Support NeoGAF

[Poodlestrike]

Who knows what their plan is for campaign after the backlash Halo 5 received. I'd like them to either have a more radical departure like ODST with a hub world, or go back to levels like Assault on the Control Room and Silent Cartographer. I hope they don't stay the course with 4/5 styled levels as their general linearity and corridor level design are bad.

It could go a lot of different directions, yeah. I doubt they'll do something ODST styled, though.

Halo 5 has some of the best on foot level design in the series and if they move away from that I will be extremely disappointed.

This is also true. H5 had some fantastic playspaces, the problem was the general lack of decent vehicle levels (though there were some good sequences).

 

[op_ivy]

Halo 5 has some of the best on foot level design in the series and if they move away from that I will be extremely disappointed.

While I agree I love what halo 5 offered, a return to truly massive ce environments coupled with 5s density/verticality could be amazing

 

[Fuchsdh]

It could go a lot of different directions, yeah. I doubt they'll do something ODST styled, though.



This is also true. H5 had some fantastic playspaces, the problem was the general lack of decent vehicle levels (though there were some good sequences).

Yeah thinking about the game absolutely *no* corridors actually pop up in my mind. The closest we get are the interior segments on something like Unearthed or brief sections in other levels/the Kraken. For the most part the levels were much wider than Halo 2/4, but definitely didn't offer as much in the way of sandboxy vehicle areas.

 

[Fahzgoolin]

Halo 5 has some of the best on foot level design in the series and if they move away from that I will be extremely disappointed.

A JemGaf opinion I will stand by.

Give me some larger CE levels with some Halo 5 design sprinkled in and I will be very happy. =D

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Gorgeous! Love the metallics.

Thanks, it was pretty straightforward to do as well.

Silver primer, black wash, a silver drybrushing then several layers of a purple wash. With some red and blue wash in areas.

 

[Forerunner]

Finished HW2 on legendary and that ending was abrupt as fuck. Supposedly there is Banished campaign DLC coming later, so that should be interesting. Overall, it was probably the worst Halo legendary run because the AI is just a cheating fuck. It's wasn't even fun.

 

[rrc1594]

Holy shit we back?

 

[GreyWind]

Is Mythic Firefight even possible? I've been trying since last week and can't seem to win one single game

 

[Fuchsdh]

Finished HW2 on legendary and that ending was abrupt as fuck. Supposedly there is Banished campaign DLC coming later, so that should be interesting. Overall, it was probably the worst Halo legendary run because the AI is just a cheating fuck. It's wasn't even fun.

The AI is always a cheating bastard, it just seems to smart more in an RTS. Doesn't have anything on the Brutal AI in StarCraft though, even though they don't have the equivalent leader spam.

Having fun doing all the bonus objectives on a replay. Would be nice for similar sorts of things in the FPS games.

Is Mythic Firefight even possible? I've been trying since last week and can't seem to win one single game

Only won it once with randoms. You really need a coordinated team pulling all the stops and playing smart.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Was probably 15 seconds away from winning mythic. If one of the teammates wasn't level 4 probably would have done it.

 

[mo60]

Is Mythic Firefight even possible? I've been trying since last week and can't seem to win one single game

Yes. I won it once a few months ago. You just need to get really lucky or play with a really good team.

 

[MeisterLeder]

Halo 5 has some of the best on foot level design in the series and if they move away from that I will be extremely disappointed.

This is so wrong its not even funny.

 

[Rtas]

This is so wrong its not even funny.

Care to explain? Those playspaces were fantastic not to mention spectacularly pretty.

I'll admit the recycling of the corridor gameplay and gamespaces was quite irritating but nothing new with halo, have we all forgotten levels like The Library?


Personally I look forward to 343s next installment considering they seem to be learning incrementally and I have high hopes.




On another note HaloGAF lives!!!!!

 

[Fahzgoolin]

Sanghelios is an example of what I felt like was a nice mix of classic Halo design and a little something new. It made me feel that spark of adventure and grandeur. Even the city level on the planet was great.

Genesis comes in as a close second in terms of design.

I don't like a lot in Halo 5, but those levels alone escalate it in my mind as great Halo moments. Too bad the game is 90+ Gigs. I'd keep it on my HD just for those levels. =/

 

[jem0208]

It could go a lot of different directions, yeah. I doubt they'll do something ODST styled, though.



