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This topic has moved here: Subject: Spartan Ops Ep. 3
  • Subject: Spartan Ops Ep. 3
Subject: Spartan Ops Ep. 3

Haters are going to hate.
Praisers are going to praise.

The Bungie Forums are what keeps my mind sharp and my fingers active, between writing my own movie scripts, drawing, and studying industrial design. At the moment I'm working on miniatures for a short movie that I'll hopefully be able to film once I've saved up for a camera... That's me, with the mug, trying to have a conversation with Konoko.

Posted by: fsabran
Posted by: the real Janaka
Sorry about the grammar, my keyboard is having problems and i am a bit ocupied right now.
Oh, I didn't mean to complain about your grammar, or spelling for that matter, I don't mind that. What irritates me is sentence structuring. Divide the block into paragraphs, it becomes much easier to grasp the message. But enough about that. :P
Okay if you want an example of your space magic, take this In Halo 2 2 ships in regret's fleet managed to pass trought the defense grid, now how did they manage to go throught 148 (number of ODP's facing this side of the planet at all times minus the Malta and the other one) when the SMAC's werestated to fire a shot that could pass throught any know covenant ship every five seconds plus about a 100+ ships in the home fleet, now that is either a retcon or a plot hole that the plot demanded, then there's reach but i would rather forget about that.That would in a way fall under omitting the description of its function just so that the plot can work, but I rarely, almost never, use the term space magic for something other than an actual object, such as a space ship. I would have cathegorised the example you used as a plot hole, or a poorly defined plot.
And no, im not asking you to stop complainig about it, i do complain about it to, what i am asking of you is to stop viewing the original trilogy as a perfect example of Sci-Fi writing because i wasnt, they made the same mistakes as 343i is making but they still made a great universe, so why cant you acept it now like you acepted it then.Space magic is FAR, from everything I have against Halo 4, FAR. I'd even so much as say that outside of the Infinity's poor definition, I wouldn't even bring it up, I haven't even brought it up. My issues with Halo 4 and 343i are elsewhere.

[Edited on 11.21.2012 10:08 AM PST]

  • 11.21.2012 10:06 AM PDT

Wake me when the jews are gone.


Posted by: the real JanakaOkay sorry about that too, i am a bit rushed.
Then why dont we make a compromise, You and Anton forget that 343i ever happen while the people who do enjoy it keep discussing the new trilogy because that is also FAR from all that i have to say about Bungie's original trilogy.
On another note, im glad we managed to have a civil disscusion, it's been some time sice i've been to one of those in Bnet, it's such a relief.

[Edited on 11.21.2012 10:52 AM PST]

  • 11.21.2012 10:50 AM PDT

Haters are going to hate.
Praisers are going to praise.

The Bungie Forums are what keeps my mind sharp and my fingers active, between writing my own movie scripts, drawing, and studying industrial design. At the moment I'm working on miniatures for a short movie that I'll hopefully be able to film once I've saved up for a camera... That's me, with the mug, trying to have a conversation with Konoko.

Posted by: fsabran
I already gave you an answer to that question.

You seem to deliberately neglect the reasons we have for being restless, so I see no point on continuing this discussion.

This is the Bungie Forum, if you can't stand Halo purists, go to Waypoint. Do you want to take both Halo and this forum from us?

I really do hope Bungie announces Destiny soon. I'm sure it'll make topics on Halo just as rare as topics on Oni or Marathon are on the Universe, hope it does anyway.

  • 11.21.2012 11:01 AM PDT

Wake me when the jews are gone.


Posted by: the real Janaka
soory i must have sounded a little agressive, i dont exactly want this disscusion to end i just want to stop disscusing it for a bit.
I do recognize your issues but to they are (mostly)actually improvements or things that bungie is just as much at fault as 343i.
No i dont want to take this forum for you, i just want this topic to end for a while, at least until Halo 5/silentium/K-5 Part3 coes out and disscus something else, like, for example Destiny.

  • 11.21.2012 11:15 AM PDT

Protocol Dictates Action


Posted by: the real Janaka
Posted by: fsabran
I already gave you an answer to that question.

