I understand the majority of gamers in these forums are likely ages 12-16, so they didn’t grow up with what I view as “Halo”.
They probably don’t see the clear distinction between Bungie’s actual Halo Trilogy vs Microsoft milking a cash cow (ODST and onward). Allow me to expand on this difference.
Halo OWNED call of duty back in the day. Halo was THE shooter, MLG was all over it, it made the Xbox and Halo 2 made Xbox Live. In 2007 when COD 4 and Halo 3 were both new, that was a golden age for the console FPS. Keep in mind, Halo 3 sold 12 million copies, even more than COD 4’s 9 million (For Xbox 360 only).
COD came along and proved that in terms of sales, quantity > quality. Making a “new” COD every year will make a -Yoink- ton of money. Microsoft sees this and has to start making more Halo games, trying to imitate the success of Call of Duty. The casual gamers LOVE Call of Duty, While Halo 3 is fun, it is hard to master and not noob-friendly enough… the new Halos try to copy Call of Duty, trying desperately to get some of that market share. The Halo games are no longer designed for competitive play, but for accessibility, decreasing the skill ceiling. The Reticle bloom introduced in Reach is the best example I can provide of this, increased aim assist also serves as evidence. The introduction of Loadouts, Sprint, Armour abilities, Killstreaks, Join a match in progress… this is not Halo.
So that establishes the distinction between what I view as “Halo” and what Microsoft has done to the franchise. I don’t think Halo 4 belongs in the company of the original trilogy, as it has no competitive element and is not a Bungie title, I’m not saying its a bad game, just not Halo good. (sales agree, Halo 3 outsold Halo 4 by 3 million).
I was pissed when Microsoft pulled Xbox Live support for original Xbox games (aka Halo 2) in 2011. I guess they knew then and there that they were planning on trying to milk the Halo brand for more money by reselling it to us 3 years later. Regardless I was excited to hear about Halo 2 anniversary, just because it meant a lot of players playing a great game, desperately needed by Consoles with the recent decline in their FPS games. When I look at the playlists for the Master Chief Collection, I am a little worried though:
> Team Halo 2 Anniversary – 4v4
> Halo 2 Anniversary Rumble – 8 Player FFA
> Halo 2 Anniversary Social – 5v5
> Team Slayer – 4v4
> Big Team Battle – 8v8
> Halo: Combat Evolved – 4v4
> Halo 2 Classic – 4v4
> Halo 3 – 4v4
> Halo 4 – 5v5
> Team Hardcore – 4v4
> Halo eSports – 4v4
> ROTATIONAL: SWAT – 4v4
There is only 1 playlist for Halo 2 Classic. Halo 2, the game that made Xbox Live, that this “anniversary” is all about, only has 1 playlist??? Whereas Halo 2 Anniversary has 3? This is something that I hope changes. Halo 2 Anniversary is NOT Halo 2, I have watched the videos of gameplay. This is the same problem with Halo CE: Anniversary. People want to play Halo CE online, but instead it was just Halo Reach DLC maps. Anniversary essentially means DLC Map packs for Halo 4, which as I explained above, is not what Halo gamers want.
Halo 2 Anniversary is Halo 4 DLC. aka, I don’t want to play it. If they were going to remaster Halo 2, they should have started with Halo 2 and improved it, not try and turn Halo 4 into Halo 2. Halo 4 engine, loadouts, sound effects, grenade indicators, damage indicators, medals, map into/outros, it really ruins the “feel” of the game, and isn’t the entire point of this Collection to appeal to our nostalgia and resell a game that didn’t suck? The less 343 touches the better. More Classic Playlists. I don’t care that 343 made Halo 4 DLC, I want to play Halo 2.
