In a few interviews, I’ve noted employees of 343i saying that they wanted to keep “Halo… Halo”.
So far I’ve been impressed with the graphics and overall ambiance of the game, at least with this past burst of media coverage. My only concern, though, is the lack of mention or change to specific mechanics that actually make Halo what it is.
Negatives:
CTF changes.
Yes, I have no doubt in my mind that there are hundreds of threads about this topic already, but this really was one of the gametypes that defined Multiplayer for me. Sneaking into an enemy base, grabbing the flag, and sneakily attempting to take a route that the enemy would not be expecting. Two maps that really come to mind are Avalanche and The Pit. There were multiple ways that you could take the flag, flabbergasting opponents and using teamwork to conceal your movements. With the addition of the waypoint, this completely eliminates this mechanic. I’m all for speeding up gameplay, but I can see this causing many a stalemate with the enemy team always knowing the specific location of their flag. While we’ve only seen PAX and Press footage, I’m already fearing the combined efforts of well co-ordinated teams.
The lack of any mention towards Assault, Territories, or Neutral gametypes.
I have no doubt in my mind some classic Halo gametypes will be returning, but so far we’ve only seen New gametypes, or gametypes with the 343 spin on things. If anyone would be so kind as to provide links to confirmations of said gametypes, that would be much appreciated. I’ve heard rumors that Assault has been dropped from the game entirely, but the inclusion of Grifball really goes against such claims.
My personal obsession with the CQB helmet and the lack of it as an armor perm
Yes, this is one of those silly little gripes that will mend with time, but the current smorgasbord of armor doesn’t include my personal favorite, nor does it have anything that catches my eye as a replacement. As for armor perms in general, i do applaud 343 their direction. They’re looking fairly good.
Lack of clarification on Spartan Ops connections.
With the Halo Reach Beta, we were able to experience Firefight and get a feel for the netcode (and how potentially terrible it could be). After a few months of playing Firefight in matchmaking, I’d say the experience wasn’t half bad. Every so often I’d be put into games with 1-2 seconds of latency, and that’s a bummer. But the games with 4 full seconds? Absolutely unplayable. I would love to hear info on whether or not the netcode has been “fixed” to hopefully deal with this issue. As well, will co-op campaign work in the same manner, or will it be limited to 2 players? Apologies if this is an overly obvious fact, but I haven’t seen it outright stated anywhere for 2-4 players.
Positives:
Art and Audio:
With each iteration of Halo, the graphics have always gotten better and better. The new models for Jackals look menacing. Elites, I admit, Look somewhat awkward from the front. But seeing assassinations has changed much of my fears on that. Grunts look silly, as always, but their cries of pain sound alien and terrifying.
With the first video showing the sound teams actually recording live rounds, I was initially offput. I didn’t know if this would change the feel from Halo to COD, but it actually works extremely well. The DMR sounds terrific, the AR is beastly… Oh man. I can’t even get over how amazing the covenant weapons look and sound, either. The Fuel Rod Cannon tops them all, though. They’ve finally nailed what an alien weapon would sound like when launching ‘rods’ of plasma ‘fuel’. Much applaus to 343 for this. The return of original voices to the cast is just icing on the cake. It wouldn’t be halo without the original Cortana to listen to.
Vehicles
This will be short and sweet, seeing as though my playtime at PAX was limited to a single game, but Vehicles actually feel normal again. And when I say vehicles, I mean the Mongoose and Warthog. While still different from the perfection of Halo 3, I’d say my time spent flying through the air on a cloud of marshmallows was reduced 10 fold. The turret feels amazing, to boot! Reach did a fairly good job with Covenant vehicles, so i have no doubt they’ll be what past Halos have felt like.
Steps Forward in terms of Gameplay
While many disagree with the inclusion of ‘Assault/Support’ packages that can be applied to your spartan, I’m more ready than ever to try this out. I’m glad halo is bringing things from many staples of the current FPS generation and housing them under one roof. I’m all about player customization, so this will be interesting to customize my spartan settings to my own playstyle, whether I be boots to the ground offense or taking it easy and supporting my team mates. Hopefully it won’t entirely change Multiplayer, rather compliment my play. Armor Lock and Jetpack and Invis really did screw up the ‘flow’ so to speak. While bummed that Jetpack is still in, hopefully it won’t be used as prominently. I really do hope for the return of ‘O.S./Invis’ pickups on maps for classic playlists. All in all, I’m glad 343 is making some changes and not leaving Multiplayer completely untouched. I want my old dog to learn new tricks, so to speak, but i do indeed hope for some Vanilla playlists to have traces of nostalgia mixed in.
Player Investment
A big issue i had with reach was the lack of, well, long term goals. While I could enjoy the daily/weekly challenges for so long, I felt the ranks became a large issue when getting to the higher levels. I hated seeing my progression bar move pixel by pixel. Not to mention, after all helmets were unlocked, I really did feel there was a lack for continuing any sort of Campaign/Multiplayer challenges. What’s the point of playing SLASO if it will net me 4 pixels of movement on my progression bar? Why go for ONYX rank for a 10th time? Spartan Ops looks absolutely beautiful, And if anyone can confirm - Will there be more than 10 weeks worth of content in future DLC packs, or will that be the end of any Spartan Ops support? I really do feel for those 10 weeks, I will be playing Halo 4 daily if possible.
