Halo 4 - Underwhelming?

[Erttheking]

Something else I found interesting about the discussion of "halo is the same game", I've seen two threads on the escapist about E3 and both where insulting EA for changing Splinter Cell and Dead Space respectively. The world is a confusing place.

So yeah, bring on more Halo. Only thing im doubting so far is the soundtrack....

I have this same fear, a halo game without a Marty soundtrack is going to be interesting.

Well that's different isn't it? That's a game they actually like

 

[Cabisco]

Something else I found interesting about the discussion of "halo is the same game", I've seen two threads on the escapist about E3 and both where insulting EA for changing Splinter Cell and Dead Space respectively. The world is a confusing place.

So yeah, bring on more Halo. Only thing im doubting so far is the soundtrack....

I have this same fear, a halo game without a Marty soundtrack is going to be interesting.

Well that's different isn't it? That's a game they actually like

Ahhh so am I correct in saying only things other people like have to change?

disliking something I understand, it's the actual hatred for halo I don't understand, like it's actually done something offensive to them :/

 

[Korten12]

Something else I found interesting about the discussion of "halo is the same game", I've seen two threads on the escapist about E3 and both where insulting EA for changing Splinter Cell and Dead Space respectively. The world is a confusing place.

Thats the escapist for you.

"Developers are damned if they do change and damned if they don't" - You can't please most Escapist.

 

[Dunc2j]

Comes down to this.

The first Halo game was innovative. It made its mark in gaming history. There is no need for them to try and completely re-invent the game. It has its fanbase. Its fanbase knows what it likes. If you dont fall into that category, dont buy the game. In terms of games that get milked and churn out a new game pretty much yearly without any inovation at all Halo is by far and large not the worst offender.

 

[Mysterious Username]

Am I the only guy that is confused. I thought Master Chief was in cyro on a spaceship wreck that was flying around in some other solar system. Can anyone catch me up on why he is on a planet in the trailer? Do we know yet?

It is to be assumed that the planet is the one seen at the end of Halo 3 when you get the extended ending cut-scene.

 

[legend forge]

Wait... did you legitimately expect halo 4 to be good? It had a long way to go to prove itself above "unneeded cash in".

Yes I do think it's good, 343i has proven themselves and it's not a unneeded cash in. It was hinted in Halo 3's ending that Halo 4 was something, it wasn't an ambigious ending either it clearly hinted at more ideas and thus Halo 4 is born.

Honestly, I think we should start calling any game a "unneeded cash in," all games are made in the end to partially get profit, so we don't need them. Why make Skyrim? Obviously it's just a cash in on Oblivion. Even Batman Arkham City was just a cash in on Arkham Asylum.

>.>

Umm Halo 4 isn't out yet. We don't know if it is good or bad yet, but I have little faith that it will bring anything new to the table. Sure, the game play will probably be adequate as was most of the other games but it doesn't look to me like it will be a particularity good game from other perspectives. What irritates me is that they insist on using Master Chief as the protagonist, the most boring part of the (already kind of boring) halo mythos. The whole plot of "Chief is lost in space and will never be found but is found just in time for the sequel" has been done in previous games and books, when they could be doing something more interesting.

The ending of Halo 3 was not ambiguous at all, but not in the way you think. The ending of Halo 3 said very clearly "this is the end of this story" and the instant the original creative team was no longer in control 343 basically ruined the entire point of what was a perfectly good ending.

Skyrim changed up the formula and tried new things. It brought something new and amazing to the table. Yes, it was made to turn a profit but it was by no means unneeded or empty of creative content. Halo 4 looks to be an unneeded cash in based on what we know of its production. Unless it comes out and proves me wrong it doesn't seem to bring anything new or interesting, pushes no boundaries, and exists for the SOLE purpose of there being another thing called Halo for people to give their money to microsoft over.

 

[Cabisco]

Wait... did you legitimately expect halo 4 to be good? It had a long way to go to prove itself above "unneeded cash in".

