Grappleshot vs Gravity Rifle - Which is better?

Games Halo Infinite
1

Before I start, I’d just like to say that I believe Halo Infinite will be an incredibly fun game, and I’m looking forward to seeing exactly how the Grappleshot will contribute to that. However, I’d like to hear people’s thoughts on whether they’d have been happy to see the Gravity Rifle return in a new Halo game as a substitute for a grappling hook.

Here are the differences between the two:

Grappleshot

  • Appears to function similar to a recharging Armour Ability - Is physically attached to the player - Is unfamiliar in a Halo setting - Locks enemies in place using a hook - Grabs objects using the hook - Uses the hook to grapple to new positions - Works independently from typical Halo physics - Is simple and easy to use for all playersGravity Rifle

  • Would be a weapon pick-up that contains its own battery - Can be used by enemy AI and fought over between the player and AI - Is an unused Covenant weapon from Halo: Combat Evolved - Could be redesigned to fit the Banished aesthetic - Pulls enemies and objects toward the player using an anti-gravity force when the trigger is held - Shoots / launches enemies back when the trigger is tapped - Can either launch or pull the player toward geometry depending on whether the trigger is held or tapped and the angle of weapon - Incorporates Halo physics into its functionality - Is complex - Can be used easily enough by all players but only mastered with experienceIf Halo’s Gravity Rifle was to return with a proper and polished introduction, would you approve? Do you think it would be fun to use in both the campaign and multiplayer? Would it work as a substitution for the Grappleshot? Could it be included alongside the Grappleshot? What would be the drawbacks of the Gravity Rifle over the Grappleshot? What would be the advantages? How commonly should it be found? Should it recharge like an Armour Ability or have a battery akin to plasma weapons? What are your opinions on the Grappleshot, and how does the Gravity Rifle compare?

This is just a hypothetical. I’m not saying I want to see the Grappleshot gone, but hopefully we can throw around some ideas and have a bit of an interesting conversation. :slight_smile:

2

I like the gravity rifle, it’s inclusion with the grappleshot isn’t something I would mind although they are quite similar here and there. My biggest issue with the grappleshot (in the campaign) is that it’s a base mechanic. The more power the player has, the less meaning 343’s sandbox has on the game and an example is from Halo 3’s scarab battle. The player can use rockets to blow up the scarab legs, jump on the crane, or use a vehicle but with the grappleshot I can just hook onto the scarab. Now I’m not saying that won’t be fun, but the sandbox has less meaning.

The gravity rifle however, requires interaction to use it and is not a base mechanic. It does nullify the sandbox but because it’s a pick up, the gravity rifle is a lot less detrimental compared to something like the grappleshot.

In addition, the way you described the gravity rifle it sounds more dynamic compared to the grappleshot, which I like. I would like to see myself launching a suicidal grunt into a group of Banished brutes.

3

> 2535453408431289;2:
> I like the gravity rifle, it’s inclusion with the grappleshot isn’t something I would mind although they are quite similar here and there. My biggest issue with the grappleshot (in the campaign) is that it’s a base mechanic. The more power the player has, the less meaning 343’s sandbox has on the game and an example is from Halo 3’s scarab battle. The player can use rockets to blow up the scarab legs, jump on the crane, or use a vehicle but with the grappleshot I can just hook onto the scarab. Now I’m not saying that won’t be fun, but the sandbox has less meaning.
>
> The gravity rifle however, requires interaction to use it and is not a base mechanic. It does nullify the sandbox but because it’s a pick up, the gravity rifle is a lot less detrimental compared to something like the grappleshot.
>
> In addition, the way you described the gravity rifle it sounds more dynamic compared to the grappleshot, which I like. I would like to see myself launching a suicidal grunt into a group of Banished brutes.

I like a lot of what you said, and even if the Gravity Rifle doesn’t appear in Infinite (I’d be very surprised if it did) based on those things, I really want to see it introduced at some point, whether in an official title, fan project or mod. That last part, blasting the suicide Grunt into a group of Brutes… I never knew I needed that 'til now, but I absolutely crave it!

