After a while with the next gen consoles I’ve grown to expect far less graphically from early release games than I would have prior to their launch. That said looking back at the Infinite reveal several positive things stood out to me now that my expectations are different.
My Original Expectations:
Prior to the reveal they kept teasing things that would remind us of Halo CE. That led me to hope and dream that the game would be a return to form for Halo, we’d have something without sprint or clamber or slide.
When I first saw the reveal:
Truth is the graphics were never the thing that bothered me most. I was so disappointed to see the return of sprint and slide and everything and I felt misled by the OG Halo teases leading up to the reveal.
Watching the reveal now:
I’ve played a lot of Halo 5 since the reveal and to me it’s still nowhere near close to 1-3. That said, watching the reveal now I think the art style was actually perfect. I hope that while they add detail and improve graphics, they don’t lose that aesthetic. I also noticed as I watched that the guns looked like they played a lot more classically, there were some new weapons but it looks like they had that same fun alien feel from the OG games and great variation. Lastly it hit me that they brought equipment back, which really excites me. I always loved having drainers and bubble shields and what not in Halo 3. All this said, I still wish they’d remove sprint and clamber more than anything. But NOW I’m worried we’re going to lose some of the stuff that was already exciting in the original reveal after all the complaints. I know it’s a contentious issue whether or not Halo 5 is a step forward or backward, but I really hope the things aesthetically and gameplaywise that went back towards the originals remain when it’s finally released.
(Last little parenthetical, clamber, slide, sprint, and the jet pack boost were all present in CoD Advanced Warfare. It was a ton of fun for a CoD but for real why do we need ANOTHER franchise to have the same movement. Halo used to be its own amazing thing, now it feels so much less like Halo and more like other things we can all already played if we want to. I just don’t get why people prefer that. Anyway really hoping this game makes the step forward by stepping a bit backwards).
Sprint and clamber are here to stay I think, and I don’t care one way or another, run faster without being able to shoot, and climbing up things at a slow pace doesn’t bother me, but that’s besides the point. I do agree that the art style is aesthetically perfect, and that the weapons look very Halo. But don’t worry, we won’t be losing any content.
> 2535431751471835;2:
> Sprint and clamber are here to stay I think, and I don’t care one way or another, run faster without being able to shoot, and climbing up things at a slow pace doesn’t bother me, but that’s besides the point. I do agree that the art style is aesthetically perfect, and that the weapons look very Halo. But don’t worry, we won’t be losing any content.
Not just content, I hope we don’t lose the aesthetic as well, but you’re probably right that equipment won’t be removed and what not. Really worried what better “graphics” could mean for the overall look. A lack of detail actually kind of fits the slightly cartoonish aesthetic of 1-3.
Sprint n clamber are perfectly fine to me. N actually would be disappointed if they removed it. To me those 2 things are not halo breakers. Hell abilities aren’t to me either as long as it’s in the form of a pick up. So to me this is shaping you to be the perfect halo game.
I honestly think the gameplay looked borderline perfect however you could tell a lot of game engine systems were not online. It’s hard to say what the game would of looked like with them available with that specific art. The new screenshots though are good enough for me to be satisfied visually.
When I saw the demo of last year, it was the same for me.
I was looking at gameplay a lot more than graphism because it was my primary concern at the moment. i wanted to know if the game felt Halo in video and it did.
It was only after that I focused on graphism and saw why people weren’t happy. I mean it could have looked better, especially for the first game showed in the Showcase.
But I’m confident about how it looks now, I just want to see multiplayer now.
Honestly I don’t like H3’s equipment. Worst part of the game in my opinion. Other than that I think the reveal looked really good gameplay mechanic wise. I knew people were gonna lose their -Yoink- when he started sprinting lol I’m fine with it though. Clamber I actually really like, I personally don’t get the big deal with that one. I’ve heard the arguments on it, I just think people overreact.
Going back to equipment, I am really excited for the grapple hook. I think I prefer mobility based equipment a lot more than others. I dislike things like bube shield, regen, shield drain. But stuff like grapple and lifts I think are pretty cool. Also mind you this is mp I’m talking about. I just hope there isn’t so much of it games just feel equipment spam. There’s already power weapons, I don’t see the need for equipment. Campaign however I do enjoy equipment.
