Sure, The Library was pretty torturous (not helped by the fact that I hate fighting the Flood), but the outdoor maps were great IMO.
Finished Halo 3 campaign this morning. Stumbling across a few of the terminals along the way makes me wish they could've catered more for the highbrow audience that appreciated Deus Ex. I read through a site detailing the terminals from Marathon and it seemed intriguing. They could have definitely re-badged that aspect further in Halo (which, to be fair, already borrows quite heavily from Marathon).
I think they missed an opportunity for a defining enemy. Quake had the Shambler or Fiend. Doom had the Cyber Demon. Even the Hunters or Camo Sword Elites in Halo 1 were fairly intimidating. I don't mind the Brutes, but they needed something that you'd hear from a level away and build up a bit of fear.
I reckon Ars Technica's rating of VII is fair. I enjoyed the levels and the general story, but there was room for improvement. Once you add in the rest of the package, though, it's a comfortable 9/10 IMO.
I really liked Halo 1. Can remember many of the levels very well, played it through a bunch of times and played multiplayer with friends locally many, many times.
I also liked Halo 2. Story wasn't perfect, but some decent settings and some new things (dual-wielding, etc) that really added to the game. Have played it through a few times, played absolutely shitloads of games locally with friends and a few hundred games on Live which I got this year. I like some of the multiplayer maps (e.g., Lockout) so much that it would concern my girlfriend if she knew.
I got Halo 3 on the day it launched and have started playing the campaign. We had a few people playing online to test out the multiplayer on opening night and it was pretty decent - no less fun than Halo 2. A few "This isn't like Lockout?!" complaints, but we all gradually came around due to some hilarity with the Gravity Hammer, bubble shield, flares, etc. One friend has bought a 360 today so he can get in on the action.
The graphics aren't the best shown by a FPS, no, but are very, very good. The map designs, IMO, are up there with say Half-Life 2 which I was really impressed by - terrain, lighting, everything looks excellent. The characters are great, though not quite Gears of War (in which the characters were awesome). The atmosphere is fun. Everything comes together really well - the fluidity is far superior to other FPSs IMO - everything is to scale as opposed to some of those FPS where you feel too close to the ground, or you don't seem to jump more than 15cm. The audio is really good. Grunts saying stuff about how they're going to work together to kill you, or marines complaining about you stealing their kill (as in the previous versions) are good fun.
As a product, the value for money for someone like me and many others is exceptional - I'll play through the campaign a few times solo, maybe a couple of times co-op. Then I'll play with friends locally or on Live once every week or so. Then a few hundred games on Live in match-making. Plus muck around with Forge, and try out the Theater mode which is really interesting.
I'd be interested to see an honest breakdown of Halo-haters into categories:
- an Xbox vs PS thing
- tied to Microsoft
- console vs PC
- mouse/kb vs controller sticks
- simply didn't like it
"...but more of a "watching people play video games is boring" way."
I caught a couple of episodes on YouTube recently of some kinda Halo 2 MLG thingy - very yank and ESPN-style, but I found watching some of the tactics anything but boring personally.
...definitely should never be in any Top 10 games of all time list. Anywhere.
...in your opinion.
So, you didn't like it - others do.
Personally, I've had more game time playing Halo and Halo 2 than any other game - replaying the single player mode every now and then and playing against friends or online.
It'd definitely go in my Top 10 Most Played list, but perhaps not in other lists (e.g., will never forget the story of Deus Ex, and always loved the feel of Q3A).
I was always under the impression that Metallica were really only against people sharing their music before it was even launched to the public and I don't think that's such an awful position to take.
IMO, the Black album was fine and Load had some good stuff, but it got a bit average after that. By St. Anger, they still had some good music, but Hetfield's vocals were just so self-conscious and forced. Same happened with Pantera with Reinventing the Steel IMO.
Excuse me replying to myself, but just wondered about the potential for companies to introduce chemicals as "tracers" into their food and drinks, and then track popularity per suburb, street or house.
That said, it's probably cheaper and easier to just get a majority hooked on store cards and track what they're buying at checkout.
I'd say that it increases the chances of the story getting picked up by newspapers. I'm sure they could've provided a bit more on that single page for that end of the paddock and others?
Would like to see more choices with customising the Halo buttons on the controller. They were not ideal in Halo 2. Try dual wielding in Boxer and then go directly into a beatdown - not sure that it works?
Slashdot Mirror
They should throw 10-20 games on it, otherwise, what's the point?
Especially since any blogs linking to the site will bump up their page rank...
"In Halo ... , sticking together is just about the only required teamwork."
;)
Yeah, nothing to do with control of the map and power weapons.
Rest of your points are well made, however.
Sure, The Library was pretty torturous (not helped by the fact that I hate fighting the Flood), but the outdoor maps were great IMO.
Finished Halo 3 campaign this morning. Stumbling across a few of the terminals along the way makes me wish they could've catered more for the highbrow audience that appreciated Deus Ex. I read through a site detailing the terminals from Marathon and it seemed intriguing. They could have definitely re-badged that aspect further in Halo (which, to be fair, already borrows quite heavily from Marathon).
I think they missed an opportunity for a defining enemy. Quake had the Shambler or Fiend. Doom had the Cyber Demon. Even the Hunters or Camo Sword Elites in Halo 1 were fairly intimidating. I don't mind the Brutes, but they needed something that you'd hear from a level away and build up a bit of fear.
