Ok, since I'm pretty sure that as of tomorrow (technically today, its 2:11am right now) that there is going to be a surge of people raving and foaming at the mouth about Halo3. Now before that happens I'd like to get in my Professional (yes, professional gamer) opinion in.
I've played a lot of shooters, from the original doom, to Quake wars (not even out yet.) So it’s safe to say I have a very good grasp on the quality of games, particularly shooters. There were good games (Deus Ex, if you haven't played it, drop your stuff and play it RIGHT NOW) and bad games (Rise of the Triad, C'mon fighting Nazis in the sky with lightning that shoots from your fingers?.... actually that sounds kind of cool, but it really wasn't that great a game)
Now before you ask, no, I do not have an Xbox, or an Xbox 360, nor do I ever intend to buy one of either. But that’s a different topic. I HAVE played both Halo 1 and 2 all the way through, and on multiplayer as well on the Xbox as well as the PC.
What I say next will seem too many people as blasphemy.
I did not enjoy the Halo series.
Its not because of my particular taste, it’s because the games sucked. Yes ready your torches, but its true.
Storyline:
Neither had a very good story line, but what they did have, they didn't work with. What I mean is the timesplitters series had a very weak story with little in the way of chain of events, just random battles, but they pulled it off because they weren't trying to be some epic storyline game, they were just a fun shooter for multiplayer, like goldeneye 007 for the N64, and they pulled it off. Halo on the other hand was pathetic; they wrote books about the game, which has to be one of the lames things ever. I haven't read them, but I can't imagine that they could have done very well due to them being based on a game with very shallow, weak storyline. Oh, and specifically Halo 2? Crappiest game ending ever, if you asked Bill Gates, he would tell you that they could have done a lot better. Ok enough about that.
Graphics/Sound:
Nothing terribly wrong with the graphics, everything was shiny... too shiny. But that’s not a showstopper, the graphics were pretty decent, not incredibly realistic, but decent.
The sound was also decent, although with a game as popular as Halo, I would expect for them to come up with a really good theme song or something. Like the elder scrolls series, morrowind and oblivion theme? Amazing. Doom, the original that pretty much spawned the shooter craze? Astonishing. Oh, Final Fantasy? The battle themes, towns, bosses, tons of the songs... Instant Classics. Zelda series? You don't need me to tell you that the series didn't have some unforgettable songs.
Halo? Can't think of a single song I would want to hear remixed, stuck on an iPod, or even played out loud.
So the sound wasn't amazing, but considering the hype the game had, it should have done better, and it’s pitiful that it didn't.
Gameplay:
Oh man, the next person who comes up to me and starts raving about "pooning noobs with the lazor sword" is going to get a faceful of fist. Ok, many qualms about the gameplay.
Qualm 1:
The health regenerates. I remember back in the days of REAL shooters when this would be considered cheating. It works well for the people who can't finish a firefight, they just duck behind a wall for a few seconds and "Bwoooop" their health is full again. Absolutely NO repercussion for their actions. This just breeds a whole generation of pathetic gamers who rely on their health regenerating rather than having the tactical mastery to choose whether it’s worth jumping out and fighting a person from the front, or waiting until they turn around so they can't shoot back. I've played with these people in other games that don't have health Regen; I've had them on my team. Its enough to make me want to go over to their house and steal their internets, banning them from playing online until they learn how to use REASON.
Qualm 2:
The weapons. Ok, I realize that every game has its unbalancing weapons: Counterstrike has the AWP, Quake has the Railgun. But at least with decent games like those, the overpowering weapons have drawbacks. In counterstrike, unless you're pointblank, standing still, or using a scope, your AWP accuracy is horrendous, on top of that, the gun makes the player move really slowly. Plus, if you use it too much, people realize that you're using it to compensate for your lack of skill and you get properly cussed out. In quake, the railgun, while it is a 1 hit kill, has some killer reload time. So you'd better hit the first time, or you're dead. In Halo.... where to begin, the one hit kill sniper rifle (like the AWP without the disadvantages), the..... Wait a second... The sword!
Oh how I hate the sword, people actually get praised for using it! That’s like getting complimented for bringing a gun to a fistfight! It’s like somebody combined all the horrible weapons that should not be in any game into one uber skill-free weapon. It kills with one hit. It’s effective at both short and medium range. It has infinite ammo (even when the "ammo" runs out, it can still be used). It’s homing. With this weapon, you're launched at the player at a high rate of speed, making it have range. 1 HIT KILL KNIFE WEAPONS SHOULD NOT HAVE RANGE! The whole point short range weapons are instant kill is because the user has to have enough skill to get close to the player. However since Halo is training a generation of people to forget all tactics, teamwork, and skill, they made this weapon have range. I cannot express in typing my absolute disgust for this weapon, and the fact that people claim to have "skills" because of it.
