Halo 4 campaign is ... lacking something

[Farmer]

I just played this because I don't like spending $60 on brand new games.

I'm convinced it's either the music (a lot more muted and abandoned many of the familiar Halo themes) or the dialog (seemed more stifled and unnatural than the Bungie games), because I think they did a pretty good job with preserving the core gameplay.

Does anyone else feel the Halo 4 campaign is a little off compared to the Bungie games?

 

[purbeast0]

well considering it isn't a bungie game, it's not surprising that it doesn't feel like a bungie game.

i do agree that the music isn't nearly as good as it was in the previous games though. it also felt a lot different because it is faster in general. overall i don't think the movement had the smoothness/fluidity that the previous games had as well.

that said, i thought the game was pretty awesome, although it did start out a bit slow and does have some annoying enemies.

 

[Doppel]

What music? It was muted and couldn't be changed; I hardly heard any of it and remember none of it.

Game play was fast but after playing games like bioshock the halo 4 story was a joke and hugely overrated. Forgettable.

 

[exdeath]

Originality?

 

[Dumac]

The music was definitely a let down.

The actual campaign gameplay was interesting enough for me. Not nearly as good as Halo 1, but better than Halo 3 IMO.

 

[computerbuildin]

We all have different opinions honestly, but some people just look for different stuff. Like I actually really loved the storyline and I thought it was a well spent $60, enemies were pretty annoying though like purbeast said, but hey, its a game, things like that SHOULD be there. And by the way everyone saying the music was disappointing, I think most music was composed by bungie, and they weren't in halo 4, so theres another thing.

 

[KentState]

The game was extremely boring to me. Nothing really stood out or drew me in. The worlds felt large but empty, guns seemed weak, enemies were annoying, on rails shooter and nothing really new over the first three.

 

[hans030390]

It was mostly just more of the same. That said, I did quite enjoy it and appreciated the new/different touches from the developers and associated parties.

 

[Doppel]

The game was extremely boring to me. Nothing really stood out or drew me in. The worlds felt large but empty, guns seemed weak, enemies were annoying, on rails shooter and nothing really new over the first three.

Yep, I felt the reviews gave the game a pass and were not critical of single player as they should have been. It was worth a once-through and immediately put down.

Originality?

HAHAHA, absolutely nothing was original about it at all. Other than the graphics/gameplay the "story line" itself would have felt at home somewhere in the 1990's.

 

[purbeast0]

Yep, I felt the reviews gave the game a pass and were not critical of single player as they should have been. It was worth a once-through and immediately put down.HAHAHA, absolutely nothing was original about it at all. Other than the graphics/gameplay the "story line" itself would have felt at home somewhere in the 1990's.

i thought the forerunner weapons were pretty neat/original. definitely a good change of pace. i also thought the sound effects were REALLY good for the weapons in the game. sounded REALLY good on my ht system.

i do agree about campaign not having replay value, but then again i don't know if i've ever played any fps game a 2nd time through, other than coop.

 

[Drako]

I do agree a bit about the sound track. But overall, I actually thought the campaign was pretty good.

My wife and I have played through the coop on the Halo games on the 360, and she seemed to enjoy this one the most. No flood this time

 

[Veliko]

I thought it was a let down, too.

I didn't like the change in graphical style of the Covenant enemies, they made them too dark and less distinctive. I also preferred it when the Grunts spoke bits of English as it made them less generic.

The Promethean enemies were very bland, and none of the levels were particularly memorable.

Halo Reach is my favourite Halo game.

 

[NTMBK]

Final boss was a QTE. Ugh.

Really enjoyed the spaceship fight before that, though, reminded me of Starfox and Rogue Squadron.

 

[Dumac]

I thought it was a let down, too.

I didn't like the change in graphical style of the Covenant enemies, they made them too dark and less distinctive. I also preferred it when the Grunts spoke bits of English as it made them less generic.

They retconned the anatomy of the covenant races, which was disappointing.

i also thought the sound effects were REALLY good for the weapons in the game. sounded REALLY good on my ht system.

I agree on the weapons. But I didn't dig the new warthog sounds...

 

[hans030390]

I didn't like the change in graphical style of the Covenant enemies, they made them too dark and less distinctive. I also preferred it when the Grunts spoke bits of English as it made them less generic.

If I remember correctly, the Covenant you're fighting in Halo 4 is a different "group" than in the previous games. Hence the slightly different art direction, lack of English/having different voices, etc.

I actually liked that the game as a whole seemed a bit darker than the others, at least in the visual design area. Seemed a bit more realistic to me. That said, I've always been a fan of the Halo visual direction.

 

[Veliko]

If I remember correctly, the Covenant you're fighting in Halo 4 is a different "group" than in the previous games. Hence the slightly different art direction, lack of English/having different voices, etc.

I actually liked that the game as a whole seemed a bit darker than the others, at least in the visual design area. Seemed a bit more realistic to me. That said, I've always been a fan of the Halo visual direction.

Nah, that's not the reason for it.

They changed the appearance of the Covenant enemies in Halo Reach as well, but that was a good change.

 

[Farmer]

Well I don't know.

So, I just think it's the mood of the game. I mean the environment graphics and visuals are by far the best for any Halo game, save for the new Covenant design which I also don't like that much.

But yeah, the levels felt dull, empty, repetitive, more so than any other Halo game. Unlike the older games (Sgt. Johnson, 343, Arbiter/covenant characters), the characters in Halo 4 were totally uninteresting and completely unfamiliar. I didn't care for any of them. I read some of the newer Halo books (about the Didact), but his appearance in the game did not remind me at all of what I thought he would be like. The MC/Cortana interaction is very different, and their dialog is annoying at best.

