Halo 4 > Halo 4 General Discussion

Debating the Merit of Halo 4

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ColdGlider:

--- Quote from: Scatcycle on June 13, 2013, 03:12:38 ---There are a couple parts of Halo 4 which are just absurd and impossible. The only interesting thing is the last cutscene and you can watch that on youtube. The rest is "CHIEF GET TO THE SHIP! NOW KILL THIS WEIRD DUDE!" nonstop.

--- End quote ---

Wow.  I just can't disagree more.

I think the main disconnect between our opinions is due to interest in the story.  If you didn't take the time to read (and try to understand) the hidden terminals in Halo 3, then you're not going to care about that "weird dude" or understand the context of the interactions you are having with the new characters.

Furthermore, the enjoyment of the campaign story is enhanced if you have read some of the Forerunner Trilogy (Cryptum, Primordium) and/or spent the time unlocking and digesting the terminals in Halo Anniversary.  That's the idea, anyhow.  As always, the writers intentionally lead the players into forming their own connections and conclusions in order to tie the factual information together into a cohesive understanding of the story.  It's an approach that has arguable merit- especially in the context of a first person shooter- but like it or not it's one of the hallmarks of this franchise.

The producers of this new batch of games could have chosen to take the story in so many different directions.  They could have focused on Earth, for example.  Or the members of the Infinity making their way to Requiem.  Or the Arbiter.

Instead, they chose to delve into the Forerunners.  Long-time fans who have been tantalized by the drips and drabs of Forerunner information dropped throughout the series have no choice to be excited about this.  It's pure fan-service, in my opinion.  It was also a risky decision to focus the series on an aspect of the story which was only apparent to a smaller segment of fans: the fans who cared enough to investigate the subtleties of the real Halo story under the surface of all the the shooting and switch flipping.   

So if you're only paying attention to shooting and switch-flipping, perhaps the campaign in this game is not for you.  For these people, there is a wealth of fun to be had in the competitive multiplayer modes- of which there are many.  "Competitive" in this game means caring enough to equip your player properly as you level up and unlock new abilities.  It's a new aspect of this particular installment, and it would be foolish for the designers not to reward players who invest the required thought and effort into learning the game's new features.

Please don't think I'm saying Halo 4 is perfect or even the best installment in the series.  For my money, you can't beat Halo 3 when you weigh all of the different aspects of play (campaign, multiplayer, content creation, content sharing, unlockables, etc, etc.)  Spartan Ops does suffer greatly from the "hurry up and flip this switch!  Oh, no- more enemies!   Hurry up and flip this other switch!" syndrome.  But it IS FUN to play Spartan Ops with your friends.  The levels set on the recreation of Valhalla (which explain its backstory) are standouts.

Finally, I am not saying that the story itself is perfect!  Every fan feels that they might have done something differently in one way or another.  But the story is at least consistent across the media that 343 has been utilizing.  There is an unprecedented amount of continuity between the new novels and the events in-game.  And I am thankful for that.  It may still confuse the hell out of me sometimes, but it's more than you will get from the average shooter.

Scatcycle:
I didn't understand half the story, and if I HAD to read Halo 3 terminals to understand that, I think that's really poor design. I should be able to follow the story of halo even if I don't find some really hidden terminals. The forerunners drove themselves to extinction. I don't get why this guy is still alive. Even if the story is enjoyable if you actually read all the back details and know what's going on, I can't really see anyone justify fighting the dogs and orange guys. They aren't fun. They TP to you, take forever to kill, usually drop mediocre weapons, and just endlessly come to you.

Imppa:
Wow. To think opinions could vary THIS much!

Well, I guess I could borrow it and try it out first...Then again, if the price has already come down, I might as well as buy it. We'll see!

Thanks for the opinions, and, uh, feel free to debate, but I feel, you might be missing each other's points...or something. Different viewpoints to the game, that's it!

Insane Monx:
I applaud 343's work on Halo 4. They have something for everyone (except the MLG crowd). Speaking from a person who doesn't closely follow the Halo story line or hasn't read any of the books, I can tell there was a plethora of information to dissect and they did a good job of taking the Halo fiction seriously. And casual gamers can have a field day with this game, there's a variety of modes and playlists to play. A lot of things 343 did to Halo was stuff I wouldn't have, but yet am still content with.

nightcrafter27:
Ok, I caved in. I got it. And I have to say...

You have to be at ranke 21 to have an emblem background? What is wrong with you 343?!

Also, the only sound that is the same as any of the other games is the warthog's honk. Everything worse is different. I'm three campaign missions in and I'm still not used to it. I nearly cried  when I firsts drove a 'hog and the engine noise was different  :'(

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