This past weekend I pulled out Halo Reach and had some friends over to play. We played both online and offline modes, but realized the same thing.
Despite this game being five and a half years old, everything that we had then we still have now. Both online and offline.
What I mean is, that when I purchased the Halo Reach Limited Edition, I actually owned the DLC it came with. No matter if I take my Xbox online or offline, I’ll always have that downloadable content, because it truly is something that is downloaded and stored on my hard drive.
In Halo 5, when you purchase a REQ you purchase it online only. It’s like buying Gems in Clash of Clans. It’s totally worthless to you unless you have an internet connection, and that connection is supported. Your internet goes down? No REQS. You’re trying to play system link or offline? Sorry, that’s not even an option in Halo 5.
Everything you’re working for in Halo 5, if you don’t have an internet connection and when they decide to take those supported servers offline, it’ll all be gone. Lost to the goblins. All that DLC, those limtied packs you purchased initially? They’ll amount to nothing at all.
As a completionist gamer, this is a complete turn-off. I want to play this game, because it’s built pretty well and the updates are consistent and solid. But in the end, what’s the point? If I can’t dust it off in 10 years and play co-op or system link with my friends like I can for literally any other Halo title, why spend my money and time on this game?
At the core, this is a very good game. But it just doesn’t have the legs of any other title before it, which I feel needs to change for Halo 6.
I get what you’re saying kind of, but would you say you don’t own anything in the other games? Internet required games are the way the market is moving. It suck, but it’s the reality. I fully expect WZFF to be online only which is a major turn off, but it’s the only way it can work with earning req points and xp points (because you get req for leveling up).
I get where you’re coming from, but I don’t think it’s going away. I wish WZFF, forge and customs were playable offline, but I don’t think they ever will be. I doubt they change that for halo 6 either. Here’s to hoping though!
> 2535436507442501;2:
> I get what you’re saying kind of, but would you say you don’t own anything in the other games? Internet required games are the way the market is moving. It suck, but it’s the reality. I fully expect WZFF to be online only which is a major turn off, but it’s the only way it can work with earning req points and xp points (because you get req for leveling up).
>
> I get where you’re coming from, but I don’t think it’s going away. I wish WZFF, forge and customs were playable offline, but I don’t think they ever will be. I doubt they change that for halo 6 either. Here’s to hoping though!
I definitely own everything in any other game, unless we’re talking other online only games (Destiny, Battlefield).
> 2535436507442501;2:
> I get what you’re saying kind of, but would you say you don’t own anything in the other games? Internet required games are the way the market is moving. It suck, but it’s the reality. I fully expect WZFF to be online only which is a major turn off, but it’s the only way it can work with earning req points and xp points (because you get req for leveling up).
>
> I get where you’re coming from, but I don’t think it’s going away. I wish WZFF, forge and customs were playable offline, but I don’t think they ever will be. I doubt they change that for halo 6 either. Here’s to hoping though!
WZFF can very much be an offline mode as well. Online only would be a decision to make, not a limit in functionality. WZFF could have its own custom game lobby, very much like the custom game lobby we already have, except without the online only restriction. I’m not sure if WZFF will even be worth playing for me if it isn’t like classic FF. Even less worth it if it doesnt have solo custom options. If 343i has no intention of REALLY making the game last even past the next release, than I will have no intention in being part of the game.
What’s the point you ask? Satisfaction if you ask me, h2 was shut down but does that mean I should forget all the hard work/fun I put in it? I don’t need to have anything physical like a trophy to remember what I did in the past.
> 2533274923562209;9:
> What’s the point you ask? Satisfaction if you ask me, h2 was shut down but does that mean I should forget all the hard work/fun I put in it? I don’t need to have anything physical like a trophy to remember what I did in the past.
You’re right that the memories from the game are definitely something that you’ll always have, but I’m speaking directly to the tangible portion of the game from a completionist perspective.
> 2533274950478805;10:
> Well, you purchased Xbox Live Gold, which can only be used online. So I guess you don’t actually own that either?
That would be correct. As XBL is an online pass, it’s not something you actually own. Kind of like a plane ticket. You don’t own your seat, just the ride in that seat. Of course, as I said above, it’s not terribly relevant to the spirit of the original post.
This is the future of gaming. Its sad to see this happen but with the size of games increasing it is easier to store information on a cloud rather than a harddrive
> 2533274819667356;13:
> > 2533274950478805;10:
> > Well, you purchased Xbox Live Gold, which can only be used online. So I guess you don’t actually own that either?