This is also true. H5 had some fantastic playspaces, the problem was the general lack of decent vehicle levels (though there were some good sequences).

While I agree I love what halo 5 offered, a return to truly massive ce environments coupled with 5s density/verticality could be amazing

A JemGaf opinion I will stand by.

Give me some larger CE levels with some Halo 5 design sprinkled in and I will be very happy. =D

Absolutely.

I really want them to expand upon what they've got with 5. I completely agree the vehicle levels were lacking and the set pieces weren't great (the vitriol the kraken gets is a bit much though imo). I just hope in adding this they don't take away from what they've got.

This is so wrong its not even funny.

Show me some on foot levels which rival Sanghelios and sunion.

Classic halo had a better blend of on foot and vehicles but the pure on foot design doesn't match up to 5 imo.

 

[Trup1aya]

Sanghelios missions were some of the best on foot missions to date. (Even though i don't like the dumbed down AI in exchange for larger numbers.)

That said, most of the other on foot missions were much less fun, but that was more due to the Prometheans generally being a buzz kill than due to level design.

When will we ever get more "halo" and "silent cartographer" -esque levels. Its been way too long.

 

[Fuchsdh]

I think it's also worth recognizing the very nice branching gameplay and dialogue moments of missions like Meridian. Depending on whether you stay to help the colonists or cut and run through the mission, the dialogue from Sloan—and Tanaka's judgement of your actions—changes. The fact that it gives you optional objectives along the way you can pursue or ignore, and some built-in shortcuts are never actually spelled out for the player—it adds a lot to the replay value. I'd love for more like that.

 

[m23]

Sanghelios is an example of what I felt like was a nice mix of classic Halo design and a little something new. It made me feel that spark of adventure and grandeur. Even the city level on the planet was great.

Genesis comes in as a close second in terms of design.

I don't like a lot in Halo 5, but those levels alone escalate it in my mind as great Halo moments. Too bad the game is 90+ Gigs. I'd keep it on my HD just for those levels. =/

Yep, those missions plus Blue Team were great.

 

[jem0208]

I think the only mission which didn't have at least one encounter I really enjoyed was the Blue Team mission in the domain.

Every other level had at least one really cool moment or area.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Was playing through Argent Moon coop the other night. Thought there was some really fun encounters.

 

[Woorloog]

Show me some on foot levels which rival Sanghelios and sunion.

Classic halo had a better blend of on foot and vehicles but the pure on foot design doesn't match up to 5 imo.

Sierra 117, Crow's Nest, Cairo Station, Keyes, Truth and Reconciliation, Gravemind, Regret. Every single level is better those two you mention.

Silent Cartographer if ignoring vehicles, considering how small the map is they're not important at all actually.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Off topic but I just played through Ori and the Blind Forest for the first time. And wow, that game was a real treat. Definitely could feel old school platforming vibes from it. Just a fun world to explore with very tight controls, using fun abilities. Beautifully done.

 

[Cranster]

In some ways I still feel they have a long way to go in matching Marty's original score aswell. Take Truth and Reconciliation Suite as an example. It sounds unmistakably unique and 343i needs to recapture that. A part of it is mixing the music in-game too. 343i needs to better implement the music in a way that enhances the games encounters and cinematic like Bungie and Marty did.

Halo 5 was an improvement over Halo 4 but they still need to do more.

 

[Karl2177]

Sierra 117, Crow's Nest, Cairo Station, Keyes, Truth and Reconciliation, Gravemind, Regret. Every single level is better those two you mention.

Silent Cartographer if ignoring vehicles, considering how small the map is they're not important at all actually.

NMPD HQ is another one I'd add, along with the first Buck mission (Tayari Plaza, I think?).

 

[Heavy's Sandvich]

Reach? No? Yes? Be my friend?

 

[Woorloog]

Am i the only one who likes Halo 4's score? Its style fit the Prometheans well, though it did lack anything really iconic. Shame about them not using Awakening in the campaign, one of the best tracks in the OST, next to Arrival.

I found Halo 5's score rather unmemorable. Not bad... but it felt like it lacked all originality and anything memorable. Too similar to what original Halo trilogy had but without the touch Marty gave Halo's music even when he reused it (Halo 3 had a lot of reused music, melodies, etc.). Halo 4 went for originality at least.

Though i can't say for sure if i feel this way because the music was uninteresting or if my lack of enjoyment of the campaign levels kinda made me forget the music.