You seem to deliberately neglect the reasons we have for being restless, so I see no point on continuing this discussion.

This is the Bungie Forum, if you can't stand Halo purists, go to Waypoint. Do you want to take both Halo and this forum from us?

I really do hope Bungie announces Destiny soon. I'm sure it'll make topics on Halo just as rare as topics on Oni or Marathon are on the Universe, hope it does anyway.


Well said.

  • 11.21.2012 11:19 AM PDT


Posted by: TheSpiderChief

Posted by: Ds2vet FL
Whether it is for a good cause or not, kidnapping children and turning them into war machines is not justified. Because of her the Spartans never got to live the life they wanted.

If I remember correctly John promised to marry someone when he was older but because of Halsey that never happened and will never happen now because all he knows of is war.

Not to mention that, if Halsey would not kidnap him, he still would not be able to marry someone, because he would have been mutilated by plasma shoot.

  • 11.21.2012 11:31 AM PDT


Posted by: AnubissWarior

Posted by: TheSpiderChief

Posted by: Ds2vet FL
Whether it is for a good cause or not, kidnapping children and turning them into war machines is not justified. Because of her the Spartans never got to live the life they wanted.

If I remember correctly John promised to marry someone when he was older but because of Halsey that never happened and will never happen now because all he knows of is war.

Not to mention that, if Halsey would not kidnap him, he still would not be able to marry someone, because he would have been mutilated by plasma shoot.

Considering they were from the same planet it's just as likely He would've escaped too.

  • 11.21.2012 1:18 PM PDT

Protocol Dictates Action


Posted by: SOME cGUY789

Posted by: AnubissWarior

Posted by: TheSpiderChief

Posted by: Ds2vet FL
Whether it is for a good cause or not, kidnapping children and turning them into war machines is not justified. Because of her the Spartans never got to live the life they wanted.

If I remember correctly John promised to marry someone when he was older but because of Halsey that never happened and will never happen now because all he knows of is war.

Not to mention that, if Halsey would not kidnap him, he still would not be able to marry someone, because he would have been mutilated by plasma shoot.

Considering they were from the same planet it's just as likely He would've escaped too.


You have no idea what the circumstances were that lead to her escape. Its not automatically just as likely. And its hardly the point anyway. I will never accept this over the top character assassination of Halsey by Parangosky (who's more guilty than Hlsey along with several others) just because it fits a hack author's personal narrative.

  • 11.21.2012 1:30 PM PDT


Posted by: Ds2vet FL

Posted by: SOME cGUY789

Posted by: AnubissWarior

Posted by: TheSpiderChief

Posted by: Ds2vet FL
Whether it is for a good cause or not, kidnapping children and turning them into war machines is not justified. Because of her the Spartans never got to live the life they wanted.

If I remember correctly John promised to marry someone when he was older but because of Halsey that never happened and will never happen now because all he knows of is war.

Not to mention that, if Halsey would not kidnap him, he still would not be able to marry someone, because he would have been mutilated by plasma shoot.

Considering they were from the same planet it's just as likely He would've escaped too.


You have no idea what the circumstances were that lead to her escape. Its not automatically just as likely. And its hardly the point anyway. I will never accept this over the top character assassination of Halsey by Parangosky (who's more guilty than Hlsey along with several others) just because it fits a hack author's personal narrative.


The one good point of Glasslands was where Mendez tries turning Fred against Halsey by asking (IIRC) what he thought of becoming a Spartan and Fred basically goes "She allowed me to become the best I could be. If she hadn't picked me, I probably would've died to the Covenant and had lived an insignificant life."

  • 11.21.2012 9:02 PM PDT


Posted by: Ds2vet FL

Posted by: SOME cGUY789

Posted by: AnubissWarior

Posted by: TheSpiderChief

Posted by: Ds2vet FL
Whether it is for a good cause or not, kidnapping children and turning them into war machines is not justified. Because of her the Spartans never got to live the life they wanted.

If I remember correctly John promised to marry someone when he was older but because of Halsey that never happened and will never happen now because all he knows of is war.

