Halo 4 Underachieved, Given The Expectations

Games Other Halo
1

EDIT: Changed title to better reflect the point I was originally trying to make.

So, I recently finished playing a bit of multiplayer and through the campaign on easy (before flames come at me… just wanted to know the storyline, see the graphics, hear the music, etc. without getting my -Yoink- handed to me on legendary - that’ll come later). Obviously, I’ll be playing Halo 4 pretty much exclusively for a while before I may go back to playing Reach, but there were a few first impressions that struck me as disappointing.

Bottom line before diving into the meat of it: maybe it’s because I was expecting the most incredible game ever from all of the hype, but while Halo 4 is very good, I was a little disappointed in a few things.

  1. Music: Reach (and all other Bungie Halos) had significantly better music, though I knew this one going into it, so I wasn’t surprised. I own all of the Bungie Halo soundtracks; I will not be getting this one.

  2. Graphics: Overall the graphics are great and the detail of humans is incredible, but I feel as though the display of enemies has taken a step back. Instead of the detailed snarling jowels of covenant seen in Reach, they appear softer. Also, rainforest foliage still looks unrealistic.

  3. AI: honestly, I haven’t played enough to have a fair opinion. Even on easy though, the AI were not a complete pushover, so I imagine when I go back through on legendary, I’ll be needing a while to get it done.

  4. Multiplayer: I actually like Reach’s multiplater better so far. Maybe Halo 4 will grow more on me but at my first impression, I am not as excited. I don’t care for the pregame layout, I’m not sure yet how I feel about the fact that I earn loadouts or the whole requesting personal ordinances. My biggest complaint though is that the game feels a bit clunky/less smooth than Reach’s multiplayer. Halo 4’s multiplayer feels a lot like Halo 3’s (which was certainly good), but could/should have been improved in the meantime.

  5. Campaign: The campaign is quite repetitive, with several “do X three times” scenarios. It feels like time spent on the campaign as a free-standing game was sacrificed for other parts of the game. Rather than having more things to do, the area was simply enlarged and you’re given the same thing to do over and over again.

  6. Spartan Ops: Cool idea, though I doubt I would keep replaying like I did with firefight in previous Halo games.

  7. HUD: I greatly dislike not seeing my secondary weapon in the top of my HUD. I have dropped weapons several times now thinking I didn’t have a second one on me and also occasionally forget what the other weapon I am carrying it.

Like I said, this is all just first impression anyway. How do you all feel?

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I only read your title and not your post, but I believe the game had hype because it was a different developer. A lot of talk about how the game would be since it wasn’t Bungie. I don’t think it’s perfect but it’s one of my most enjoyable Halo games since Halo 2 IMO.

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welcome to the video game industry, where hype is about as necessary as oxygen

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I agree with all of your points. But I still think Halo 4 is an amazing game! Forge and custom games were also letdowns…

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Microsofts biggest game/franchise and they hyped it up?!? Who’d have thought that? A stupid statement imho

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Seeing some of these replies, I guess the title was not the right way to say what it was I was trying to say. Hopefully this new one is better. Thanks.

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Sorry for the edits.

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Being disappointed that H4 is more similar to H3 instead of Reach invalidates entire post.

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> Being disappointed that H4 is more similar to H3 instead of Reach invalidates entire post.

Honestly the flow of the gameplay makes me feel like Halo 2.

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> > Being disappointed that H4 is more similar to H3 instead of Reach invalidates entire post.
>
> Honestly the flow of the gameplay makes me feel like Halo 2.

Total agreement. Multiplayer is very well balanced as well. In my mind, it’s overachieved.

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> EDIT: Changed title to better reflect the point I was originally trying to make.
>
> So, I recently finished playing a bit of multiplayer and through the campaign on easy (before flames come at me… just wanted to know the storyline, see the graphics, hear the music, etc. without getting my -Yoink!- handed to me on legendary - that’ll come later). Obviously, I’ll be playing Halo 4 pretty much exclusively for a while before I may go back to playing Reach, but there were a few first impressions that struck me as disappointing.
>
> Bottom line before diving into the meat of it: maybe it’s because I was expecting the most incredible game ever from all of the hype, but while Halo 4 is very good, I was a little disappointed in a few things.

