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Edited by The Random:
8/31/2013 11:06:43 PM
21
Constructive Criticism of Halo 4’s Mediocre Campaign
I have now beaten Halo 4 twice, first when the game came out on Legendary and second just yesterday on Heroic. I have been a [i]huge[/i] fan of the series since 2002 and I've got hundreds of hours put into each of the previous games.
Also, I have read every Halo book [u]up until the Forerunner Saga[/u]. Keep that in mind.
With my recent campaign experience still fresh in my mind, I compile this list of items that contribute to the mediocrity of Halo 4's campaign. (Spoiler Alerts contain elaborations, I encourage you to read them)
[b]1.) [u]The Retcons[/u][/b]
-Altered Prologue Covenant [spoiler]We see [url=http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r535/xKingGhidorahx/Halo41_zps31abf6c6.jpg]these Elites[/url] during a flashback of a Covenant attack on a human colony. Before the end of the Human-Covenant War, the Covenant Remnant didn't even exist. It makes no sense to have Storm Elites in a flashback of a battle from the Human-Covenant War. It would have made more sense for the Elites to be wearing the [url=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120317224157/halo/images/0/08/Elite_Comparison.jpg]combat harness[/url] used in the Covenant Empire.[/spoiler]
-Altered Prologue Spartan IIs [spoiler]The Spartan IIs seen fighting off the attack in the same flashback are wearing [url=http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r535/xKingGhidorahx/Halo42_zpsdb4c65f2.jpg](the altered) Mark VI armor[/url] rather than the [url=http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/f/f9/Fall_of_Reach.jpg]Mark V armor[/url] they should be wearing. This also makes no sense since Mark VI armor wasn't issued until the start of Halo 2. Again, they should have been shown wearing Mark V armor for canon correctness.[/spoiler]
-Altered Forward Unto Dawn [spoiler]Right at the start of the first level, we see what's left of the [url=http://cdn2.planetminecraft.com/files/resource_media/screenshot/1239/halo-4-campaign-forward-unto-dawn_3682560.jpg]Forward Unto Dawn[/url]. But the part of the Forward Unto Dawn shown in Halo 4 is completely different from what we saw at the [url=http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r535/xKingGhidorahx/Halo43_zps055df32f.jpg]end of Halo 3.[/url] In fact, it doesn't even look like it [url=http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r535/xKingGhidorahx/Halo44_zpsd107073f.jpg]belonged to the same ship.[/url] 343i should have worked with what we were left with in Halo 3 rather than completely changing the design of the ship.[/spoiler]
-Master Chief's Altered Mark VI Armor [spoiler] The first time we see the Master Chief since being put into the cryo chamber at the end of Halo 3, the armor he's wearing has little to no resemblance to the [url=http://halofanforlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Halo-4-MC-comparison-armor.jpg]armor worn in Halo 3[/url]. I'm all for new armor for the Chief, but introducing it in a way such as this is foolish. Instead 343i should have done something along the lines of the Master Chief starting off in the Halo 3 armor then picking up the [url=http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/043/9/8/spartan_ii_being_outfitted_with_mjolnir_armor_by_mclatchyt-d5uq4x7.jpg]new armor while on board the Infinity[/url].[/spoiler]
-Altered Jackals [spoiler] Now, as with every new Halo game before, the species of Covenant in the game have gotten a face lift. They've even got completely different armor, which makes sense due to them being a part of a rouge faction. For the most part they all resemble the Covenant we've been fighting for over a decade now, with one exception. The [url=http://www.entertainmentearth.com/images/AUTOIMAGES/MF19214lg.jpg]Jackal[/url]. They have gone from [url=http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r535/xKingGhidorahx/Halo45_zps277b6f99.jpg]being bird-like to now resembling dinosaurs[/url]. This radical change doesn't make sense and is really unnecessary.[/spoiler]
In short, instead of working around these previously established facts/designs, 343i should have worked with them to better connect Halo 4 with the rest of the series.
[b]2.) [u]Music[/u][/b]
-Soundtrack doesn't resemble Halo, too unfamiliar
-Could have brought back tracks from the original trilogy [spoiler]Neil Davidge can make good music, as we've seen with Halo 4's soundtrack. But the problem is, It doesn't resemble Halo enough or at all in most cases. It's missing the "Halo feel" to it.