Not to mention that, if Halsey would not kidnap him, he still would not be able to marry someone, because he would have been mutilated by plasma shoot.

Considering they were from the same planet it's just as likely He would've escaped too.


You have no idea what the circumstances were that lead to her escape. Its not automatically just as likely. And its hardly the point anyway. I will never accept this over the top character assassination of Halsey by Parangosky (who's more guilty than Hlsey along with several others) just because it fits a hack author's personal narrative.


The point I was making is it's just as likely precisely because we don't know why she escaped. And when did Parangosky ever seem unguilty she's imo the most vile character in the Halo universe, she definetly needs to pay for all the crap shes done.

[Edited on 11.25.2012 12:14 AM PST]

  • 11.21.2012 10:24 PM PDT

I run Skirmish!!!

This goes to the infinity discussion (since it seems everybody is posting random discussions everywhere), Didn't cortana say in halo 4's campaign that they started construction on infinity before chief and her had left earth? How else would she know they were building the ship like she said in the campaign when they were floating adrift for four years?

  • 11.22.2012 4:28 AM PDT


Posted by: the real Janaka
[This is the Bungie Forum, if you can't stand Halo purists, go to Waypoint. Do you want to take both Halo and this forum from us?

I really do hope Bungie announces Destiny soon. I'm sure it'll make topics on Halo just as rare as topics on Oni or Marathon are on the Universe, hope it does anyway.


'Halo purists.' You sound ridiculous. If you don't care for anything post-Bungie, just don't go in threads about Halo. And Halo will be talked about here for years to come, because unlike Oni and Marathon it's still ongoing.

  • 11.22.2012 2:13 PM PDT

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein

The episode itself was great and the gameplay of the missions was superb, however, Spartan Ops biggest failing still is that it fails to connect the story of the episode to the objectives and cinematics of the missions in any cohesive manner. I can tell that this mode has much potential, but it needs to be tapped.

  • 11.22.2012 7:43 PM PDT

arggg. EDITED: this was supposed to be in reply to someone asking who the stranger in the halsey interrogation was.

I'd just played through the prologue and first mission earlier today and it struck me. (possible spoilers ahead, i suppose.)

halsey is brought to infinity during spartan ops which takes place months after halo 4 campaign events. i believe that very first cut scene with halsey actually takes place around the dates introduced in spartan ops.

as far as we know, the chief isn't up to anything during this time. the first person that i imagine he would want to see is hasley. she gave him cortana and effectively holds the role of his mother-figure. who else does he have but laskey, an acquaintance?

watching that cut scene earlier, that shadowy figure sounded a hell of a lot like the chief. ;)



oh right, but back on general thread subject. i think a lot of people are over-reacting to the story elements being implemented by 343. all the back and fourth rants going on in here about what characters should be thinking. think rationally for a moment. that IS exactly how the populous of the halo universe would be thinking as well. from beliefs similar to all of your own various perspectives. we're meant to be outside of this, viewing from the various perspectives provided by the writers.

whether it be characters that were seemingly made to annoy the hell out of people, or certain characters with negative views of halsey, what people seem to be disregarding is the possibility that the feeling created was intended, whether through the character's or one's own interpretations.

the little bits of halsey we've seen so far in halo 4 are very interesting and seem rather clearly to me to be presenting halsey as she always has been. i believe the supposed in-canon character-bashing of halsey (by other characters, not necessarily the writers) serves a purpose to do with upcoming story lines.

i enjoy spartan ops. i don't mind the recycled areas. they use them well and keep bringing us new situations. they have also stated that some episodes will feature non-recycled maps and that there are much bigger things coming.


the multiplayer... i'm still trying to get used to. heh.

[Edited on 11.22.2012 10:27 PM PST]

  • 11.22.2012 10:01 PM PDT

Haters are going to hate.
Praisers are going to praise.

The Bungie Forums are what keeps my mind sharp and my fingers active, between writing my own movie scripts, drawing, and studying industrial design. At the moment I'm working on miniatures for a short movie that I'll hopefully be able to film once I've saved up for a camera... That's me, with the mug, trying to have a conversation with Konoko.