> 2533275031939856;7:
> Honestly I don’t like H3’s equipment. Worst part of the game in my opinion. Other than that I think the reveal looked really good gameplay mechanic wise. I knew people were gonna lose their -Yoink- when he started sprinting lol I’m fine with it though. Clamber I actually really like, I personally don’t get the big deal with that one. I’ve heard the arguments on it, I just think people overreact.
>
> Going back to equipment, I am really excited for the grapple hook. I think I prefer mobility based equipment a lot more than others. I dislike things like bube shield, regen, shield drain. But stuff like grapple and lifts I think are pretty cool. Also mind you this is mp I’m talking about. I just hope there isn’t so much of it games just feel equipment spam. There’s already power weapons, I don’t see the need for equipment. Campaign however I do enjoy equipment.
I think Halo 3’s equipment had it’s benefits, but I think it could of been dramatically improved. The healing equipment piece I think showed the worst part of the equipment because you had to deal with it from afar. You couldn’t just shoot it. I think the equipment needs to be balanced and with that it can thrive. All equipment needs a weakness.
> 2533274792737987;8:
> > 2533275031939856;7:
> > Honestly I don’t like H3’s equipment. Worst part of the game in my opinion. Other than that I think the reveal looked really good gameplay mechanic wise. I knew people were gonna lose their -Yoink- when he started sprinting lol I’m fine with it though. Clamber I actually really like, I personally don’t get the big deal with that one. I’ve heard the arguments on it, I just think people overreact.
> >
> > Going back to equipment, I am really excited for the grapple hook. I think I prefer mobility based equipment a lot more than others. I dislike things like bube shield, regen, shield drain. But stuff like grapple and lifts I think are pretty cool. Also mind you this is mp I’m talking about. I just hope there isn’t so much of it games just feel equipment spam. There’s already power weapons, I don’t see the need for equipment. Campaign however I do enjoy equipment.
>
> I think Halo 3’s equipment had it’s benefits, but I think it could of been dramatically improved. The healing equipment piece I think showed the worst part of the equipment because you had to deal with it from afar. You couldn’t just shoot it. I think the equipment needs to be balanced and with that it can thrive. All equipment needs a weakness.
That’s true I probably wouldn’t have disliked them so much if they were balanced better. The Infinite shield wall for example already looks way better to me than the bubble shield because you can damage it externally, whether it be close or far range.
> 2533275031939856;9:
> > 2533274792737987;8:
> > > 2533275031939856;7:
> > > Honestly I don’t like H3’s equipment. Worst part of the game in my opinion. Other than that I think the reveal looked really good gameplay mechanic wise. I knew people were gonna lose their -Yoink- when he started sprinting lol I’m fine with it though. Clamber I actually really like, I personally don’t get the big deal with that one. I’ve heard the arguments on it, I just think people overreact.
> > >
> > > Going back to equipment, I am really excited for the grapple hook. I think I prefer mobility based equipment a lot more than others. I dislike things like bube shield, regen, shield drain. But stuff like grapple and lifts I think are pretty cool. Also mind you this is mp I’m talking about. I just hope there isn’t so much of it games just feel equipment spam. There’s already power weapons, I don’t see the need for equipment. Campaign however I do enjoy equipment.
> >
> > I think Halo 3’s equipment had it’s benefits, but I think it could of been dramatically improved. The healing equipment piece I think showed the worst part of the equipment because you had to deal with it from afar. You couldn’t just shoot it. I think the equipment needs to be balanced and with that it can thrive. All equipment needs a weakness.
>
> That’s true I probably wouldn’t have disliked them so much if they were balanced better. The Infinite shield wall for example already looks way better to me than the bube shield because you can damage it externally, whether it be close or far range.
Or bounce a grenade behind them to hit them. I disliked the same aspects as you however I think that balancing can truly fix that. I hope they treat Halo Infinite as an actively evolving game. I want to see them replace or remove aspects that just don’t work and add to the game as well.
> 2533274792737987;10:
> > 2533275031939856;9:
> > > 2533274792737987;8:
> > > > 2533275031939856;7:
> > > > Honestly I don’t like H3’s equipment. Worst part of the game in my opinion. Other than that I think the reveal looked really good gameplay mechanic wise. I knew people were gonna lose their -Yoink- when he started sprinting lol I’m fine with it though. Clamber I actually really like, I personally don’t get the big deal with that one. I’ve heard the arguments on it, I just think people overreact.