Yes I do think it's good, 343i has proven themselves and it's not a unneeded cash in. It was hinted in Halo 3's ending that Halo 4 was something, it wasn't an ambigious ending either it clearly hinted at more ideas and thus Halo 4 is born.

Honestly, I think we should start calling any game a "unneeded cash in," all games are made in the end to partially get profit, so we don't need them. Why make Skyrim? Obviously it's just a cash in on Oblivion. Even Batman Arkham City was just a cash in on Arkham Asylum.

>.>

Umm Halo 4 isn't out yet. We don't know if it is good or bad yet, but I have little faith that it will bring anything new to the table. Sure, the game play will probably be adequate as was most of the other games but it doesn't look to me like it will be a particularity good game from other perspectives. What irritates me is that they insist on using Master Chief as the protagonist, the most boring part of the (already kind of boring) halo mythos. The whole plot of "Chief is lost in space and will never be found but is found just in time for the sequel" has been done in previous games and books, when they could be doing something more interesting.

The ending of Halo 3 was not ambiguous at all, but not in the way you think. The ending of Halo 3 said very clearly "this is the end of this story" and the instant the original creative team was no longer in control 343 basically ruined the entire point of what was a perfectly good ending.

Skyrim changed up the formula and tried new things. It brought something new and amazing to the table. Yes, it was made to turn a profit but it was by no means unneeded or empty of creative content. Halo 4 looks to be an unneeded cash in based on what we know of its production. Unless it comes out and proves me wrong it doesn't seem to bring anything new or interesting, pushes no boundaries, and exists for the SOLE purpose of there being another thing called Halo for people to give their money to microsoft over.

nothing new? I suspect this member of the new enemy race would disagree with you

If creating a new faction of enemies with different skills, AI, weapons and generally ways to ruin your day isn't classed as new I give up.

 

[Ninonybox_v1legacy]

I always hear people saying "Master chief's story was finished after Halo 3, he finished the fight so why make another game. THERE MILKING THE HALO FRANCHISE!" Fist off how many COD games have there been?....exactly so shut up. (I like COD btw) Secondly you finished the fight with the covenant and the flood, this is a brand new fight. You finished the fight against those enemy factions, these are different ones.

 

[dessertmonkeyjk]

Also, why is he shooting Covenant at the start? The war is over, they said it like six times.

Well, Master Cheif is running around in sparten gear and was pointing a gun at them... I think that's considered justifiable. Then again, there could be other reasons.

Yeah, I don't really approve of the heavily scripted sequences and chances are that any chance of having Co-op in the main campaign may be substantially broken by it. I'm guessing that's why there is the episodic Co-op campaign to work around this issue.

 

[Korten12]

Also, why is he shooting Covenant at the start? The war is over, they said it like six times.

Well, Master Cheif is running around in sparten gear and was pointing a gun at them... I think that's considered justifiable. Then again, there could be other reasons.

Yeah, I don't really approve of the heavily scripted sequences and chances are that any chance of having Co-op in the main campaign may be substantially broken by it. I'm guessing that's why there is the episodic Co-op campaign to work around this issue.

The Campaign they have stated is still 4 player co-op.

 

[TheCommanders]

Overall to me Halo 4 felt like a game that didn't need to be made. If they have great ideas, make a new IP. I know why games are being serialized like this, i.e. the fact that many developers are held in a stranglehold by their producer overlords, but I wish it weren't so.

"If wishes were fishes the oceans would be filled with dead fish"
-A Sardonic Person

No it´s because people like you who ask for new ip´s but dont buy them making the flop disasterously.

Ok, now that was just uncalled for. I love new IPs, and I make a point to buy them whenever possible, even if they turn out to be terrible, because creativity and originality should be encouraged. Unless you traced down my real name and information, extrapolated my purchase history and looked at what games I've bought (which would be creepy btw), who are you to comment on my choice in buying games?

There's your problem. A lot of people did get into Halo and that's why the series has gone on for so long. Its also why the formula hasn't changed and won't change, but come on, were you really hoping Halo 4 would come along with its innovative and fresh gameplay and make you get into the series again?