Posted by: Wolverfrog
'Halo purists.' You sound ridiculous. If you don't care for anything post-Bungie, just don't go in threads about Halo. And Halo will be talked about here for years to come, because unlike Oni and Marathon it's still ongoing.
Do you honestly believe that Halo hasn't changed?

  • 11.23.2012 9:43 AM PDT


Posted by: the real Janaka
Do you honestly believe that Halo hasn't changed?


Yes, it's no longer the Halo I loved. Shields used to just serve as an auxiliary defence to your main health, now they've taken health packs out and left us only with shields. Also, they've introduced 'duel-wielding' - not only does this ruin the perfectly balanced sandbox of the Halo I adored, but it also means that weapons which were once powerful have been nerfed; the plasma rifle doesn't hold a freezing effect anymore, for example, and the plasma pistol is next to useless. Taking out the assault rifle has robbed the game of one of its most iconic symbols, and there is no longer a human weapon for short-mid range combat, with the SMG being ineffectual at medium distances and the BR unwieldy in close combat. All these additions are nothing compared to the crime that the new game has committed on the pistol - it used to be a skillful weapon of death, with which a talented player could dominate with. Now it's even worse than the plasma pistol. Vehicular balance has been completely ruined by the addition of hi-jacking (all it takes to destroy a tank now is someone getting close enough to it, especially with the Wraith's lack of a turret) and homing rockets. With the addition of Havok, the physics of the series have been completely changed and this has ruined the flow of Halo for me.

That's not even mentioning the campaign, which is a horrific departure from the Halo I considered a pure and perfect experience. First of all, I don't know what the developers were thinking by adding exposition to the Covenant - they worked perfectly well as a faceless enemy, it added to their menace as we knew little of their motivations - now with the inclusion of another campaign from their perspective, that menace is gone and we're left without an iconic foe - Brutes come out of nowhere (why are they appearing just now? It's ludicrous), are little more than bullet sponges, and on higher difficulties it's impractical to take them down with anything other than the needler, with it often being a rush to kill it before it berserks. There's too much hopping around from location to location, where the Halo I once loved made its impression through developing one locale, a mysterious alien world - it was fleshed out beautifully, whereas now we're jumping all over the place. Master Chief is given very little attention and we spend much of the campaign with a character who shouldn't even exist - Elites should have remained just as the name connotes; an elite enemy class who serve as our foe and speak in an alien language.

Bungie have ruined their franchise with Halo 2, and as a self-entitled Halo purist I decry everything they're doing with the game. I will, however, continue to play everything they put out and will enter every thread about the franchise I see on a message board, because I have issues with letting things go.

Hopefully Microsoft will kick Bungie off before they ruin the franchise, and will find a new developer for Halo 3 who will bring the game back to its perfect roots.

  • 11.23.2012 10:14 AM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Your hands must be getting sore from scraping that barrel of yours.

You haven't considered the issue of what it was that even defined Halo so soon it's life. It's a pretty big consideration and makes the current situation in no way comparable to the situation that we have now. Even back then, the point could be raised that these morons who wrote Halo2sucks.com committed the mistake of thinking that they knew the creators minds better than the creators did themselves, even before they had finished the damn foundational story. Unlike now however as 343i are not the creators, and the foundations have already been well laid and have been that way for half a decade. Comparing 1 game and 3 books to 6 games and god knows how much ancillary material; 3 years to 11 years of franchise life time?

All those issues you raised fail on account that they could not have been aspects of the series, because it wasn't as series back then; the story wasn't even complete and defined by the creators themselves. It is also under the assumption that these things were intended and then altered intentionally or not, which is also false and I can probably dig up ancient sources to prove it. If they had an extra year on CE, the Covenant story from Halo 2 would have been started off in CE right off the bat. So don't be absurd and say that they changed Halo all the way back then. You didn't even know what it was supposed to look like back then; could not have known.

[Edited on 11.23.2012 11:04 AM PST]

  • 11.23.2012 11:01 AM PDT

Once More Unto the Breach

I like SpOps for the XP.
Other than that, it still needs work.

