I’ve been an avid Halo fan for a long time. I’ve loved every single Halo title that has been released including Halo 4. I think it’s great that 343i has taken control of the Halo franchise and are expanding the universe in their own way.
However, it seems to me that in some areas Halo 4 is lacking. It’d like to stress that this doesn’t make the game bad or unplayable or that I want to return my copy and play BO2 because I think that will spite 343i somehow. It just means that I think that Halo 4 could use some improvement in some areas.
Also, I’d like to mention that just because I want to see Halo 4 improve, it does not mean that I want to see it revert back to a previous title in the series. I think that Halo 4 should absolutely be its own game, distinct from other Halo titles.
Another thing that it’d like to point out is that everything I’m about to mention is my own subjective opinion. I don’t think that my ideas are the word of God. I’m not perfect. I can make mistakes or be bias in regards to certain subjects. If you think that I am wrong or wish for clarification on a particular position, say so. I’ll try to explain that point and my reasons for including it in this list to the best of my ability. Give me a legitimate complaint with one of my points and I’ll respond.
With that said, here are my complaints regarding the current state of Halo 4’s matchmaking, forge and theatre modes.
List of Complaints with Halo 4:
General:
-UI/Roster. Basically the Waypoint interface with more blue.
-Lack of volume options (music in matchmaking, voices in campaign, etc).
-File browser not functioning (yet).
-Friendly fire is disabled in some playlists. Causes vehicle sabotage with no detriment to the saboteur.
-Insane lag. Campaign, four person Spartan Ops and Big Team.
-Lack of a rating system (yet).
-Minimal community outreach.
-Confusing and cluttered website.
Wargames:
Maps:
-Limited selection (no file browser to share or implement user generated maps).
-Circular or linear design often with man cannons to speed up the pace.
-Random ordnance isn’t always balanced between both teams (even on symmetrical maps).
Ordnance:
-Random and rewards camping. A poor substitute to the old system.
-Bugged. Random ordinance will occasionally display a Spartan Laser. Also, some cannot be picked up at all and will stay there for the rest of the match.
-The indicator for your last ordinance will remain even after you’ve picked it up.
Spawns:
-Instant spawns in several gametypes ruin the pace of the game.
-You can sometimes spawn in grenades or an enemy’s sights.
Parties:
-No symbol or indicator that two or more people are partied up.
Vehicles:
-Banshee and Warthog are made of paper.
-Banshee evade has been nerfed to the point of obsolesce.
-Splatter physics are a step backwards.
-Hang time is horrible (float for a second and then drop like a rock).
-Plasma pistol/stickes ruin most vehicle play.
-The Mantis is only used for a distraction or covering fire.
-Removal of UNSC air vehicles.
Playlists:
-Lack of classic playlists. Team Doubles, Multi Team, Big Team Objective, Slayer FFA. Where are they?
-Three 5v5 objective playlists. Why?
-No “back to the basics” playlist with power weapons on a respawn timer.
-Inclusion of rotational playlists.
Gametypes:
-Removal of all one sided objectives.
-Removal of Assault, VIP, Juggernaut, Race, etc.
-Introduction of Regicide which promotes lack of skill.
Indicators:
-No red x upon death.
-Teammates’ indicators only change when shields are down.
-No adjustments to the HUD during splitscreen.
Weapons:
-Weapons despawn in 12 seconds (due to personal ordinance).
-Reticule jump instead of descoping.
-Bullet stun.
-DMR. Near perfect precision at all ranges. Rips through vehicles.
-Incineration Cannon. Massive splash damage and near instant detonation at all ranges.
-Boltshot. A 1SK loadout weapon that outclasses every automatic weapon at close range.
Join in Progress:
-Games will start with uneven teams (and sometimes stay that way).
-JIP creates lag spikes and host change becomes more frequent slowing the game down.
-People are more likely to join losing team if they join a game in progress.
Medals:
-Old medals have been removed. Ex: Snipe or stick.
-New medals promote a lack of skill. Ex: Comback.
Theatre:
-There’s no multiplayer theatre. Also, you can’t watch films from either Campaign or Spartan Ops.
Forge:
-There’s no innovation. The forge objects from Forge World have all been ported and given magnets. Nothing else (the exception to the rule here would be Impact).
-The dynamic lighting system is great. Except it’s buggy as hell.
-Lack of flat grassy area to forge in or water to incorporate into map design.
-There are killzones everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
-A serious lack of forging capabilities on any map not designated for forging.
-Lack of precision forging.
I’m not someone who forges that much, so I’m sure that people who make maps with the goal of creating a professional play space have plenty of gripes that I haven’t covered here.
I won’t touch on Custom Games options because I think it’s pretty much unanimous at this point that the community’s options have been severely limited in Halo 4 compared to what they have been in previous titles and that it needs to be fixed ASAP.
Also, I’d like to point out that I don’t expect 343i to change everything on this list even if everyone at the studio is in complete agreement with me. Realistically, I’m looking for something akin to what we saw in Halo 3 and Reach where a major title update fixed a major problem in each of the games (the melee system and bloom respectively).
If you skipped all that just to see if there’s a TL;DR, you’re not in luck.