Now that the story is being focused on the Master Chief again, this would've been a great opportunity to bring back classic Halo tracks from the original trilogy. As the original trilogy progressed, we got fresh new music with each new game of course, but there was always that original music at the core.
That's what was missing from Halo 4's soundtrack. It was all new and unfamiliar for the most part, and ultimately didn't feel like Halo music. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQR-n6Z7Kxk]This[/url] is a perfect example of [b][u](at the time)[/b][/u] old and new music. When you blend the new music with the original Halo music, like this, then it has the Halo feel.[/spoiler]
[b]3.) [u]Enemies[/u][/b]
-Dumbed Down Covenant [spoiler]The Covenant enemies we fight in the game seemed to be less intelligent and less of a challenge than they were in previous titles. Elites don't seem to dodge attacks as well as before, nor do they take cover as much as before. Jackals seem to keep their shields at their side more than to use it for protection. Covenant Cruisers seem to be giant paper weights that blow up easily and don't do anything aside from deploying troops. All of this could be resulted from them being a rogue faction without the Covenant Empire's military training or poorly executed A.I. development. Maybe even both.[/spoiler]
-Only Three Types of Prometheans [spoiler]The introduction of a new enemy faction was a great opportunity to make Halo 4 standout and feel like a new experience. And for the most part, it was a success. The Prometheans have an interesting and cool back story, a cool arsenal of weapons, and a awesome look. The downside is that fighting them can become [i]very[/i] repetitive due to them only having three types. Knight, Watcher, Crawler. That's it. Also, they don't even have there own vehicles restricting them to infantry combat only.[/spoiler]
-[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aFJ4dAGlHc]All Of My What[/url] [spoiler]I noticed this in both of my play-throughs, and thought it'd be worth pointing out.[/spoiler]
In short, 343i should have went more in depth with the Prometheans by creating more than three types and creating Promethean vehicles. While doing that they should have kept the Covenant at the same level of intelligence and effectiveness that they had in previous games.
[b]4.) [u]Characters[/u][/b]
-Didact Not Memorable[spoiler]The Didact had the chance to be an excellent villain here, he had the looks, the voice, and the intelligence. Plus he was a damn Forerunner. All he needed was some more screen time, there were only [i]two[/i] moments where we saw him in the game. We also got some background story on him when speaking to the Librarian, but other than that there was little to make him memorable.[/spoiler]
-No Jul 'Mdama [spoiler]We see Jul' Mdama a-lot in the Spartan Ops cinematics, and it's clear he's the head honcho of the Covenant Remnant. Since we fight the Covenant a-lot in the campaign it's strange we don't get to see him at least once. Again, wasted potential, just like the Didact.[/spoiler]
Not a-lot to criticize here. The Master Chief, Cortana, Lasky, and Del Rio (Yes Del Rio) were all solid. It's just the Didact and Jul 'Mdama that could have been better. Perhaps 343i could have made one cutscene that introduced Jul 'Mdama, showed the Didact meeting him, and showed the forging of their alliance?
[b]5.) [u]Boring Objectives[/u][/b]
-Reactivating the Cartographer (Requiem) [spoiler]Leave the cartographer, push four buttons to reactivate it, fight some Covies, return to cartographer to resume the level.[/spoiler]
-Mantis Ride inside the Infinity (Infinity) [spoiler]Get in Mantis, slaughter every Promethean/Covie on your way to the outer hull to push a button, cue one of the most linear experiences in a Halo game.[/spoiler]
-Mammoth Ride (Reclaimer) [spoiler][url=http://portforward.com/games/walkthroughs/Gears-of-War-2/Gears-of-War-2-small-0035.jpg]Remind you of anything?[/url][/spoiler]
-All of Shutdown [spoiler]Nothing you did accomplished anything in this level.[/spoiler]
-All of Composer [spoiler]Again, nothing you did here mattered. And what's really disappointing is that the level could have taken place on a Halo ring.[/spoiler]
Now every Halo game has it's 'boring' levels, but the difference here is that with each of these objectives that I've listed, you accomplish [i]nothing[/i] (With the exception of the Mammoth Ride, where you destroy particle cannons). At least with other 'boring' levels like Crows Nest, you can say you saved a-lot of marines and Johnson. Or that you did [i]something[/i].
[quote][/quote]
Now, I realize that probably a good deal of what I've said can be justified or explained using outside sources. That includes books, Waypoint, Halo Nation, Halopedia, etc.
