Gaming Forums => General Gaming => Topic started by: bustin98 on May 06, 2010, 01:15:13 AM
Title: Halo Reach
Post by: bustin98 on May 06, 2010, 01:15:13 AM
I feel like I'm cheating on my Monster Hunter pals, but Ive been playing the beta... It's so much easier to get into, and the matches don't take as long. What can I say, I'm a casual player and take my gaming in 10 minutes chunks.
It is just Halo, more of it, but I haven't played it in a while and I'm getting caught up with what I missed. The powers are interesting, and the new assassination moves are cool to watch. Once, I was saved during an assassination. That was really surprising and if they would have just did the normal rifle butt I would have been dead.
Anyone else play it yet?
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: blackfootsteps on May 06, 2010, 05:08:55 AM
Yes I've played a fair bit. I thought the jet pack would be unwieldy like in PDZ but I've found myself picking Airborne wherever possible. It makes up for the 'nerfing' of the bumper jumper control scheme.
The new Needle Rifle is probably my favourite weapon so far. It seems as though by removing the jack of all trades BR Bungie has required players to get decent with multiple weapons for different ranges, which is a positive move, although difficult at first. I'll agree though, it is basically Halo 3.5, but then they've all been minor evolutions so I wasn't expecting much in regards to change.
I think the assassinations are annoying, especially because I've done quite a few by accident which have then resulted in my death. I also don't think they are much to look at, to be honest.
My highlight so far has been a killtrocity, unmovable, killing frenzy streak on a Juggernaut mode, for an average player like me it was quite a thrill.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: bustin98 on May 06, 2010, 10:22:48 AM
I will have to look for you. I think I have you on my friend list...
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Dirk Temporo on May 06, 2010, 01:22:00 PM
I think the assassinations are annoying, especially because I've done quite a few by accident which have then resulted in my death.
You have to hold the button down for like a second to do it. I can't even fathom doing it on accident.
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I also don't think they are much to look at, to be honest.
They're more utilitarian than showy. It's an instant one-hit kill from behind, regardless of the state of their shields. I'm pretty sure the melee used to do that, but it doesn't anymore.
Anyway, IT TAKES TOO LONG TO KILL PEOPLE. It should not take more than a full magazine of my assault rifle to kill somebody. It's just retarded. And no, I'm not missing. All the guns are pretty much peashooters and/or the shields are WAY too strong. I think dropping the shields to about 3/4 of where they're at right now might work out.
The jetpack is the ****. It kind of upsets me that of all the games to once again make a jetpack GOOD, it's Halo. It really makes me miss the good old days of Starsiege Tribes, and really makes me wish they would make a new one. Unfortunately, that's never ever going to happen, so I guess playing Reach and picking the jetpack is the closest I'm going to get.
God I wish I could use a mouse and keyboard for this game.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: blackfootsteps on May 07, 2010, 04:42:40 AM
I will have to look for you. I think I have you on my friend list...
My brother's got a new account, I'm not sure why, so my old gamertag is defunct. I -think- the new one is: thisisdefeat but I've no idea on the capitalisation or even if that matters.
Anyway, IT TAKES TOO LONG TO KILL PEOPLE. It should not take more than a full magazine of my assault rifle to kill somebody. It's just retarded. And no, I'm not missing. All the guns are pretty much peashooters and/or the shields are WAY too strong. I think dropping the shields to about 3/4 of where they're at right now might work out.
I agree about the shields, and I think that as a result grenades have become a much more effective tool, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, more a nod to Halo 2 but in comparison the AR is quite pathetic.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Dirk Temporo on May 08, 2010, 03:28:47 PM
The grenades are effective, but possibly to an extreme. The strength of the shields means that most encounters start off with crazy grenade spam, and if you manage to survive that first wave, it then comes down to running towards each other with guns blazing, hoping that you can clear the distance and smack them by the time their shields are down.
