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5/31/2012 10:49:01 PM
9
This game had so much potential.....
As with Halo Reach, this game had much unexplored potential. I will list my opinions for what Bungie should have done:
-Taken more time in development- Upgrading the engine and graphics to make the game more visually appealing and not adapting the CoD style of using the older games graphics (not a big deal but it would have been nice to see better graphics)
- More emphasis on the Covenant betrayal - Have more destruction and dead elites in creating locations and ways (this was only somewhat explored and fleshed out). Also it would have been nice to see some elites in a firefight with some brutes in the mombasa streets levels.
- More emphasis on the destruction - Earth has been invaded in this section of Africa and a cruiser has jumped into slip space in the middle of the city. This should cause massive damage (as seen in Halo 2). This was one of my major concerns with the game. The city looks like it has been hit with protests and vandalism and not as if it has been invaded and certainly doesn't look like it has been in the middle of a slip space jump. Here are some pointers that could have made it better:
- Adding dead civilians like in halo reach
- More massive destruction, e.g. collapsed buildings, crashed UNSC and Covenant vehicles, More civilian destruction, etc.
- UNSC vs Covenant firefights throughout the city during Mombasa streets (rather than simple covenant patrols.
- Modified difficulty scale - What makes this game unique is that you are an ODST and not a spartan. This difficulty scale change has been terribly implemented. I do believe that your character should be weaker than master chief physically and shouldn't have as much shield/armour and thats all been done well, but the programming for the difficulty scale has just nerfed you and your guns and buffed the enemies. The enemies shouldn't be stronger normally (survive more bullets) as bullets should do the same damage regardless of who is shooting the gun. The enemies should die from the same amount of bullets as in halo 3 but should be physically weaker.
- Brutes shouldn't have shields - This is just frustrating more than anything. As we have already established enemies take more shots to kill. Adding extra shields to one of the more boring and annoying enemies in the game just makes them take an unnecessary amount of shots to kill. This was done to compensate for the lack of elites in the game but worked better in halo 3 when brutes had armour, but not shields.
- Grenade throw - I have no idea why the ODST throws grenades like a noob. Grenades are hard to aim and judge what you will hit at the best of times in this game when it has never been a problem in any other halo title and i have no explanation for this.
In conclusion, ODST has a great concept but isn't fleshed out enough all due to one reason: Being a distraction game. If Bungie spent more time on ODST rather than having it as a coverup for Halo Reach it would have been a much better game with more detail and care.
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[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] comander Seth Also it would have been nice to see some elites in a firefight with some brutes in the mombasa streets levels.[/quote]An absolute must. It doesn't have to be a lot. Just outnumber the Elites but don't make it impossible to save them. The jump over the gap on Keyes allowed players to help the Elites fighting the Flood. On 343 GS, it was possible to save the marine survivors from the huge number of Flood. H2's Sacred Icon let you grenade jump across the gap to save the 3 marines. H2's Gravemind allowed players to choose which Covie side to save. H2's Metropolis let you save the scorpion tank pilot from the Scarab. Then came H3, my second hated Halo campaign. It's impossible or freaking difficult to save marines. It's often scripted (the hog splattered by a Chopper on Tsavo Highway, the gauss hog driver on The Ark, Crow's Nest hog driver) or random bs (marines getting infected even when an infection form hasn't made contact with them yet). [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] comander Seth More emphasis on the destruction[/quote]I hate to admit it but Reach did this better. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] comander Seth - Modified difficulty scale[/quote]I was disappointed to find that ODST was using a shield system. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] comander Seth - Brutes shouldn't have shields - This is just frustrating more than anything. As we have already established enemies take more shots to kill. Adding extra shields to one of the more boring and annoying enemies in the game just makes them take an unnecessary amount of shots to kill. This was done to compensate for the lack of elites in the game but worked better in halo 3 when brutes had armour, but not shields.[/quote] Admittedly, the shield flare is more distracting than the power armor. I could easily tell when a Brute was about to die in H3 but in ODST, it can be difficult. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] comander Seth - Grenade throw - I have no idea why the ODST throws grenades like a noob. Grenades are hard to aim and judge what you will hit at the best of times in this game when it has never been a problem in any other halo title and i have no explanation for this.[/quote]Yep, it breaks immersion. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] comander Seth In conclusion, ODST has a great concept but isn't fleshed out enough all due to one reason: Being a distraction game. If Bungie spent more time on ODST rather than having it as a coverup for Halo Reach it would have been a much better game with more detail and care. [/quote]ODST lacked scale (Mombassa Streets was limited due to the emphasis on graphics), stealth (silenced is aesthetic), and immersion. Reach also lacked stealth (Nightfall = insult to T&R), immersion, and scale. It's quite clear the last 2 Halos are not up to par with the trilogy. [Edited on 05.31.2012 4:22 PM PDT]
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[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost It's quite clear the last 2 Halos are not up to par with the trilogy.[/quote] From a story perspective, ODST is superior in every way to the trilogy and Reach. We can talk about the 'potential' all we like, but ultimately the greatest mistake was that this game was given only an 8 month development cycle. If it replaced Reach as the 3 year project then all these things in the OP would have come to fruition.
