Halo 4: Review Thread

People jumping on George? He is right, but could have said it a bit more classy. There is nothing wrong about complaining about the full review text, heck the one from Edge was poor, but complaining about low scores is dumb.
 
TheOddOne said:
People jumping on George? He is right, but could have said it a bit more classy. There is nothing wrong about complaining about the full review text, heck the one from Edge was poor, but complaining about low scores is dumb.
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So true, I don't care about the 70 but what I do care about is the specific things he mentions in his review. I believe the guy deserves the backlash he is receiving.
The guy being Brandon not George.
 
I just don't see how a game that tries so hard to look and feel next-gen doesn't have aim-down sights. A myriad of weapons and not one of them uses the mechanic; nice try, 343. We know Bungie wouldn't have fucked us sideways like that.
 
Wahrer Machine said:
I just don't see how a game that tries so hard to look and feel next-gen doesn't have aim-down sights. A myriad of weapons and not one of them uses the mechanic; nice try, 343. We know Bungie wouldn't have fucked us sideways like that.
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You bet they wouldn't. Bungie games had iron sights even before it was cool.

DKr3zl.png
 
Vice said:
Reviews can't be objective at all.
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The Digital Foundary reviews are pretty objective, until they get to the last paragraph and pussy out about actually recommending one particular version.

The 360 runs at double the frame rate and with a 50% higher resolution. During long periods of play the Ps3 version is prone to setting fire to the house and threatening your family. Our Conclusion : Both versions play very well, if you like 7.1 audio or Dual Shock, then the Ps3 version is the one to get.
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EvB said:
The Digital Foundary reviews are pretty objective, until they get to the last paragraph and pussy out about actually recommending one particular version.
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Those are comparisons of the same product though. A comparison is not always a review.
 
Just read the EGM review. Hahaha oh wow.

in summary: It's an FPS that doesn't play like CoD so its terrible.

He basically said the game gets negative points for not having iron sights, not having huge scripted set pieces, and too open.
 
Pretty much. I honestly don't even bother with reviews anymore. There's too much personal preference involved in gaming. I roll by word of mouth from uses on forums or just by playing the game on my own.

Halo 4 is going to own. I can't wait to get my hands on this game so i can get my BTB and grifball on :D
 
soulassssns said:
So true, I don't care about the 70 but what I do care about is the specific things he mentions in his review. I believe the guy deserves the backlash he is receiving.
The guy being Brandon not George.
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Do you really care what EGM says when you are playing Halo 4 next week?

I don't think I'll ever be able to get the 89 metacritic out of my head when I'm playing co op online.
 
Tawpgun said:
Just read the EGM review. Hahaha oh wow.

in summary: It's an FPS that doesn't play like CoD so its terrible.

He basically said the game gets negative points for not having iron sights, not having huge scripted set pieces, and too open.
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Is the reviewer 14?
 
Tawpgun said:
Just read the EGM review. Hahaha oh wow.

in summary: It's an FPS that doesn't play like CoD so its terrible.

He basically said the game gets negative points for not having iron sights, not having huge scripted set pieces, and too open.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the reviewer came in this thread earlier, got bitchslapped, and left.
 
Managed to purchase my copy a few days early, and have been playing since last night. some quick thoughts:

1) Single player feels familiar. In a good way. It's not blowing my mind or anything, but I'm having fun. I'm playing it on Heroic, and it's challenging as hell. As in, I die a LOT (I was pretty comfortable with Heroic in previous Halos). Your shields evaporate very quickly, and the enemies are hella accurate. I'm finding I have to use a lot of weapons/ammo, then go back a bit in the level to resupply before pushing forward.

2) The graphics are nice, yet very different. Everything is transparent/semi transparent with glowing blue and orange, like every floor, plank, elevator, platform you name it. I'm only just starting level 3. Some of the outdoor environments looks great (Requiem act 1). I hope there's lots more of that.