Which brings me to the final and perhaps most important item on this list:
[b]6.) [u]Halo 4's Narrative Is Too Dependent On it's Extended Universe[/u][/b]
Mostly everything in the campaign presumes a knowledge of the Halo universe that clearly exceeds having played the single player of every game.
Think about it. Most of the people who didn't enjoy the campaign probably didn't understand everything, while most of the people who keep up with the extended universe probably adored it.
This might just be the biggest reason why Halo 4's campaign turned out to be mediocre.
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18 RepliesEdited by Haruspis: 8/31/2013 11:06:02 PM(I hope I don't come off as too much of a dick, not my intention.) [quote]-Altered Prologue Covenant/Spartans[/quote] The battle in the Prologue is entirely symbolic of the Human-Covenant war and not a canonical representation of any particular battle. We don't know where or when it is, we're just meant to see how vastly outmatched humanity was by the might of the Covenant and how the Spartan-IIs were the only ones who could stand up tall and fight back to bring hope to humanity, leading them to victory. This is not a retcon. [quote]-Altered Forward Unto Dawn[/quote] The Dawn had to be redesigned for gameplay purposes, I don't see how this is important at all since we see the Dawn's exterior for a grand total of about 5 seconds... [quote]-Master Chief's Altered Mark VI Armor[/quote] Nanobots. [quote]-Altered Jackals[/quote] Kig-Yar have already been shown to have a number of sub-species, there's nothing to indicate that this isn't just another variation of their species. [quote]Music[/quote] Of all the reasons people find to dislike Halo 4, this is the most contemptuous... The [i]incessant[/i] whining of people who think that Halo's music can only have the "Halo feel" (which I'm still yet to see a definition of - because there's no such thing) if every track plays the nostalgia fiddle for them is just... [i]so[/i] stupid. 343 and the music team don't need to pander to anybody, they're going to produce music that fits the atmospheric and emotional tone of the direction the series is going because that's the most important thing the music has to do. That's exactly what ODST did by completely overhauling the style of music Halo is known for and subverting a few of the original tunes - oh, but Marty did it so it's immediately at god-tier status, god forbid anybody else do it for the same reasons because "it's just not Halo" then! Throwbacks to Halo CE-3 are made in the music when contextually necessary. The feeling of exploration and awe-inspiring vistas, ancient technology, mourning and discovery are all present at the start of the game and then begin to be subverted and change as the once inert Forerunner tehnology comes alive - something we've never seen before which the music has to adapt to. The issue with Halo 4's soundtrack is its implementation in the game because it's almost always either too quiet or simply not present. [quote]-All Of My What[/quote] Because Halo has never had poor AI/scripting issues before... [quote]Nothing you did accomplished anything in this level.[/quote] How exactly is this supposed to be detrimental? It's at this point where the tension of the story hits breaking point, where you're about to prevent the Ur-Didact from leaving Requiem to get the Composer but Cortana's rampant condition ends up screwing your plan and he escapes. [quote]Again, nothing you did here mattered. And what's really disappointing is that the level could have taken place on a Halo ring.[/quote] Again, this mission was the tipping point in the story where John is hopelessly outmatched. Cortana almost kills him and they fail to save Ivanoff Station as everybody aboard it is composed. This is also the point where John starts to act on his emotions and new-found capacity to empathise. The level didn't necessarily have to take place on Installation 03, it could've been a two-part level instead where one mission had you on the Ring and the other on Ivanoff. [quote]-Didact Not Memorable The Didact had the chance to be an excellent villain here, he had the looks, the voice, and the intelligence. Plus he was a damn Forerunner. All he needed was some more screen time, there were only two moments where we saw him in the game. We also got some background story on him when speaking to the Librarian, but other than that there was little to make him memorable.[/quote] While I agree that he could have been featured more and the Terminals should have been actual flashbacks in the campaign, I fail to see how this results in him not being memorable. The awakening scene at the end of Forerunner alone is a definitive scene in the series where John is [i]completely[/i] powerless. Even without him being physically present in other missions, his dominance is clearly felt. Compare the Ur-Didact to, say, Gravemind in Halo 2 and 3. He appears in about 3 missions in the final act of Halo 2 and only as an irritating screen-shaker in Halo 3 over half way through the game... It's obviously not screen time and physical presence that dictates how meorable a character is then, is it? [quote]Halo 4's Narrative Is Too Dependent On it's Extended Universe[/quote] Halo CE-3 are all responsible for this as well just as much as Halo 4 is. The least that can be said for Halo 4 is that the information not given to players in the game was released [i]before[/i] Halo 4 came out (with the exception of Silentium which was 4 months or so after) compared to the [i][b][u]6 years[/b][/u][/i] it took for a series of the most fundamental questions introduced by Halo CE to be addressed by the books.
