Why I am disappointed with Halo 4

Games Other Halo
1

People have been wondering why there is so much complaining on the forum, but that is exactly what the forums are for. This forum is intended for us to provide feedback or what some people like to call “complaining.”

The reason there is so much complaining, is because there is so many problems with this game IMO. If there were not many problems with the game, there wouldn’t be anyone on these forums (get it?) One of the main responses I’ve seen to people that respond to people who are complaining is to go play COD, but this is a faulty argument.

You tell us to go play COD if we don’t like Halo 4, but the reason I don’t like Halo 4 is because they incorporated too many COD game mechanics (I know a lot of these mechanics didn’t originate with COD get a grip.) There are A LOT of people that feel this way, and if you try to deny that they did this I will just prove you wrong.

I didn’t want a complete copy of Halo 3 or Halo 2, but I did expect something closer to those games instead of something remarkably close to a game that I despise.

Halo used to be a unique arena shooter that took strategy and team-work. Now it is just a game filled with randomness, frustration, and the grinding out of levels.

An example is a BTB on Ragnarok. I sniped 5 people at my base, and got an ordinance. From the ordinance I got a beam rifle?! Now I have 2 snipers, and have an even bigger advantage than I did before! Pretty soon there are like 2 rockets, 4 snipers, a spartan laser, and 4 people with saws running around the map. How is this good gameplay? How is it fun being randomly shot at by 3 snipers on the other team only to respawn and be taken out by a person with a rocket launcher?

Power Weapons and map control used to mean something on Ragnarok, now it is just 16 people sitting around with power weapons and map control means NOTHING. It’s also not fun when no one is moving because there are 16 people starting in the game with a dmr, and everytime you try to move 8 people are scoped in on you.

That is just one example of how much of a JOKE this gameplay is compared to past Halo games excluding Reach. If I went to go play COD all I would be getting is a very similar experience in a different setting.

343 needs to at least bring back a classic playlist with power weapons on map, and no ordinances.

The fact that there is also no ranking system is a joke. How did the game regress to the point where this is not a feature, but was a staple of Halo 2 and Halo 3. The ranking system helped stabilize Halo 3 and give it life. The population on the Halo 3 servers were greater a year after release compared to the population on Halo 4 right now. That is an embarrassment.

I never thought I would see the day when a Halo title wouldn’t have a ranking system and Call of Duty would.

TL:DR Halo used to be a unique game that drove 360 sales, now it is just a game amongst a sea of other games and will be washed away over time, because since it is so similar to the game it is trying to overtake it will never overtake it.

2

I agree with you. I often have to relax for a while after playing on Ragnarok or other “big” maps because of the DMR and Light Rifle -Yoinks!- that do nothing but camp and wait for you to come along. Just why I stopped playing MW3, and don’t plan on buying Black ops 2. I am actually glad that you can’t start with any 1-shot kill snipers or rocket launchers, and that they can only come in once in a while. I just hope that Halo 5 doesn’t become more CoD-like, and that old factors that defined Halo, like some of the old playlists (especially Grifball) and ranking system, come back soon.

3

> I agree with you. I often have to relax for a while after playing on Ragnarok or other “big” maps because of the DMR and Light Rifle -Yoinks!- that do nothing but camp and wait for you to come along. Just why I stopped playing MW3, and don’t plan on buying Black ops 2. I am actually glad that you can’t start with any 1-shot kill snipers or rocket launchers, and that they can only come in once in a while. I just hope that Halo 5 doesn’t become more CoD-like, and that old factors that defined Halo, like some of the old playlists (especially Grifball) and ranking system, come back soon.

To me there is little difference between starting with these weapons, or a large amount of people obtaining them 1 minute into the game. It takes the whole point of power weapons out of the game. Maps have no significance anymore, because there is no point in taking power positions. It’s not fun playing in a game with 10+ power weapons, or being constantly shot by people camping with a dmr.

4

Halo is still a unique game and it still plays nothing like CoD. It’s still a skill based arena shooter.

The glory days of H2/H3 are over, for better or worse. As long as Halo doesn’t go to a pure reward-for-playtime system, I’ll keep playing it. CoD plays like a billion other PC shooters. Halo has no equivalent for pacing/strategy/etc.

The only thing different about Halo 4 (and it is admittedly a very, very big difference), is that it is the first Halo game since Halo 1 that is not a game about power weapon and map control.