> > > >
> > > > Going back to equipment, I am really excited for the grapple hook. I think I prefer mobility based equipment a lot more than others. I dislike things like bube shield, regen, shield drain. But stuff like grapple and lifts I think are pretty cool. Also mind you this is mp I’m talking about. I just hope there isn’t so much of it games just feel equipment spam. There’s already power weapons, I don’t see the need for equipment. Campaign however I do enjoy equipment.
> > >
> > > I think Halo 3’s equipment had it’s benefits, but I think it could of been dramatically improved. The healing equipment piece I think showed the worst part of the equipment because you had to deal with it from afar. You couldn’t just shoot it. I think the equipment needs to be balanced and with that it can thrive. All equipment needs a weakness.
> >
> > That’s true I probably wouldn’t have disliked them so much if they were balanced better. The Infinite shield wall for example already looks way better to me than the bube shield because you can damage it externally, whether it be close or far range.
>
> Or bounce a grenade behind them to hit them. I disliked the same aspects as you however I think that balancing can truly fix that. I hope they treat Halo Infinite as an actively evolving game. I want to see them replace or remove aspects that just don’t work and add to the game as well.
Yeah I agree. It sounds like that’s exactly what they’re trying to do. It’s going to be an evolving live service game and they claim their engine makes it a lot easier to alter/add/remove stuff much quicker than before (part of the reason they even made a new engine after all) so hopefully that proves true. Then all we have to deal with will not be technical but just 343i being their stubborn selves haha
> 2533275031939856;11:
> > 2533274792737987;10:
> > > 2533275031939856;9:
> > > > 2533274792737987;8:
> > > > > 2533275031939856;7:
> > > > > Honestly I don’t like H3’s equipment. Worst part of the game in my opinion. Other than that I think the reveal looked really good gameplay mechanic wise. I knew people were gonna lose their -Yoink- when he started sprinting lol I’m fine with it though. Clamber I actually really like, I personally don’t get the big deal with that one. I’ve heard the arguments on it, I just think people overreact.
> > > > >
> > > > > Going back to equipment, I am really excited for the grapple hook. I think I prefer mobility based equipment a lot more than others. I dislike things like bube shield, regen, shield drain. But stuff like grapple and lifts I think are pretty cool. Also mind you this is mp I’m talking about. I just hope there isn’t so much of it games just feel equipment spam. There’s already power weapons, I don’t see the need for equipment. Campaign however I do enjoy equipment.
> > > >
> > > > I think Halo 3’s equipment had it’s benefits, but I think it could of been dramatically improved. The healing equipment piece I think showed the worst part of the equipment because you had to deal with it from afar. You couldn’t just shoot it. I think the equipment needs to be balanced and with that it can thrive. All equipment needs a weakness.
> > >
> > > That’s true I probably wouldn’t have disliked them so much if they were balanced better. The Infinite shield wall for example already looks way better to me than the bube shield because you can damage it externally, whether it be close or far range.
> >
> > Or bounce a grenade behind them to hit them. I disliked the same aspects as you however I think that balancing can truly fix that. I hope they treat Halo Infinite as an actively evolving game. I want to see them replace or remove aspects that just don’t work and add to the game as well.
>
> Yeah I agree. It sounds like that’s exactly what they’re trying to do. It’s going to be an evolving live service game and they claim their engine makes it a lot easier to alter/add/remove stuff much quicker than before (part of the reason they even made a new engine after all) so hopefully that proves true. Then all we have to deal with will not be technical but just 343i being their stubborn selves haha
343i? Not stubborn? Sounds too good to be true. Hopefully the game releases with Ranked Swat and Snipers instead of waiting. I would like for them to try different game modes and see what sticks. When one does stick they need to NOT REMOVE IT. Some of the choices there are mind boggling.
> 2533275031939856;7:
> Honestly I don’t like H3’s equipment. Worst part of the game in my opinion. Other than that I think the reveal looked really good gameplay mechanic wise. I knew people were gonna lose their -Yoink- when he started sprinting lol I’m fine with it though. Clamber I actually really like, I personally don’t get the big deal with that one. I’ve heard the arguments on it, I just think people overreact.