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Edited by snqrls: 9/2/2013 12:31:23 AMThe trouble with the didact for me is that nothing in the cinematics could be related to the gameplay without having to suspend my disbelief. Not one of your actions as the master chief was unsuccesful because the didact simply foresaw what could thraught his plans and stopped it. An immense military and its coordination was hazardous at best if my memory does it justice. As to del rio, while his actions can be empathized with after a little extrapolation, his character developement was nill. Let us not pretend otherwise, this was most certainly not a solid character. [quote]-All of Composer Again, nothing you did here mattered. And what's really disappointing is that the level could have taken place on a Halo ring.[/quote] Eh, I strongly disagree. The validity of a chapter isn't judged by its agency but how well it characterizes and creates an atmosphere. The composer proved the didact was something menacing, and that the chief could lose.
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Edited by Rex2: 9/1/2013 4:57:48 PMWhat I think it done really well in Halo 4: CGI cutscenes. Something is wrong when my main motivation to push through a game is just to get to the next cutscene. I would say they're [i]almost[/i] on the same league with what Blizzard puts out. And the only reason I say almost is because Blizzard's quality of work is pretty uncanny - it's high budget cinematography/academy award caliber. See gif (SC: HoTS opening).
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2 RepliesMy biggest problem: Only eight frickin' missions. Yes, I know in a sense it was the "first act" of Chief's new journey, but come on. 10 should be the very minimum. Some many things could have been executed better.
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2 RepliesWhy does everybody on bungie.net think, he is a game reviewer?
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1 ReplyThis is all ridiculous. Look Halo 4 has many problems. It's not that bad, but it's not that great. Boom.
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5 RepliesFirst off your points aren't retcons which is rewriting established story. The Flasbacks were using in-game models unless you want to say that the PoA being a marathon class in the halo 2 flashback was a retcon. 1. Using in game models. 2. In game models and since you have halo evolutions you know that prototypes were issued out to at least black team during the events of reach. 3. It is the most up to date representation. no different than the elites getting changed every game. 4. Not a retcon but i didn't like this random change either. 5. First off birds are descended from dinosaurs and once again most recent adaptation. It isn't like all aliens look the exact same anyway. [quote] 343i should have worked with them to better connect Halo 4 with the rest of the series.[/quote] The only point you made that had anyway weight was the one about chiefs armor everything else was a misunderstanding on your point. I don't see how you are using those four points to make it seem like they haven't touched upon anything else in the lore. They have been consistent with IRIS, and the extremely minor details about The Flood brought up in "The flood", even going as far to make the Gea canon which was implied within the same novel. There are dozens of inner connections 343I has been making you just had to be aware of the prior lore. 1[quote]less of a challenge than they were in previous titles.[/quote] Fighting the same thing for ten years is going to do that. 2.[quote] Elites don't seem to dodge attacks as well as before[/quote] Yes because Reachs ninja elites were oh so fun. 3.[quote]Jackals seem to keep their shields at their side more than to use it for protection. [/quote] Not quite sure what how you see it that way what difficulty are you playing on? 4.[quote]Covenant Cruisers seem to be giant paper weights that blow up easily and don't do anything aside from deploying troops[/quote] Probably because they are light cruisers and didn't expect to be fighting anything. 5.[quote] All of this could be resulted from them being a rogue faction without the Covenant Empire's military training [/quote] Which was rather clear from how TTW ended 6[quote] The downside is that fighting them can become very repetitive due to them only having three types[/quote] Like the covenant somehow aren't magically repetitive? They haven't had any major change since their inception but you people want to act like they are so crafty. The only time the covenant ever became a challenge was during halo two on legendary and every game after that LASO. Which is said because having all the skulls on is overkill yet that is more satisfying than they normally are. 7.[quote] Also, they don't even have there own vehicles restricting them to infantry combat only.[/quote] The prometheans should have been far more difficult seeing as they are forerunner constructs and use hardlight. I rationalized this as them being made to fight the flood not anything else but still. vehicles would have degraded them even more if they were to be weak. [quote] more in depth with the Prometheans ..kept the Covenant at the same level of intelligence and effectiveness that they had in previous games.