The title asserts my opinion.
Colorful maps in Halo have distinguished it from other games, and this trend was reversed in many Halo:Reach maps. I see Battle/Beaver Creek from Halo and Halo 2, and then I see the remake coming with Halo:CEA, and it loses a lot of its brightness and vividness although looking fantastic. The comparison to its predecessors is quite stark and I almost feel as if the map isn’t the same.
A mixture of both is needed, I think. Lockout, Warlock, Gemini and Midship among others were all quite gritty. In fact, the majority of Halo 2/CE’s maps were rather gritty… I don’t know. As long as they play well I don’t care too much if they’re bright and pink or dark and grey.
Seeing that every Halo game has been excellently vivid and bright regarding the color scheme, I don’t see that aspect leaving anytime soon…
Also, have you played the original CE maps? If anything, the CE:A maps are even more bright and vivid than the originals.
The reason why reach wasn’t colorful, was because the planet was inevitably going to fall. They’re not going to make it shiny and colorful if that’s the scenario.
But looking at the concept art, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be pretty vivid, but I want it to be a mixture of both vividness, plus dark & grittiness.
I just don’t want it too bright. When I played Halo 3, it actually hurt my eyes with how colorful it was.
Vivid, yes. Colourful, not necessarily.
Some, like the High Noon and Breakneck are better. In Gemini, the inside was quite bright. Lockout felt gritty at the same time vivid, simply because it was blue and white and tan - the color combination worked. If Lockout was grey, I’m pretty sure it would have been less favorable.
Obviously, there needs to be a balance. But colorful map’s can’t be lost. Another problem to me is with the advancement of technology, artists have been able to create many different shades, but in Halo sometimes they ignore this aspect that has helped shape people’s view on Halo’s maps.
> Another problem to me is with the advancement of technology, artists have been able to create many different shades, but in Halo sometimes they ignore this aspect that has helped shape people’s view on Halo’s maps.
Artists go -Yoinking!- crazy with the technology now. They add lights and shiny bright things everywhere! They clutter the screen with so much visual noise it’s annoying as hell. The first few times I played Zealot the color scheme/shiny things really hampered both my aim and ability to detect players. And if the floating trash on Boardwalk entered my peripheral version I’d often think it was an enemy or teammate.
Seriously, I love a pretty map as much as the next guy, but sometimes the artists go overboard. The Prisoner re-make is one I think they’ve really gone overboard with. It wasn’t just the map layout that made Halo 1/2’s maps so good for competitive play, but also their art style (even if it was restricted by technology back then). The less visual noise the better, imho.
I agree with this opinion. Color needs to come back in style.
> > Another problem to me is with the advancement of technology, artists have been able to create many different shades, but in Halo sometimes they ignore this aspect that has helped shape people’s view on Halo’s maps.
>
> Artists go Yoink! crazy with the technology now. They add lights and shiny bright things everywhere! They clutter the screen with so much visual noise it’s annoying as hell. The first few times I played Zealot the color scheme/shiny things really hampered both my aim and ability to detect players. And if the floating trash on Boardwalk entered my peripheral version I’d often think it was an enemy or teammate.
>
> Seriously, I love a pretty map as much as the next guy, but sometimes the artists go overboard. The Prisoner re-make is one I think they’ve really gone overboard with. It wasn’t just the map layout that made Halo 1/2’s maps so good for competitive play, but also their art style (even if it was restricted by technology back then). The less visual noise the better, imho.
Try playing it without HD, everything is just a blur. I honestly thought I had a problem with my eyes.
> > Another problem to me is with the advancement of technology, artists have been able to create many different shades, but in Halo sometimes they ignore this aspect that has helped shape people’s view on Halo’s maps.
>
> Artists go Yoink! crazy with the technology now. They add lights and shiny bright things everywhere! They clutter the screen with so much visual noise it’s annoying as hell. The first few times I played Zealot the color scheme/shiny things really hampered both my aim and ability to detect players. And if the floating trash on Boardwalk entered my peripheral version I’d often think it was an enemy or teammate.
>
> Seriously, I love a pretty map as much as the next guy, but sometimes the artists go overboard. The Prisoner re-make is one I think they’ve really gone overboard with. It wasn’t just the map layout that made Halo 1/2’s maps so good for competitive play, but also their art style (even if it was restricted by technology back then). The less visual noise the better, imho.
I agree with your opinion that less visual noise makes a map more like able, but artists don’t really go overboard with maps. The (Sprites?) on boardwalk give the map a better feel and is intended to make it feel more alive. Bistractions like this are present in COD and Gears of war, yet don’'t really detract from gameplay, and rather enhance it. Besides, if you are playing a slayer game, it can’t be that hard to notice if the thing that’s moving is red, ble, or white.
the newer maps are better depending on what ma you’re playing. Hang 'em high looks much better now, as does Headlong. I think that the graphical updates really enhance maps like Timberlands and Headlong, yet maps like Beaver Creek and prisoner have lost some charm.
Halo 4 should have some beautiful vistas, but also dark, gritty enviorments