I don't really know why Bungie thinks it's such an awesome idea for it to take so excessively long to do any real damage to the shield, but I think it's terrible. Halo 1 had pretty sturdy shields, a system which was enough to make me not care for its multiplayer at all, and then it just got even STRONGER later on, with Reach having the most powerful shield in a Halo game so far. It's pretty unnecessary, and I think draws out matches and individual encounters longer than they should.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: bustin98 on May 09, 2010, 07:29:59 PM
I think the stronger shields allow for n00bs to hang in there a bit longer. It may also be a compensation for the BR having a single shot instead of a 3 burst.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Dirk Temporo on May 09, 2010, 09:51:54 PM
I think the stronger shields allow for n00bs to hang in there a bit longer.
So dumbing the game down successively with every new iteration? I hate Halo. I've spent a grand total of maybe three hours on all the Halo games in the past, and I can tell you that stronger shields is doing me no favors. Half the time I get the drop on people, but due to my inferior handling of the gamepad, I usually end up getting killed.
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It may also be a compensation for the BR having a single shot instead of a 3 burst.
That doesn't really make any sense. If anything, a single-shot weapon in place of the vastly popular 3-shot BR should REDUCE the strength of shields.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: bustin98 on September 10, 2010, 07:59:42 PM
Woo! Its almost time... anyone else picking Reach up next week?
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: KDR_11k on September 11, 2010, 10:32:42 AM
I didn't like Halo 3 much, should I care about Reach?
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 11, 2010, 10:38:39 AM
From the previews I have seen and read, probably not. The game appears to be largely the same (in regards to control, gameplay, graphics, story, etc.) as Halo 3. So if you didn't like that game, you probably won't like this one. Reviews should be coming out soon though.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: KDR_11k on September 11, 2010, 11:15:17 AM
K, I'll wait for Prejudice then.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Dirk Temporo on September 11, 2010, 02:15:06 PM
From the previews I have seen and read, probably not. The game appears to be largely the same (in regards to control, gameplay, graphics, story, etc.) as Halo 3.
Maybe if you're reading previews from people who don't know what they're talking about. Halo Reach is causing a stir in gaming circles for a couple different reasons, mainly the fact that hardcore Halo players are finding that "their game" has been completely turned on its head, and the fact that people who never cared about Halo before are now finding that they're interested in the game.
It's really a completely different ball game from all the previous Halo titles. Like I said earlier in the thread, I don't care for the older games. Halo 1-3 are essentially the same thing with a new coat of paint and some minor balance tweaks. Halo Reach is Bungie really stepping up to the plate to send one out of the park before they move on to new things. The armor abilities change up the way every single encounter in the game plays out, both on the individual level, as well as the level of the entire match. Now literally everybody on the battlefield has some kind of way of approaching, exiting, or handling a fight that is different than Halo's general "run around the corner, start shooting" strategies.
Not to mention how much Bungie is improving the capabilities of the Forge. I don't know if building or customization is your thing, but honestly Forge 2.0 is probably the easiest to use level editor for a first-person shooter, but also powerful enough to be able to create really complex and interesting levels with it. So much so that Bungie is actually including a couple maps that they created in Forge (including a remake of an older level) on the disc itself, ready to be played in matchmaking right off the bat. Check this out to get a better idea of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnoUGULIPyc
On top of that, there's also the theater functionality, which really makes me wonder why Bungie was the first one to do it. Basically, Bungie saves replays of your last fifty matches (or somewhere around there), and you can go into the theater, and watch the matches play out from the beginning, either following yourself around, following somebody else around, or just using the free camera to wander around the map. From there you can save sections of video to either show people the cool stuff that happened, or maybe just for your own reminder. I would like to say that one thing that Bungie is fantastic at is creating animations, so when you're looking at all the stuff in theater, most of it looks really awesome. That also leads to to some really excellent screenshots, which can also be taken in theater mode. Some are funny, some are intense, some are dramatic, but almost all of them look like promo shots, and honestly it's just really cool to be able to see that come from your own work, both in the game and in the theater.
And theeeeeeeeen there's Firefight. Most common reference for Firefight is Gears of War's Horde mode, but really Firefight is a lot more fun. It was already a lot more fun when just the barebones functionality of it was in ODST, but in Halo Reach they're making it so you can customize pretty much every aspect of Firefight. You want unlimited jetpacks and nothing but rocket launchers? Go for it. Do you want endless swarms of grunts and nothing else (I think this is already in matchmaking, called Gruntocalpyse)? Do it. You want unlimited ammo and no reloads? Sure!