4

See while I welcome 343 experimenting with new ideas I still prefer Master Chief to have more weapons rather than more equipment. The Gravity Rifle would be very cool if it was found stashed away in some really difficult encounter for the player to go wild with. The Grappleshot seems cool but I’m not a fan of cooldowns on anything, it doesn’t really have a precedent in Halo and it may or may not completely destroy balance. We really haven’t seen enough gameplay yet, but overall I’d say I’d prefer the Gravity Rifle.

5

Grappler definitely

6

> 2535444908198437;4:
> See while I welcome 343 experimenting with new ideas I still prefer Master Chief to have more weapons rather than more equipment. The Gravity Rifle would be very cool if it was found stashed away in some really difficult encounter for the player to go wild with. The Grappleshot seems cool but I’m not a fan of cooldowns on anything, it doesn’t really have a precedent in Halo and it may or may not completely destroy balance. We really haven’t seen enough gameplay yet, but overall I’d say I’d prefer the Gravity Rifle.

This really scratches at the fundamental problems with the later Halo games.

Why are these unique functionalities tied to cooldowns and abilities instead of pickups? Halo’s whole shtick was always finding things in the environment to improve your killing potential. Hell, to me, sprint would be a better map pickup than a base ability(kinda like the speed boost in Halo 2 Anniversary lol), and I think sprint is a total detriment in every implementation it’s had in Halo so far.

Now I think the grappling hook’s implementation is different in Multiplayer, it’ll most likely be a pickup with a single/limited use. That’s fine, but why are we separating the sandbox all of the sudden? That’s something so consistent in Bungie’s design philosophy that it’s carried over into Destiny(and admittedly been a problem there as well between balancing PvE and PvP activities).

I would absolutely take the Gravity weapon over a Grappling Hook, because it makes sense given the context of the previous games. Tell you what though, I’d take the grappling hook if it were a weapon pickup. That’s a great way to implement it into the sandbox, and it’s a hell of a trade off too. Do I give up the entirety of my secondary weapon’s killing potential so that I have extremely high mobility? If implemented as a weapon, the grappling hook now becomes the more extreme version of the Halo 3 Brute shot, a platforming weapon with no killing potential whatsoever. That’s pretty on brand for an Arena shooter, and it’s wacky enough to be in Halo’s sandbox.

I’m glad that Halo is returning to pickups. I’m happy to see them return as they’re something that should have never been removed from the game’s sandbox. I’m still bummed to see divisive and (IMO) redundant mechanics like sprint return, but I’m holding out until I see the final product, or at least a beta or some real gameplay.

7

> 2533274923428997;6:
> > 2535444908198437;4:
> > See while I welcome 343 experimenting with new ideas I still prefer Master Chief to have more weapons rather than more equipment. The Gravity Rifle would be very cool if it was found stashed away in some really difficult encounter for the player to go wild with. The Grappleshot seems cool but I’m not a fan of cooldowns on anything, it doesn’t really have a precedent in Halo and it may or may not completely destroy balance. We really haven’t seen enough gameplay yet, but overall I’d say I’d prefer the Gravity Rifle.
>
> This really scratches at the fundamental problems with the later Halo games.
>
> Why are these unique functionalities tied to cooldowns and abilities instead of pickups? Halo’s whole shtick was always finding things in the environment to improve your killing potential. Hell, to me, sprint would be a better map pickup than a base ability(kinda like the speed boost in Halo 2 Anniversary lol), and I think sprint is a total detriment in every implementation it’s had in Halo so far.
>
> Now I think the grappling hook’s implementation is different in Multiplayer, it’ll most likely be a pickup with a single/limited use. That’s fine, but why are we separating the sandbox all of the sudden? That’s something so consistent in Bungie’s design philosophy that it’s carried over into Destiny(and admittedly been a problem there as well between balancing PvE and PvP activities).
>
> I would absolutely take the Gravity weapon over a Grappling Hook, because it makes sense given the context of the previous games. Tell you what though, I’d take the grappling hook if it were a weapon pickup. That’s a great way to implement it into the sandbox, and it’s a hell of a trade off too. Do I give up the entirety of my secondary weapon’s killing potential so that I have extremely high mobility? If implemented as a weapon, the grappling hook now becomes the more extreme version of the Halo 3 Brute shot, a platforming weapon with no killing potential****whatsoever. That’s pretty on brand for an Arena shooter, and it’s wacky enough to be in Halo’s sandbox.
>
> I’m glad that Halo is returning to pickups. I’m happy to see them return as they’re something that should have never been removed from the game’s sandbox. I’m still bummed to see divisive and (IMO) redundant mechanics like sprint return, but I’m holding out until I see the final product, or at least a beta or some real gameplay.