[/quote] They wouldn't have known how far in-depth to go but they understand know that they should have done more (which they planned). I don't know what covenant you have been fighting to think they have been remotely interesting or hard.If you have honestly put that much time into the games (like i have) we should be on the same page. 1[quote]All he needed was some more screen time, there were only two moments where we saw him in the game. We also got some background story on him when speaking to the Librarian, but other than that there was little to make him memorable.[/quote] Everybody agrees with that though i have been getting more out of him because of the novels. 2.[quote]Since we fight the Covenant a-lot in the campaign it's strange we don't get to see him at least once[/quote] Because the covenant wasn't to be the main focus of the game. You haven't noticed that has the game goes on you fight them less and less? [quote] Perhaps 343i could have made one cutscene that introduced Jul 'Mdama, showed the Didact meeting him, and showed the forging of their alliance?[/quote] There was a cut scene doing just this i can't find it now but i will for you. FYI, the elite that says "Didact" when the didact wakes up was Jul. 1[quote]Leave the cartographer, push four buttons to reactivate it, fight some Covies, return to cartographer to resume the level.[/quote] I don't understand you want to push for fighting the same old covenant but then pick at stuff like this. I can honestly link you repetitive segments from each halo game and off the top of my head i know halo 2 had a few of them. 2.[quote]one of the most linear experiences in a Halo game.[/quote] Now you are just nit picking the level starts with you fighting towards infinity, once your inside you fight towards the deck,defend it, then finish the level. I don't know what you were expecting but to seriously complain about level progression is poor when most of the halo games have you going in circles within the same area. You are seriously making me want to write out how linear the halo 3 missions were if you are honestly going to complain about that. How about "The storm","FloodGate","Cortana",etc. 3. Yes because Gears was the first shooter game to ever have a mission revolve around riding on a huge war machine. 4. Oh so now we are just going to complain about "pointless levels" [b]Halo CE[/b] TPoA Halo (pointless since pelicans could have just came and got them) The Silent cartographer- You spend the entire mission fighting to look at a map for two seconds then go underground. AotCR- pointless because cortana could have radioed that pelican and got it to drop them off at their destination before it crashed. guilty spark- pointless since you pretty much let the flood out of the facility Keyes- Pointless fighting since cortana could have teleported you closer to keyes location [b]Halo 2[/b] outskirts- pointless fighting as the second pelican could have dropped you off closer to the scarab metropolis- pointless fighting as an air strike could have cleared the bridge and then picked you up to drop you off on the scarab after taking out its AA gun. The Arbiter/oracle- pointless fighting since they could have cut the station from the start. Delta halo/regret- Pointless fighting as you could have been dropped a lot closer to regrets location quarantine zone- pointless fighting since the numerous phantoms that are in the level could have picked you up and dropped you off at the library Uprising/the great journey- The arbiter could have called to be picked up and taken to the control room High Charity- The most pointless fighting as you could have taken that phantom to the Keyship [b]Halo 3[/b] Sierra 117- a completely pointless mission as you could have been picked up at the first clearing crows nest- Nothing you did accomplished anything in this level. Tsavo Highway- no reason whatsoever for fighting The storm- you could have been picked up and flown under the radar towards the AA gun. There was no reason for the longswords not to have been able to take it out from a distance anyway. Floodgate- A pathetic and completely pointless mission The Ark- No single reason that the Dawn couldn't have cleared out the air with hornets and pelicans. The AA wraiths don't actually lock on The covenant- Running around and pushing buttons. The scarabs came from nowhere and could have been taken out with air support. Cortana- chief somehow takes an entire flood hive alone halo- there wasn't a single reason for this mission when they could have just gone through the portal and closed it. if not just bomb the ring from space. [quote] Mostly everything in the campaign presumes a knowledge of the Halo universe that clearly exceeds having played the single player of every game. Think about it. Most of the people who didn't enjoy the campaign probably didn't understand everything, while most of the people who keep up with the extended universe probably adored it. This might just be the biggest reason why Halo 4's campaign turned out to be mediocre.[/quote] Like the original trilogy didn't? The spartans weren't explained,the innies weren't explained, the reason for the covenant war wasn't explained,and so on. all of that was explained in the books.