NMPD HQ is another one I'd add, along with the first Buck mission (Tayari Plaza, I think?).

I forgot ODST completely. NMPD HQ i'll grant, not a fan of Tayari Plaza though.

I think all Reach levels feature vehicles, no?

 

[jem0208]

Sierra 117, Crow's Nest, Cairo Station, Keyes, Truth and Reconciliation, Gravemind, Regret. Every single level is better those two you mention.

Silent Cartographer if ignoring vehicles, considering how small the map is they're not important at all actually.

Eh, agree to disagree.

None of those have encounters which match those in Swords of Sanghelios.

Also Gravemind? Really? One of the worst levels in 2 imo...

 

[Fata1moose]

I really like the area in Argent Moon where you SC the grate and then ground pound down. The vertically that follows is awesome. Another good area is that circular canyon you traverse up in Swords of Sanghelios. Genesis is pretty fun at the Phaeton section if you're ok foot. Yeah, the Breaking just sucks pure and simple.

I don't know what people see in levels like Sierra 117 and Cairo Station, they have their moments, but are pretty par for the course overall. NMPD HQ is pretty fun, medium range sniper encounters with some nice smg + pistol combos.

Nothing in 5 reaches the levels of AOTCR or the Covenant though.

 

[Samurai G0SU]

i'd like if they could push a little more on stealth opportunities.
i still have fond memories of Truth and Reconciliation ...

 

[Woorloog]

Eh, agree to disagree.

None of those have encounters which match those in Swords of Sanghelios.

Also Gravemind? Really? One of the worst levels in 2 imo...

Do note that Gravemind is the one where you fight Covies, High Charity is the one where you fight the Flood in the High Charity. The names are odd...

Anyway, Gravemind is great. Seeing the Covenant city in the distance (shame Anniversary made it too much like a human city), fighting your way through Covie civil war, Breaking Benjamin, Truth and Tartarus sending messages via PA system, combined with great, moody music... It is one of the best moments in whole Halo 2.

And the level design varies a bit, both visually (indoors, outdoors, "parks"), unlike that Sunaion mission. Which is too repetitive anyway, same looking places, too many AA guns in similar and boring arenas. And having to deal with fucking Osiris team... Really meh. The ship battle above is kinda neat but i don't really like the new Covenant ship designs so it isn't as cool as it could be.

 

[jem0208]

Sure visuals and atmosphere Gravemind is decent, gameplay wise though its just tedious. Bunch of shit encounters and tight corridors.

And fucking buggers.

 

[Karl2177]

I forgot ODST completely. NMPD HQ i'll grant, not a fan of Tayari Plaza though.

I think all Reach levels feature vehicles, no?

Tayari Plaza's Hunter fight is really well done. A lot of people don't know about the paths through the buildings that you can take and it actually tricks the AI. The other great section of that mission is right after you get to the first set of Marines. You can either go head on and uses bushes and signs for cover or you can go up top and let the Marines take the fire while you rain death from above. I think there's a special line of dialogue that can trigger there or at the pedestrian bridge about dead Elites.


Nightfall doesn't have vehicles but it is T&R Jr. Pillar of Autumn does have vehicles, but they're used to get from encounter A to encounter B and not used as a part of any encounter, unless you count the mass driver as a vehicle. Exodus uses the Falcon as part of an on-the-rails section and you're given an opportunity to use vehicles to enable the missiles, but it's generally smarter to take out the enemies on foot.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Reach? No? Yes? Be my friend?

If I knew where my disc was...

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Eh, agree to disagree.

None of those have encounters which match those in Swords of Sanghelios.

Also Gravemind? Really? One of the worst levels in 2 imo...

Swords of Sanghelios was one of the better levels in Halo 5. That being said, I feel it still pales in comparison to multiple/many campaign levels from the first 3 halo games.

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

Off topic but I just played through Ori and the Blind Forest for the first time. And wow, that game was a real treat. Definitely could feel old school platforming vibes from it. Just a fun world to explore with very tight controls, using fun abilities. Beautifully done.

Ori is amazing. Imagine a Halo Metroidvania where you need to find different Armor Abilities and weapons to reach new areas? I'd play the shit out of that.

 

[HTupolev]

Bunch of shit encounters and tight corridors.