But Halo 1 wasn’t a game about power weapon control… it was a game about “who is best with the pistol”. Halo 2 is the game that really introduced power weapon control as the central MP dynamic. Halo 4 is a close to being a game about “who is best with the DMR” and I am A-OK with that.

5

> Halo is still a unique game and it still plays nothing like CoD. It’s still a skill based arena shooter.
>
> The glory days of H2/H3 are over, for better or worse. As long as Halo doesn’t go to a pure reward-for-playtime system, I’ll keep playing it. CoD plays like a billion other PC shooters. Halo has no equivalent for pacing/strategy/etc.
>
> The only thing different about Halo 4 (and it is admittedly a very, very big difference), is that it is the first Halo game since Halo 1 that is not a game about power weapon and map control.
>
> But Halo 1 wasn’t a game about power weapon control… it was a game about “who is best with the pistol”. Halo 2 is the game that really introduced power weapon control as the central MP dynamic. Halo 4 is a close to being a game about “who is best with the DMR” and I am A-OK with that.

How is this a game about being good with the dmr, when ordinances provide an abundance of power weapons?

Also ordinances make this game not an arena shooter, the same with loadouts and perks.

6

u know theyll make a classic playlist. they want people to try infinity slayer 1st. Im loving this game and so are alot of the Reachaters. COD is unbalanced unlike halo 4. in halo 4 u have to earn your sniper… or beat ur teamates to it. my only problem is the connection issues which they can fix.

7

Halo 4 is a complete FAILURE… It’s a shame cause I really wanted to believe in 343. The match making is a complete joke and is not even close to being a competitive Halo game. There are way to many noob weapons and the ordinance drops are a big mistake and have no business in a Halo game. Now everyone runs around with snipers and rockets the whole game and it’s just not fun.

I am about to trade in Halo 4 and never buy another 343 product if they don’t bring back all the good custom games and custom game options. If they fix the custom games they broke for no good response, then I will give them and the game a second chance. If they continue to ignore the community about the custom game problems, then they just lost one fan. I will never buy another 343 product and I won’t be buying the map packs. I already feel ripped off enough that they took out the Race game. I am really mad and feel ripped off. We need to not let them get away with this. We need to stand up and let them know.

8

> Halo 4 is a complete FAILURE… It’s a shame cause I really wanted to believe in 343. The match making is a complete joke and is not even close to being a competitive Halo game. There are way to many noob weapons and the ordinance drops are a big mistake and have no business in a Halo game. Now everyone runs around with snipers and rockets the whole game and it’s just not fun.
>
> I am about to trade in Halo 4 and never buy another 343 product if they don’t bring back all the good custom games and custom game options. If they fix the custom games they broke for no good response, then I will give them and the game a second chance. If they continue to ignore the community about the custom game problems, then they just lost one fan. I will never buy another 343 product and I won’t be buying the map packs. I already feel ripped off enough that they took out the Race game. I am really mad and feel ripped off. We need to not let them get away with this. We need to stand up and let them know.

Supported.

9

> > Halo is still a unique game and it still plays nothing like CoD. It’s still a skill based arena shooter.
> >
> > The glory days of H2/H3 are over, for better or worse. As long as Halo doesn’t go to a pure reward-for-playtime system, I’ll keep playing it. CoD plays like a billion other PC shooters. Halo has no equivalent for pacing/strategy/etc.
> >
> > The only thing different about Halo 4 (and it is admittedly a very, very big difference), is that it is the first Halo game since Halo 1 that is not a game about power weapon and map control.
> >
> > But Halo 1 wasn’t a game about power weapon control… it was a game about “who is best with the pistol”. Halo 2 is the game that really introduced power weapon control as the central MP dynamic. Halo 4 is a close to being a game about “who is best with the DMR” and I am A-OK with that.
>
> How is this a game about being good with the dmr, when ordinances provide an abundance of power weapons?
>
> Also ordinances make this game not an arena shooter, the same with loadouts and perks.

Loadouts/perks are not that game changing. AAs are, but they’ve been around since Reach and H4’s are much better integrated and balanced than those of Reach.

There should probably be regular weapons on the map which respawn at set intervals (this would do nothing to hurt the ordinance system), but the maps DO have a starting weapon placement set.

The DMR is the most powerful starting weapon we’ve had since Halo 2. Power weapons don’t really change the game that much. It is possible for one team to get several power weapons and the other team to get none, and that can be a problem, but out of a couple hundred games I’ve seen that happen like twice (in 4v4).