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Now for me to counter-analyse your analysis! [b]Retcons[/b] You pretty much spot on here, but the Jackals I could embrace since the kig yar are a very diverse species (i.e. skirmishers), and seeing a new type would've been awesome, but (see enemies) [b]Music[/b] Sound design was awful in the game. Elites and knights made the same few sounds over and over again, while the jackals were silent along with the energy sword, while the fuel rod sounded like a nerf gun. Neil's music was amazing from the look of the soundtrack. Haven, Immaterial, Pylon, Arrival and Cloud City were gorgeous and really set the alien-metal-planet theme, but were hardly used in game! Instead, most of the score is taken up by Star-Warsy music that was also used way too often. And the lack of the main halo theme was a WTF. I didn't want the return of all of H2/H3 OST, but the main theme of the entire series should've been a must. [b]Enemies[/b] Again, spot on. I found the knights too clunky and awkward. The covenant we're in HR-3 represented an unstoppable Juggernaut, a lean mean war machine. H4's storm should've been a fiercer, technologically weaker, yet more intelligent guerrilla force. Though new, more savage designs of the Jackals, Grunts, Hunters and Elites seemed to reflect that, but they ended up a downgraded, dumber version of the same covenant. This was 343's chance to give these old four enemies a reboot. [b]Characters[/b] Right on Jul, and Didact didn't necessarily need more screen time, but a bit more Character. He was a proud warrior driven to madness and desperation, adding that in would've made him a brilliant villain. Also, Lasky was a boring, generic thing that just agreed with Chief. [b]Objectives[/b] All these levels needed more time. The mammoth level should've been more mobile, weponised and interactive. Shutdown was a homage to New Alexandria, but there was nothing to do in the sky.
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15 Replies[quote]-Altered Prologue Covenant We see these Elites during a flashback of a Covenant attack on a human colony. Before the end of the Human-Covenant War, the Covenant Remnant didn't even exist. It makes no sense to have Storm Elites in a flashback of a battle from the Human-Covenant War. It would have made more sense for the Elites to be wearing the combat harness used in the Covenant Empire.[/quote]As others have pointed out, the Prologue is a representation of the Human-Covenant War and Spartan-II Program. Everything seen should be taken with a grain of salt. Secondly, is it really hard to believe that the Covenant utilize multiple styles of BDUs? Heck, the diffentierating armor and weapons in Reach was heavily implied to be apart of a different military branch. [quote]-Altered Forward Unto Dawn Right at the start of the first level, we see what's left of the Forward Unto Dawn. But the part of the Forward Unto Dawn shown in Halo 4 is completely different from what we saw at the end of Halo 3. In fact, it doesn't even look like it belonged to the same ship. 343i should have worked with what we were left with in Halo 3 rather than completely changing the design of the ship.[/quote]343i has been trying to add practicality to the Halo Universe. This visual retcon was one of them. The original Charon Frigate design was completely unrealistic. It had multiple structural weaknesses. Some would only be able to take a single CCS Plasma Torpedo just to burn the ship in two. Secondly, look at the original design. There's literally no breathing room for interesting or fun level design. [quote]-Soundtrack doesn't resemble Halo, too unfamiliar -Could have brought back tracks from the original trilogy Neil Davidge can make good music, as we've seen with Halo 4's soundtrack. But the problem is, It doesn't resemble Halo enough or at all in most cases. It's missing the "Halo feel" to it. Now that the story is being focused on the Master Chief again, this would've been a great opportunity to bring back classic Halo tracks from the original trilogy. As the original trilogy progressed, we got fresh new music with each new game of course, but there was always that original music at the core. That's what was missing from Halo 4's soundtrack. It was all new and unfamiliar for the most part, and ultimately didn't feel like Halo music. This is a perfect example of (at the time) old and new music. When you blend the new music with the original Halo music, like this, then it has the Halo feel.[/quote]I garantee you'd be complaining that 343i is riding off of Marty's talent. 343i's choice of music fits the thematic, emotional, and visual tone of the reclaimer saga. There are very memorable soundtracks in Halo 4. In fact, a lot of my favorite Halo soundtracks come from Halo 4. [quote]The Covenant enemies we fight in the game seemed to be less intelligent and less of a challenge than they were in previous titles. Elites don't seem to dodge attacks as well as before, nor do they take cover as much as before.[/quote]The Elites we have in Halo 4 are practical. On the level of what they were in CE. Heck, if the AI was as aggressive as it was in CE, I'd consider Halo 4's Elites to be some of the best in the series. [quote]Jackals seem to keep their shields at their side more than to use it for protection. [/quote]This is nothing new. When playing Reach, my friend who had never seen Halo before was wondering why the Jackals seemed to never use their shields. [quote]Covenant Cruisers seem to be giant paper weights that blow up easily and don't do anything aside from deploying troops.