>
> Going back to equipment, I am really excited for the grapple hook. I think I prefer mobility based equipment a lot more than others. I dislike things like bube shield, regen, shield drain. But stuff like grapple and lifts I think are pretty cool. Also mind you this is mp I’m talking about. I just hope there isn’t so much of it games just feel equipment spam. There’s already power weapons, I don’t see the need for equipment. Campaign however I do enjoy equipment.
Maybe you’ve already heard this argument before and if so feel free to ignore but for me clamber is part of an overall switch up of the physics that I don’t like. Something I loved about Halo 2 and 3 was the physics, and the way you could do special leaps and nade jump to get to tactically cool places. I feel like in 4 and particularly 5 the Spartans for way heavier and nade jumping became useless. Parallel to the change in physics we got clamber, so now the skill of nade jumping and momentum jumping and even just crouch jumping are all streamlined into this easy button press that even a complete beginner can pick up and use on day one. It’s like an assist that removes an element of mastery. Add to that the often used argument that it’s just another moment to lose control of your character. In Halo 3 you could do any leap and still be spinning and firing and in the game. In halo 5 when you jump to a higher spot every time you get this same animation where you can no longer shoot or have control. I think it’s a step backwards, I don’t see how it’s a step forwards at all.
> 2606994427173702;13:
> Maybe you’ve already heard this argument before and if so feel free to ignore but for me clamber is part of an overall switch up of the physics that I don’t like. Something I loved about Halo 2 and 3 was the physics, and the way you could do special leaps and nade jump to get to tactically cool places. I feel like in 4 and particularly 5 the Spartans for way heavier and nade jumping became useless. Parallel to the change in physics we got clamber, so now the skill of nade jumping and momentum jumping and even just crouch jumping are all streamlined into this easy button press that even a complete beginner can pick up and use on day one. It’s like an assist that removes an element of mastery. Add to that the often used argument that it’s just another moment to lose control of your character. In Halo 3 you could do any leap and still be spinning and firing and in the game. In halo 5 when you jump to a higher spot every time you get this same animation where you can no longer shoot or have control. I think it’s a step backwards, I don’t see how it’s a step forwards at all.
Clamber is actually a penalty. Players who move through the map without using it have a massive advantage. They don’t lose speed, they are able to shoot at will, and they don’t make any noise that gives up their position.
There are plenty of skill jumps that the good (ie. not me) players use to avoid clamber. These include crouch jumps, spring jumps, and stabiliser jumps.
I actually feel that Halo 5 has a much bigger skill gap with jumping than any other Halo.
Of course there are some jumps that can only be done with clamber. These are usually specific to some point of higher ground and that’s ok (it adds a bit of risk to the reward). And how often would you be doing that while engaged in actual combat anyway? A well designed map shouldn’t have many (if any) jumps that can only be clambered in their normal flow.
The other advantages to clamber is that is far less jarring to watch. Not so much when you miss a jump… but it just looks ludicrous when you watch someone else miss a jump. They clip barely clip their toes and just fall backwards. It’s almost like watching you are watching a game from 20 years ago.
> 2585548714655118;14:
> > 2606994427173702;13:
> > Maybe you’ve already heard this argument before and if so feel free to ignore but for me clamber is part of an overall switch up of the physics that I don’t like. Something I loved about Halo 2 and 3 was the physics, and the way you could do special leaps and nade jump to get to tactically cool places. I feel like in 4 and particularly 5 the Spartans for way heavier and nade jumping became useless. Parallel to the change in physics we got clamber, so now the skill of nade jumping and momentum jumping and even just crouch jumping are all streamlined into this easy button press that even a complete beginner can pick up and use on day one. It’s like an assist that removes an element of mastery. Add to that the often used argument that it’s just another moment to lose control of your character. In Halo 3 you could do any leap and still be spinning and firing and in the game. In halo 5 when you jump to a higher spot every time you get this same animation where you can no longer shoot or have control. I think it’s a step backwards, I don’t see how it’s a step forwards at all.
>
> Clamber is actually a penalty. Players who move through the map without using it have a massive advantage. They don’t lose speed, they are able to shoot at will, and they don’t make any noise that gives up their position.