Gasp, expecting a game to always attempt to be fresh, new, and worth playing? What kind of a monster am I? :O

 

[el derpenburgo]

There's your problem. A lot of people did get into Halo and that's why the series has gone on for so long. Its also why the formula hasn't changed and won't change, but come on, were you really hoping Halo 4 would come along with its innovative and fresh gameplay and make you get into the series again?

Gasp, expecting a game to always attempt to be fresh, new, and worth playing? What kind of a monster am I? :O

Well you didn't get into Halo 2, 3, ODST and Reach from what I can tell by your original post. You were underwhelmed four times already. You don't like what Bungie has done with the franchise. Of course Halo 4 looks underwhelming to you, because they're making it to appeal to people who have enjoyed the Halos they've put out already, they've done this... since Halo 2. Its worked as well, since they've consistently managed to trump their own release day sales. I have no idea why you're so surprised. I don't mean they're making the same game over and over again, but they're doing things that the fans will enjoy, which in this case is the exploration of the Forerunner story, and no doubt some changes to the multiplayer to make it a bit different to Reach.

If you were someone who had enjoyed the series up to this point and was disappointed by the trailer then I would understand your surprise. But what do you mean by attempting to be fresh and worth playing? They have actually changed up the game a lot since the first one, but of course the feel and tone has remained the same (which I was alluding to in my other post). Are you sure its 343's fault that the game doesn't appeal to you?

 

[Meight08]

Overall to me Halo 4 felt like a game that didn't need to be made. If they have great ideas, make a new IP. I know why games are being serialized like this, i.e. the fact that many developers are held in a stranglehold by their producer overlords, but I wish it weren't so.

"If wishes were fishes the oceans would be filled with dead fish"
-A Sardonic Person

No it´s because people like you who ask for new ip´s but dont buy them making the flop disasterously.

Ok, now that was just uncalled for. I love new IPs, and I make a point to buy them whenever possible, even if they turn out to be terrible, because creativity and originality should be encouraged. Unless you traced down my real name and information, extrapolated my purchase history and looked at what games I've bought (which would be creepy btw), who are you to comment on my choice in buying games?

Sorry many people just keep asking for new ip´s but when it comes out they just buy it used or not at all,Which just grinds my gears.

 

[TheCommanders]

Sorry many people just keep asking for new ip´s but when it comes out they just buy it used or not at all,Which just grinds my gears.

With that I can totally sympathize. Sometimes we gamers are our own worst enemies.

 

[Zeh Don]

Sorry many people just keep asking for new ip´s but when it comes out they just buy it used or not at all,Which just grinds my gears.

Post of the day.

"Oh man, ANOTHER Call of Duty?"
*Becomes highest selling game of all time*
"Oh sweet, FINALLY, a new I.P.!"
*Game sells so badly the company goes bankrupt*

Gamers deserve to be treated like we are.

 

[legend forge]

If creating a new faction of enemies with different skills, AI, weapons and generally ways to ruin your day isn't classed as new I give up.

I am not talking about specific details, I am talking about new and interesting story elements or gameplay. If these whatever-they-ares turn out to be absolutely fascinating and tell a deeply interesting story then we will see about that. I reiterate: my main issue is Chief being the protagonist and larger issues with the Halo lore. "Different" and "new" are not the same thing.

 

[Korten12]

If creating a new faction of enemies with different skills, AI, weapons and generally ways to ruin your day isn't classed as new I give up.

I am not talking about specific details, I am talking about new and interesting story elements or gameplay. If these whatever-they-ares turn out to be absolutely fascinating and tell a deeply interesting story then we will see about that. I reiterate: my main issue is Chief being the protagonist and larger issues with the Halo lore. "Different" and "new" are not the same thing.

You know that Halo has lots of stuff to used in the story, and just because the Master Chief is the main character doesn't mean their being restrictive. They ended the story with a cliff-hanger, so they're continuing the story.

Halo has lots of lore, so they have a lot to work with.