  • 11.23.2012 11:05 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

"Time was your ally human. But now it has abandoned you. The Forerunners....have returned. And this tomb... is now yours". - The Didact


Posted by: Wolverfrog

Posted by: the real Janaka
Do you honestly believe that Halo hasn't changed?


Yes, it's no longer the Halo I loved. Shields used to just serve as an auxiliary defence to your main health, now they've taken health packs out and left us only with shields. Also, they've introduced 'duel-wielding' - not only does this ruin the perfectly balanced sandbox of the Halo I adored, but it also means that weapons which were once powerful have been nerfed; the plasma rifle doesn't hold a freezing effect anymore, for example, and the plasma pistol is next to useless. Taking out the assault rifle has robbed the game of one of its most iconic symbols, and there is no longer a human weapon for short-mid range combat, with the SMG being ineffectual at medium distances and the BR unwieldy in close combat. All these additions are nothing compared to the crime that the new game has committed on the pistol - it used to be a skillful weapon of death, with which a talented player could dominate with. Now it's even worse than the plasma pistol. Vehicular balance has been completely ruined by the addition of hi-jacking (all it takes to destroy a tank now is someone getting close enough to it, especially with the Wraith's lack of a turret) and homing rockets. With the addition of Havok, the physics of the series have been completely changed and this has ruined the flow of Halo for me.

That's not even mentioning the campaign, which is a horrific departure from the Halo I considered a pure and perfect experience. First of all, I don't know what the developers were thinking by adding exposition to the Covenant - they worked perfectly well as a faceless enemy, it added to their menace as we knew little of their motivations - now with the inclusion of another campaign from their perspective, that menace is gone and we're left without an iconic foe - Brutes come out of nowhere (why are they appearing just now? It's ludicrous), are little more than bullet sponges, and on higher difficulties it's impractical to take them down with anything other than the needler, with it often being a rush to kill it before it berserks. There's too much hopping around from location to location, where the Halo I once loved made its impression through developing one locale, a mysterious alien world - it was fleshed out beautifully, whereas now we're jumping all over the place. Master Chief is given very little attention and we spend much of the campaign with a character who shouldn't even exist - Elites should have remained just as the name connotes; an elite enemy class who serve as our foe and speak in an alien language.

Bungie have ruined their franchise with Halo 2, and as a self-entitled Halo purist I decry everything they're doing with the game. I will, however, continue to play everything they put out and will enter every thread about the franchise I see on a message board, because I have issues with letting things go.

Hopefully Microsoft will kick Bungie off before they ruin the franchise, and will find a new developer for Halo 3 who will bring the game back to its perfect roots.


This post is full of win and truth.

  • 11.23.2012 11:42 AM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Posted by: hotshot revan II
This post is full of win and truth.

Especially the part where it explains and justifies the basis for its knowledge on what to judge as Halo.

Oh wait, it doesn't have a reasonable basis. My bad!

  • 11.23.2012 11:49 AM PDT
  •  | 
  • Exalted Member
  • gamertag: xi43
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Posted by: anton1792
Your hands must be getting sore from scraping that barrel of yours.

You haven't considered the issue of what it was that even defined Halo so soon it's life. It's a pretty big consideration and makes the current situation in no way comparable to the situation that we have now. Even back then, the point could be raised that these morons who wrote Halo2sucks.com committed the mistake of thinking that they knew the creators minds better than the creators did themselves, even before they had finished the damn foundational story. Unlike now however as 343i are not the creators, and the foundations have already been well laid and have been that way for half a decade. Comparing 1 game and 3 books to 6 games and god knows how much ancillary material; 3 years to 11 years of franchise life time?

All those issues you raised fail on account that they could not have been aspects of the series, because it wasn't as series back then; the story wasn't even complete and defined by the creators themselves. It is also under the assumption that these things were intended and then altered intentionally or not, which is also false and I can probably dig up ancient sources to prove it. If they had an extra year on CE, the Covenant story from Halo 2 would have been started off in CE right off the bat. So don't be absurd and say that they changed Halo all the way back then. You didn't even know what it was supposed to look like back then; could not have known.

I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.

  • 11.23.2012 11:55 AM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Posted by: xi43
I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.

