My Beta Impressions

Starside_Ghost · December 22, 2014, 2:28am

I got the beta through the preview program, like so many others, and I thought I’d give my feedback. FYI, I have played every Halo game since they first came out, and I’ve loved every one of them, halo 4 was my least favorite, but that was more because the population was so low that it made MP less fun, I didn’t have major problems with any particular gameplay element even if I recognized them as weakening the game.

I guess I should start with my main thought after playing, which is that it plays like Halo, and it feels like Halo. There is an inherent feeling of the way you shoot and the way you interact it the world that has been consistent within all of the games, it doesn’t change here. I didn’t mind sprint in Halo 4, but I’ve seen good arguments both for and against it so I’ll leave it alone for now; you know how you feel about it and the ability for somebody to actually change their mind about something without actually playing it is limited. I personally think having it tied to your shields is a good middle ground for people who do or do not want it.

As far as mobility goes, I feel like this game is faster than before, not excessively so, but still. The thruster pack and the clamber move both help to ensure that overall, movement in the world is nice and fluid, and I really do feel like a badass as I move through the maps. I didn’t notice a lack of crouch jumps. But I guess I only used them a little bit in previous games, so I’m not the best one to ask how much they affected the games.

I think another major thing that people worry about is the smart scope. Obviously Halo is not COD, and any “ADS” is not really Halo’s style, with that said, it seems that the biggest complaint isn’t that the scope reduces spread, but that 343 “lied” about it reducing spread. I’ve seen several sources where they said it WOULD have a small effect, and ONE source that said that it wouldn’t. I’m sure everyone in the world has misspoken once or twice, cut them some slack. You should have braced yourself for some kind of an effect. Suffice to say, even if smart scope does have an effect, I say it’s negligible. I tested it out and got a kill both with it and without it, at the same distance and saw no discernible difference in kill times.

I’m sure I’ve missed a few points but I’d love to have a (civil) discussion about things so feel free to ask questions. Overall, I enjoyed/am enjoying my time with the beta. After having been somewhat ambivalent towards halo 5, after the first weekend of the beta, I am now anticipating this game more than any other game I can think of.

P.S. My GT is Starside Ghost. Go check out some of my saved clips, see for yourself. Let me know your thoughts.

N7_Demon_117 · December 22, 2014, 9:02pm

I also have played all the Halos and have enjoyed them all. I agree that Halo 4’s biggest fault with MP was the inability to keep a large population of players around. I didn’t like the decision to have loadouts and weapon drops in Halo 4, but the game plays fantastically well if you allow yourself to get past some of the fundamental design/decision flaws.

Halo 5 feels the most different from previous Halo games compared to any other new Halo that came out. However, it still certainly feels like Halo and feels like an evolution of the smooth/great controls that Halo 4 had. I see and understand both sides of the sprinting argument and don’t have a strong feeling one way or the other. However, I will say that I did feel more like a Spartan moving around than any Halo I’ve played due mostly to the sprint and clamber. It feels awesome. I also feel like the inability to recharge your shields while sprinting is a good tradeoff. I was often able to chase down people that choose to flee and get the kill if I wanted to.

Regarding smart scope, I don’t feel that using the smart scope should increase accuracy and dislike this aspect. Traditionally, the scope has never affected a weapons accuracy in Halo. It might be hard to see what you’re shooting at, but the sniper/BR/DMR/etc have the same accuracy whether or not you’re zoomed in. I have no issue with the smart scope being in Halo 5. In fact, I kind of like it. However, there should be no change in accuracy when using ADS regardless of the weapon. Please maintain this fundamental Halo methodology of shooting on the move without smart scope changing shot accuracy! All that being said, it’s really a minor complaint and nothing anywhere near making me dislike the game.

Halo 5 feels like it rewards skilled players more than most Halos have, which is great. Some have complained that you can kill/be-killed to quickly, but overall I think it’s in line with previous Halos. In most encounters, you have a fighting chance or at least a chance to escape unlike many other FPS games. This is one of the things I’ve always loved most about Halo MP and it’s preserved in Halo 5.

Another thing I love about Halo 5 is the weapon balancing. I think the weapon balancing I’ve seen so far for the Halo 5 beta is overall the best I’ve seen in ANY Halo MP:

The SMG is very effective at close range, and ineffective otherwise.
The AR is effective, and not just at close range. It’s about time the AR was a weapon worth having.
Not having a BR or DMR is no longer a death sentence. The BR is not a power weapon, and success shouldn’t depend on having one.
The biggest imbalance with the weapons is the pistol. At medium range, I feel like the pistol should dominate the AR, but doesn’t. At closer range, I feel like the pistol should have an advantage over the BR, but doesn’t. Some may argue that the pistol is just a pistol, a sidearm, and shouldn’t be as powerful, but I disagree and feel like the fundamental weapon balance Halo strives for disagrees. I don’t know what the solution is, and I don’t think the pistol needs much of a damage boost, but something needs to change. Based on my playtime, I’d say it’s a small minority of players that choose to use the pistol instead of the AR, and I think that’s telling of the imbalance. Perhaps the pistol should do slightly more damage with body (non-head) shots. Perhaps the BR should do a bit less damage with body shots. Or perhaps the AR should be slightly less effective at mid-range. Again, I don’t know what a good solution is, but I think an improvement can be made without ruining the excellent balancing that is in place.