3) The warthog doesn't feel right. It's a smidge easier to control, but it has no weight to it. Feels like an RC car. You'll know what I mean when you start driving it. At least it flips a lot, still :-D

4) Sound effects are awesome. Guns, explosions, equipment, etc. The music is good, but it hasn't given me chills like that of earlier games. But I'm not far in yet.

5) Played some multiplayer last night - and it's awesome. It's faster. Sprint ability is universal now, like most shooters, and it's a welcome addition. I only played a few matches of Slayer (big team type) and I got destroyed of course, but it was a lot of fun. Mechs on Ragnarok were fun, but they're not unbalanced or anything (I was worried they would be). Spartan lasers wreck 'em pretty fast.

6) Really like the unlockable system, loadout customization. You use your spartan points to unlock guns, grenades, abilities (like jetpack). So you level up a bit, and you get sparan points, which you can use to unlock a DMR or a BattleRifle or whatever (2 points each currently). Halo doesn't have as many guns as other shooters out there, so I'm not sure how long it will take before you get mots of the stuff unlocked. Probably not too long.

7) Other vehicles like the Ghost and Banshee don't quite feel "right" in much the same way as Warthog. It's not that they're bad at all, just not as weighty. It feels like you piloting the fibre glass versions, is all I can say. Still, it doesn't detract from
anything in any way. Maybe people will like the new feel, or maybe I'm just on crack or something. :)

Anyways I'm liking it. And I'm pretty bitter on consoles these days, having long since gone back to PC gaming. But Halo4 is gonna get a lot of my free time I think :)
 
Wahrer Machine said:
I just don't see how a game that tries so hard to look and feel next-gen doesn't have aim-down sights. A myriad of weapons and not one of them uses the mechanic; nice try, 343. We know Bungie wouldn't have fucked us sideways like that.
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This is what aiming down the sight looks like:
Afghan_border_police_aiming_a_weapon.jpg
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How would you do that with a helmet on that makes your head almost twice as big and limits the distance between the eye and sight due to the visor? You simply can not align the line of sight properly. Aiming down the sight doesn't make sense in Halo. Again, It doesn't make sense because of the armor proportions of a spartan, who simply doesn't needs to aim down the sight. Never, ever have I thought 'man I wish I could aim down the sight' in Halo. Probably because the purpose of it is to be more accurate/ reduce bloom. Why would you need it if the bloom in the game is close to zero?
 
HollovVpo1nt said:
This is what aiming down the sight looks like:


How would you do that with a helmet on that makes your head almost twice as big and limits the distance between the eye and sight due to the visor? You simply can not align the line of sight properly. Aiming down the sight doesn't make sense in Halo. It doesn't make sense because of the helmet and because of the nature of a spartan, who simply doesn't needs to aim down the sight. Never, ever have I thought 'man I wish I could aim down the sight' in Halo. Probably because the purpose of it is to be more accurate/ reduce bloom. Why would you need it if the bloom in the game is close to zero?
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Also, how could you fit that beard in the helmet?
 
HollovVpo1nt said:
This is what aiming down the sight looks like:


How would you do that with a helmet on that makes your head almost twice as big and limits the distance between the eye and sight due to the visor? You simply can not align the line of sight properly. Aiming down the sight doesn't make sense in Halo. It doesn't make sense because of the helmet and because of the nature of a spartan, who simply doesn't needs to aim down the sight. Never, ever have I thought 'man I wish I could aim down the sight' in Halo. Probably because the purpose of it is to be more accurate/ reduce bloom. Why would you need it if the bloom in the game is close to zero?
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Watch out Hollov, you're making too much sense!
 
Darkmakaimura said:
Watch out Hollov, you're making too much sense!
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It really annoys me :( Also, am I the only one who sees the HollovVpoint in my nickname as a 3D W? It's really annoying to hear people call me Hollo-vee-point on XBL lol

Snowden's Secret said:
So I liked Halo games (most-least) in this approximate order:

ODST > 2 > 3 > 1 > Reach

How much should I expect to enjoy 4?
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There is no measurement for enjoyment. It's simple really, if you enjoyed the previous Halo games, you will enjoy 4. What does the magnitude matter?
 