Welp, that’s my schpeel. Hope I broke that wall down into consumable chunks for you guys.
Halo rings make Halo Halo. ODST isn’t Halo, Wars isn’t Halo, Halo 3 is barely Halo, and Reach less so. Halo 4 better have a Halo or else it won’t be Halo. CE and Halo 2 are Halo because they have Halos.
This
and This
The foundational latticework of a Halo installation.
Sorry, sometimes I just can’t help myself.
But trust in 343 industries, they do know what they’re doing… at least more than Bungie (Bungie: We tested! Spire, Armor Lock, Jetpack, Forge Issues, Nukes, slow movement, frame Issues, etc… sure!)
EDIT: I swear I didn’t read the reply above me… win.
That depends on who you ask really. You’ll get different answers depending on what people play Halo for. Whether it is for a competitive MP experience, the story/universe, holding the objectives against other players, building maps in Forge, the music, and so many other reasons.
> That depends on who you ask really. You’ll get different answers depending on what people play Halo for. Whether it is for a competitive MP experience, the story/universe, holding the objectives against other players, building maps in Forge, the music, and so many other reasons.
True.
I have a couple of friends, that only play Halo due to Forge…
It’s nice to see someone take the time to actually write up more than one sentence or paragraph but I think your thoughts are kind of blurted out without structure so it’s a little hit and miss to reply to.
I do agree with the points in negative and positive though. I too would like to hear about assault and neutral gametypes, although I don’t care for territories, KOTH, head hunter or similar niche objective gametypes.
I also couldn’t agree more about CTF changes, I’ll try the new changes in the hope population is returned or new players stick with objective but I’m holding my breath. I’m a hardcore objective guy.
Armour perms etc have little attention from me so I don’t really go into opinionated or subjective art things like this.
Overall the art, care and attention to detail is at insanely high levels and I’m seriously impressed with that has been delivered in Halo 4 from 343i. Well done guys’n’gals.
As for vehicles and player investment I agree with your comments there too. I’m actually 90-95% happy with everything in Halo 4 so far, just a few gripes here and there but nothing is going to make you 100% happy all the time so great success by 343i, in my opinion.
Halo is Halo because it’s an Arena Shooter in the multiplayer perspective. It’s a crazy thing that 343 has trashed, but that’s all whatever…
Halo is equal starts. Everyone starts off on the same foot. You’ve got a BR, I’ve got a BR. Let’s see who’s better at playing this particular board.
Nobody has any advantages in a Halo match. Everyone has exactly the same start. The START is what matters here, not the access to the same weapons or gear. In a competitive arena shooter, everyone starts out with the exact same gear, and the better player will always win. That is Halo.
Don’t get me wrong, Halo 4 will be a decent game, it just won’t be a Halo game. I’m a Halo conservative. Halo 4 is just Halo In Name Only.
Halo is a mix match Campaign and Multiplayer game that has large arsenal of Weapons and Vehicles you can use to your convenience. As well as a epic storyline that is incredibly complicated, but nevertheless, wonderful and enthralling. Something you can hop onto with your friend and run over them with a Hog and then T-bag to your pleasure. Halo is something you enjoy with others. Halo is gem of a video game.
> Halo rings make Halo Halo. ODST isn’t Halo, Wars isn’t Halo, Halo 3 is barely Halo, and Reach less so. Halo 4 better have a Halo or else it won’t be Halo. CE and Halo 2 are Halo because they have Halos.
Dude…you got to be kidding me here right?
I mean, you’re one of the most respectable people on these forums and now you come in with such an incredibly short sighted view?
Halo isn’t neccecarily about Spartans, Covenant, AR’s/BR’s/DMR’s/Pistols, Warthogs, or even the Halos. I mean to say: a single Halo game doesn’t need to include all of those elements to be a “real” Halo game.
The Halo universe has become too big and broad to stick to such elements as being the most important things to define a Halo.
At it’s core, Halo isn’t even about what we would consider most important. Halo isn’t about the UNSC vs Covenant. Halo is about the Flood and Forerunners, and how ever other civilisation is tied to that struggle.
So what makes Halo…Halo? The Flood, because everything can be drawn back to the Flood.
And even they can be absent from Halo games.
Halo is so much larger than any one aspect of itself. The story is the most important and central component, and its far larger than any one species or any one weapon.
All these people(not the OP necessarily) saying the game is ruined for having small features changed or missing are so blind as to what the game really is, and they are dampening their own experience by focusing and obsessing over such a small portion of such a great series.
Take the chap below me for example. That is all Halo is to him. Such a shallow view of what the game is generates all the biased raging, complaining, and false claims.
Equal starts
Accurate, fast firing precision weapons
On-map pick ups - weapons, grenades, power ups
Small to medium sized arena style maps
Crisp, responsive strafing
gOOD question…What makes Halo…Halo
I think is that epicness,that feeling of being in other world,with psicotics aliens trying to kill you and with all those cool weapons
And the best thing is the armour of master chief,thats why i bought halo 2
> Halo is so much larger than any one aspect of itself. The story is the most important and central component, and its far larger than any one species or any one weapon.
