Halo 4

[Jimboxy]

Almost completed it. It's super short and rather dull. Go to point A, receive info that you need to go to point B and when you get there it blows up and that annoying woman shouts wake up chief etc.

Multi is best it's been since 2 but only one of the large maps (which is from an older halo) seems grand in scale. Pretty good fun tho.

Single (played in co-op) 5/10

Multi 8/10

And you know I'm not halos biggest fan so there's that. I'd hoped they'd shaken things up a bit but don't expect to enjoy this if you didn't before. Little child like aliens and all return. Awful level design and big empty errors and no rewards for exploration. It is incredibly beautiful though at times though.

[spatular]

one of the large maps (which is from an older halo) seems grand in scale.

there's a valhalla remake (edit - i like valhalla) in there from halo 3 - could be that?

also how did you get it so early?

[Manicm]

Youve got a copy already?? mine hasn't even shipped yet!

[Jimboxy]

Yesterday from an indie game shop in sheffield that's naughty.

I think the map is Rokloklkoklok (they haven't kept the name). Big field, a base at each end and a stream in the middle.

[Cevert]

I've borrowed a rental copy from work (I work at Blockbuster) I've just done the

Cartographer

bit and have mixed opinions.

As I intend on buying it I've been playing it on an offline profile on Normal difficulty and yet it feels far far too easy (admittedly I normally do Heroic but this is sill easy) also the Grunts sound completely different.

Not sure about all the stuff about Master Chiefs origin either, just doesn't feel quite epic enough to be the focus of a Halo game (I've read Fall of Reach and enjoyed that for what it was).

[Sly Reflex]

Are there any other returning maps? There was one in Halo 2 that was like 2 forts in a snowy location that was my favourite, although I don't remember the name of it at all. Valhalla, Narrows and Snowbound from 3 were favourites. I wasn't a fan of any of the maps really from Reach. There was one map that was like villas or something that was quite nice, but I think they dropped the ball with Reach map wise. There was another one that was quite vertical that had an outside balcony that I didn't mind either.

Saying that, the more maps they have the better, as long as they made it so that power weapon placement isn't one sided then I'm happy.

[Sly Reflex]

Everything has been redesigned. The sounds coming from the Covenant sounds like alien Nazi. The Grunts have had a massive redesign, they now remind me of Urdnot Wrex except miniature and weedy.

I've no idea how I'm meant to be tactically fighting the new race, I'm sure I'm missing something as everything so far has been dead easy on normal. The new races weapon variants are very sexy though. The first time you reload that pistol of theirs you'll see what I mean.

So far the campaign feels like I'm pressing buttons. Go here. Press button. Go there. Press button. Kind of lame.

The AI has been brilliant and already surprised me a few times. It's tried to flank me. It's tried to get a height advantage on me. It's laid suppressing fire so others can get closer to me. The biggest surprise for me was when at the end I thought there was one guy left, it lured me back onto what was their side of the battle area and then ambushed me with a big lad. Not scripted, just awesome AI. Take note other devs. This is how you do AI.

The composition of the music has been top deck also. Such a rousing and beautiful score.

I was surprised to find that this came on 2 discs too. I'm guessing all the MP stuff is on the other disc.

[spatular]

A lot seems to have been made of the graphics, at first - looking round one of the multiplayer maps-ragnarock? The Valhalla remake, I was pretty disappointed, it looks ok but it seems dull in comparison to halo 3 where it's really bright and everything pops out of the screen. But yeah playing some single player and on occasion the graphics are pretty awesome, but sometimes stuff all blends in together, like it can be hard to make an enemy out from the background. While tecicnally the graphics are probably miles better, it's a shame it seems to be at the cost of the colour pallet and clarity sometimes. It's not that bad though, in fact it often looks amazing so I'll probably get used to it soon enough...

Wasn't enjoying the single player at the start either, but then it really gets going IMO - still pretty early on - and been really enjoying it since then to half way - where I am now. Only playing on easy so can't comment on ai. Music has been nice so far, sound effects are pretty epic, except the warthog which IMO now sounds terriblly annoying.

Only had a few quick games of multiplayer, the joining midway thing seems to work smoothly, it's interesting how it changes the tide of a game so much, we joined a game 100 to 0 down in an oddball game where we came back to win it, then the next game the opposite happened, both times probably because of the changing teams. On one hand I don't like that it's not fixed teams till the end, you never know what you're up against, but on the other hand quitters are really annoying and ruined loads of games so that should be much less of a problem now. And, if it still tries to skill match all the incoming players, it will get better with time as the ranks sort themselves out. At the start pretty much everything is locked - pretty crappy IMO.

[Sly Reflex]

Yeah, that Warthog sounded like shit.

After running it plays the same soundbite of the weapon cocking which I find super annoying. The sound effects have disappointed me with this so far.