I know. However it was done to make a point that Halo 2's "subversions" are relevant to the here and now.

  • 11.23.2012 12:29 PM PDT

Haters are going to hate.
Praisers are going to praise.

The Bungie Forums are what keeps my mind sharp and my fingers active, between writing my own movie scripts, drawing, and studying industrial design. At the moment I'm working on miniatures for a short movie that I'll hopefully be able to film once I've saved up for a camera... That's me, with the mug, trying to have a conversation with Konoko.

Posted by: WolverfrogWith that post you've only proven the following: that you have the memory of a goldfish; by completely disregarding my previous posts which define my view on the subject, and that you're an opportunist; by deliberately looking past intent and attempting to take advantage of what a singular post by itself could imply. Worst of all however--on your behalf that is--you've proven that you in fact don't see the distinct differences between Bungie Halo and 343i Halo, and by extension; that you're incapable of identifying Halo's core ideals - what makes it what it is and not something else.

But first, let me ask you these seemingly unrelated set of questions: Do you remember how you felt when you watched Halo's announcement video? What you thought when you played CE back in 2001-2002? What theories you started to form when Halo 2 came into the picture, and how they evolved when Adjutant Reflex started posting, Iris was reveal, and Halo 3 was released? How TGoO factored into what could happen if Halo got an opportunity to continue towards its foreshadowed apex? What it felt to see all of that undone?

Those were all rhetorical questions... (you attempt scorn - I attempt scorn).

Between Bungie era and 343i era there is a clear cut, a clear detachment of ideals, not at all like the gradual refinement as seen between Bungie's games. 343i's producers, writers, designers, basically the entire studio threw out everything. Everything had to be twisted into a style that they were comfortable with. Who could blame them really, who'd want to spend years with someone elses style? They did not think what can we do with this specific IP that is what it is because of specific rules and balances, how should we do in order to continue with it; with the same values, ideology, with what it considers virtue and vice? No, they went in thinking how have I always wanted Halo to be?

Do not mistake Quality for Identity, are not exactly the same.

I have nothing against 343i continuing Bungie's tradition of gradually improving and adding new gameplay elements, I've never even used that as a complaint against them. The only thing that matters is whether or not it resonates with the already established ideals. That's why one continues with the same series right?

Ex: they chose to add sprint as a default setting, in your face aliens, and QTEs. You can be the judge of their quality yourself.

Again - refine vs redefine.

Now, what is it that defines Halo; what makes it different/special/have its own identity?

For the thousandth time, here are some of the core attributes, explained through showing how 343i broke the rules:

Design: Halo has become overworked, exaggerated, over styled. The more is more mentality has been applied. 343i have some sort of belief that the more fidelity one is capable of having, the more one should. A board with the resolution one hundred times one hundred must have complexity throughout; no space is to be given; if one can add a detail, one should, even to the point where the economy for other resource demanding elements are sacrificed. A.I, physics, size, and a sense of even visuals, sandbox possibilities, all take the backseat. Surface graphics are our only technical concern, they seem to say.
The complexity of everything is overdone. Subtlety, a once prominent--vital--theme, is now gone.

Premise: Is Halo just another mid-sci-fi-space-opera, doesn't it have anything that defines what and how people experience it; doesn't it have element/filters/restrictions that help skew and tailor a certain type of experience? Of course it has. One of the things that allows a player to feel what they did in CE, 2, and 3, was the state of the galaxy; the premise. The premise of learning about the Forerunners through indirect exposure was what warranted its start in the narrative, what made it more than just aliens vs marines (no matter how well taught it might have been).

343i haven't been thorough enough when identifying what the franchise they were going to work with was capable of offering, what layers they could take advantage of in order to continue building what Halo had going, opposed to just making a new trilogy with a clear start.

The premise allowed for a specific experience/feeling, not just an opportunity to come up with random sci-fi stuff. Why work with Halo if one disregards the subtle details that defined it?

There is a huge difference between mysteries and questions.

Story: Halo 4 is filler with exhibition. Not exactly the most impressive/skillful way of telling a story and expanding the lore. Let's have the story in one room, and exhibition in the other (Terminals and CGI cutscenes).

