[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Wolverfrog [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] the real Janaka Do you honestly believe that Halo hasn't changed?[/quote] Yes, it's no longer the [i]Halo[/i] I loved. Shields used to just serve as an auxiliary defence to your main health, now they've taken health packs out and left us only with shields. Also, they've introduced 'duel-wielding' - not only does this ruin the perfectly balanced sandbox of the Halo I adored, but it also means that weapons which were once powerful have been nerfed; the plasma rifle doesn't hold a freezing effect anymore, for example, and the plasma pistol is next to useless. Taking out the assault rifle has robbed the game of one of its most iconic symbols, and there is no longer a human weapon for short-mid range combat, with the SMG being ineffectual at medium distances and the BR unwieldy in close combat. All these additions are nothing compared to the crime that the new game has committed on the pistol - it used to be a skillful weapon of death, with which a talented player could dominate with. Now it's even worse than the plasma pistol. Vehicular balance has been completely ruined by the addition of hi-jacking (all it takes to destroy a tank now is someone getting close enough to it, especially with the Wraith's lack of a turret) and homing rockets. With the addition of Havok, the physics of the series have been completely changed and this has ruined the flow of Halo for me. That's not even mentioning the campaign, which is a horrific departure from the [i]Halo[/i] I considered a pure and perfect experience. First of all, I don't know what the developers were thinking by adding exposition to the Covenant - they worked perfectly well as a faceless enemy, it added to their menace as we knew little of their motivations - now with the inclusion of another campaign from their perspective, that menace is gone and we're left without an iconic foe - Brutes come out of nowhere (why are they appearing just now? It's ludicrous), are little more than bullet sponges, and on higher difficulties it's impractical to take them down with anything other than the needler, with it often being a rush to kill it before it berserks. There's too much hopping around from location to location, where the [i]Halo[/i] I once loved made its impression through developing one locale, a mysterious alien world - it was fleshed out beautifully, whereas now we're jumping all over the place. Master Chief is given very little attention and we spend much of the campaign with a character who shouldn't even exist - Elites should have remained just as the name connotes; an elite enemy class who serve as our foe and speak in an alien language. Bungie have ruined their franchise with Halo 2, and as a self-entitled Halo purist I decry everything they're doing with the game. I will, however, continue to play everything they put out and will enter every thread about the franchise I see on a message board, because I have issues with letting things go. Hopefully Microsoft will kick Bungie off before they ruin the franchise, and will find a new developer for Halo 3 who will bring the game back to its perfect roots.[/quote] This post is full of win and truth.