[/quote]That's probably because they're CRS-Class Light Cruisers. They're smaller than SVD-Class Heavy Corvettes. [quote]The introduction of a new enemy faction was a great opportunity to make Halo 4 standout and feel like a new experience. And for the most part, it was a success. The Prometheans have an interesting and cool back story, a cool arsenal of weapons, and a awesome look. The downside is that fighting them can become very repetitive due to them only having three types. Knight, Watcher, Crawler. That's it. Also, they don't even have there own vehicles restricting them to infantry combat only.[/quote]Perhaps the most logically sound point you have. However, there were only three types of Flood, and three main types of Covenant in CE. I'm all for more Prometheans. [quote]-All Of My What I noticed this in both of my play-throughs, and thought it'd be worth pointing out.[/quote]This AI error has happened in every Halo game. [quote]The Didact had the chance to be an excellent villain here, he had the looks, the voice, and the intelligence. Plus he was a damn Forerunner. All he needed was some more screen time, there were only two moments where we saw him in the game. We also got some background story on him when speaking to the Librarian, but other than that there was little to make him memorable.[/quote]The Gravemind only had one visual appearance and multiple lines issued directly to Chief. He was extremely memorable. 2401 Penitant Tangent had 30 seconds of dialogue and screen time. He too was memorable. The Didact will be incredibly memorable. It's too early to say he isn't. [quote]We see Jul' Mdama a-lot in the Spartan Ops cinematics, and it's clear he's the head honcho of the Covenant Remnant. Since we fight the Covenant a-lot in the campaign it's strange we don't get to see him at least once. Again, wasted potential, just like the Didact.[/quote]Halo 4's Campaign was about the Chief, Cortana, and the Didact. Adding another character into the mix would be pointless. Especially since the Didact fills in Jul's role. [quote]Leave the cartographer, push four buttons to reactivate it, fight some Covies, return to cartographer to resume the level.[/quote]It's pretty much a small scale version of the Silent Cartographer, really. Lot's of backtracking and repetition in one area. [quote]Get in Mantis, slaughter every Promethean/Covie on your way to the outer hull to push a button, cue one of the most linear experiences in a Halo game.[/quote]And the Scorpion ride in Halo 3 wasn't? You're on the inside of a maintenance hallway on a starship. It's going to be linear and tightly packed. [quote]-Mammoth Ride (Reclaimer) Remind you of anything?[/quote]Yeah, but the difference being is that you're not forced to ride on the Mammoth for the entire level. Halo taking ideas from Gears of War is nothing new. Firefight is a carbon copy of the original Horde Mode. [quote]-All of Shutdown Nothing you did accomplished anything in this level.[/quote]The plot and character progression in shutdown were very important to the overall story. [quote]-All of Composer Again, nothing you did here mattered. And what's really disappointing is that the level could have taken place on a Halo ring.[/quote]The same point I had for shutdown holds true to this level as well. Installation 03 wouldn't have been very interesting. It's covered in grey rocks and volcanic activity. Pretty gloomy. [quote]Now every Halo game has it's 'boring' levels, but the difference here is that with each of these objectives that I've listed, you accomplish nothing (With the exception of the Mammoth Ride, where you destroy particle cannons). At least with other 'boring' levels like Crows Nest, you can say you saved a-lot of marines and Johnson. Or that you did something.[/quote]Mantis Ride - Repells the Covenant and Promethean Invaders Reactivating the Cartograoher - Reveals the where they are, and shows them their next objective. All of Shutdown - Establishes Improtant Narritive Elements that involve Halo 4's immediate story, and the Reclaimer Saga. All of Composer - It's the beginning of the end. Look at Halo 3. The level Cortana served only one purpose. To retrieve Cortana to finish the final plan. A major purpose of Composer was to retrieve the HAVOK Nuke to carry out the final plan. [quote]Mostly everything in the campaign presumes a knowledge of the Halo universe that clearly exceeds having played the single player of every game. [/quote]What? No you don't [quote]Think about it. Most of the people who didn't enjoy the campaign probably didn't understand everything, while most of the people who keep up with the extended universe probably adored it.[/quote]Plenty of people who didn't understand every single thing going on loved it. I really don't think you can speak for other people on that matter. [quote]This might just be the biggest reason why Halo 4's campaign turned out to be mediocre.[/quote]Or maybe you're actually beginning to look at Halo Games critically now that Bungie isn't making them anymore. No more blind praise.