The Grappling Hook as a pickup is a possibility I didn’t even envision and I must say now that you bring it up I quite like it. I played a lot of Destiny 1 and 2 before coming back to Halo, and I really want it to feel like… well, Halo, not Destiny. With the delay, I wonder if they are maybe changing some mechanics too? Maybe the grappling hook will indeed become a pickup? We’ll have to wait and see.

Also, may I ask why you think it will have different implementation in Multiplayer? I am not entirely up to date with all the news.
Cheers.

8

> 2535444908198437;7:
> > 2533274923428997;6:
> > > 2535444908198437;4:
> > > See while I welcome 343 experimenting with new ideas I still prefer Master Chief to have more weapons rather than more equipment. The Gravity Rifle would be very cool if it was found stashed away in some really difficult encounter for the player to go wild with. The Grappleshot seems cool but I’m not a fan of cooldowns on anything, it doesn’t really have a precedent in Halo and it may or may not completely destroy balance. We really haven’t seen enough gameplay yet, but overall I’d say I’d prefer the Gravity Rifle.
> >
> > This really scratches at the fundamental problems with the later Halo games.
> >
> > Why are these unique functionalities tied to cooldowns and abilities instead of pickups? Halo’s whole shtick was always finding things in the environment to improve your killing potential. Hell, to me, sprint would be a better map pickup than a base ability(kinda like the speed boost in Halo 2 Anniversary lol), and I think sprint is a total detriment in every implementation it’s had in Halo so far.
> >
> > Now I think the grappling hook’s implementation is different in Multiplayer, it’ll most likely be a pickup with a single/limited use. That’s fine, but why are we separating the sandbox all of the sudden? That’s something so consistent in Bungie’s design philosophy that it’s carried over into Destiny(and admittedly been a problem there as well between balancing PvE and PvP activities).
> >
> > I would absolutely take the Gravity weapon over a Grappling Hook, because it makes sense given the context of the previous games. Tell you what though, I’d take the grappling hook if it were a weapon pickup. That’s a great way to implement it into the sandbox, and it’s a hell of a trade off too. Do I give up the entirety of my secondary weapon’s killing potential so that I have extremely high mobility? If implemented as a weapon, the grappling hook now becomes the more extreme version of the Halo 3 Brute shot, a platforming weapon with no killing potential****whatsoever. That’s pretty on brand for an Arena shooter, and it’s wacky enough to be in Halo’s sandbox.
> >
> > I’m glad that Halo is returning to pickups. I’m happy to see them return as they’re something that should have never been removed from the game’s sandbox. I’m still bummed to see divisive and (IMO) redundant mechanics like sprint return, but I’m holding out until I see the final product, or at least a beta or some real gameplay.
>
> The Grappling Hook as a pickup is a possibility I didn’t even envision and I must say now that you bring it up I quite like it. I played a lot of Destiny 1 and 2 before coming back to Halo, and I really want it to feel like… well, Halo, not Destiny. With the delay, I wonder if they are maybe changing some mechanics too? Maybe the grappling hook will indeed become a pickup? We’ll have to wait and see.
>
> Also, may I ask why you think it will have different implementation in Multiplayer? I am not entirely up to date with all the news.
> Cheers.

