Now, most people’s criticisms are saying that Halo is becoming too similar to Call of Duty. The problem with this criticism is that the people who wish to respond to that criticism are only pointing out that the criticisms are against Call of Duty, when in fact the criticisms are deeper, and that comparing them to CoD is the simplest way.
In order to clarify why people are upset with the changes, I’m breaking down the reasons why people are comparing the game to Call of Duty/Other first person shooters, and why this is harmful to the game.
Remember, the problem is not that these features are in CoD, the problem is that these features are in every other FPS on the market. The characteristics that set Halo apart from other shooters that have now been dulled down/removed entirely include:
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Slower gameplay requiring more thought and planning (e.g. Spawn waiting times meaning that each life is more valuable, and you can’t just charge into a base gung-ho, normal running speeds leading to longer and more intense fighting, rather than quick pop-out-and-die action of most other FPS)
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Fairness at the start of every game (e.g. Everyone starting on a level playing field, and the only advantage being the player’s knowledge of the game mechanics, the map, and the gametype.)
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Games played for fun and competition rather than hoarding points/unlockables (e.g. The inclusion of Credits and unlockables in H3 and Reach leading people to hold objectives so they can get more kills, whereas none of that happened in H2).