ViewtifulJC said:
Don't worry guys, Geoff Kingsley has been paid off in a SHITLOAD of Doritos, the inevitable 9.5+ review from GT will surely help!

Pre-order Uncancelled!
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Why is the GT video review taking so long anyways?

EDIT: Just read their twitter.

Shane Satterfield ‏@Dinfire
For everyone asking, our review of Halo 4 goes live at midnight Monday after the footage restrictions are lifted.
 
HollovVpo1nt said:
It really annoys me :( Also, am I the only one who sees the HollovVpoint in my nickname as a 3D W? It's really annoying to hear people call me Hollo-vee-point on XBL lol



There is no measurement for enjoyment. It's simple really, if you enjoyed the previous Halo games, you will enjoy 4. What does the magnitude matter?
Click to expand...

I've held nothing but disdain for 4 since it was announced, but this review thread is hyping me (I'm part of the problem I guess).

If 4 is closer to ODST (experimental, mix up the tropes, great cast, lots of vehicle sections) then I might be persuaded to step back in. If it's more Reach (misguided attempts to ' modernize' sloppy story telling and "mlg" centric multiplayer) then I'll skip.
 
HiredN00bs said:
People were "bent out of shape" about your "iron sights" comment because it demonstrated a basic ignorance of the different shooting mechanics in Call of Duty and Halo--an ignorance that someone who reviews video games for a living shouldn't have. But, none of us are perfect, and some of these things may slip by someone who only casually plays the games (and at that point I would blame the editor for the poor decision of assigning such a person to review such a game).

The Aim-Down Sights (ADS) mechanic in Call of Duty isn't unique to the series, but it factors heavily into its gameplay. ADS grants greater precision, at the trade-off of lesser movement speed. It is worth noting that you can get a headshot in Call of Duty with just about any of the guns.

The Zoom mechanic in Halo is almost exclusively a feature of the headshot-capable weapons (although some other weapons may have it...Rockets come to mind, and in Halo 4, some headshot-capable weapons don't have it, such as the Promethean Pistol). This is because the other weapons trade precision for some other quality, like the close-range devastation of the Shotgun or Energy Sword, or the close to mid-range high rate-of-fire domination of the Assault Rifle.

Zooming in Halo does not restrict movement speed. There is an entirely different set of rules, carefully planned out to ensure balance between the various distinct kinds of weaponry. And they are VERY distinct. The weapons in Call of Duty have far less variation, and are built around the ADS mechanic--this is a crucial point. ADS is not an objective evolution in game design, but rather a tool used to craft a certain TYPE of game.

The Fishstick control scheme was built to make the game more accessible to Call of Duty players who are more accustomed to that button layout. I don't play Call of Duty very often, but I did finish the campaigns in Modern Warfare 1 & 2 on Veteran, and I bet I could switch from my Recon configuration to Fishstick without skipping a beat, just as it is when I jump between playing Halo and Call of Duty.

You didn't make some brave step in journalism, nor did you stir some designer at 343 Industries to wake from his traditional Halo slumber. It's not even about our bias towards Halo games. Halo 4 could very well suck, and takes many, MANY cues from CoD that gives the average fan pause, to say the least. What you did was make a huge leap in logic by assuming that because Call of Duty is most popular, it is an objectively better design. Here's hoping you learn from this experience.
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A rather articulate response, to be certain, but I can't say that I agree with the misleading nature of your arguments. And when you imply that my opinions are an stab at an objective argument by taking them out of context - that's just a bit irresponsible of you, isn't it?

For starters, I'm firmly aware of the differences between the two franchises.

Next up is the fact that you simultaneously point out the fact that ADS mechanics aren't exclusive to Call of Duty, then call proceed to follow the lead of the internet troll brigade and assume that I have even a passing fancy for the Call of Duty series. Not the case and a biiiig assumption on your part.