I’m making assumptions based on the Upgrades tab in campaign and the leaks from Klorbille, who is a pretty consistent insider and has predicted a lot about Halo releases in the past. He said that the grappling hook will behave differently in Multiplayer aside from Campaign. I’m imagining you get the grappleshot in campaign and can get upgrades to give it a cooldown. 343 Knows that enhanced mobility is divisive, which is why sprint is slower in infinite, and the thruster pack has been removed. I’m assuming that 343 wouldn’t have reduced mobility and then throw in a grappling hook for every player in a match, though I’m sure that will be encorporated into some game modes. They’re trying to find a happy medium, and frankly, I don’t really know if there is one.

9

> 2533274923428997;8:
> > 2535444908198437;7:
> > > 2533274923428997;6:
> > > > 2535444908198437;4:
> > > > See while I welcome 343 experimenting with new ideas I still prefer Master Chief to have more weapons rather than more equipment. The Gravity Rifle would be very cool if it was found stashed away in some really difficult encounter for the player to go wild with. The Grappleshot seems cool but I’m not a fan of cooldowns on anything, it doesn’t really have a precedent in Halo and it may or may not completely destroy balance. We really haven’t seen enough gameplay yet, but overall I’d say I’d prefer the Gravity Rifle.
> > >
> > > This really scratches at the fundamental problems with the later Halo games.
> > >
> > > Why are these unique functionalities tied to cooldowns and abilities instead of pickups? Halo’s whole shtick was always finding things in the environment to improve your killing potential. Hell, to me, sprint would be a better map pickup than a base ability(kinda like the speed boost in Halo 2 Anniversary lol), and I think sprint is a total detriment in every implementation it’s had in Halo so far.
> > >
> > > Now I think the grappling hook’s implementation is different in Multiplayer, it’ll most likely be a pickup with a single/limited use. That’s fine, but why are we separating the sandbox all of the sudden? That’s something so consistent in Bungie’s design philosophy that it’s carried over into Destiny(and admittedly been a problem there as well between balancing PvE and PvP activities).
> > >
> > > I would absolutely take the Gravity weapon over a Grappling Hook, because it makes sense given the context of the previous games. Tell you what though, I’d take the grappling hook if it were a weapon pickup. That’s a great way to implement it into the sandbox, and it’s a hell of a trade off too. Do I give up the entirety of my secondary weapon’s killing potential so that I have extremely high mobility? If implemented as a weapon, the grappling hook now becomes the more extreme version of the Halo 3 Brute shot, a platforming weapon with no killing potential****whatsoever. That’s pretty on brand for an Arena shooter, and it’s wacky enough to be in Halo’s sandbox.
> > >
> > > I’m glad that Halo is returning to pickups. I’m happy to see them return as they’re something that should have never been removed from the game’s sandbox. I’m still bummed to see divisive and (IMO) redundant mechanics like sprint return, but I’m holding out until I see the final product, or at least a beta or some real gameplay.
> >
> > The Grappling Hook as a pickup is a possibility I didn’t even envision and I must say now that you bring it up I quite like it. I played a lot of Destiny 1 and 2 before coming back to Halo, and I really want it to feel like… well, Halo, not Destiny. With the delay, I wonder if they are maybe changing some mechanics too? Maybe the grappling hook will indeed become a pickup? We’ll have to wait and see.
> >
> > Also, may I ask why you think it will have different implementation in Multiplayer? I am not entirely up to date with all the news.
> > Cheers.
>
> I’m making assumptions based on the Upgrades tab in campaign and the leaks from Klorbille, who is a pretty consistent insider and has predicted a lot about Halo releases in the past. He said that the grappling hook will behave differently in Multiplayer aside from Campaign. I’m imagining you get the grappleshot in campaign and can get upgrades to give it a cooldown. 343 Knows that enhanced mobility is divisive, which is why sprint is slower in infinite, and the thruster pack has been removed. I’m assuming that 343 wouldn’t have reduced mobility and then throw in a grappling hook for every player in a match, though I’m sure that will be encorporated into some game modes. They’re trying to find a happy medium, and frankly, I don’t really know if there is one.

Oh fair enough, I see. Yeah it might seem like 343 is trying to find a happy medium but honestly given how drastically they changed the games from the Bungie games to 4, from 4 to 5, and now from 5 to Infinite I’m afraid they simply don’t know what direction they want to go in.