Bla, bla, bla, there were unanswered questions, of course there were, and of course you want to know them. That's the point with magic. To quote Michael Caine: "Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled."

Direct exhibition--no matter how well it's told--is the least skilled way to reveal something. Halo should be above such banal ways of storytelling. No offense Bear, your writing and stories are great, it wasn't your choice to fully unveil the Forerunners.

The Elites were dumbed down; turned into an obligatory enemy. Yawn.

The ONI has turned into Cerberus interdimensional pen-pal. Yawn.

Humanity and the UNSC have been retconned in order to be able to spew out cool tech. Disregarding the state Bungie left humanity in (in a kind of humbled way). Yawn.

And Dr. Halsey has been unnecessary involved in a pathetic attempt to turn Halo into a grim, realistic, deep character portrayal. Poor Catherine, had you been less interesting, maybe you'd have been left alone. ...

Why has it ventured this way? What could possibly have warranted this direction?

Gameplay: Bungie makes games that they want to play i.e, they made Halo, and with it aimed towards creating a sandbox experience. Dynamicity was king! Do not fool yourself with the thought that Halo is a universe which one can slap onto any type of shooter whatsoever, it has just as much of a meta identity as it has an identity. Removing it, dilutes its overall indentity.

Halo 3, in its attempt to be the most dynamic of all the sandbox shooters, ended up having some of the most frustrating encounters I've ever experienced. Frustrating, but at the same time immensely satisfying when everything fell in its place. Physical objects everywhere, an abundance of explosive weapons, unruly marines, and just too much one has no control over whatsoever, it was a chaos, a spectacular chaos that very often surprised, lived a life of its own. It truly was a sandbox full of naughty kids. Much of this carried over to the multiplayer, which spawned an era and style of videos. The amount of things Halo 3 attempted was indeed admirable.
When I think of more Halo as a game, that's what I think of. Not just a random stiff shooter set in the Haloverse. CE started, 2 improved, 3 added and improved, but did not improve enough to remove frustration. Reach gave up, and Halo 4 dumbed down, 343i had other ideals (graphics for instance).

In an attempt to be as balanced as possible, all fun has disappeared. I.e, they're taking the easy way out.

Creating mysteries in not only done through the story--this is primarily a game franchise after all--it's also done by creating a mysterious and awing atmosphere, that excites on a moment to moment basis just by being there and explorable. Environments should be buildt with the intent to entice the player into venturing around just because of how the environment are buildt, not because of the promise to receive achievement points or find cool CGI.

Overall flair and sense of style: It really becomes apparent how little taste 343i have; how lost they are on the subject of stylization, iconography, a collected visual flair. Example: Gone is the sense of featuring only what is sufficiently well made, and present are the badass Power Rangers. Gone is the sense of accomplishment, and present is the cascade of... This review pinpoints it better than I, just scroll down to the multiplayer part. It's truly numbing how much they throw in ones face. They just don't know when and where to stop. It's not a neat little package anymore, it's a huge loosely tied bundle.

Tone, script, narrative:
It's gone from high-key Hollywood action-adventure blockbuster cheese with well-paced humour and one-liners, to a Travissian soap opera that takes itself way to seriously. When was Halo ever a grim and gritty alternative universe in which every second was worthy of depiction? Don't wear it out, don't make it mundane!
Why this kind of is OT:
Presentation: Why I brought it up here, in a thread about Spartan Ops: Halo as a franchise has become a schizophrenic pile of media with a low threshold on the quality; what is acceptable to present Halo in. Read my previous posts in this thread for more clarity.

But whatever right, you like it more now... and, it's just a game...

[Edited on 11.25.2012 5:11 AM PST]

  • 11.25.2012 4:35 AM PDT
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  • Exalted Legendary Member

I thought it was great - loved Halsey's dig at the Spartan IVs and the really ramped up the action.

  • 11.25.2012 6:03 AM PDT
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3rd edition. Now with more grunt.

TFS 4 lyfe


Posted by: the real Janaka
Halo purists


lol

  • 11.25.2012 7:19 AM PDT