Halo 4 - Catch All

So I've never played any of the previous Halo games. I have ODST, but have played it about 5 minutes. Would I be totally lost if I picked up Halo 4?

Some quick thoughts:

I played the first 2 1/2 missions on solo Heroic then in Split-screen Legendary.

My first impressions are that it definitely feels different then a Bungie Halo to me. While the weapons and grenades may still pack the same punch they don't look and feel like they did before. For example the physics are toned down so you don't see grunts being slammed against walls with the same velocity after a well placed grenade.

Also, in split-screen, unlike the Bungie Halo games there is a drastic dropoff in enemy and texture draw distance. I think this would have been unacceptable for Bungie but for 343 this was an reasonable tradeoff for improved graphics. Thankfully they make those enemies re-appear when you use the zoom function on your weapons. Also in Legendary the enemies including grunts have uncanny accuracy. Be prepared for a LOT of one hit deaths. I rarely remember that being an issue in previous Halo legendary runs.

While the new gritty art style makes the game less gamey (or arcade like) it makes the game ooze with atmosphere (think Dead Space). At the same time it makes spotting enemies from the environment and there respective weak spots much more difficult. This can be a good or bad thing depending on your tastes.

I'm loving the fact that 343 knows that the the non-corridor arena combat is where Halo shines and so far there has been plenty of that. I haven't had enough time to get a good grasp of the the AI but so far it seems solid.

Has anyone noticed a bug(?) where you don't hear the sound of the grenade explosion? Its really messing with my timing. I usually use the sound as the signal to come out of cover to finish off the scraps. It seems random or possibly doesn't trigger a sound effect if it explodes over a certain distance away.

Coolbeans wrote:

So I've never played any of the previous Halo games. I have ODST, but have played it about 5 minutes. Would I be totally lost if I picked up Halo 4?

If you just read up on the plot on a wiki you would be fine.

DSGamer wrote:

So who control scheme is everyone using? I usually use Boxer. That was something Danjo got me hooked on years ago and I used it all through Halo 1, 2, 3, Reach and ODST. It feels odd to use that on Halo 4, though. Mostly because sprinting has become a bigger part of the game. And years of Battlefield and COD training as well as other shooters.

I always switch to Recon because I prefer reloading with the right bumper. It's a little awkward using the X button for sprinting, but I don't use it that much.

Played a good chunk of the mp last night. The ghost still feels like the ghost, and the warthog still powerslides like a champ.

The dominion(domination?) game mode seemed fun with the bases but you needed to be coordinated and pub groups on the first night moat definitely not. Same with CTF. Stuck mostly to the big team slayer infinity and it felt like halo.

The loadouts are interesting, it always feels good to start with a dmr or br. And not feel totally outmatched. The ordinance drops seem really random though and can be frustrating when the other team gets 3 Spartan lasers and has their mech/banshee up and they give you a choice of running faster, more grenades and a needler.

Needler is awesome though. Just not for killing mechs.

I played the introduction level and up to the first main objective when you make landfall. Thus far I certainly appreciate the size of the maps. I'm having a lot of fun as the game feels like Halo so far. The unfortunate part about improving enemy A.I. is that it is a lot harder to sticky grenade someone than it was back in the day.

Heroic is feeling a lot easier than I remember it ever feeling, though. Curious if they tried to make this game more accessible in hopes you can bring in new players as well as old.

I started using the Bumper Jumper control scheme in Reach thinking I would go really hardcore with the MP. Jumping while shooting is a bigger part of this game and I eventually got used to it. That said, Fishstick this time all the way: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

mr_n00b wrote:

I switched to Fishstick for just that reason, too much muscle memory from modern shooters over the past couple of years. Takes some getting used to for Halo but it works great once you do.

haha i had to do the same... i used to run boxer, but after CoD i couldnt do it anymore.

So are we going to set up a night for some GWJ mp?

I'd love to try co-op, but I know I wouldn't be able to do much in the way of Spartan Ops once it reaches the point you need to download maps and such. I believe they give you the first few mission or two free on disc, but seeing as I'm struggling to keep space on my 20gig I'm basically limited to campaign co-op.

Wouldn't mind a drunken legendary run, though.

Only played with the Wraith in Spartan Ops, but it seems like they really nerfed it. It used to make a huge explosion wherever it hit, but in this one there is no explosion.

Is it just me or are shielded jackals easier to take out than they were in any previous game? I was good at getting the exposed hand and then the head or body shot combo in earlier games but now I don't even half to try that hard to get them.

ranalin wrote:

So are we going to set up a night for some GWJ mp?

I am actually available Wed, Thurs, and Fri of this week. Just message me.

I'm totally down for some co-op.

Are any of you on GMT?

I sent a few of you friend requests. My xbox ID is LivingMidnight. Feel free to add me and I look forward to some GWJ Halo 4 coop/multi.

I sent a few of you friend requests. My xbox ID is LivingMidnight. Feel free to add me and I look forward to some GWJ Halo 4 coop/multi.

I sent a few of you friend requests. My xbox ID is LivingMidnight. Feel free to add me and I look forward to some GWJ Halo 4 coop/multi.