I actually cited several games with ADS mechanics in my review (not just BLOPS 2) and the implication that I'm too stupid to recognize iron sights in other games is pretty weak sauce.

And as much as I'd love to congratulate you on the earth-shattering observation that Fishstick is bridge between most modern FPS titles and Halo's more...shall we say...traditional methodology, again, that notion is inherent to my entire point: the option is in there, you agree that 343i recognize some folks' preference here, and my whole point is that those who like ADS mechanics are utterly under-served in Halo 4 and that bums me out.

I also appreciate your attempt to introduce me to the basic tenants of game balance and the trade-offs involved therein, but my guess is I know a bit more than you think I do on that front.

Anyways, as a fan of the genre, I'm just not a huge fan of how Halo handles the whole movement vs. accuracy side of their mechanics. Having held and shot a gun before in my life, I'd rather see more of an impact here. Just my opinion. You're obviously entitled to disagree.

The while ADS mechanics slow down some games is a design decision and not a mandate, and further more, it's also relative depending a several things, including the average amount of damage a gun does. I think most FPS titles require way too many fucking bullets to eliminate an enemy, including both Halo and CoD. It's one of the reasons I don't play either for recreational purposes. Again, just my opinion on the subject.

Moving right along, I find the assertion that CoD's guns have less depth and breadth in terms of variety and technique to be a bit ignorant. The simple fact that I don't like Fishstick's half-implemented concession vs. a more realistic sense of aiming doesn't mean that the 20+ guns in Call of Duty suddenly offer less functional variety than Halo's dozen or so options - many of which are intentional mirrors across factions (UNSC, Covenant, Forerunner). I'm 210% certain this isn't a matter of subjectivity, and if you ever want to go to bat on this one, I'm happy to dance.

What's more, the argument that a lack of movement restriction assures or aids balance is a equally iffy. As I'm sure you're aware, the weapons in most contemporary shooters offer several points of variation from a tuning standpoint, including stability, rate of fire, recoil, damage, payload, effective range, zoom levels, weight, and reload speed.

Weapon balance is a careful combination of many factors, including (but not restricted to) those noted above, and you're not exactly putting me in my place by assuming that your average game designer is incapable of managing two with respect to a zoom mechanic. You're just getting stuck on something you feel is critical without actually thinking it through. Plenty of other games manage to get it done, so I don't buy that it's impossible, regardless of what game we're discussing.

And I never said or even implied that CoD's popularity is even remotely related to my desire to see Halo up the ante. In fact, when you consider that Halo shipped on one platform and will likely sell 10-12 million units and CoD will ship on three and do around 25-30, it's hardly a matter or might making right, nor would I ever make a case based on such frivolous ideals. That's like saying all restaurants should be McDonalds because a lot of people eat there. If that's what you're taking away, you're making some big assumptions.

At any rate, I'm not trying to make any brave steps. Just do my job, which is play a game and express my thoughts on its merits and short-comings. I also don't think that my difference of opinion is wrong any more than I do your opinions, nor would I presume to tell any of you your opinions are "invalid." They're just different.

You're welcome to disagree, but I'd appreciate if you don't imply I'm a simpleton because we like different things.
 
Jackswastedlife said:
A rather articulate response, to be certain, but I can't say that I agree with the misleading nature of your arguments. And when you imply that my opinions are an stab at an objective argument by taking them out of context - that's just a bit irresponsible of you, isn't it?

For starters, I'm firmly aware of the differences between the two franchises.

Next up is the fact that you simultaneously point out the fact that ADS mechanics aren't exclusive to Call of Duty, then call proceed to follow the lead of the internet troll brigade and assume that I have even a passing fancy for the Call of Duty series. Not the case and a biiiig assumption on your part.

I actually cited several games with ADS mechanics in my review (not just BLOPS 2) and the implication that I'm too stupid to recognize iron sights in other games is pretty weak sauce.

