Let me preface this post by saying that I like Halo 4. I like it quite a bit. I found the campaign to be better made than Reach’s, and its multiplayer to be the right mix of fast-paced action characteristic of other shooters and deliberate strategy emblematic of Halo. However, I am not an apologist. As a dedicated fan to the franchise, I try not to pretend that something is good if it isn’t.
This brings me to the state of Halo 4’s Forge and Custom Games (CGs). CGs in Halo first became immensely popular in Halo 3 with the added Forge. Most players will have fond memories of classic gametypes like Fat Kid, Omega Journey, Ghost Busters, and Predator. CGs differentiated Halo massively from other shooters by offering unprecedented flexibility and facilitating incredible community creativity.
With Halo 4, 343i has not broken the trend, but they are taking away the one element that allowed CGs to thrive in Halo 3: customization.
Any sane Halo fan will agree that adding content and gametypes is great. To this end, Flood, Regicide, and Dominion are fine additions to the experience. However, any sane fan will also agree that taking away customization by adding these gametypes is degrading the experience. While Flood is a great—finally allowing players to play as Combat Forms—not being able to revert to previous settings or having to find inconvenient bypasses is not.
343i, I ask this. Please put back in place the options that were available in previous Halo games for CGs. If this is not amended in this game—delayed until Halo 5’s arrival years from now—then I fear the incredibly creative CGs community will be irreparably harmed. You delivered a heartfelt campaign experience, and an exciting competitive experience, and now we ask that you simply put back the unmatched CG experience that made Halo 3 shine.