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7 RepliesThe visual events in the prologue are not necessarily canon. The FUD was altered to work as a level, which was impossible with its original design, and the other two are artistic differences; Jackals have never looked the same between any two games. --Music: Define "sounds like Halo," and then you can say it didn't. It fit the tone of the story perfectly, and captured the sense of scale and wonder of the Halo universe. And they did bring back Halo trilogy tracks, twice. --I have never noticed a difference in Covenant behavior, except that Elites seem more capable of communicating and flanking. Agreed on Prometheans. --Little to make him memorable...other than his voice, his looks and his intelligence. He may not have had much screen time, but neither did Jaws. He was a villain who was felt and heard, not seen. Whenever you did see him, something extremely important was happening. --Jul didn't have to be there. He wasn't the villain, he's only a puppet of Didact's, and adding in more villains would have complicated the story beyond it's set parameters, which were ultimately about exploring the relationship between John and Cortana. The expository dialogue was already fairly heavy as it was. --Boring is subjective. I could easily cut down any objective from the trilogy and make it sound boring, that doesn't prove anything. And regarding Composer and Shutdown, that was the point, to make you feel helpless, to demonstrate that nothing you did mattered. Cortana was going to die, Didact was too powerful and was going to get the Composer. What matters isn't that something is accomplished, but that you see John in new perspectives this time around. One of the key things 343i brought up early was "what if we saw the Master Chief fail?" And he did, several times. His lack of accomplishment is the whole point, because in humanizing a character, he must fail. --And I will refute the last point until the day I die. Not because I am denying it barrows heavily from the EU, but because you don't [I]need[/I] to have read the books to understand Halo 4. Will your experience be enriched? Yes. The novels further explore and expand on the themes and stories of Halo 4, but you don't need that knowledge to get through Halo 4. Everything in Halo 4 that you need to know to reasonably understand everything is explained, barring the Covenant, but they are indirectly explained throughout the Halo 4 experience, so much so that by the end of Spops Ep: 10, if you still don't get it than you're probably not paying attention. Yes there is more to the story, but nothing you [I]need[/I] to get through Halo 4's.
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OMG they changed what things looked like waaaaaaaaa.
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3 RepliesI agree with everything stated here. It's spot on. However, Halo has a habit of relying on other sources, just not as heavily as Halo 4. Take a look at Truth, who wasn't really explained until Contact Harvest, 3 years after Halo 2
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I liked Halo 4 and i didn't even do anything besides play the games, but you bring up valid points and i respect your opinion, at least you don't just blindly bash it like others.
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I actually liked the campaign, but maybe it is due to the fact that I have read the Halo lore.
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4 RepliesYou didn't do anything in Reach or ODST.
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Also for 6. There were those books about the Didact or something (obviously I didn't read them because I don't know what it was about specifically). Seen many people say you need to read the books to enjoy the game...also yeah about the Didact, had the stuff to be an amazing villain, also had the same voice actor as Harbinger( <3 ) from Mass Effect 2, but he was so...lackluster in the game.
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1 ReplyThe retcons are just 343 cutting corners. It's easier to make one armour for Elites instead of making another set just for a cut scene, same with the Spartans.
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Agree Sup par Halo really
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Yeah, it's pretty medicore for Halo. It's seriously just not fun. I did legendary, got my achievements and never played it again.
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Edited by OmegaCircuit: 8/31/2013 11:25:14 PMI agree with you about enemies, and about Jul to an extent. I strongly disagree in regards to music, though. I thought it went really well with the general atmosphere throughout Halo 4. I don't really like the idea of recycling music either. Halo 3 really suffered from doing that. I also don't think more appearances by the Didact would have made him more memorable honestly. IMO, the scenes where he did show up were very memorable moments, and were presented well (aside from the QTE). He also communicates with Master Chief throughout Shutdown - Midnight, so I think an extra appearance would be kind of pointless anyway. There was the terminals as well, which also explored his backstory. As for your 1st and 6th points, well, refer to Chronarch's post.
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[quote]most of the people who keep up with the extended universe probably adored it.[/quote] And I'm one of them. But I respect your differing opinion.