And as much as I'd love to congratulate you on the earth-shattering observation that Fishstick is bridge between most modern FPS titles and Halo's more...shall we say...traditional methodology, again, that notion is inherent to my entire point: the option is in there, you agree that 343i recognize some folks' preference here, and my whole point is that those who like ADS mechanics are utterly under-served in Halo 4 and that bums me out.

I also appreciate your attempt to introduce me to the basic tenants of game balance and the trade-offs involved therein, but my guess is I know a bit more than you think I do on that front.

Anyways, as a fan of the genre, I'm just not a huge fan of how Halo handles the whole movement vs. accuracy side of their mechanics. Having held and shot a gun before in my life, I'd rather see more of an impact here. Just my opinion. You're obviously entitled to disagree.

The while ADS mechanics slow down some games is a design decision and not a mandate, and further more, it's also relative depending a several things, including the average amount of damage a gun does. I think most FPS titles require way too many fucking bullets to eliminate an enemy, including both Halo and CoD. It's one of the reasons I don't play either for recreational purposes. Again, just my opinion on the subject.

Moving right along, I find the assertion that CoD's guns have less depth and breadth in terms of variety and technique to be a bit ignorant. The simple fact that I don't like Fishstick's half-implemented concession vs. a more realistic sense of aiming doesn't mean that the 20+ guns in Call of Duty suddenly offer less functional variety than Halo's dozen or so options - many of which are intentional mirrors across factions (UNSC, Covenant, Forerunner). I'm 210% certain this isn't a matter of subjectivity, and if you ever want to go to bat on this one, I'm happy to dance.

What's more, the argument that a lack of movement restriction assures or aids balance is a equally iffy. As I'm sure you're aware, the weapons in most contemporary shooters offer several points of variation from a tuning standpoint, including stability, rate of fire, recoil, damage, payload, effective range, zoom levels, weight, and reload speed.

Weapon balance is a careful combination of many factors, including (but not restricted to) those noted above, and you're not exactly putting me in my place by assuming that your average game designer is incapable of managing two with respect to a zoom mechanic. You're just getting stuck on something you feel is critical without actually thinking it through. Plenty of other games manage to get it done, so I don't buy that it's impossible, regardless of what game we're discussing.

And I never said or even implied that CoD's popularity is even remotely related to my desire to see Halo up the ante. In fact, when you consider that Halo shipped on one platform and will likely sell 10-12 million units and CoD will ship on three and do around 25-30, it's hardly a matter or might making right, nor would I ever make a case based on such frivolous ideals. That's like saying all restaurants should be McDonalds because a lot of people eat there. If that's what you're taking away, you're making some big assumptions.

At any rate, I'm not trying to make any brave steps. Just do my job, which is play a game and express my thoughts on its merits and short-comings. I also don't think that my difference of opinion is wrong any more than I do your opinions, nor would I presume to tell any of you your opinions are "invalid." They're just different.

You're welcome to disagree, but I'd appreciate if you don't imply I'm a simpleton because we like different things.
Click to expand...

Why do you feel like your preference for ADS gameplay needs to be served by Halo 4? Halo 4 is serving people who like Halo. Does every FPS without ADS bum you out? You feel that every game needs it for some reason, and that's the basis of nearly every criticism of your review.

To relate to your own example:

"My whole point is that people who like fast-food mechanics are utterly under-served at Outback Steakhouse and that bums me out." You're the guy sitting down at the table, asking for chicken nuggets, then getting mad when they tell you they don't have any. Nobody goes in with those expectations, and therefore doesn't affect their view of the experience.
 
Jackswastedlife said:
A rather articulate response, to be certain, but I can't say that I agree with the misleading nature of your arguments. And when you imply that my opinions are an stab at an objective argument by taking them out of context - that's just a bit irresponsible of you, isn't it?

For starters, I'm firmly aware of the differences between the two franchises.

