So, here we are and a few patches later. What does everyone one think!? As a long time fan of Halo I’m putting my opinion on the record.
My two cents isn’t worth much but it’s at the very least an honest one.
Firstly I want to say bravo to 343 for amazing work on Halo 4, it is a great game.
I can only dream of the opportunity the crew at 343 had to be part of such a profound time in the gaming world.
That’s were I would like to start, the gaming world. For me I was one of the eager kids chomping at the bit to stay up all night and play Halo, Geeking out for the release of Halo 2; and totally overwhelmed with excitment every time I loaded a game of TS for Halo 3… and sadly fustrated with Reach.
That being said I was a kid and that was… well my generation is 28-29-30 years old now.
So what of Halo 4. I wanna start with all the things 343 got completely and totally right. Weapons, maps, jump height, movement speed, vehicles, options, options, options. The foundation, basically, is soild. They listned to the fans and revitalized Halo from its coma like state due to the “fall of Reach”… Literally.
So what is it about my type fan that loads Halo 4 and plays a few and is done playing. I enjoyed a few rounds but I’m not ready to play another hour. Why am I not coming back for more? I’ll try to answer this with honesty and openess.
Lets begin with… I’m not a kid and that is pivotal to the point I would like to make. No matter how big a fan I am and will be, I’m well an adult and there are just other things going on and 24hrs. just isn’t enough time. The generation that put Halo on the map is all grown up. Unfortantly there isn’t anything anyone can do about that.
I have watched Bungie and 343 try to respond to this by changing dynamics of their game to compete with other shooters. I said other and shooter(s) to be nice. Hey, I’m not here to bust anyones chops.
With these “dynamics” being changed there is an appeal about Halo that has been lost and a CLUNKY feel to the matches. These are so many things happening in a match that 3 things that could be relevant in a match sort of go away because of this feature or that feature in the game.
I believe Halo 3 was so popular because it was so Streamlined and matches were very Elegant in its nature. Nothing overwhelmed, or weighed anything down in a match. Power ups, power weapons ect. I remeber people complaining about the BR and it’s great 4 shot but that was the mechanic that drove the balance.
Despite a fraction of the Halo communities opinion that the BR was just sooo OP’ed. It was not, it was the great equalizer, the measure with which Bungie could define what short range weapon should feel like, mid-range, long range and the rest of it. It wasn’t the BR alone that did this though.
I feel like Bungie and 343 allowed “other” shooter(s) to rock them off their game. In an attempt to appeal to a new generation gamers. Their has been crucial philosphies to the appoarch to Halo that has been lost.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT SOME OF THE MEETINGS AT 343 MUST OF BEEN LIKE.
I don’t want to get increadibly extravagent with detailing of what I think and I don’t want to. I believe those who read this will understand what I’m saying.