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ODST is a great game as it is. Sure, there's a lot of potential, but that doesn't take away from the great experience it brings. But~ like ajw has said...ODST needed to be the three year production. Not Reach.
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I agree, but ODST was the greatest campaign experience in my opinion. The music, the setting and the general feel of it made it so much more engaging. Still, it would've been good to have more civillian casualties; Reach's Exodus level (my favourite level btw!) did this a lot better. A greater emphasis on stealth would have been cool, I find that its often difficult to avoid skirmishes because the enemies seem to see you quite easily. I thought Bungie nailed the difference between playing as a Spartan and an ODST though. They got the balance between being able to take on a large amount of Covenant and the toll it took on you just right. I'd love to see a similar game from Bungie, I thought ODST was a great game in terms of an engaging and fun campaign. Never been one for Firefight though.
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[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ajw34307 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost It's quite clear the last 2 Halos are not up to par with the trilogy.[/quote] From a story perspective, ODST is superior in every way to the trilogy and Reach. We can talk about the 'potential' all we like, but ultimately the greatest mistake was that this game was given only an 8 month development cycle. If it replaced Reach as the 3 year project then all these things in the OP would have come to fruition.[/quote]Yeah I know that. I was addressing the gameplay. ;)
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[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ajw34307 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost It's quite clear the last 2 Halos are not up to par with the trilogy.[/quote] From a story perspective, ODST is superior in every way to the trilogy and Reach. We can talk about the 'potential' all we like, but ultimately the greatest mistake was that this game was given only an 8 month development cycle. If it replaced Reach as the 3 year project then all these things in the OP would have come to fruition.[/quote] Thats exactly what i mean. If this game was given proper development rather than being a distraction game then we would have a great game here (hopefully a longer one aswell)
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[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] roraj 196 I agree, but ODST was the greatest campaign experience in my opinion. The music, the setting and the general feel of it made it so much more engaging. Still, it would've been good to have more civillian casualties; Reach's Exodus level (my favourite level btw!) did this a lot better. A greater emphasis on stealth would have been cool, I find that its often difficult to avoid skirmishes because the enemies seem to see you quite easily. I thought Bungie nailed the difference between playing as a Spartan and an ODST though. They got the balance between being able to take on a large amount of Covenant and the toll it took on you just right. I'd love to see a similar game from Bungie, I thought ODST was a great game in terms of an engaging and fun campaign. Never been one for Firefight though. [/quote] I agree... except if i had a choice i would prefer 343 to make it. Bungie has proven to me their lack of interest in the halo series with reach, and how lazy they are to their community and games.
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Mombasa Streets is the whole reason for me playing ODST. I never thought I would like an "open world" Halo level very much, but I love it. I personally think that they should have had more in it. The Elite model was wasted by just putting it 5-6 places,dead and I imagine there would still be conflicts or survivors, even that late in the day. Quite sad there was so much unused space. Anyone can Mongoose jump over the energy gates, and find some of the more interesting buildings and streets. Some untextured, but still. One area I glitched into highlighting blue on the VISR map that is normally always shaded out, which was pretty cool.
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I think the game also needed some easter eggs. Like the Battle Rifle, hidden in these garages (or whatever it is) when you look for clues. Also, they should have included the Hornet in second last mission as well (so it gives you a choice to fly with a Banshee or Hornet). The Brute Prowler should also appear somewhere in the game. I mean, it's all content from Halo 3. Why not including it in an ADD ON... The idea of Elites fighting Brutes is great. I really missed that, too. I always loved to see Flood fighting the Covis in Halo 1 and Halo 2. They could have made the same with Elites and Brutes in ODST...