The lower proportion of stuff like those "tight corridors" is one of the things I dislike most about Halo 5, and I think it makes the game somewhat exhausting. With such a high fraction of encounters trying to be these big grand things on complex geometries, the game suffers from poor pacing. Spots like the first bridge on AotCR where you're controlling movement/awareness flow across two simple channels, or even easy little battles where all you're facing is three grunts and two jackals... these things all exist to control and mix up and define the flow of a level.

With Halo's gameplay, it's possible to eke out a huge variety of interesting fun from little battles on simple geometries. The big stuff has its place, but it's not the only way to get results.

One of the encounters on Gravemind is nothing but a gaggle of panicking grunts with a few berserking brutes in their midst. It's two enemy types, dumped into one of those "outdoor" artificial rivers also used elsewhere in the level. Nobody ever brings it up as one of the great epic encounters of the Halo series. But it's a neat and quirky thing that has a reason to be there, and enhances the level by being a part of it.

Nightfall doesn't have vehicles

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Ori is amazing. Imagine a Halo Metroidvania where you need to find different Armor Abilities and weapons to reach new areas? I'd play the shit out of that.

Yep an official side-scrolling Halo would be aces. Shit just mash up Contra + Ori + Halo. Ship it.

Remember Halo Zero?

 

[Fuchsdh]

Off topic but I just played through Ori and the Blind Forest for the first time. And wow, that game was a real treat. Definitely could feel old school platforming vibes from it. Just a fun world to explore with very tight controls, using fun abilities. Beautifully done.

Yep. Going to be annoying doing the speed run and no death run for it, been putting those achievements off for a while. But it's a wonderfully crafted game.

Yep an official side-scrolling Halo would be aces. Shit just mash up Contra + Ori + Halo. Ship it.

Remember Halo Zero?

I'd forgotten all about that, haha.

 

[TCKaos]

Yep an official side-scrolling Halo would be aces. Shit just mash up Contra + Ori + Halo. Ship it.

Remember Halo Zero?

There was another side-scroller that someone was working on that I don't think ever finished.

 

[link1201]

Anyone get their Halo loot crate this month yet? Mine is out for delivery, I'm wondering if there's anything good this month.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Anyone get their Halo loot crate this month yet? Mine is out for delivery, I'm wondering if there's anything good this month.

Here's what's inside this one.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Kinda wish I got that crate. After the exchange and shipping costs it is too expensive.

 

[Ade]

Is there a (currently unusable) HW2 skin in this one too?

The crates are okay, exchanges rates ruin them a little for me, but I'll certainly wait till I've got 6 so I can arrange the figures in a circle, after that Im not sure I'll continue.

The last crate was a little poor IMO, and this one also doesn't grab me as much as the first two did.

 

[link1201]

Here's what's inside this one.

Thanks!


On an unrelated note I'm glad Halo 5 is going to be in that game pass deal.

 

[Samurai G0SU]

Thanks!


On an unrelated note I'm glad Halo 5 is going to be in that game pass deal.

hopefully they update halo 5 before it goes on game pass. feel like there needs some tidy to do with servers and other small things we touched on here.

 

[link1201]

hopefully they update halo 5 before it goes on game pass. feel like there needs some tidy to do with servers and other small things we touched on here.

I'm hoping that gamepass gives them incentive to do just that. We will see though.

 

[Fuchsdh]

I'm hoping that gamepass gives them incentive to do just that. We will see though.

I mean, once they got MCC to 80% operational, they didn't really work on any improvements as they were making it into a pack-in game, so I don't think there's a good reason to hold your breath on that note.

 

[Madness]

I mean, once they got MCC to 80% operational, they didn't really work on any improvements as they were making it into a pack-in game, so I don't think there's a good reason to hold your breath on that note.

I still hope they eventually release an updated MCC for PC that has a lot of the bugs fixed. Let the PC community run wild with Halo. Finally be able to play Halo 3. Utilize H2A forge, play Halo 4 etc.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

I still hope they eventually release an updated MCC for PC that has a lot of the bugs fixed. Let the PC community run wild with Halo. Finally be able to play Halo 3. Utilize H2A forge, play Halo 4 etc.

I still want to see a filtered matchmaking system for maps/gametypes. It would be sooo much better than dev managed playlists or just a custom browser mess.

 

[Fata1moose]

I still want to see a filtered matchmaking system for maps/gametypes. It would be sooo much better than dev managed playlists or just a custom browser mess.

Never having to play Overgrowth, Riptide, Torque and Molten again would be nice.