Really, if you didn't care about Halo before, you have every reason to at least consider it now. Halo Reach is really the ultimate culmination of everything Halo was about, with a ridiculous amount of improvements and new content to both change up the game for older players as well as draw new players in. I'm picking mine up at midnight.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Morari on September 11, 2010, 05:27:12 PM
Halo Reach is causing a stir in gaming circles for a couple different reasons, mainly the fact that hardcore Halo players are finding that "their game" has been completely turned on its head, and the fact that people who never cared about Halo before are now finding that they're interested in the game.
Nope, still don't have any interest. I'll stick with Quake 3, thanks. ;)
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 12, 2010, 01:11:53 AM
From the previews I have seen and read, probably not. The game appears to be largely the same (in regards to control, gameplay, graphics, story, etc.) as Halo 3.
Maybe if you're reading previews from people who don't know what they're talking about. Halo Reach is causing a stir in gaming circles for a couple different reasons, mainly the fact that hardcore Halo players are finding that "their game" has been completely turned on its head, and the fact that people who never cared about Halo before are now finding that they're interested in the game.
It's really a completely different ball game from all the previous Halo titles. Like I said earlier in the thread, I don't care for the older games. Halo 1-3 are essentially the same thing with a new coat of paint and some minor balance tweaks. Halo Reach is Bungie really stepping up to the plate to send one out of the park before they move on to new things. The armor abilities change up the way every single encounter in the game plays out, both on the individual level, as well as the level of the entire match. Now literally everybody on the battlefield has some kind of way of approaching, exiting, or handling a fight that is different than Halo's general "run around the corner, start shooting" strategies.
Not to mention how much Bungie is improving the capabilities of the Forge. I don't know if building or customization is your thing, but honestly Forge 2.0 is probably the easiest to use level editor for a first-person shooter, but also powerful enough to be able to create really complex and interesting levels with it. So much so that Bungie is actually including a couple maps that they created in Forge (including a remake of an older level) on the disc itself, ready to be played in matchmaking right off the bat. Check this out to get a better idea of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnoUGULIPyc
On top of that, there's also the theater functionality, which really makes me wonder why Bungie was the first one to do it. Basically, Bungie saves replays of your last fifty matches (or somewhere around there), and you can go into the theater, and watch the matches play out from the beginning, either following yourself around, following somebody else around, or just using the free camera to wander around the map. From there you can save sections of video to either show people the cool stuff that happened, or maybe just for your own reminder. I would like to say that one thing that Bungie is fantastic at is creating animations, so when you're looking at all the stuff in theater, most of it looks really awesome. That also leads to to some really excellent screenshots, which can also be taken in theater mode. Some are funny, some are intense, some are dramatic, but almost all of them look like promo shots, and honestly it's just really cool to be able to see that come from your own work, both in the game and in the theater.
And theeeeeeeeen there's Firefight. Most common reference for Firefight is Gears of War's Horde mode, but really Firefight is a lot more fun. It was already a lot more fun when just the barebones functionality of it was in ODST, but in Halo Reach they're making it so you can customize pretty much every aspect of Firefight. You want unlimited jetpacks and nothing but rocket launchers? Go for it. Do you want endless swarms of grunts and nothing else (I think this is already in matchmaking, called Gruntocalpyse)? Do it. You want unlimited ammo and no reloads? Sure!
Really, if you didn't care about Halo before, you have every reason to at least consider it now. Halo Reach is really the ultimate culmination of everything Halo was about, with a ridiculous amount of improvements and new content to both change up the game for older players as well as draw new players in. I'm picking mine up at midnight.
I wasn't aware this was significantly different; where could I go to find out more about these differences? I never liked the way Halo plays, but if this is different I may be interested, because I don't feel like buying Call of Duty again.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: bustin98 on September 12, 2010, 06:28:29 PM
Midnight tonight. That's when the embargo of the reviews is lifted.