>
> There are plenty of skill jumps that the good (ie. not me) players use to avoid clamber. These include crouch jumps, spring jumps, and stabiliser jumps.
>
> I actually feel that Halo 5 has a much bigger skill gap with jumping than any other Halo.
>
> Of course there are some jumps that can only be done with clamber. These are usually specific to some point of higher ground and that’s ok (it adds a bit of risk to the reward). And how often would you be doing that while engaged in actual combat anyway? A well designed map shouldn’t have many (if any) jumps that can only be clambered in their normal flow.
>
> The other advantages to clamber is that is far less jarring to watch. Not so much when you miss a jump… but it just looks ludicrous when you watch someone else miss a jump. They clip barely clip their toes and just fall backwards. It’s almost like watching you are watching a game from 20 years ago.
Hmmm interesting take. It’s certainly a penalty but by the same token many maps are designed around its use now no matter how god you are at crouch jumping. On the visual/animation side of things there’s not much you can do about that for a competitive FPS. It’s be super lame if every time you fall from high up there’s an animation of you catching yourself on the ground or something and you lose control.
Graphics: They still do not look good going by the 2020 demo. Graphics do matter and while they’re not as important as story or gameplay, it doesn’t mean they’re unimportant. I’m glad 343 took an entire year delay to double down on the visuals. From the E3 2018 Slipspace Engine demo to Microsoft bragging about 12 teraflops, we’ve come to expect some sort of next gen visuals. Doesn’t have to match Horizon Forbidden West, but it should be a GOTY 2021 contender easily. We should demand better from MS’s flagship franchise.
Pop ins: This was the biggest immersion breaker. From the grass disappearing to the clouds reappearing, you could tell the game was unready to ship. But my biggest issue is the mindset/mentality behind this. Why would 343 show this as their first impression?
Escharum: At first, I didn’t like Escharum’s monologue. Originally thought it was over the top and dragged out. Looking back at it now, I’m starting to like it I must admit. It’s very… Theatrical if you will. It’s epic. It’s motivational. And he has the potential to be Halo’s most dynamic villain. In fact, if done well, he could be seen as more of an antagonist rather than a villain.
At the end of the day, I hope Infinite wins GOTY 2021 and GOTY for best storytelling. I may have a competitive mindset, but whether we like it or not, Infinite will be compared to Horizon at The Game Awards and I’m tired of seeing Halo lose.
My hope (not expectation) is Infinite will have a story that rivals The Last Of Us, God of War, The Witcher 3, Red Dead 2.
And a multiplayer that’ll bring back the population and intensity of Halo 3.
> 2533274949216347;16:
> These were the aspects that stuck out to me:
> - Graphics
> - Pop ins
> - Escharum
>
> Graphics: They still do not look good going by the 2020 demo. Graphics do matter and while they’re not as important as story or gameplay, it doesn’t mean they’re unimportant. I’m glad 343 took an entire year delay to double down on the visuals. From the E3 2018 Slipspace Engine demo to Microsoft bragging about 12 teraflops, we’ve come to expect some sort of next gen visuals. Doesn’t have to match Horizon Forbidden West, but it should be a GOTY 2021 contender easily. We should demand better from MS’s flagship franchise.
>
> Pop ins: This was the biggest immersion breaker. From the grass disappearing to the clouds reappearing, you could tell the game was unready to ship. But my biggest issue is the mindset/mentality behind this. Why would 343 show this as their first impression?
> Escharum: At first, I didn’t like Escharum’s monologue. Originally thought it was over the top and dragged out. Looking back at it now, I’m starting to like it I must admit. It’s very… Theatrical if you will. It’s epic. It’s motivational. And he has the potential to be Halo’s most dynamic villain. In fact, if done well, he could be seen as more of an antagonist rather than a villain.
>
> ______________________________________
>
> At the end of the day, I hope Infinite wins GOTY 2021 and GOTY for best storytelling. I may have a competitive mindset, but whether we like it or not, Infinite will be compared to Horizon at The Game Awards and I’m tired of seeing Halo lose.
>
> My hope (not expectation) is Infinite will have a story that rivals The Last Of Us, God of War, The Witcher 3, Red Dead 2.
>
> And a multiplayer that’ll bring back the population and intensity of Halo 3.
I liked the graphics / art-style presented in the demo. They pretty much hit the nail on the head for where I was hoping they would go.