If you’re good with the DMR, you can kill pretty much anyone with the exception of a close range fight against a close range power weapon, long range against a sniper, or close/mid range against a skilled (or lucky) sniper. However, the game is 90% about the DMR.

10

> u know theyll make a classic playlist. they want people to try infinity slayer 1st. Im loving this game and so are alot of the Reachaters. COD is unbalanced unlike halo 4. in halo 4 u have to earn your sniper… or beat ur teamates to it. my only problem is the connection issues which they can fix.

So I earned my beam rifle by sniping 5 people and am now rewarded by having 2 snipers? Yeah, there is definitely NO problem with that. Please explain to me how having a 10+ power weapons on BTB is drastically different from COD gameplay. It is random, it is frustrating, and it is not fun. Why don’t we just play in huge boxes with different environments, because power weapons make power positions pointless.

11

Absolutely agreed OP! They took Halo way too far from it’s roots with this one! I actually enjoy Slayer Pro, but even that has the random weapon drop’s, which severely degrades gameplay. and I am disappointed about the lack of a ranking system as well!

When it comes down to it, there is nothing in this game that could possibly get me invested into the game, except forge, but I’m afraid that’s not enough to persuade me to buy the game.

12

I agree with your points. Halo 4 isn’t a horrible game, but it’s only a couple of weeks in and I’m pretty darn bored with it.

Put in a visible in-game ranking system and you might squeeze some more money out of me 343. Maybe…

13

> > > Halo is still a unique game and it still plays nothing like CoD. It’s still a skill based arena shooter.
> > >
> > > The glory days of H2/H3 are over, for better or worse. As long as Halo doesn’t go to a pure reward-for-playtime system, I’ll keep playing it. CoD plays like a billion other PC shooters. Halo has no equivalent for pacing/strategy/etc.
> > >
> > > The only thing different about Halo 4 (and it is admittedly a very, very big difference), is that it is the first Halo game since Halo 1 that is not a game about power weapon and map control.
> > >
> > > But Halo 1 wasn’t a game about power weapon control… it was a game about “who is best with the pistol”. Halo 2 is the game that really introduced power weapon control as the central MP dynamic. Halo 4 is a close to being a game about “who is best with the DMR” and I am A-OK with that.
> >
> > How is this a game about being good with the dmr, when ordinances provide an abundance of power weapons?
> >
> > Also ordinances make this game not an arena shooter, the same with loadouts and perks.
>
> Loadouts/perks are not that game changing. AAs are, but they’ve been around since Reach and H4’s are much better integrated and balanced than those of Reach.
>
> There should probably be regular weapons on the map which respawn at set intervals (this would do nothing to hurt the ordinance system), but the maps DO have a starting weapon placement set.
>
> The DMR is the most powerful starting weapon we’ve had since Halo 2. Power weapons don’t really change the game that much. It is possible for one team to get several power weapons and the other team to get none, and that can be a problem, but out of a couple hundred games I’ve seen that happen like twice (in 4v4).
>
> If you’re good with the DMR, you can kill pretty much anyone with the exception of a close range fight against a close range power weapon, long range against a sniper, or close/mid range against a skilled (or lucky) sniper. However, the game is 90% about the DMR.

Or the needler, rocket launcher, railgun, sticky detonator, someone with damage boost,or someone with an overshield.

Stop saying this is still an arena shooter, because you obviously have no clue what an arena shooter is.

14

> Halo 4 is a complete FAILURE… It’s a shame cause I really wanted to believe in 343. The match making is a complete joke and is not even close to being a competitive Halo game. There are way to many noob weapons and the ordinance drops are a big mistake and have no business in a Halo game. Now everyone runs around with snipers and rockets the whole game and it’s just not fun.
>
> I am about to trade in Halo 4 and never buy another 343 product if they don’t bring back all the good custom games and custom game options. If they fix the custom games they broke for no good response, then I will give them and the game a second chance. If they continue to ignore the community about the custom game problems, then they just lost one fan. I will never buy another 343 product and I won’t be buying the map packs. I already feel ripped off enough that they took out the Race game. I am really mad and feel ripped off. <mark>We need to not let them get away with this. We need to stand up and let them know</mark>.

THIS, we need to keep that exact mentality until we are listened to, hold onto your passion and DO NOT give in. People lose their drive to fight and give in to companies, DON’T!

Keep fighting, keep the passion and never give in!

