The PvE Content:
Warzone boasted how it was a mix of PvP and PvE content. While that is technically true, I would not say that PvE is an important part of it at all. You don’t have any Covenant or Prometheans walking around getting in the way. Instead, they are in set spawn locations and when the enemies do spawn in, they aren’t groups of enemies. they are a single boss which is nothing more than an enemy on I would have to say Legendary difficulty, and maybe two or three guards with him. Many times however it’s just the lone boss, such as a Wraith or a single Banshee. These give points, but they are little more than a distraction.
The PvP Content:
With the PvE content being what it is, Warzone is now essentially Big Team Battle with Reqs. So is there anything it does particularly well? Well, not really. The fact that vehicles are spawned at one of two bases by players rather than just respawning in a set location for anyone to grab means that you don’t know what to expect and any vehicle could pop up at any time. However, 90% of PvP… and I’m sure everyone agrees with this, will take place in a single place on each map for most of the battle. Warzone feels at this point, like a chokepoint holding simulator. I can’t be bothered to go into matchmaking until I have the names of all three maps and I can’t find the names anywhere, so bare with me on the short explanations so you know which map I mean.
On the snow map, the choke point is the 2 side doors of the fortress. One team will sit inside these doors while the other will move around outside trying to clear the way inside. It will be nothing more than a tug of war typically until the team controlling the fortress wins. Rarely does the fortress change hands once it has been taken.
On the island map resembling the Cartographer, the choke point is basically between the spire and the enemy base of the team that controls the spire. People will constantly try to sneak around through the trees to get in close to the spire, but ultimately once they do manage to get in they will immediately be gunned down by the swarm of people who are IN the spire.
On the last map resembling a colony, the choke point is typically one team controlling the base in the middle and trying to snipe out the doors at the nearest enemy base.
This is the fault of the map designers really. Which brings me onto my next point…
Map Design:
Map design is extremely dull. Just the fact that there are only 3 maps is already enough to ware me out from playing it in just a few matches due to being sick of the maps. The real issue comes in however when those three maps as few as they are, are essentially exactly the same. You might not realize just how similar they are, but let me explain these few points to you.
One base outside the starting base.
One Central Base
Tunnels that create alternate routes around the area and typically being a good way to get in close to the central base more safely.
Central Base has 2 floors of battle, the upper area, and the lower area.
Central Base is the only base of the three (Other than the starting bases) that can produce vehicles, giving a forward location where vehicles can be made and don’t have to move all the way to the battlefield.
Also, if you didn’t notice it, all 3 maps… use the same exact buildings. The bases right outside where you spawn? Those bases are the same exact building on all 3 maps. In fact, I’m pretty sure those bases are the ‘East Armory’ and ‘West Armory’ on all 3 maps. It feels really lazy.
For the last 2 points, the only black sheep is the spire on the beach and, while it doesn’t produce vehicles, it still technically has 2 levels of play. The upper area on the spire, and then the ground surrounding the spire.
It’s extremely lackluster and makes for the same exact gameplay no matter the map. Take your base outside the starting base, and then fight over the middle.
Reqs, What They do Right:
Reqs are a great addition to the game. I am still excited about all the different variations of vehicles, weapons, and character customization pieces to unlock. It is a wonderfully fresh thing, seeing all these slightly varying vehicles in Halo that I can ‘collect’ and use when I see fit, having limited uses for each vehicle based on how many I have gotten from the packs. The prices for these packs are cheap at 3 dollars per gold pack, and the 10000 RP to puchase them with ingame currency can be earned in 3 games easily if you win each match. If you have other bonuses such as the Legendary Warzone bonus RP I got recently, it can bump you up to earning over 7000 RP in a single match from winning! So it’s absolutely not pay to win, because chances are you’ll have just as many things as the other people who went and paid a ton of real money for a bunch of packs.
Reqs, What they do Wrong:
Reqs are unfortunately, extremely cheap and quick to get. The fact that they are so plentiful and quick to be unlocked during a match means you will have EVERYONE running around with Scorpions, Rocket Launchers, Banshees, Railguns, and even Turrets.
It’s never fun when you step around a corner during a multiplayer match only to find that enemy you thought you could get the jump on has the shotgun that spawns on the map, and he one shots you the second you try to melee him. What Reqs in Warzone have done is essentially made it so that EVERYONE has access to their own personal shotguns at any time. No matter where you go you will probably find some kind of power weapon in enemy hands pointed at your face.
I can’t count the times a match reached the point where Scorpions unlock and suddenly one team just rolls out at least three scorpions and it’s entirely game over because… well, how are you supposed to counter that. You could say “Go get rockets” and such but not everyone has rockets. Same for the argument to just counter it with your own tanks. Tanks are rare and to see three tanks at once isn’t normal true, but it is something that is happening regularly nonetheless. So in a way, it really is normal.