343i has made a bold dash forward into a very vast and complex cave system that has already been carved out by Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3. As of right now, there is a lot of speculation on the newly announced changes, but in fairness we don’t know how they are going to work. That being said, we can safely assume that Halo 4 will not play like previous Halo titles.
Halo 3 was the prime of Halo’s online gaming fan base. It offered what worked from Halo 2, and made it better. Unfortunately, the features in Halo 3 compared to any newer FPS are seriously out-dated in terms of gameplay. The only way to go from here was forward with Halo 4.
A lot of people blame the fall of Halo on Halo: REACH. The sad truth, is that the majority of online gamers were looking for more instant gratification (Press X to respawn, for example!!). We live in a world where people want results as fast as possible, with less work. This can be shown by the increased use in iPhones, iPads, Facebook/Google gaming, etc.
From REACH, the only direction to go is a direction that sells. From a sellers standpoint, MW3 is something to be envious of. It was the largest launch in gaming sales history. In it’s first day, it outsold BF3 by nearly 4 times. Might I add, sales do not lie.
The problem with MW3 is that it’s recycling a theme that has been used in a solid FPS formula for years now. Apart from “minor” changes, MW3 has stayed the same. This is Halo 4’s time to shine; by taking the elements that worked for COD and implementing them into a titan like Halo, they stand a good chance at stealing back the crown.
Halo 4’s info leak doesn’t please many hardcore Halo fans, but like all good things they come to an end as you know them. This is something that will happen, regardless of whether or not you or I want it to.
We have to look at this as a whole community. The community that stood behind Halo for Halo. We are ending a gaming generation, and it’s been a great ride, BUT we have to move forward if we continue to back Halo for being Halo.
Halo is an Xbox only title, and it competed with cross-platform games for years. The fall of REACH was due to the shifting tide that is gaming. We have seen the rise and fall of Halo, WoW, and many other games. The ONLY way to regain the throne is to take the formula that has shown to work and ADD to it.
It’s no wonder that 343i took this direction. I respect them more than I do any other company. This task has been daunting, and it casted a huge shadow over the entire company. Regardless of what we’re saddened to see, you cannot deny the approach that 343i took so far (That we’ve seen.)
I will buy Halo 4. I will play it, because even though it may incorporate the aspects of other titles, it’s still Halo at it’s core, and it’s an Xbox only game that mocks the titans of FPS gaming. This new approach will grab the general gaming populations attention, and introduce a new theme with the best of both worlds. It’s graphically beautiful, and it’s a landmark on the gaming industry.
So we can be sad that the Halo we knew is gone, but I for one, will embrace the future of Halo and 343i. I will take the change; I will adapt. I will appreciate the new, and look back on the good times I had with previous titles.
Edit: Revising.