ODST is a great game imo, but it definitely doesn't adhere to 30 seconds of fun half the time.

I'm sure they can! I know what you mean with Halo 2, Halo 3, and ODST. Well, I actually liked Halo 2, but Halo 3's Campaign was too short, and I know this isn't Bungie fault, because from what I heard, Microsoft rushed them. ODST was fun, but only for one night. To me, it's extremely boring now. I'll list a few things that make ODST lose it's 30 seconds of fun: -Button lag. -While exploring the city, checkpoints teleport other players to your position. -The game is too simple, to me, it didn't really take much strategy, not even on Legendary, just take cover a lot. -Not really a lot to customize your ODST with, just choosing your Character, colors and taking the Helmet off. You can't really even see the colors, and you can't change the Body or Shoulders. -Firefight gets repetitive, not really any changes in the waves. -There's only 10 Firefight maps, and out of those 10, 4 of them are exactly the same, just day and night versions. Not only that, but all the Firefight maps except Chasm Ten and Lost Platoon are nothing but a stupid Courtyard somewhere in the city. -Choppers don't give points anymore, I know it's to stop cheap points, but Choppers were fun to score in. I really hope Halo: Reach makes a good comeback, that would be awesome!

Hahaha my friend, don't go around life expecting nothing. Expect everything, or at the very least demand it! You deserve it. We all DESERVE the quality product we EXPECT. [Edited on 10.05.2009 12:26 AM PDT]

Couldn't agree more Phynix, Halo:CE was completely revolutionary at the time it had the amasingly simple button layout we all recognise, the well integrated vehicles and the fact that you could throw grenades without [i]equipping[/i] them, there are a lot of details that we take for granted. I too was dissapointed by the sequals but i still play them, also i have taught myself to allow for a certain amount of let down when i buy a video game. You can't have it all so expect nothing. In fact thats a good motto for life: [i]Expect nothing, that way you will always be impressed[/i]

Wall Of Text

Phynix, great point but I respectfully disagree. Here's why: First off, I think it's safe to say that if you have absolutely no expectations what so ever, any game will impress you. Yes, it is true, some games may impress you far more than others, but if you don't have any expectations for a game then a publisher can release a bare bones product and provided that you have ten minutes of fun playing it, you'll be impressed. Expectations are created by ideas that contain vast potential, and these ideas are expressed and publicized enormously by the publisher themselves. A lot of our expectations from Reach and of course the previous iterations of the Halo franchise have been created by Bungie themselves. Teasing at bits and pieces of the game in their weekly updates (which any good developer would do) and generating more and more hype from the Halo fan base. Secondly, It's not as if my expectations are ridiculously high for the Halo franchise. I just expect an engaging, fun, experience, with a competitive twist on it. These "Expectations" was what Halo 1 brought to the table and I've seen less and less of that in the later versions of Halo. I thought to myself, maybe I'm just getting sick of Halo or moving on, so I went back to play Halo 1 a couple of weeks ago. Let me tell you, not only did it live up to the expectations it already created in my head, it surpassed them. The game was so engaging, yet so simple, so intuitive, yet contained a learning curve; in short, it was perfect. In fact I became so addictive that I actually looked up XBConnect to see whether or not people were still playing Halo CE on there. My point is that, yes to a fan boy having no expectations will certainly better the game experience, but I still have hope for Halo Reach despite being disappointed twice. So I try and keep a open mind when it comes to any new Halo game before I write it off. But ODST was using a lot of the Halo 3 technology, therefore not a lot changed, so it was far easier for me to make up my mind. Lastly, and this may be just me, but I feel as if reviews are no longer a clear indicator of good games. A game these days will receive a 9/10 as long as it has high production values *which is what Bungie is known for* despite not having that fun. Sure Halo is a 9/10 compared to a lot of the garbage that other developers are putting out there, but does it live up to the encounters and feeling of the first Halo? I certainly don't think so. I'm hoping Reach changes this new level design that Bungie has adopted. Halo CE still has the best campaign in my opinion, and a lot of that was due to the fact that their worlds were massive and opened. Your battlefield was so scattered and that really allowed for a lot of fun. And for the love of god get rid of that Havok Engine. Bungie's in house engine was far superior any day!

