Considering the way this community is divided, I think I fall under the “haters” category or what others may refer to as the “True fans” category.
I see how people are calling us haters, asking us to remove our nostalgia goggles or even not buy the game at all if we don’t like it, just due to the fact that we don’t share the same opinion or that we have a different vision of how the future of Halo should be.
I’m not here to discuss every pro and con of the new additions to Halo 5, as this has already been done several times already, but rather to clear things out.
A lot of people here think that anyone who have anything against Halo 5 is automatically a hater, who wants nothing but a carbon copy of Halo 2 or 3 and would like to see Bungie back in control. This’s just not right. We care about this franchise as much as anyone of you and wan’t to see it seize the throne as it once had. We just have a different idea of how this game should achieve this.
Now, I know most of you think they’re doing the right thing by supporting 343 with their new approach and defending them against those “haters” who are holding the series back. But are these changes really are what the series needs? is this new direction is what the fans have been asking for? is it what’s better for Halo? we already have 2 games that can answer those questions.
I, and many others, liked Halo for what it once was, for how it once played, for the community that it once had, and I like that some of it is back, but when you take away what made a game unique and narrow the gap that sets it apart from other games, you take away what made us play this game in the first place. It’s like having that friend that you grew with, used to play with all the time, spent a lot of time together as kids, and after seeing him years later, you find out he’s not the person he once was. more of a stranger than a friend. That’s how I honestly feel about Halo 5.
Also, I want to say that Halo 5 looks really good and very ambitious, but why not make it better? why waste such a huge potential? Why waste such an opportunity to redefine the game on a new console?
I won’t lie, saying that I’m going to boycott the game or that this’ll be the last chance before I leave for good. I’m too much of a Halo fanboy to leave this game behind, not to mention that I’m a huge fan of the lore and can’t wait to see the Chief’s next destination after reading Escalation, but I’m afraid that ,at some point, I’m going to buy the game just to play the campaign and keep up with the story.
So, what’s the point of all of this?
Well, I just want people to think and consider before jumping to conclusions and to realize where they’re standing. Don’t say something is bad just because it isn’t the way you remember it, even if it benefits gameplay. Don’t say something is good just because it’s new and shiny, even if it harms gameplay.
Finally, beware the hype train. It has ruined enough games already.