I don’t think Halo needs to be at the absolute cutting edge. Just give me lots going on - and do it solidly. I’d rather more enemies and explosions than adding pretty ray traced reflections.
Agree that the graphics suffered technically though. I know that the engine is new… and the hardware is going to take a year or two to untap it’s potential… but the cloud pop in was disheartening. The grass was a bit less jarring… but still. And I know that a lot of these things get tidied in the last rounds of optimisations - but I expected better and it probably shows that the team was already falling behind schedule.
Escharum’s speech was cool. I liked that they presented the character but didn’t set themselves up for a narrative fail (Halo 5 anyone). Again, I hope they’ve improved the graphics/animation of his hair / face / mouth.
> 2606994427173702;3:
> > 2535431751471835;2:
> > Sprint and clamber are here to stay I think, and I don’t care one way or another, run faster without being able to shoot, and climbing up things at a slow pace doesn’t bother me, but that’s besides the point. I do agree that the art style is aesthetically perfect, and that the weapons look very Halo. But don’t worry, we won’t be losing any content.
>
> Not just content, I hope we don’t lose the aesthetic as well, but you’re probably right that equipment won’t be removed and what not. Really worried what better “graphics” could mean for the overall look. A lack of detail actually kind of fits the slightly cartoonish aesthetic of 1-3.
Its not the lack of details that make the game cartoonish, is arena shooter gameplay
> 2585548714655118;17:
> > 2533274949216347;16:
> > These were the aspects that stuck out to me:
> > - Graphics
> > - Pop ins
> > - Escharum
> >
> > Graphics: They still do not look good going by the 2020 demo. Graphics do matter and while they’re not as important as story or gameplay, it doesn’t mean they’re unimportant. I’m glad 343 took an entire year delay to double down on the visuals. From the E3 2018 Slipspace Engine demo to Microsoft bragging about 12 teraflops, we’ve come to expect some sort of next gen visuals. Doesn’t have to match Horizon Forbidden West, but it should be a GOTY 2021 contender easily. We should demand better from MS’s flagship franchise.
> >
> > Pop ins: This was the biggest immersion breaker. From the grass disappearing to the clouds reappearing, you could tell the game was unready to ship. But my biggest issue is the mindset/mentality behind this. Why would 343 show this as their first impression?
> > Escharum: At first, I didn’t like Escharum’s monologue. Originally thought it was over the top and dragged out. Looking back at it now, I’m starting to like it I must admit. It’s very… Theatrical if you will. It’s epic. It’s motivational. And he has the potential to be Halo’s most dynamic villain. In fact, if done well, he could be seen as more of an antagonist rather than a villain.
> >
> > ______________________________________
> >
> > At the end of the day, I hope Infinite wins GOTY 2021 and GOTY for best storytelling. I may have a competitive mindset, but whether we like it or not, Infinite will be compared to Horizon at The Game Awards and I’m tired of seeing Halo lose.
> >
> > My hope (not expectation) is Infinite will have a story that rivals The Last Of Us, God of War, The Witcher 3, Red Dead 2.
> >
> > And a multiplayer that’ll bring back the population and intensity of Halo 3.
>
> I liked the graphics / art-style presented in the demo. They pretty much hit the nail on the head for where I was hoping they would go.
>
> I don’t think Halo needs to be at the absolute cutting edge. Just give me lots going on - and do it solidly. I’d rather more enemies and explosions than adding pretty ray traced reflections.
>
> Agree that the graphics suffered technically though. I know that the engine is new… and the hardware is going to take a year or two to untap it’s potential… but the cloud pop in was disheartening. The grass was a bit less jarring… but still. And I know that a lot of these things get tidied in the last rounds of optimisations - but I expected better and it probably shows that the team was already falling behind schedule.
>
> Escharum’s speech was cool. I liked that they presented the character but didn’t set themselves up for a narrative fail (Halo 5 anyone). Again, I hope they’ve improved the graphics/animation of his hair / face / mouth.
Me too, the speech made you fell motivated, the graphics and engine where not good, the textures poping in and out is was my concern, the state the engine was in is what worried me
When it comes to Escharum I liked his speech but he looked like a warcraft orc cosplaying as a brute. His concept art makes him look seriously badass, and I hope it reflects it more on release.