I reckon Ars Technica's rating of VII is fair. I enjoyed the levels and the general story, but there was room for improvement. Once you add in the rest of the package, though, it's a comfortable 9/10 IMO.
I really liked Halo 1. Can remember many of the levels very well, played it through a bunch of times and played multiplayer with friends locally many, many times.
I also liked Halo 2. Story wasn't perfect, but some decent settings and some new things (dual-wielding, etc) that really added to the game. Have played it through a few times, played absolutely shitloads of games locally with friends and a few hundred games on Live which I got this year. I like some of the multiplayer maps (e.g., Lockout) so much that it would concern my girlfriend if she knew.
I got Halo 3 on the day it launched and have started playing the campaign. We had a few people playing online to test out the multiplayer on opening night and it was pretty decent - no less fun than Halo 2. A few "This isn't like Lockout?!" complaints, but we all gradually came around due to some hilarity with the Gravity Hammer, bubble shield, flares, etc. One friend has bought a 360 today so he can get in on the action.
The graphics aren't the best shown by a FPS, no, but are very, very good. The map designs, IMO, are up there with say Half-Life 2 which I was really impressed by - terrain, lighting, everything looks excellent. The characters are great, though not quite Gears of War (in which the characters were awesome). The atmosphere is fun. Everything comes together really well - the fluidity is far superior to other FPSs IMO - everything is to scale as opposed to some of those FPS where you feel too close to the ground, or you don't seem to jump more than 15cm. The audio is really good. Grunts saying stuff about how they're going to work together to kill you, or marines complaining about you stealing their kill (as in the previous versions) are good fun.
As a product, the value for money for someone like me and many others is exceptional - I'll play through the campaign a few times solo, maybe a couple of times co-op. Then I'll play with friends locally or on Live once every week or so. Then a few hundred games on Live in match-making. Plus muck around with Forge, and try out the Theater mode which is really interesting.
I'd be interested to see an honest breakdown of Halo-haters into categories:
- an Xbox vs PS thing
- tied to Microsoft
- console vs PC
- mouse/kb vs controller sticks
- simply didn't like it
Corporate-friendly governments have been shifting the line of "what's fair" recently.
Quick spot of anecdotal evidence - I spent $750 on my 360 pretty much just to play Gears of War. A friend of mine is buying a 360 today to get Halo 3.
And I'd say that Wii Sports (as pointed out by others) would be selling a tonne of Wii consoles.
Swear I read somewhere that Halo 3 pre-orders had topped those of Halo 2.
Kid busted spraying graffiti: "Sir, I was just helping in the hunt for terrorists!"
Was that oldest tree perhaps growing in the "kindergarden"?
"I'm trying to better understand why so many people have problems with it."
IMO:
1. Money.
2. Pack mentality.
Across Xbox, Playstation and PC.
But thanks AC.
"...but more of a "watching people play video games is boring" way."
I caught a couple of episodes on YouTube recently of some kinda Halo 2 MLG thingy - very yank and ESPN-style, but I found watching some of the tactics anything but boring personally.
So, you didn't like it - others do.
Personally, I've had more game time playing Halo and Halo 2 than any other game - replaying the single player mode every now and then and playing against friends or online.
It'd definitely go in my Top 10 Most Played list, but perhaps not in other lists (e.g., will never forget the story of Deus Ex, and always loved the feel of Q3A).
So did walking 55 miles to school in the snow way back when... ;)
What about those 4WDs where after fiddling with the hubcaps/wheels, you had to then reverse for a metre before proceeding? Even more fun!
Wouldn't a Wal-Mart employee be more likely to be subjected to this kind of thing?
Me too. Much prefer an FPS.
I was always under the impression that Metallica were really only against people sharing their music before it was even launched to the public and I don't think that's such an awful position to take.
IMO, the Black album was fine and Load had some good stuff, but it got a bit average after that. By St. Anger, they still had some good music, but Hetfield's vocals were just so self-conscious and forced. Same happened with Pantera with Reinventing the Steel IMO.
Have never heard of Opus or Bloom County. Maybe they're only popular in the US?
Managed to get brought down to "0, Troll" for asking legitimate questions. Ouch.
Is this Bizarro Slashdot? I don't know what this story is about. I'm guessing it's about a comic strip of which I've never heard?
(Searching...)
I've hit Wikipedia to learn that it's a comic strip about a penguin. Is this strip popular amongst nerds? Is the penguin related to Tux?
Excuse me replying to myself, but just wondered about the potential for companies to introduce chemicals as "tracers" into their food and drinks, and then track popularity per suburb, street or house.
That said, it's probably cheaper and easier to just get a majority hooked on store cards and track what they're buying at checkout.
How long until we see drug-testing-via-sewer mandatory in some gated communities? Want to join a particular community? Well, you have to be drug free.
Could be introduced unannounced to drug rehab facilities also.
I'd say that it increases the chances of the story getting picked up by newspapers. I'm sure they could've provided a bit more on that single page for that end of the paddock and others?
Would like to see more choices with customising the Halo buttons on the controller. They were not ideal in Halo 2. Try dual wielding in Boxer and then go directly into a beatdown - not sure that it works?