15

> Or the needler, rocket launcher, railgun, sticky detonator, someone with damage boost,or someone with an overshield.
>
> Stop saying this is still an arena shooter, because you obviously have no clue what an arena shooter is.

OK don’t call it an arena shooter. I don’t care. That’s an arbitrary and meaningless designation anyways.

However, you’re flat out wrong about everything else, especially the affect that power weapons supposedly have on the game.

In case you don’t believe me about this game being increasingly about the primary weapon (DMR), here’s some fun facts:
In Halo 3, ~50% of my ranked kills were with the BR (similar weapons e.g. the carbine were insignificant in comparison)

In Halo Reach, 42% were with the DMR (similar weapons e.g. the needle rifle were insignificant)

In Halo 4, a whopping 72% of my kills so far are from the DMR/BR/Light Rifle.

That’s a MASSIVE increase. Now, the sample size for H4 is much much smaller so that could change over time and normalize down to H3/H:R levels, but so far all signs point to H4 being a game that is MORE about your skill with your primary weapon than H3 and H:R at least.

If you’re getting more kills with other weapons, you’re probably just pretty bad with your DMR/BR/etc.

16

> I agree with you. I often have to relax for a while after playing on Ragnarok or other “big” maps because of the DMR and Light Rifle -Yoinks!- that do nothing but camp and wait for you to come along. Just why I stopped playing MW3, and don’t plan on buying Black ops 2. I am actually glad that you can’t start with any 1-shot kill snipers or rocket launchers, and that they can only come in once in a while. I just hope that Halo 5 doesn’t become more CoD-like, and that old factors that defined Halo, like some of the old playlists (especially Grifball) and ranking system, come back soon.

It’s funny that you called grifball an old playlist. Trust me, they will give you this noob game in no time.

17

Thanks man… I want 343 to know how mad I am about all the mistakes they made with this game. If they just brought back Race and a few other things, I would be happy again. But I feel that they are not responding back to the community uproar and that is not acceptable. They have OUR money in their pocket and most of us feel ripped off. We want things fixed or a lot of people are not going to buy the map packs or any other 343 product. If I don’t see any changes or patched in the next month, I am trading in Halo 4 and never buying another 343 product ever again.

18

> > Or the needler, rocket launcher, railgun, sticky detonator, someone with damage boost,or someone with an overshield.
> >
> > Stop saying this is still an arena shooter, because you obviously have no clue what an arena shooter is.
>
> OK don’t call it an arena shooter. I don’t care. That’s an arbitrary and meaningless designation anyways.
>
> However, you’re flat out wrong about everything else, especially the affect that power weapons supposedly have on the game.
>
>
> In case you don’t believe me about this game being increasingly about the primary weapon (DMR), here’s some fun facts:
> In Halo 3, ~50% of my ranked kills were with the BR (similar weapons e.g. the carbine were insignificant in comparison)
>
> In Halo Reach, 42% were with the DMR (similar weapons e.g. the needle rifle were insignificant)
>
> In Halo 4, a whopping 72% of my kills so far are from the DMR/BR/Light Rifle.
>
> That’s a MASSIVE increase. Now, the sample size for H4 is much much smaller so that could change over time and normalize down to H3/H:R levels, but so far all signs point to H4 being a game that is MORE about your skill with your primary weapon than H3 and H:R at least.
>
> If you’re getting more kills with other weapons, you’re probably just pretty bad with your DMR/BR/etc.

Posting statistics on what YOU get kills with does nothing to disprove the fact that there are more people getting kills with OTHER weapons. Did I say the DMR isn’t my best weapon? I was complaining about how often I get killed by the mass amounts of power weapons that are on every map, not how often I get kills with the DMR.

Please explain to me how there are less power weapons on map compared to past Halo games. I am really curious how this is the case with there being ordinances.

19

They completely messed up the weapon spawning system in this game. It used to be you would know when the weapon was going to spawn and you would wait for it. You would then know who got the weapon and you would be able to tell when that power weapon was all out of ammo. Now people are randomly running around with incineration cannons and snipers and you haven’t the slightest clue about how much ammo they have or when they are going to magically appear with another power weapon.

20

> They completely messed up the weapon spawning system in this game. It used to be you would know when the weapon was going to spawn and you would wait for it. You would then know who got the weapon and you would be able to tell when that power weapon was all out of ammo. Now people are randomly running around with incineration cannons and snipers and you haven’t the slightest clue about how much ammo they have or when they are going to magically appear with another power weapon.

This, and then they compounded the problem by adding instant respawns.