[spatular]

A lot seems to have been made of the graphics, at first - looking round one of the multiplayer maps-ragnarock? The Valhalla remake, I was pretty disappointed, it looks ok but it seems dull in comparison to halo 3 where it's really bright and everything pops out of the screen. But yeah playing some single player and on occasion the graphics are pretty awesome, but sometimes stuff all blends in together, like it can be hard to make an enemy out from the background. While tecicnally the graphics are probably miles better, it's a shame it seems to be at the cost of the colour pallet and clarity sometimes. It's not that bad though, in fact it often looks amazing so I'll probably get used to it soon enough...

ok i take this back, got used to it now and it looks ace most of the time.

[Sly Reflex]

The multiplayer is all sorts of sublime. Ditch the assault rifle for the battle rifle or DMR and it's fun fun fun. That SAW you get from drops is absolutely beastly too.

I'm none so keen on the Mantis. It's too powerful, the people that get in the take at least 50% of the kills. I'd like to see that shit toned down.

Online is silky smooth, I play big team and it used to lag like fuck on the last games. Smooth as silk here, even though there's not masses of people playing.

Something that is really disappointing is the customization of your player. I know they've hidden a lot of stuff, or at least I think they have, but I'd just like them to put it all on show so you can see what you are working towards. It's like putting a padlock on something, but not letting you look in whatever the padlock is on. I want to see what skills and stuff are coming up so I don't waste my points on buying shit I'll never use once I've unlocked future padlocks a little down the timeline. I like to plan it out.

I had a play about in forge and there is an effect that the closer you get to it the more it drains the colour from the screen. That could be interesting in team games.

[spatular]

I play big team and it used to lag like fuck on the last games. Smooth as silk here, even though there's not masses of people playing.

yeah that's a good point, and hopefully that means coop campaign will be less laggy too.

edit - just finished the single payer, twas good fun.

[Cevert]

I gave my rental copy back yesterday, I'd been playing an on Offline profile and had reached a point where I had tos top or I'd spoil the rest of the game for myself. Will pop in to work and collect my copy later on today and start anew

[Sambob]

going to pick mine up later on and then just stare at it until hometime, stupid trains and working not on my doorstep

[illdog]

Mines in the post office. Ill pick it up tonight but i'm off on hols for 2 and a half weeks. Such sweet torture, i'm reet jealous of you guys though, i want in on some multiplayer.

[wholehole]

going to pick mine up later on and then just stare at it until hometime, stupid trains and working not on my doorstep

Picked mine up first thing this morning and now it's sitting on my desk staring at me accusingly and wondering why I'm not playing it yet.

Seems to be a massive difference in critical and user reviews. The press have unanimously agreed the single player is this amazing, emotional, thrillride and everyone else is mostly going "S'ok I suppose. Now onto multiplayer!".

I admit, I'm only really here for the single player and a bit of co-op stuff. I'll play the MP a bit but never usually get on with it past the first couple of weeks. Probably because I'm a bit shit at it

[Sambob]

I admit, I'm only really here for the single player and a bit of co-op stuff. I'll play the MP a bit but never usually get on with it past the first couple of weeks. Probably because I'm a bit shit at it

This is why its important to play good group based games, and why we should try and organise some stuff on it, because no matter what level you are, if you are in a group theres still something cool you can do, or funny, and so on. I remember me, illdog and Jim played some games and for the first three or four all Jim did was throw grenades at walls and kill illdog with a hammer right when he was about to unleash hell on the opposition team, but it was fucking hilarious, all you would hear was 'BETRAYED' after each death.

[spatular]

did dome coop campaign today and it seems to run much better than 3 and reach which usually had odd lag for me.

seems to be some problems joining parties at the moment though hopefully just first day type problems.

[TopGunKnacker]

yeah i bought this today but havent played it yet! co-op wasnt working, thats what i bought it for

[Sambob]

The very start bit of the campaign was a bit slow to be honest, but after you get past what id say was pretty much a tutorial it does pick up minute by minute, new weapons are cool, new enemies are cool so im looking forward to putting more time into it and then getting on the with the multiplayer.

Graphically I can see where there are vast improvments, the cutscene that opens the game is great, and some of the views are spectacular, but I cant say ive noticed in the bread and butter parts of the game an enormous difference. My initial thoughts of the way the grunts and suchlike are now rendered is that I dont like change, but im fairly sure I thought much the same with Reach and Halo 3 before that, so its just a case of getting used to it I think.

I cant say I agree with it being way too easy so far, depends what difficulty you play it on, but ive started on normal and have been surprised by enemies so far and died a few times. The grunts seem to be pretty fucking precise with those stickies so far, and enemies are generally a lot more intelligent, better at dodging, the times ive highjacked a vehicle have not been as straight forward as in previous games and I would say it bridges the gap between AI and human controlled multiplayer opponents in the way the enemy acts, faking charges and then following through with a banshee for example.