Now, it is not impossible to dodge, and after enough practice you can avoid it, but the fact remains that this weapon should not be in any game except through use of a cheat code.
I'm not even going to bother ranting about the sniper rifle, sticky nades, homing rockets, or pistols with zoom, just because these are acceptable in games, although I still think the sniper rifle is a little... much.
Qualm 3:
The Character(s). Are there even multiple characters? I don't know because master chief is hogging the screen the entire time trying to look cool. Ok, this is how storytelling works, if you want a character to be awesome, you can't just say, here he is, he's awesome. You have to build up the character over time, and let the people hearing the story decide that he’s awesome on their own. Just think of a game, book, or movie with really awesome main character, and think about why he's awesome. It’s because of his back-story and the events that lead up to the pinnacle of his awesomeness. For example, Gandalf, really awesome dude, major back-story, and throughout the books is doing awesome things. Han Solo, starts off as a nobody, then the character builds up into some awesome guy. Same with Indiana Jones, Leon Kennedy, and tons of other heroes and villains. This is not the case with Halo. The game just takes a 2 dimensional character with no back-story (I guess this is trying to make him seem cool and mysterious) and slaps him in as the main character. They say, “hey this guy is awesome, because we say he is." so the entire time he is posing and trying too look awesome without actually accomplishing anything to build up his character. Its just really shoddy workmanship, as far as I'm concerned he has about as much character, personality, and background as a disposable redshirt from star trek, or a Nazi in Medal of Honor.
Qualm 4:
The people I meet online while playing the game. I suppose this can't be helped, a large crowd of idiots can be found playing ANY game online, I'm sure you've run into the spamming, team killing, whiney, little kids who love shouting and drooling into their microphones. But the problem with Halo is that this seems to be the main audience. I KNOW there are intelligent skilled people out there that play Halo, but it’s harder to find when the game is designed for skillless people. I'm not necessarily insulting you, but if you've played online in Halo you know what I'm talking about, Good help is VERY hard to find. Skilled players are hidden by the mob of people who don't understand the meaning of "team", "tactic", "consequence", "strategic thinking", or anything else.
Now I have no problem with admitting that I'm good at playing Halo, I'm very good at it; I rarely play it due to me not wanting to. However, every once in a while I'll go play the game with some friends. I also realize that I'm naturally good at it because I think tactically, I don't need my health to regen because I don't get shot. However, I also expect to get killed in the game, very often this is something I can't help. The game doesn't take skill to play, so having skill is only a minor advantage.
Qualm 4:
The media hype. Most people for some reason do not realize that Microsoft is using Halo as their poster child. The majority of the game funds go into snazzy campaign ads for the game. They hire people to talk good about it on review sites, they hold huge press conferences just to showcase the desirable points of the game, and they essentially brainwash people into thinking "Everyone likes Halo, if I don't say I enjoy it I'll be weird, no one will like me, and all the cute little kittens in the world will burst into flames." This saddens me, to think that so many people are affected without knowing it; hopefully I've convinced you to go back and play the Halo games. Actually look for the things I've mentioned, don't just listen to the reviews that Microsoft gives the game. Of course they're going to say its the greatest game ever, its their game, and it may seem like everyone agrees with them, but a lot of it is Microsoft lining the pockets of people with big mouths to spread the word and stop people from making their own informed decisions.
Goldeneye 007 was a good game, not because of what the media said, but because it was good. Same thing with Resident Evil, Zelda, Mario, the early Sonic and Megaman games, Bubble Bobble, Metal Slug, Tetris, Tekken, Street Fighter, Doom, Arena/Daggerfall/Morrowind/Oblivion, Final Fantasy (except for X, X-2, and XI), Suikoden (not 4), and so many other amazing game titles. Play the games and decide for yourself, don't just listen to reviewers.
Ok, I'm tired and that’s my rant. I imagine I rained on a few people's parades, but I hope I was informative. I also imagine very few people made it to the end without getting offended and changing pages, getting bored, or just falling asleep.
I'm a professional gamer and an amateur writer. I think for myself and listen to reason; I know what I'm talking about and am a well of humility (obviously)
I know await the stream of disagreement and hatemail. |
