- Oct 24, 2000
- 17,254
- 44
- 91
You saw the title, so let me get this disclaimer out of the way first: I was never a Halo fanboy. I felt the first in the series was waaaaay overhyped and given too much praise. I didn't even finish Halo 2, nor play it online much.
With everyone raving about how wondrous COD4 is (and that fact that when I went to buy it with TRU gift cards, it was sold out at every TRU), I threw it on my Christmas list and received a copy from my wife.
I loaded the game up and was super impressed at how great it looked. I'm not 100% sure yet, but it may very well be the best looking game on the 360 (but I have yet to seen Mass Effect). Not only are the visuals great and as the box says very "photorealistic", but the sound and positional effects are tops too. I love how your team calls out enemy positions when fighting in the streets.
I think my biggest complaint so far is the lack of a specific control. In a world where Gears of War 'revolutionized' the ability to take cover and Rainbow Six Vegas helped perfect it, why was it left out of COD4? You can kneel and go prone, just like the previous games in the series... that's helpful, but not nearly as helpful as being able to actually stack up on a door before entering a room or building. I see my teammates stack up before placing charges in scripted sequences plenty of times, but I have no such ability. In fairness, Halo 3 does not have this either but the game doesn't really call for that need with the mostly open environment. If any game screamed for a cover system, its the Call of Duty series.
Another complaint is more of a personal preference than something that everyone will agree with. Its just too realistic for my tastes. I don't like feeling like I have to be careful in everything I do. With COD4, its methodical and unnerving. With H3, its (mostly) run and gun.
Finally, in the few multiplayer games I DID play, I was placed in games with people who obviously were much better and play a ton more than I had. Is this the norm? I sure hope not. Perhaps I just missed some option. One great thing about H3 is that you can chose to join ranked matches and only play in matches with people at your skill level. Being new, I had a private (I think) patch next to my name while everyone else looked like they were top brass. My first game, people immediately started shouting obscenities like "why the fuck is a rank 1 in here? must be a i love you". Strangely, I rarely come across that in Halo. I know others do, but I still haven't been overly offended by the H3 community.
Does any of that mean I don't like COD4? Hell no, its a good game and I plan on playing at least the single player through (no coop makes Modeps sad) and probably give Multiplayer a better chance than just the few games I did play, but as far as pure FUN factor? I have a feeling I'll be sticking with Halo 3. Its more accessible, more forgiving, and just more fun.
(please remember, the above is *my* opinion based on initial impressions, I welcome yours)
UPDATED: I've been playing more of both SP and MP of CoD4 and while I still find CoD4 MP frustrating at times, I'm for sure warming up to it. It's got its positives over Halo, and Halo has its positives over CoD4 but at least I'm getting the hang of things, although I haven't even messed around with custom classes yet. I've just been playing mostly as an assault.
Playing through SP in CoD4, it was pretty standard stuff until I hit the AC-130 mission. That was where everything got much better... AC130 was incredible yet eerie. As I understand it, that is similar to what a real gunner sees. I guess its much easier to detach yourself if you're basically playing a game. Then, the series of missions from Shock and Awe to All Ghillied Up just rocked my world. Probably one of my stretch of SP gaming in recent memory. I just finished All Ghillied Up, hopefully there are more missions like these.
With everyone raving about how wondrous COD4 is (and that fact that when I went to buy it with TRU gift cards, it was sold out at every TRU), I threw it on my Christmas list and received a copy from my wife.
I loaded the game up and was super impressed at how great it looked. I'm not 100% sure yet, but it may very well be the best looking game on the 360 (but I have yet to seen Mass Effect). Not only are the visuals great and as the box says very "photorealistic", but the sound and positional effects are tops too. I love how your team calls out enemy positions when fighting in the streets.
I think my biggest complaint so far is the lack of a specific control. In a world where Gears of War 'revolutionized' the ability to take cover and Rainbow Six Vegas helped perfect it, why was it left out of COD4? You can kneel and go prone, just like the previous games in the series... that's helpful, but not nearly as helpful as being able to actually stack up on a door before entering a room or building. I see my teammates stack up before placing charges in scripted sequences plenty of times, but I have no such ability. In fairness, Halo 3 does not have this either but the game doesn't really call for that need with the mostly open environment. If any game screamed for a cover system, its the Call of Duty series.
Another complaint is more of a personal preference than something that everyone will agree with. Its just too realistic for my tastes. I don't like feeling like I have to be careful in everything I do. With COD4, its methodical and unnerving. With H3, its (mostly) run and gun.
Finally, in the few multiplayer games I DID play, I was placed in games with people who obviously were much better and play a ton more than I had. Is this the norm? I sure hope not. Perhaps I just missed some option. One great thing about H3 is that you can chose to join ranked matches and only play in matches with people at your skill level. Being new, I had a private (I think) patch next to my name while everyone else looked like they were top brass. My first game, people immediately started shouting obscenities like "why the fuck is a rank 1 in here? must be a i love you". Strangely, I rarely come across that in Halo. I know others do, but I still haven't been overly offended by the H3 community.
Does any of that mean I don't like COD4? Hell no, its a good game and I plan on playing at least the single player through (no coop makes Modeps sad) and probably give Multiplayer a better chance than just the few games I did play, but as far as pure FUN factor? I have a feeling I'll be sticking with Halo 3. Its more accessible, more forgiving, and just more fun.
(please remember, the above is *my* opinion based on initial impressions, I welcome yours)
UPDATED: I've been playing more of both SP and MP of CoD4 and while I still find CoD4 MP frustrating at times, I'm for sure warming up to it. It's got its positives over Halo, and Halo has its positives over CoD4 but at least I'm getting the hang of things, although I haven't even messed around with custom classes yet. I've just been playing mostly as an assault.
Playing through SP in CoD4, it was pretty standard stuff until I hit the AC-130 mission. That was where everything got much better... AC130 was incredible yet eerie. As I understand it, that is similar to what a real gunner sees. I guess its much easier to detach yourself if you're basically playing a game. Then, the series of missions from Shock and Awe to All Ghillied Up just rocked my world. Probably one of my stretch of SP gaming in recent memory. I just finished All Ghillied Up, hopefully there are more missions like these.
Facebook
Twitter