> All these people(not the OP necessarily) saying the game is ruined for having small features changed or missing are so blind as to what the game really is, and they are dampening their own experience by focusing and obsessing over such a small portion of such a great series.
>
> Take the chap below me for example. That is all Halo is to him. Such a shallow view of what the game is generates all the biased raging, complaining, and false claims.
That’s all good and all, but the fact remains that there is something unique about Halo that separates it from the other FPS games. No, it isn’t small components by any means that make it Halo, and prior to every Halo title being released, the community has to endure petty, trivial complaints; but sales rarely dropped nonetheless.
During and shortly after the conception of Halo CE, then Halo 2 that followed, Bungie broke down the elements that were important to the series - what made Halo “Halo”. Paired with their assessment along with community consensus, there were in fact some very real things that provided the “Halo feel”.
I give you - The Five Elements of Halo
Golden Pyramid - Guns, Grenades, and Melee
This has been a consistent format for Halo. The offensive focus was based around guns, grenades, and melee. With the conception of Halo 3, they added equipment. Then in Reach they added armor abilities. Now instead we will have perks which is an extension of armor abilities. The beauty is that the “Golden Three” remains intact because perks are not intended for offensive strategy, but merely to enhance one’s own play-style.
Arena Shooter Format
While so many FPS games suggest you “hold L to aim” before you consider “firing from the hip”, forcing you down specific corridors and paths, Halo always took the simple run-and-gun genre and kept it simple, while providing an open and rich sandbox to explore. Things such as that along with even starts with pickups in multiplayer provide a simple, zero v zero advantage system allowing anyone to pick up and play, yet demanding a level of skill to master. “Easy to play, difficult to master” - the mantra of arena shooters.
Story-Driven Campaign
Picking up a Halo game knowing that once you dive into the Campaign, you’ll be immersed into a rich story with a deep and massive universe. Few FPS games focused on plot before Halo; once a heavier element in Role-Playing Games. Halo set the stage for powerful storytelling in an action packed environment, with iconic music and characters the players would invest in.
Social Play
I could have said multiplayer, but that would be too simple. Halo had been a cornerstone video game in social play. With Halo CE’s successful use of LAN Play, and Halo 2’s revolutionary use of Xbox Live, the Halo series had a way with getting people together to experience their gameplay through Xbox Live matchmaking, Clan Matches, local get-togethers, or System Link parties.
Wide-Pallet Graphics
Some like to consider Halo’s graphics as unrealistic compared to games like Gears of War or Call of Duty. If your reality consists of grays and browns, then Halo absolutely is unrealistic. Halo’s graphics were intended to immerse players into beautiful environments and atmospheres, providing a wide, colorful pallet of graphics, daring to use greens, blues, purples, and yellows, rather than the now-typical dirt colors.
That’s what breaks Halo down. That is what makes Halo “Halo”. With all that being said, Halo will remain “Halo” because all of these elements have remained. Has Halo changed? Yes, with every iteration. Evolution and adaptation is necessary for any game series to continue. But as long as core elements that made the original fans happy remain, no one can ever say a game is no longer part of that franchise.
It is important not to say “Halo stole this from CoD” or “This is a total ripoff of so-and-so.” If certain things are successful in certain games, your loyalty to Halo should be exemplified by your support to incorporate those elements. Perhaps Halo 4 is in some ways ripping off the new load-out system from CoD. But CoD and other games ripped off regenerating health from Halo.
There isn’t one thing that makes halo halo. what makes halo? The incredible story that takes you places your mind can’t begin to dream of. And yet the characters no matter how far out they are we get attached to them and care about them. the multiplayer that is challenging yet fun and has those moments you can only describe as “only in halo.” forge that allows us to create our own worlds. Halo gives everyone a different experience, and yet we all can come together and enjoy it no matter how different. That is halo.
Halo is Halo. It doesn’t need the rings to be a Halo. It’s the story of Halo. That’s why it’s called the Halo universe. If you think ODST and Wars aren’t Halo games, may as well rename Halo to Star Wars 2.0
> Halo is Halo because it’s an Arena Shooter in the multiplayer perspective. It’s a crazy thing that 343 has trashed, but that’s all whatever…
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> <mark>Halo is equal starts. Everyone starts off on the same foot. You’ve got a BR, I’ve got a BR. Let’s see who’s better at playing this particular board.</mark>
> <mark>Nobody has any advantages in a Halo match. Everyone has exactly the same start. The START is what matters here, not the access to the same weapons or gear. In a competitive arena shooter, everyone starts out with the exact same gear, and the better player will always win. That is Halo.</mark>
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> Don’t get me wrong, Halo 4 will be a decent game, it just won’t be a Halo game. I’m a Halo conservative. Halo 4 is just Halo In Name Only.
This is what halo is to me on the multiplayer side. As for the campaign, it’s the mystery and exploration with everything happening in the universe.
My opinion on Halo 4:
Campaign: Halo
Multiplayer: Not Halo.