Trust me there is no game out there that is perfect.

> 1) Music: Reach (and all other Bungie Halos) had significantly better music, though I knew this one going into it, so I wasn’t surprised. I own all of the Bungie Halo soundtracks; I will not be getting this one.

Soundtrack of Reach sucked big time, nowhere near the original works of Martin O’Donnel. It lacked power in my eyes, Halo 4 did a way better job, just hearing Revival gives me the feeling -Yoink- is about to go down.

> 2) Graphics: Overall the graphics are great and the detail of humans is incredible, but I feel as though the display of enemies has taken a step back. Instead of the detailed snarling jowels of covenant seen in Reach, they appear softer. Also, rainforest foliage still looks unrealistic.

It was an alien rainforest may I add.
I have no comment on the Elites jaws though.

> 3) AI: honestly, I haven’t played enough to have a fair opinion. Even on easy though, the AI were not a complete pushover, so I imagine when I go back through on legendary, I’ll be needing a while to get it done.

Already on Mission 8 on legendary, no problem if you know what to do.
I find the Elite AI lacking though, to easy to take down in my eyes.
I first thought the Prometheans would be more strategic but they aren’t that much, they do flank but they never smoke out nor cut chase, I found myself easily recharging my shields in cover multiple times.

> 4) Multiplayer: I actually like Reach’s multiplater better so far. Maybe Halo 4 will grow more on me but at my first impression, I am not as excited. I don’t care for the pregame layout, I’m not sure yet how I feel about the fact that I earn loadouts or the whole requesting personal ordinances. My biggest complaint though is that the game feels a bit clunky/less smooth than Reach’s multiplayer. Halo 4’s multiplayer feels a lot like Halo 3’s (which was certainly good), but could/should have been improved in the meantime.

Most of us found Halo 3’s MP better than that of Reach and for good reasons (no bloom, no 80% luck kills, sniper had less aim magnetism, etc etc etc).
IMHO Halo 4 falls short on maps and playlist.
But that will be fixed over time once the forging community gets their gear on.

> 5) Campaign: The campaign is quite repetitive, with several “do X three times” scenarios. It feels like time spent on the campaign as a free-standing game was sacrificed for other parts of the game. Rather than having more things to do, the area was simply enlarged and you’re given the same thing to do over and over again.

THIS IS SOMETHING I AM SICK OF HEARING, EVERY FPS IS THIS WAY.
Halo CE : Halo, Two Betrayals, The Library
Halo 2 : The Oracle
Halo 3 : Cortana
Halo Reach : New Alexandria
Each of those levels had an action that had to be repeated.
There is no problem with that as the objective in an FPS campaign is always get to that place, then there and then there. Every time, the only difference is why.
Campaign should mostly be about story and I find that Halo 4 delivered there to the hardcore fans, people complaining that they don’t get it forget that back in the days of CE you also had to read the books to understand where the Spartans come from, why they were made and many more thing, same goes for Halo 4, it uses the lore perfectly in my eyes.

> 6) Spartan Ops: Cool idea, though I doubt I would keep replaying like I did with firefight in previous Halo games.

5 seconds ago you complained about repeating actions, yet you enjoy Firefight?
You realize that it is just killing enemy after enemy, right?
Here you get a purpose.
I also love it expands the story after the campaign.

> 7) HUD: I greatly dislike not seeing my secondary weapon in the top of my HUD. I have dropped weapons several times now thinking I didn’t have a second one on me and also occasionally forget what the other weapon I am carrying it.

Agreed, I find it weird they removed that.

> Like I said, this is all just first impression anyway. How do you all feel?

I find it a great game but it really needs a ranked playlist though, also the JSIP should be removed as I once joined a game where my team was losing big time and I barely played for 2 minutes before the game was over.
As I said before more maps should be added but I believe that will change by next month or so.