Once I figure out my crappy mic situation, I think my kitten ate my xbox mic wire, I'd gladly hop in for some Multiplayer or Co-op. Supposed to beat it tonight with friends.

Rykin wrote:

Is it just me or are shielded jackals easier to take out than they were in any previous game? I was good at getting the exposed hand and then the head or body shot combo in earlier games but now I don't even half to try that hard to get them.

I find them easier to one hit with sniper rifles but the shields seem to take more damage then in previous games. If your not shooting the exposed hand, what are you shooting at now?

Still shooting that it just seems much easier to hit. Like getting it easy from range with a short burst from the assault rifle. The assault rifle does feels like they have toned the spread down a lot again though.

Rykin wrote:

Still shooting that it just seems much easier to hit. Like getting it easy from range with a short burst from the assault rifle. The assault rifle does feels like they have toned the spread down a lot again though.

Oh yeah, then I agree with you. That shield seems to pop up much easier when you get in the vicinity of the hand. To balance it out I think they made the actual shield allot tougher to brute force through.

That Jackal thing is precisely what I mean. Two-shotting them with a Carbine or Rifle is a lot easier than it was in Reach. The plasma weaponry seems just as effective on the shields as ever, but this is basically all Halo games. Covenant weapons tend to be most effective on Covenant. Human weapons were always most effective on Flood, but we shouldn't be seeing any of them in this game.

Has me curious about the new Prometheans.

D-D-D-Double post

Does this game (in single player) feel oddly "dead" to anyone compared to past Halos? I'm not sure if it's that they've toned down the Covenant's trash talking on the battlefield or if the AI just isn't as good or what, but the set pieces feel much more like mechanical dioramas than living, breathing battlefields to me.

But wowza those graphics rule. Holy cow.

Bottle wrote:

But wowza those graphics rule. Holy cow.

This is probably the first Halo game since the first one that made me stop multiple times within minutes of each other just to check out a vista. Reach had a few moments like that but this game has made me stop and just look at stuff like 6 or 7 times in the first two levels.

Not far enough to answer if the encounters feel a little dead or not, but the Covenant commentary is something I've missed since the first game. You got a lot less of it in the second game since Bungie tried to make the sound travel more like real life (which was awesome in the case of distant gunfire (not that you got to hear it that way), but sucked in terms of hearing the Covenant and Marines saying stuff), you heard a lot less conversation. As such, the first game still has some of the most memorable lines, including Sgt. Johnson shouting "I'm too pretty to die!"

The scenery, however, is quite excellent. I feel like the development team said "We want every set piece to look like concept art".

Good times tonight. I will be on tomorrow night too.

Beat Mission Five (Reclaimer).

Spoiler:

Something seems off about Cortana. You can definitely tell a different team is in charge of the story, which could be for better or worse. The way Cortana is written and acted just seems off base with the rest of the franchise. Of course, this is partly to be expected, and it has also been a long ass time since I played Halo 3.

Then again, she was going crazy in Halo 3 as well, and it in fact annoyed me most of the time. What's with people wanting Cortana to go crazy?

What really stands out to me is the generic Authority Figure that wants to do what no one else wants to and is clearly acting incorrectly and won't listen to reason. This figure is annoying anywhere for being such a cliche, but it just feels so out of place in the world of Halo. It's not like we've really delved deep into humanity's military lore, but it seems like the hierarchy has frequently been run by intelligent people that have an idea of what they're doing. Now all of a sudden we have someone that is completely irrational to create the most basic of drama and I'm guessing try to help develop Chief as a character.

Eh, it just doesn't work for me.

Also, it would seem humanity has traveled to space already and was there alongside the Forerunner.

Part of me wants to thrash and scream about this, as I really feel like 343 has f*cked up Bungie's (intended?) continuity and now things are terrible, but whatever.

The story is better than Reach, but like Reach I think I'm finally just here for the combat. Which is such a shame as the story really was a big highlight for me for the first two games.

In response to combat feeling more lifeless, I think the enemies certainly have less personality. But that's been happening since the first game. After Halo 1 the Elites stopped having their special language full of "Wort Wort Wort!" and such. You could actually remember lines the Elites say even if none of it is English. In this game the Covenant are just spitting out long sentences of moon speak and none of it stands out.

The Prometheans...I'm trying to figure out if there's a "trick" to them. The original Halo allowed for multiple ways to kill enemies, including several easy ways. Grunts were just a head shot. Jackals were shots to the hand and head. Elites required the shield to be destroyed. Needler, plasma charge, plasma grenade, etc. were all most suitable for them. Shotgun for the big Flood, assault rifle for the little guys, all about the human weapons.

Prometheans? Well you can headshot the little guys easy enough. I can't figure out anyone else. I think the Knights have a faceplate shield or something, but I'm just not sure.

I'm liking it, and the Needler is the best it has ever been, but this is certainly not Bungie's Halo. Reach will, for me, continue to be (second?) best campaign.

Beat it on heroic this morning. Solid 10 hours or so.

The terminals in the game that have the "bonus" videos should have been an integral part of the game and not stuffed away. The back story is in those suckers and pulls everything together. Critical info, in my opinion, for fleshing out the universe.

Some kind folks have put them up on Youtube for those that don't want to hunt for them.

I think 343 did an exceptional job. Looking forward to the next one!