basic weapons.
Battle Rifle
Assault Carbine
Assault Rifle
DMR
Covenant Carbine
For side arms it sounds like:
Magnum
Plasma Pistol
And for Armor Abilities it sounds like
Active Camouflage
Jetpack
Hologram
Forerunner Vision
Grenades we know at least 2
Fragmentation
Plasma
Honestly if that’s all I really don’t see an issue, more than likely they will all be balanced as so: The BR will be the utility for the Medium Maps, DMR for Large Maps, Assault Rifle for Smaller Maps. The Carbine and the Assault Carbine are wild cards; however it can be assumed they would be the Covenant versions of the DMR/BR and the AR, most likely. And like all Covenant weapons, balanced better against shields, but garbage against health, like they always have been. I’m guessing it just a return of the Needle Rifle with out the Super Combine, and the Assault Carbine is most likely the Plasma Repeater.
Having the ability to set up what you want to use for each map/game type/ and even game-play styles, against other players is a bit better than voting and being forced to play AR starts when what you really wanted was BR.
The thought of never using an AR again unless I want to. . . Kinda nice.
I’ve read a lot of hate on this, but really, it doesn’t matter. If I’m playing an AR start I run to the DMR or the power weapons anyways. So starting weapons don’t stay the same not for long that is, unless they are something the player wants to use.
Number 8:
Forerunner Vision: I don’t believe that you will be able to see through the entire map, but something like a Tac-Com, with limited wall penetrations, to stop shotgun/sword camping.
Number 7:
Spartan Points: if this is soul used for Armor, and buying say load out slots, or AA’s, fine. If its a representation of your progress in social Fine, it can be a “this is how much you play ranking”, much like the play list ranking in Halo 3. I’ve no problem with this, just as long as its not used to determine competitive ranking
Number 6:
343 Industry’s and New Blood:
Halo has had a good run, 10 years, longer than most things in entertainment, and it just seems like we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of the universes fiction in the past few years, in any meaning full way. Bungie created a good game, however even they couldn’t keep the fiction inline, 343 was created with that purpose in mind. And since then we have has many different offerings of that universe, some good, some not so good. However you can tell there is a real level of quality control with in the continuity now that just wasn’t there when bungie made Halo games.
Also I think Bungie was just getting tired of making Halo games, 343 was started with that in mind, from people who love the universe, and people who want to tell interesting and new stories.
Number 5:
Maps Created just for Multiplayer/Multiplayer existing with in a VR simulator.
Most players didn’t like the Halo Reach Maps, everything from jumps, to movement, to weapon placement. Set ups were made increasingly harder due to the shear size of some of the maps, even the smaller ones. A good deal of this was because the play-spaces had to exist not only in multiplayer, but single player. In Halo 4 this is no longer the case, and from the two maps they have already shown off War-House and Wraparound, the offering look like some of the better Halo 2 and 3 maps. Small- but big enough that its not a complete cluster -Yoink-, many different directions, but built in a way that teams can set up. If the rest of the maps are built with that mentality in mind some of the other annoyances, like random weapon spawns for Power Weapons wont be as bad as we fear. ( Still annoying however.)
With it being a VR program 343 is no longer obligated to the time honored tradition of; “The maps must be able to exist with in the confines of the current game.” Something Bungie has always done. However if this is a VR program, and this is the new continuity of the game, I would expect updates for fan favorite maps, 3 new maps a map pack and 1 old one, sounds fine to me.
Number 4
Spartan Ops: A lot of players are bummed about the loss of Fire Fight, however, I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. Odds are, a good deal of the Spartan Ops missions will be the dig in and wait for pick up.
However this also give us the opportunity for something different, something Halo fans have been asking for, for a long time. The ability to fight Human forces, such as rebels on the outer colonies. Or carry out more Spartan based missions like from the books. Forcing us to adopt a play style that we might not have in the single player, or multiplayer. Sneaking into a compound undetected and assassinating high value targets, or something like that.
I understand the apprehension a lot of the Fire fight community has, but I’d hold off for a bit until we know everything about Spartan Ops, because many of the missions could be Fire Fight like. (Not the same but a fair compromise)
Number 3
New Weapons, not much is known about the weapons in the game, but I’m expecting some sick Forerunner tec to appear in the single player, and hopefully the multiplayer.
Number 2:
The Return of the BR. It’s back its hit-scan and in it’s current iteration it has no spread. . . People are going to die. LOL
Number 1:
Finishing the fight. . . Again. . . .
Johns back and I can’t wait to play as him again.
For the ten Reasons why Halo 4 Might suck click below.
http://halo.xbox.com/Forums/yaf_postsm800115_10-Reasons-why-Halo-4-MIGHT-suck.aspx#post800115