Kotaku: The Unusual Excellence Of Halo's Best Level
- Thread starter Deadly Cyclone
- Start date
Funfax: I almost wrote this big rant about how Halo 4's level design feels like Killzone level design (that's not a compliment) but it didn't feel like it would fit in the article. There was also a bit on Handymen and why they're kinda bleh enemies, and a general thing on the state of first person shooters and how they have kinda stagnated in 13 years.
Wait, does this include music?
Wait, does this include music?
Yes.
Prophet Steve
Member
I have been itching so much to make a lengthy thread about why I think Halo's gameplay is so damn amazing.
Especially when I see people say that Destiny plays so similar to Halo.
Especially when I see people say that Destiny plays so similar to Halo.
Hopefully I did you at least some justice.
Prophet Steve
Member
Yes, I liked it a lot! The non-hitscan weapons and health system would definitely be parts I would touch upon. The part about starting with an assault rifle is nice too, I enjoy how the game almost forces you to use a variety of weapons, although I get that is not the point of that specific part.
EDIT: Ok, and I won't really agree with The Library you mention in this thread. Although it is the way I play it pretty often and I do hate the level less than most. Even then the level still feels very subpar and other levels with the flood don't really have the same thing. Besides that you have the many parts where you get stuck and do still have to kill everything.
Muffdraul
Member
OK, I'm-a check it out when I get home. I just googled and found nothing to indicate the option exists, but I didn't spend much time looking... and you seem like a nice enough chap so I'll take your word for it.
You are wrong.
I am playing 2011 HA right now and there is no such option.
I've looked everywhere, so if you would like to share exactly how this option is available to you it would be much appreciated.
I only remember one part where my forward flow is impeded in The Library. But it's been a year or two since I played.
Halo's limited weapon system is GREAT. Most limited systems don't matter, but in Halo, you have to choose--and it turns out that every combo of weapons is actually a valid, interesting combo to use. They change up your play style and make the game more diverse.
One fond memory I have of SC: back when official Xbox magazine had the challenges, they had one to get on the top of SC and take a photo. I wedged a warthog around that tree and used it as a step stool to get up the canyon wall.
Was great to be able to explore this sandbox map made it feel real.
Was great to be able to explore this sandbox map made it feel real.
Prophet Steve
Member
I think there are three parts where you have to hold your position, no matter whether you are speedrunning or not. I doubt that you were meant to try to avoid the enemies in the level.
SenjutsuSage
Banned
I don't get this Halo 4 missed the mark stuff. I still think it's the best campaign in the series. I mean, I guess I sorta understand how being alone with a woman with deep emotional problems for extended periods at a time might intimidate a weaker man, but for us manly men with broad chests, it was just another day on the job. 
There's a toggle for the music, but I don't know if it changes the sound effects. They sounded the same in the little bit of messing around I just did.
How? Where is this option?
Prophet Steve
Member
I don't get this Halo 4 missed the mark stuff. I still think it's the best campaign in the series. I mean, I guess I sorta understand how being alone with a woman with deep emotional problems for extended periods at a time might intimidate a weaker man, but for us manly men with broad chests, it was just another day on the job.
They threw away a lot of the sandbox elements, there was much less variety, new enemies felt less interesting, story was confusing especially when not having read the extended universe (and even when i did, I still did not like it). I've only played through it once so I've forgotten most of it already and can't get too specific with my complains, but it felt like a chore to play through.
The Halo 4 campaign is an abomination, a pox upon the Halo series.I don't get this Halo 4 missed the mark stuff. I still think it's the best campaign in the series. I mean, I guess I sorta understand how being alone with a woman with deep emotional problems for extended periods at a time might intimidate a weaker man, but for us manly men with broad chests, it was just another day on the job.
Large sandboxes condensed into boring hallways, cookie-cutter reskins posited as "new" weapons and enemies, a horrifically ugly art design, all topped with the cheesiest and most embarrassing storyline that I've ever forced myself to sit through in a videogame.
To say that it was a massive disappointment would be a huge understatement, in my opinion. "Missing the mark" is far, far too soft a critique.
AuthenticM
Member
Yeah, that's my favorite, along with Assault on the Control Room.
SimulatedHoward
Member
This has got to be one of the most memorable, and one of my favorite levels in a video game. I remember playing this level a lot when I had my original Xbox. When I saw this headline earlier I clicked just to make sure they were talking about Silent Cartographer.