10

> 2535444908198437;9:
> > 2533274923428997;8:
> > > 2535444908198437;7:
> > > > 2533274923428997;6:
> > > > > 2535444908198437;4:
> > > > > See while I welcome 343 experimenting with new ideas I still prefer Master Chief to have more weapons rather than more equipment. The Gravity Rifle would be very cool if it was found stashed away in some really difficult encounter for the player to go wild with. The Grappleshot seems cool but I’m not a fan of cooldowns on anything, it doesn’t really have a precedent in Halo and it may or may not completely destroy balance. We really haven’t seen enough gameplay yet, but overall I’d say I’d prefer the Gravity Rifle.
> > > >
> > > > This really scratches at the fundamental problems with the later Halo games.
> > > >
> > > > Why are these unique functionalities tied to cooldowns and abilities instead of pickups? Halo’s whole shtick was always finding things in the environment to improve your killing potential. Hell, to me, sprint would be a better map pickup than a base ability(kinda like the speed boost in Halo 2 Anniversary lol), and I think sprint is a total detriment in every implementation it’s had in Halo so far.
> > > >
> > > > Now I think the grappling hook’s implementation is different in Multiplayer, it’ll most likely be a pickup with a single/limited use. That’s fine, but why are we separating the sandbox all of the sudden? That’s something so consistent in Bungie’s design philosophy that it’s carried over into Destiny(and admittedly been a problem there as well between balancing PvE and PvP activities).
> > > >
> > > > I would absolutely take the Gravity weapon over a Grappling Hook, because it makes sense given the context of the previous games. Tell you what though, I’d take the grappling hook if it were a weapon pickup. That’s a great way to implement it into the sandbox, and it’s a hell of a trade off too. Do I give up the entirety of my secondary weapon’s killing potential so that I have extremely high mobility? If implemented as a weapon, the grappling hook now becomes the more extreme version of the Halo 3 Brute shot, a platforming weapon with no killing potential****whatsoever. That’s pretty on brand for an Arena shooter, and it’s wacky enough to be in Halo’s sandbox.
> > > >
> > > > I’m glad that Halo is returning to pickups. I’m happy to see them return as they’re something that should have never been removed from the game’s sandbox. I’m still bummed to see divisive and (IMO) redundant mechanics like sprint return, but I’m holding out until I see the final product, or at least a beta or some real gameplay.
> > >
> > > The Grappling Hook as a pickup is a possibility I didn’t even envision and I must say now that you bring it up I quite like it. I played a lot of Destiny 1 and 2 before coming back to Halo, and I really want it to feel like… well, Halo, not Destiny. With the delay, I wonder if they are maybe changing some mechanics too? Maybe the grappling hook will indeed become a pickup? We’ll have to wait and see.
> > >
> > > Also, may I ask why you think it will have different implementation in Multiplayer? I am not entirely up to date with all the news.
> > > Cheers.
> >
> > I’m making assumptions based on the Upgrades tab in campaign and the leaks from Klorbille, who is a pretty consistent insider and has predicted a lot about Halo releases in the past. He said that the grappling hook will behave differently in Multiplayer aside from Campaign. I’m imagining you get the grappleshot in campaign and can get upgrades to give it a cooldown. 343 Knows that enhanced mobility is divisive, which is why sprint is slower in infinite, and the thruster pack has been removed. I’m assuming that 343 wouldn’t have reduced mobility and then throw in a grappling hook for every player in a match, though I’m sure that will be encorporated into some game modes. They’re trying to find a happy medium, and frankly, I don’t really know if there is one.
>
> Oh fair enough, I see. Yeah it might seem like 343 is trying to find a happy medium but honestly given how drastically they changed the games from the Bungie games to 4, from 4 to 5, and now from 5 to Infinite I’m afraid they simply don’t know what direction they want to go in.

That’s the discussion that’s at the root of it all. “Classic vs Advanced” has always been a surface level debate, in my opinion. It’s part of the bigger picture, but it should go deeper than that. What gameplay elements are at Halo’s core? Why did people continue to play Halo 3 while the CoD series was also in its prime? (And why did so many leave with the release of Halo Reach?)