The Promethean enemies seem random and combat with them does not develop. You are introduced to the three types upon the first encounter, and their tactics never change. The dogs are annoying. The Promethean weapons are also simply reskins of equivalent human and Covenant weapons (i.e., light rifle, DMR, and carbine are pretty much the same thing, same thing with suppressor, assault rifle, ion gun thing). I also found myself constantly running low on ammo or having to scavenge weapons? More difficult? Not really, just more annoying.

I don't know. Just shitty and doesn't feel quite like what a Halo game should feel like. Campaign-wise, I agree, Halo 1 and Reach were the best, followed by Halo 2, then Halo 3 a distant last. At least Halo 3 followed onto a world that we cared about and was well developed (i.e., Convenant invasion of Earth, firing of Halo rings). Halo 4 story seems like a fanfic, and is not even close.

I agree, the best part of the game was the starfighter part.

I'm just disappointed. People shit on the Halo story, but I've enjoyed each of the campaigns until Halo 4.

 

[Anubis]

agree on the music. really missed the chanting halo theme music.

 

[amish]

I love the Halo universe and am probably a "fanboy". However, I agree that Halo 4 is missing something. Normally I don't bitch about music. I usually don't pay attention to it. In previous installments the music has been engrossing. This time it didn't pump me up, it didn't make me slow down and go for the silent kills, and it didn't make me feel sad.

The enemies were slightly wooden. The grunts, while slightly annoying, were fantastic. now they are just...blobs that spin around when I get a headshot. The other enemies are similar. They've all been slightly dumbed down.

The weapons are ok. Same weapons as before with just new skins and slower bullet speeds. Seriously, how does a "light rifle", which shoots beams of energy, have a slower round than a DMR? I didn't realize that bullets were faster than light. The lack of ammo, or the energy pistol having so few charges, is just annoying. it doesn't change the difficultly of the game it just makes me scrounge for ammo more. and I don't get how weapons just disappear into the soil.

Halo 4 does have one saving grace, Spartan Ops. great way to continually put more maps and level out there.

If I had to rank the Halo universe I would have it as such:
1. Halo Reach
1. Halo: CE
3. Halo 2
4. Halo ODST
5. Halo 4
6. Halo 3

 

[computerbuildin]

Halo 3 at bottom.. Woah woah.. I dont think that makes much sense

 

[amish]

Halo 3 at bottom.. Woah woah.. I dont think that makes much sense

This is strictly from a single player view. I abhorred the single player story for H3. it was weak, short, and wasn't engrossing at all. at least ODST tried to do something different. I'm glad it failed though so that Reach could be what it was.

 

[purbeast0]

i actually don't know if i finished halo reach or not.

EDIT:

wow i actually did not finish it i just checked my achievements and didn't beat level 3. i should get on that!

 

[hans030390]

Nah, that's not the reason for it.

They changed the appearance of the Covenant enemies in Halo Reach as well, but that was a good change.

Just looked it up...you're fighting a splinter group from the Covenant in Halo 4. It's enough to explain slightly looks, languages/dialects, and the fact that you're fighting Elites again...(consider the variety and groups in the human race alone).

 

[hans030390]

The enemies were slightly wooden. The grunts, while slightly annoying, were fantastic. now they are just...blobs that spin around when I get a headshot. The other enemies are similar. They've all been slightly dumbed down.

Having played all but Reach (and not religiously), I've never been particularly impressed by the AI in the Halo games. I didn't really find Halo 4 to be any better or worse overall, except the AI trying to fly banshees was just horrendous. 99% chance they'd get stuck on a wall.

 

[oivoodsio]

I love the Halo universe and am probably a "fanboy". However, I agree that Halo 4 is missing something. Normally I don't bitch about music. I usually don't pay attention to it. In previous installments the music has been engrossing. This time it didn't pump me up, it didn't make me slow down and go for the silent kills, and it didn't make me feel sad.

The enemies were slightly wooden. The grunts, while slightly annoying, were fantastic. now they are just...blobs that spin around when I get a headshot. The other enemies are similar. They've all been slightly dumbed down.

The weapons are ok. Same weapons as before with just new skins and slower bullet speeds. Seriously, how does a "light rifle", which shoots beams of energy, have a slower round than a DMR? I didn't realize that bullets were faster than light. The lack of ammo, or the energy pistol having so few charges, is just annoying. it doesn't change the difficultly of the game it just makes me scrounge for ammo more. and I don't get how weapons just disappear into the soil.

Halo 4 does have one saving grace, Spartan Ops. great way to continually put more maps and level out there.

If I had to rank the Halo universe I would have it as such:
1. Halo Reach
1. Halo: CE
3. Halo 2
4. Halo ODST
5. Halo 4
6. Halo 3

I'm sorry but Reach was a pile, while halo was amazing, Halo 2 was better. ODST campaign along w/ reach campaign were not good they were forced and trashy. Halo 3 climax was insanity period its not an opinion escaping a completely rubbling planet on a warthog w/ 3 of your best buds is epic. Halo 4 campaign has some serious flaws, #1 no reason to do it again like H3, the lack of AMMO both UNSC and Alien was just stupid. The graphics by far are stellar, but even so the bugs still exist from reach with sprint to weapon up, how many times can you bug it out so you have no crosshairs in a single map? The overall lack of mod support, like CE and H2 just makes all halos after go down hill.