Next up is the fact that you simultaneously point out the fact that ADS mechanics aren't exclusive to Call of Duty, then call proceed to follow the lead of the internet troll brigade and assume that I have even a passing fancy for the Call of Duty series. Not the case and a biiiig assumption on your part.

I actually cited several games with ADS mechanics in my review (not just BLOPS 2) and the implication that I'm too stupid to recognize iron sights in other games is pretty weak sauce.

And as much as I'd love to congratulate you on the earth-shattering observation that Fishstick is bridge between most modern FPS titles and Halo's more...shall we say...traditional methodology, again, that notion is inherent to my entire point: the option is in there, you agree that 343i recognize some folks' preference here, and my whole point is that those who like ADS mechanics are utterly under-served in Halo 4 and that bums me out.

I also appreciate your attempt to introduce me to the basic tenants of game balance and the trade-offs involved therein, but my guess is I know a bit more than you think I do on that front.

Anyways, as a fan of the genre, I'm just not a huge fan of how Halo handles the whole movement vs. accuracy side of their mechanics. Having held and shot a gun before in my life, I'd rather see more of an impact here. Just my opinion. You're obviously entitled to disagree.

The while ADS mechanics slow down some games is a design decision and not a mandate, and further more, it's also relative depending a several things, including the average amount of damage a gun does. I think most FPS titles require way too many fucking bullets to eliminate an enemy, including both Halo and CoD. It's one of the reasons I don't play either for recreational purposes. Again, just my opinion on the subject.

Moving right along, I find the assertion that CoD's guns have less depth and breadth in terms of variety and technique to be a bit ignorant. The simple fact that I don't like Fishstick's half-implemented concession vs. a more realistic sense of aiming doesn't mean that the 20+ guns in Call of Duty suddenly offer less functional variety than Halo's dozen or so options - many of which are intentional mirrors across factions (UNSC, Covenant, Forerunner). I'm 210% certain this isn't a matter of subjectivity, and if you ever want to go to bat on this one, I'm happy to dance.

What's more, the argument that a lack of movement restriction assures or aids balance is a equally iffy. As I'm sure you're aware, the weapons in most contemporary shooters offer several points of variation from a tuning standpoint, including stability, rate of fire, recoil, damage, payload, effective range, zoom levels, weight, and reload speed.

Weapon balance is a careful combination of many factors, including (but not restricted to) those noted above, and you're not exactly putting me in my place by assuming that your average game designer is incapable of managing two with respect to a zoom mechanic. You're just getting stuck on something you feel is critical without actually thinking it through. Plenty of other games manage to get it done, so I don't buy that it's impossible, regardless of what game we're discussing.

And I never said or even implied that CoD's popularity is even remotely related to my desire to see Halo up the ante. In fact, when you consider that Halo shipped on one platform and will likely sell 10-12 million units and CoD will ship on three and do around 25-30, it's hardly a matter or might making right, nor would I ever make a case based on such frivolous ideals. That's like saying all restaurants should be McDonalds because a lot of people eat there. If that's what you're taking away, you're making some big assumptions.

At any rate, I'm not trying to make any brave steps. Just do my job, which is play a game and express my thoughts on its merits and short-comings. I also don't think that my difference of opinion is wrong any more than I do your opinions, nor would I presume to tell any of you your opinions are "invalid." They're just different.

You're welcome to disagree, but I'd appreciate if you don't imply I'm a simpleton because we like different things.
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Can you post the ten campaigns you enjoyed more than Halo 4 this year? I think it will assist everyone to see where you're coming from. Alternatively it may result in people laughing at your for multiple pages again.
 
It's amazing how you can write so many words and yet have so little value. Not a single actual point, outside wanting lower killtimes in Halo(fundamentally changing the entire game and it's balance). Somehow, that is the soul Halo is missing.
 
What the fuck?

The EGM review complained because Halo didn't have iron sights and wasn't linear enough with enough set pieces?

What a joke.
 
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