Ensemble Studios did everything they could to make Halo Wars, despite being of a completely different genre, fit Halo’s identity as much as they could. How could they incorporate what Halo was known for into an RTS gameplay system? How could they translate the visuals, audio, the look, the feel…? Apparently, one staff member at Ensemble took it upon himself to plaster every office and room, even the toilet rooms (‘bathrooms’ as Americans call them despite having no baths) with countless screenshots and other images from Halos 1 to 3. That way, everyone in that office could come to terms with exactly how Halo should look, and while original ideas could be made, they’d never stray from that Halo feel. Halo Wars somehow successfully translated Halo’s FPS campaign style into an RTS with environments and objectives feeling incredibly Halo, enemies and weapons acting like they would in the FPSs, characters feeling as if they could fit within the campaigns of Halo 1 or 2, the most Halo-sounding music we’ve ever heard short of Marty’s… etc. etc.

The point is, while we can accept overlap in gameplay with other games (recharging abilities in this instance) they’re not the elements that make Halo what it is. They’re additions perhaps, but they’ll always be features of other games. Adding these things isn’t a matter of going in a direction as much as they are slapping atypical Halo features atop a Halo game. If 343i are going to throw these features in, they have to directly compliment the features players came to expect from a Halo game before these additions were thrown in. They can’t simply exist alongside or there’s no point. That’s meaningless and shallow. As Ensemble learnt so many years ago, everything, all changes and additions need to compliment the identity of Halo. Every decision made should be analysed carefully and thoroughly regarding how it affects Halo. If the added feature changes how players approach the game… If people playing end up making thoughts similar to those they’d have playing another FPS… Is it still Halo?

