[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Wolverfrog[/quote]With that post you've only proven the following: that you have the memory of a goldfish; by completely disregarding my previous posts which define my view on the subject, and that you're an opportunist; by deliberately looking past intent and attempting to take advantage of what a singular post by itself could imply. Worst of all however--on your behalf that is--you've proven that you in fact don't see the distinct differences between Bungie Halo and 343i [i]Halo[/i], and by extension; that you're incapable of identifying Halo's core ideals - what makes it what it is and not something else. But first, let me ask you these seemingly unrelated set of questions: Do you remember how you felt when you watched Halo's announcement video? What you thought when you played CE back in 2001-2002? What theories you started to form when Halo 2 came into the picture, and how they evolved when Adjutant Reflex started posting, Iris was reveal, and Halo 3 was released? How TGoO factored into what could happen if Halo got an opportunity to continue towards its foreshadowed apex? What it felt to see all of that undone? Those were all rhetorical questions... (you attempt scorn - I attempt scorn). [b]Between Bungie era and 343i era there is a clear cut, a clear detachment of ideals,[/b] not at all like the gradual [i]refinement[/i] as seen between Bungie's games. 343i's producers, writers, designers, basically the entire studio threw out everything. Everything had to be twisted into a style that they were comfortable with. Who could blame them really, who'd want to spend years with someone elses style? They did not think [i]what can we do with this specific IP that is what it is because of specific rules and balances, how should we do in order to continue with it; with the same values, ideology, with what it considers virtue and vice[/i]? No, they went in thinking [i]how have I always wanted Halo to be[/i]? [b]Do not mistake [i]Quality[/i] for [i]Identity[/i], are not exactly the same.[/b] I have nothing against 343i continuing Bungie's tradition of gradually [i]improving[/i] and adding new gameplay elements, I've never even used that as a complaint against them. [b]The only thing that matters is whether or not it resonates with the already established ideals. [/b]That's why one continues with the same series right? Ex: they chose to add sprint as a default setting, [i]in your face aliens[/i], and QTEs. You can be the judge of their quality yourself. Again - refine vs redefine. [b]Now, what is it that defines Halo; what makes it different/special/have its own identity?[/b] For the thousandth time, here are some of the core attributes, explained through showing how 343i broke the rules: [b]Design:[/b] Halo has become overworked, exaggerated, over styled. The [i]more is more[/i] mentality has been applied. 343i have some sort of belief that the more fidelity one is capable of having, the more one should. A board with the resolution one hundred times one hundred must have complexity throughout; no space is to be given; if one can add a detail, one should, even to the point where the economy for other resource demanding elements are sacrificed. A.I, physics, size, and a sense of even visuals, sandbox possibilities, all take the backseat. Surface graphics are our only technical concern, they seem to say. The complexity of everything is overdone. Subtlety, a once prominent--vital--theme, is now gone. [b]Premise:[/b] Is Halo just another mid-sci-fi-space-opera, doesn't it have anything that defines what and how people experience it; doesn't it have element/filters/restrictions that help skew and tailor a certain type of experience? Of course it has. One of the things that allows a player to feel what they did in CE, 2, and 3, was the state of the galaxy; the premise. [b]The premise of learning about the Forerunners through indirect exposure[/b] was what warranted its start in the narrative, what made it more than just [i]aliens vs marines[/i] (no matter how well taught it might have been). 343i haven't been thorough enough when identifying what the franchise they were going to work with was capable of offering, what layers they could take advantage of in order to continue building what Halo had going, opposed to just making a new trilogy with a clear start. The premise allowed for a specific experience/feeling, not just an opportunity to come up with random sci-fi stuff. Why work with [i]Halo[/i] if one disregards the subtle details that defined it? [b]There is a huge difference between [i]mysteries[/i] and [i]questions[/i].