>
>
> Comparing DLC to a subscription service… Makes absolute sense.
This is a good point. It’s like comparing buying a table to buying a plane ticket.
It’s also worth mentioning that Halo is redefining the definition of “DLC”. Instead of being something you actually download onto your hard drive, it’s something you download onto your profile, which is only available online.
> 2626429604138871;8:
> > 2535436507442501;2:
> > I get what you’re saying kind of, but would you say you don’t own anything in the other games? Internet required games are the way the market is moving. It suck, but it’s the reality. I fully expect WZFF to be online only which is a major turn off, but it’s the only way it can work with earning req points and xp points (because you get req for leveling up).
> >
> > I get where you’re coming from, but I don’t think it’s going away. I wish WZFF, forge and customs were playable offline, but I don’t think they ever will be. I doubt they change that for halo 6 either. Here’s to hoping though!
>
>
> WZFF can very much be an offline mode as well. Online only would be a decision to make, not a limit in functionality. WZFF could have its own custom game lobby, very much like the custom game lobby we already have, except without the online only restriction. I’m not sure if WZFF will even be worth playing for me if it isn’t like classic FF. Even less worth it if it doesnt have solo custom options. If 343i has no intention of REALLY making the game last even past the next release, than I will have no intention in being part of the game.
Oh it totally could be offline! You’re completely right, but because they called it WZ and it more than likely uses req and has rewards, I don’t think it will be. I wish we could have a ODST style FF. That was my favorite. It’s just my prediction. I hope you’re right.
> 2533274923562209;9:
> What’s the point you ask? Satisfaction if you ask me, h2 was shut down but does that mean I should forget all the hard work/fun I put in it? I don’t need to have anything physical like a trophy to remember what I did in the past.
I get your point, but there is a thing I have to point out: Halo 2 is very much an offline capable game. 12 years later, if I had the game and wanted to play it with other people, I could do it, either using Xlink, splitscreen, or LAN. Halo 5 is, I believe, exclusively online only. I don’t think even the campaign is offline. So if I wanted to dust off Halo 5 in 10 years (assuming for a moment that Microsoft pulled a Halo 2 on it and turned off the servers), I might as well just throw it away. There is no local co-op, and everything in the game seems to be online only. Unlike Halo 2, which can be put into a 360 or even an original Xbox if you still have one, and played with friends, offline.
> 2533274850493408;15:
> > 2533274819667356;13:
> > > 2533274950478805;10:
> > > Well, you purchased Xbox Live Gold, which can only be used online. So I guess you don’t actually own that either?
> >
> >
> > Comparing DLC to a subscription service… Makes absolute sense.
>
>
> This is a good point. It’s like comparing buying a table to buying a plane ticket.
>
> It’s also worth mentioning that Halo is redefining the definition of “DLC”. Instead of being something you actually download onto your hard drive, it’s something you download onto your profile, which is only available online.
Halo isn’t redefining anything. Online only games have existed before this and will continue to exist after this. It’s a market trend that sucks, but is a reality. Until last year, I didn’t have xbox live. Now, I couldn’t play half the games that come out if I didn’t.
> 2533274915643658;17:
> > 2533274923562209;9:
> > What’s the point you ask? Satisfaction if you ask me, h2 was shut down but does that mean I should forget all the hard work/fun I put in it? I don’t need to have anything physical like a trophy to remember what I did in the past.
>
>
> I get your point, but there is a thing I have to point out: Halo 2 is very much an offline capable game. 12 years later, if I had the game and wanted to play it with other people, I could do it, either using Xlink, splitscreen, or LAN. Halo 5 is, I believe, exclusively online only. I don’t think even the campaign is offline. So if I wanted to dust off Halo 5 in 10 years (assuming for a moment that Microsoft pulled a Halo 2 on it and turned off the servers), I might as well just throw it away. There is no local co-op, and everything in the game seems to be online only. Unlike Halo 2, which can be put into a 360 or even an original Xbox if you still have one, and played with friends, offline.
This is exactly my point, because there comes a time every year where I dust off Halo 2 and play it with my friends offline. I’ll never be able to do that with Halo 5 which is a total shame, because (lack of splitscreen aside) Halo 5 is the best competitive multiplayer experience since Halo 3 (as much as I love Reach, I can’t say it was as competitive).
I do believe that Halo 5 campaign is available offline though.