The settings option then video. Don't have a copy on hand to try but remember changing it when I played a while a go. Maybe it was just the music and the effects were just remastered but similar enough I thought otherwise.
It's just music, no original sound effects.
It would also be nice to get the original HUD elements back.
Fata1moose
Banned
Assault on the Control room is the best Halo level ever, the open environments, the bridges, I didn't mind going back there a second time in reverse. I'll take The Covenant from Halo 3 after that, racing down the hill in the Mongoose to get in a Hornet is a great moment, then fighting two scarabs. Then I'd go with The Silent Cartographer followed by the Ark and Delta Halo as stand outs. The only level in Halo 4 I started to like was Reclaimer and it ended when it was starting to open up, Shutdown had some nice moments as well.
For Halo 5, they should really base their mission design off of Assault on the Control Room, The Silent Cartographer, Delta Halo, The Ark and the Covenant. Sure not all the levels can be winners, but they should try.
For Halo 5, they should really base their mission design off of Assault on the Control Room, The Silent Cartographer, Delta Halo, The Ark and the Covenant. Sure not all the levels can be winners, but they should try.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Bro I would love for you to do a thorough breakdown on why H4 is so bad. I can make sweeping comments about how it was such a terrible departure for the series but it would be great to see a intense analysis.
Muffdraul
Member
PachinkoChampBruh
Member
lol, i killed that pc demo like no tomorrow.
YesConsiderably
Banned
I'm probably way out on my own with this, but my favourite level from the series is actually Halo 2's 'The Arbiter'.
I agree with the general consensus that there was a little too much Thel 'Vadam in the game, but playing as him for the first time was a nice surprise. I thought the Forerunner facility looked really cool, as well as the sandstorm-like environment, and especially enjoyed the part where you have to destroy the supports keeping the station in orbit.
I do think that as a series, Halo could do with a little more variation in terms of objectives to carry out throughout the course of a mission. Like this.
My favourite individual part of a Halo game, however, is in Reach. It's towards the end of one of the early levels, but i cannot recall which one precisely. The team start to make their way up a gently sloping part of the terrain as the music fades out, leaving only vocal chanting. And then a couple of Hunters engage you.
In general, i found Reach rather... platitudinous. But that moment was awesome.
I agree with the general consensus that there was a little too much Thel 'Vadam in the game, but playing as him for the first time was a nice surprise. I thought the Forerunner facility looked really cool, as well as the sandstorm-like environment, and especially enjoyed the part where you have to destroy the supports keeping the station in orbit.
I do think that as a series, Halo could do with a little more variation in terms of objectives to carry out throughout the course of a mission. Like this.
My favourite individual part of a Halo game, however, is in Reach. It's towards the end of one of the early levels, but i cannot recall which one precisely. The team start to make their way up a gently sloping part of the terrain as the music fades out, leaving only vocal chanting. And then a couple of Hunters engage you.
In general, i found Reach rather... platitudinous. But that moment was awesome.
This should not be allowed.
Air Zombie Meat
Member
Really memorable, fantastic level. I can still run through it in my head many years after playing it.
They got a few things wrong
Elites look so bad. Bubble wrapped them. Like kids cosplay.
Halo CE doors were neat but not in Anniversary, They messed them up for sake of change.
Still, there is that graphics toggle for those at least.
Prophet Steve
Member
I didn't like what they did with the Forerunner structuring in Halo Anniversary graphics-wise. I haven't been able to keep my attention to a lot of the details since I kind of rushed through it in coop, but that was something that bothered me. It seemed so shiny and new compared to old and forgotten.
This is the same problem that Halo 4 has.
All these years, Didact has just been scrubbing the walls? For a derelict facility, it seems awfully well-kept.
Prophet Steve
Member
How did I miss both this and the Bayonetta 2 trailer yesterday? Madness. Although I wanted to talk about the PvE experience which to me are also entirely different between the two.
Fata1moose
Banned
They ummm...They have sentinels who go around and clean everything! Yeah that must be it...
TheUnsunghero26
Member
+1
LicenceToK1ll
Member
Ooo I remember playing this on a Demo pod in a Burger King restaurant. Mind was basically blown and this sold me on an Xbox.
Great read. Interestingly enough, Silent Cartographer was stood up at Bungie during development as the singular level that encapsulated everything that was going to be Halo. New guy needs to know what we're working on. Stuff a Duke in his hands and fire up B30. That's it. That's Halo.