[/b] [b]Story:[/b] [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=75742605&postRepeater1-p=1#75743387]Halo 4 is filler with exhibition[/url]. Not exactly the most impressive/skillful way of telling a story and expanding the lore. [i]Let's have the story in one room, and exhibition in the other (Terminals and CGI cutscenes).[/i] Bla, bla, bla, there were unanswered questions, of course there were, and of course you want to know them. That's the point with magic. To quote Michael Caine: [i]"Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled."[/i] Direct exhibition--no matter how well it's told--is the least skilled way to reveal something. Halo should be above such banal ways of storytelling. No offense Bear, your writing and stories are great, it wasn't your choice to fully unveil the Forerunners. The Elites were dumbed down; turned into an [i]obligatory[/i] enemy. Yawn. The ONI has turned into Cerberus interdimensional pen-pal. Yawn. Humanity and the UNSC have been retconned in order to be able to spew out cool tech. Disregarding the state Bungie left humanity in (in a kind of humbled way). Yawn. And Dr. Halsey has been unnecessary involved in a pathetic attempt to turn Halo into a grim, realistic, deep character portrayal. Poor Catherine, had you been less interesting, maybe you'd have been left alone. ... Why has it ventured this way? What could possibly have warranted this direction? [b]Gameplay:[/b] Bungie makes games that they want to play i.e, they made Halo, and with it aimed towards creating a [i]sandbox[/i] experience. Dynamicity was king! [b]Do not fool yourself with the thought that Halo is a universe which one can slap onto any type of shooter whatsoever[/b], it has just as much of a meta identity as it has an identity. Removing it, dilutes its overall indentity. Halo 3, in its attempt to be the most dynamic of all the sandbox shooters, ended up having some of the most frustrating encounters I've ever experienced. Frustrating, but at the same time immensely satisfying when everything fell in its place. [i]Physical[/i] objects everywhere, an abundance of explosive weapons, unruly marines, and just too much one has no control over whatsoever, it was a chaos, a spectacular chaos that very often surprised, lived a life of its own. It truly was a sandbox full of naughty kids. Much of this carried over to the multiplayer, which spawned an era and style of videos. The amount of things Halo 3 attempted was indeed admirable. When I think of more Halo as a game, that's what I think of. Not just a random stiff shooter set in the Haloverse. CE started, 2 improved, 3 added and improved, but did not improve enough to remove frustration. Reach gave up, and Halo 4 dumbed down, 343i had other ideals (graphics for instance). In an attempt to be as [i]balanced[/i] as possible, all [i]fun[/i] has disappeared. I.e, they're taking the easy way out. Creating mysteries in not only done through the story--this is primarily a game franchise after all--it's also done by creating a mysterious and awing atmosphere, that excites on a moment to moment basis just by being there and explorable. Environments should be buildt with the intent to entice the player into venturing around just because of how the environment are buildt, not because of the promise to receive achievement points or find cool CGI. [b]Overall flair and sense of style:[/b] It really becomes apparent how little taste 343i have; how lost they are on the subject of stylization, iconography, a collected visual flair. [b]Example:[/b] Gone is the sense of featuring only what is sufficiently well made, and present are the badass Power Rangers. Gone is the sense of accomplishment, and present is the cascade of... [url=http://addicted-gamers.com/2012/11/11/halo-4-xbox-360-review-a-shadow-of-its-former-self/]This review pinpoints it better than I[/url], just scroll down to the multiplayer part. It's truly numbing how much they throw in ones face. They just don't know when and where to stop. It's not a neat little package anymore, it's a huge loosely tied bundle. [b]Tone, script, narrative:[/b] It's gone from [i]high-key Hollywood action-adventure blockbuster cheese with well-paced humour and one-liners[/i], to a [i]Travissian soap opera that takes itself way to seriously[/i]. When was Halo ever a grim and gritty alternative universe in which every second was worthy of depiction? [b]Don't wear it out[/b], don't make it mundane! [quote]Why this kind of is OT:[/quote] [b]Presentation:[/b] Why I brought it up here, in a thread about Spartan Ops: Halo as a franchise has become a schizophrenic pile of media with a low threshold on the quality; what is acceptable to present Halo in. Read my previous posts in this thread for more clarity. [b]But whatever right, you like it more now[/b]... and, [i]it's just a game[/i]... [Edited on 11.25.2012 5:11 AM PST]