11

> 2535458751518018;10:
> > 2535444908198437;9:
> > > 2533274923428997;8:
> > > > 2535444908198437;7:
> > > > > 2533274923428997;6:
> > > > > > 2535444908198437;4:
> > > > > > See while I welcome 343 experimenting with new ideas I still prefer Master Chief to have more weapons rather than more equipment. The Gravity Rifle would be very cool if it was found stashed away in some really difficult encounter for the player to go wild with. The Grappleshot seems cool but I’m not a fan of cooldowns on anything, it doesn’t really have a precedent in Halo and it may or may not completely destroy balance. We really haven’t seen enough gameplay yet, but overall I’d say I’d prefer the Gravity Rifle.
> > > > >
> > > > > This really scratches at the fundamental problems with the later Halo games.
> > > > >
> > > > > Why are these unique functionalities tied to cooldowns and abilities instead of pickups? Halo’s whole shtick was always finding things in the environment to improve your killing potential. Hell, to me, sprint would be a better map pickup than a base ability(kinda like the speed boost in Halo 2 Anniversary lol), and I think sprint is a total detriment in every implementation it’s had in Halo so far.
> > > > >
> > > > > Now I think the grappling hook’s implementation is different in Multiplayer, it’ll most likely be a pickup with a single/limited use. That’s fine, but why are we separating the sandbox all of the sudden? That’s something so consistent in Bungie’s design philosophy that it’s carried over into Destiny(and admittedly been a problem there as well between balancing PvE and PvP activities).
> > > > >
> > > > > I would absolutely take the Gravity weapon over a Grappling Hook, because it makes sense given the context of the previous games. Tell you what though, I’d take the grappling hook if it were a weapon pickup. That’s a great way to implement it into the sandbox, and it’s a hell of a trade off too. Do I give up the entirety of my secondary weapon’s killing potential so that I have extremely high mobility? If implemented as a weapon, the grappling hook now becomes the more extreme version of the Halo 3 Brute shot, a platforming weapon with no killing potential****whatsoever. That’s pretty on brand for an Arena shooter, and it’s wacky enough to be in Halo’s sandbox.
> > > > >
> > > > > I’m glad that Halo is returning to pickups. I’m happy to see them return as they’re something that should have never been removed from the game’s sandbox. I’m still bummed to see divisive and (IMO) redundant mechanics like sprint return, but I’m holding out until I see the final product, or at least a beta or some real gameplay.
> > > >
> > > > The Grappling Hook as a pickup is a possibility I didn’t even envision and I must say now that you bring it up I quite like it. I played a lot of Destiny 1 and 2 before coming back to Halo, and I really want it to feel like… well, Halo, not Destiny. With the delay, I wonder if they are maybe changing some mechanics too? Maybe the grappling hook will indeed become a pickup? We’ll have to wait and see.
> > > >
> > > > Also, may I ask why you think it will have different implementation in Multiplayer? I am not entirely up to date with all the news.
> > > > Cheers.
> > >
> > > I’m making assumptions based on the Upgrades tab in campaign and the leaks from Klorbille, who is a pretty consistent insider and has predicted a lot about Halo releases in the past. He said that the grappling hook will behave differently in Multiplayer aside from Campaign. I’m imagining you get the grappleshot in campaign and can get upgrades to give it a cooldown. 343 Knows that enhanced mobility is divisive, which is why sprint is slower in infinite, and the thruster pack has been removed. I’m assuming that 343 wouldn’t have reduced mobility and then throw in a grappling hook for every player in a match, though I’m sure that will be encorporated into some game modes. They’re trying to find a happy medium, and frankly, I don’t really know if there is one.
> >
> > Oh fair enough, I see. Yeah it might seem like 343 is trying to find a happy medium but honestly given how drastically they changed the games from the Bungie games to 4, from 4 to 5, and now from 5 to Infinite I’m afraid they simply don’t know what direction they want to go in.
>
> That’s the discussion that’s at the root of it all. “Classic vs Advanced” has always been a surface level debate, in my opinion. It’s part of the bigger picture, but it should go deeper than that. What gameplay elements are at Halo’s core? Why did people continue to play Halo 3 while the CoD series was also in its prime? (And why did so many leave with the release of Halo Reach?)
>
> Ensemble Studios did everything they could to make Halo Wars, despite being of a completely different genre, fit Halo’s identity as much as they could. How could they incorporate what Halo was known for into an RTS gameplay system? How could they translate the visuals, audio, the look, the feel…? Apparently, one staff member at Ensemble took it upon himself to plaster every office and room, even the toilet rooms (‘bathrooms’ as Americans call them despite having no baths) with countless screenshots and other images from Halos 1 to 3. That way, everyone in that office could come to terms with exactly how Halo should look, and while original ideas could be made, they’d never stray from that Halo feel. Halo Wars somehow successfully translated Halo’s FPS campaign style into an RTS with environments and objectives feeling incredibly Halo, enemies and weapons acting like they would in the FPSs, characters feeling as if they could fit within the campaigns of Halo 1 or 2, the most Halo-sounding music we’ve ever heard short of Marty’s… etc. etc.
>
> The point is, while we can accept overlap in gameplay with other games (recharging abilities in this instance) they’re not the elements that make Halo what it is. They’re additions perhaps, but they’ll always be features of other games. Adding these things isn’t a matter of going in a direction as much as they are slapping atypical Halo features atop a Halo game. If 343i are going to throw these features in, they have to directly compliment the features players came to expect from a Halo game before these additions were thrown in. They can’t simply exist alongside or there’s no point. That’s meaningless and shallow. As Ensemble learnt so many years ago, everything, all changes and additions need to compliment the identity of Halo. Every decision made should be analysed carefully and thoroughly regarding how it affects Halo. If the added feature changes how players approach the game… If people playing end up making thoughts similar to those they’d have playing another FPS… Is it still Halo?

We can take this thought even further: Was including equipment in Halo 3 a good idea? Everyone liked 3, but it set the precedent for armor abilities in Reach, which were more divisive. We could even ask if the introduction of the Arbiter was a good idea. I like him and I’m certain many others do too, but I hear on release people were wondering why they were suddenly playing an alien when the entire point of Halo was shooting them in the face - though keep in mind I am only relating what I heard since I wasn’t interested in Halo back then. So a point could be made that EACH Halo game was different from the last. The question then is: What changes fit Halo, and which don’t? Is appeasing everyone even possible?