Huge props to Totilo for being willing to change the title. Is there a chance we could get this thread's title changed too?
I can ask if he'd be willing to let me do it, but the levels all mush together, and I'm not sure how I'd pull that off exactly.
Hey, junior, when I pitched the article, I did so because MCC is coming out and I figured Halo would be on everyone's mind. It's not an ad for the article so much as Halo's a game people are talking about. I'd love to pitch one on, say, System Shock 2 or STALKER (I actually did pitch one on STALKER), but people are just more likely to read stuff about more recent games.
Not an ad, just me taking advantage of a game everyone's talking about.
Jaime Griesemer didn't tweet this at me after the article, but we did chat a bit. He pointed out that my reasoning for writing about it was why it made for a good demo level.
I can ask if he'd be willing to let me do it, but the levels all mush together, and I'm not sure how I'd pull that off exactly.
Hey, junior, when I pitched the article, I did so because MCC is coming out and I figured Halo would be on everyone's mind. It's not an ad for the article so much as Halo's a game people are talking about. I'd love to pitch one on, say, System Shock 2 or STALKER (I actually did pitch one on STALKER), but people are just more likely to read stuff about more recent games.
Not an ad, just me taking advantage of a game everyone's talking about.
Jaime Griesemer didn't tweet this at me after the article, but we did chat a bit. He pointed out that my reasoning for writing about it was why it made for a good demo level.
Palette Swap
Member
I think this level cemented my lifelong obsession with trying to get warthogs through any kind of shit.
There are probably a dozen truly amazing campaign levels through the series (ie that no other FPS has touched IMO) but the Silent Cartographer is something pretty fucking special.
There are probably a dozen truly amazing campaign levels through the series (ie that no other FPS has touched IMO) but the Silent Cartographer is something pretty fucking special.
100% agree. Bad in Halo 4 and H2A. 343 are a bit too busy with their design and materials.
Everyone's entitled to their opinion but I couldn't disagree more with yours. Halo 4 takes everything great about the series and throws it away. The open environments were replaced with constricted and narrow levels. Objectives were always activate these three switches in the room or insert Cortana.I don't get this Halo 4 missed the mark stuff. I still think it's the best campaign in the series. I mean, I guess I sorta understand how being alone with a woman with deep emotional problems for extended periods at a time might intimidate a weaker man, but for us manly men with broad chests, it was just another day on the job.
I am a huge fan of Greg Bear's Forerunner Saga and I really feel that Halo 4 did absolutely no justice to The Didact in the main campaign. The terminals are great but Didact's character was butchered. He was essentially turned into a generic Sci-Fi villain bent on wiping out humanity because. . .he's jealous of them?
Reviewers claimed the story was confusing because of its following of the books but it was confusing simply because it was poorly told. There's no real explanation in the campaign for why we're fighting covenant. There's no mention of Telcam or Jul M`Dama (probably butchered that).
And the Prometheans were not fun to fight at all. They were bullet sponges that respawned, more aggregating and cheap than challenging on legendary.
But most of all there were no levels like The Silent Cartographer, where you have a whole island to explore. You just moved straightforward the whole game. Like others have mentioned before it was like a Killzone game
I'm going to stop right now because these criticisms have been repeated so many times on GAF already. But nevertheless MCC has me very excited and I'm actually hopeful for Halo 5.
I completely agree with this assessment. The library has always been one of my favorite Halo levels. I remember playing it when it came out, coop with friends on legendary, and trying to get them through it by explaining that you have to keep moving or die. I think this aspect is what makes it such great level design, especially since so many gamers have been conditioned to just killing everything and moving on to the next room to clear. Having the tension of constantly moving, overwhelming enemies, low ammo, is what makes it so intense. It demands excellence in gameplay to get through it, but the reward is more than worth it.
MonkeyMan29
Member
Reading this article makes me miss my Halo. As a 360 gamer last Gen, and going with a PS4 early on this Gen, owning and picking up every Halo since the original, not owning a Xbox One for the MCC, really makes me regret my decision.
Going to miss that first night dive into what really is one of my personal favorite game series.
Need to go play CE on my PC now...
Going to miss that first night dive into what really is one of my personal favorite game series.
Need to go play CE on my PC now...
Jaime would definitely be a better source, since he was working here at the time. That's the way it's been cast internally, though. The team mirrored the process for Destiny, labeling the counterpart experience "T30" as an homage.