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Feel5Alive [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Phynixblack I know a sure fire way to love this next game. Expect nothing. Demand nothing. Allow yourself to think of other titles for a while. You have a while before REACH Beta. Get into other titles a bit if you are antsy. When REACH Beta comes along, go into it as if you had never played the rest. Wipe your expectations away. Give this game what it will want, a clean, fair, slate. Then and only then will you love it. Players are suffering now because they let the "I WANT" syndrome infect their minds over ODST, now it is out, it is great, but they can't like it because they expected it to be the second coming of Jesus Christ.[/quote] excellent post. [/quote] I'm only pointing out the obvious. you went into that first Halo game with no idea what to expect, no reason to demand perfection. You got a GREAT game and LOVED it because it exceeded what you might have expected. Give Halo:REACH that same opportunity and it will more likely then not have the same type of impact. You know it will be excellent because excellent is what Bungie DOES. The "I WANT" curse ruins everything, no matter how good it is in the end. Another example? Wait till the release of the upcoming hit, BORDERLANDS. This game features over 11 MILLION guns with their own stats, quirks and appearances. This game will be unique, it will be great, it will be a lot of things. But already, the great wheels of disappointment turn, those waiting for the title are allowing themselves to get to worked up, expecting things to be perfect everywhere. Expecting absolute flawlessness (Something that just doesn't happen in the Videogame industry). They will be disappointed. They expect the nectar of the gods to seep from the case when we all should already know this game will be like a great many 9/10's coming before Christmas.

That's a very interesting point to bring out OP. And it's got me thinking. Bungie's 30 seconds of fun philosophy was pretty dominant in the last games. I mean, you could almost feel it I think, with ODST, for me personally, I feel that this idea of '30 Seconds of Fun' is much more inconsistent. There are moments in the game where the 30 Seconds of Fun concept is blaring straight in your face and its the best iteration of that concept ever in a Halo game. Case in point: NMPD HQ, especially the final Rooftop standoff and I have to say, Data Hive as well. Tayari Plaza does this as well. Other sections however, fail at doing so, The final Highway drive is a great offender here. Some sections however, attempt it and fall right on the fine line between achieving that concept and failing it. Uplift Reserve, Kizingo Boulevard, Kikowani Station all lie here. They feel awesome but have points where you lose all of that. The star here, however, ONI Alpha Site: Probably the most inconsistent level in a Halo game yet.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Phynixblack I know a sure fire way to love this next game. Expect nothing. Demand nothing. Allow yourself to think of other titles for a while. You have a while before REACH Beta. Get into other titles a bit if you are antsy. When REACH Beta comes along, go into it as if you had never played the rest. Wipe your expectations away. Give this game what it will want, a clean, fair, slate. Then and only then will you love it. Players are suffering now because they let the "I WANT" syndrome infect their minds over ODST, now it is out, it is great, but they can't like it because they expected it to be the second coming of Jesus Christ.[/quote] excellent post.

more like negative seconds of fun

so you want halo: reach to be unrivaled by all other games in its time. is that an accurate statement to make?

I know a sure fire way to love this next game. Expect nothing. Demand nothing. Allow yourself to think of other titles for a while. You have a while before REACH Beta. Get into other titles a bit if you are antsy. When REACH Beta comes along, go into it as if you had never played the rest. Wipe your expectations away. Give this game what it will want, a clean, fair, slate. Then and only then will you love it. Players are suffering now because they let the "I WANT" syndrome infect their minds over ODST, now it is out, it is great, but they can't like it because they expected it to be the second coming of Jesus Christ.

I sure hope so. the first halo was what shook the fondation of the gaming industry into what it is today.

I thought this was some form of 30 seconds to mars tribute band...

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Feel5Alive Its gon be like a whole minute of fun ![/quote] What he said! :O

Its gon be like a whole minute of fun !