EDIT: Oops, I was wrong. My bad for not looking at other internet sites first...
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Shaymin on September 12, 2010, 06:57:25 PM
Actually, it was midnight last night.
Hell, Joystiq has their Metareview (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/12/metareview-halo-reach/) up already.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Dirk Temporo on September 12, 2010, 07:38:42 PM
I wasn't aware this was significantly different; where could I go to find out more about these differences? I never liked the way Halo plays, but if this is different I may be interested, because I don't feel like buying Call of Duty again.
Hard to say. My impressions of the game came from playing the beta quite a bit. The number one change is the addition of armor abilities. Basically, in your average match, every time you spawn, you have the option of picking an armor ability to spawn with. The armor abilities are Jetpack, Sprint, Camo, Armor Lock, Hologram, Drop Shield, and Evade.
In typical matches, you won't have Evade because it's usually an Elite-only ability. It's basically their dodge rolling from all the single-player campaigns, only you can do it. It's very useful as you can close wide distances very quickly, and also use it to execute evasive or tactical maneuvers because you get two evades with your armor ability charge.
Jetpack is pretty much how it sounds, it's probably the best application of them in a multiplayer game since the Tribes games. Sprint is self-explanatory. Camo replaces the active camouflage pickup from previous games, so basically a cloaking device. Drop Shield replaces the bubble shield pickup from the previous games, adding the ability to heal any allies inside the shield, only the Drop Shield has a limited number of "hit points" so if it takes enough damage, it will go down. Armor Lock freezes you in place for a number of seconds (not sure on the exact amount), and for the time you're in armor lock, you're completely invincible. Upon coming out of the armor lock, it will release an EMP blast that will take down the shields of anybody close enough to you. The obvious disadvantage to this is that people can pretty much just chuck grenades at the right time, and you'll die right as you come out. Usually want some backup. Hologram sends an intangible copy of you Spartan running either in a straight line, or towards a point that you set previously. Good for distraction and flanking.
Now keep in mind that before, Halo had pretty much nothing going for it anything like this. Yeah, it had camo and bubble shield, but they were pickups. In Reach, EVERYBODY starts with one of these abilities, and has it the WHOLE match. The entire dynamic of encounters in the game plays out differently than it did in the older games, because everybody has a new way of fighting.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Adrock on September 12, 2010, 08:54:09 PM
I'm trading Other M in to help pay for Halo Reach. I already beat Other M twice. I'm done with it. I'll probably pick it up again when it's super cheap, but for now, I want to get the most trade value I can for it.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: bustin98 on September 12, 2010, 11:31:23 PM
Any interest in getting a NWR firefight setup?
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: FZeroBoyo on September 14, 2010, 04:13:05 PM
I do plan on getting this one eventually. In the mean time, there has been a thoroughly Mega64 skit placed on YouTube in time its release. ;D
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 14, 2010, 05:39:12 PM
I succumbed to the hype and the fact that a lot of my friends are getting this. I ordered it from Amazon, I'll have it in a couple days.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: greybrick on September 14, 2010, 06:23:28 PM
Count me in- I am leaving to get my copy right now!
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 14, 2010, 06:48:41 PM
I'm interested as well. I just got the ship notice from Amazon, so I should have the game tomorrow.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: bustin98 on September 14, 2010, 07:36:13 PM
Cool. I'll have a thread going in matchmaking.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: bustin98 on September 15, 2010, 01:23:14 AM
Man, this game is great. Yeah, its Halo, but its the best Halo can be. The graphics are outstanding, the environment is detailed, the atmosphere is rich, the score is epic. Personalities exist within the 'teammates' that tag along with you. Good show!
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: greybrick on September 15, 2010, 04:30:45 AM
Man, this game is great. Yeah, its Halo, but its the best Halo can be. The graphics are outstanding, the environment is detailed, the atmosphere is rich, the score is epic. Personalities exist within the 'teammates' that tag along with you. Good show!
Agreed. I have barely touched the campaign, but multiplayer has kept me busy for hours. The doubles arena mode is great, I just wish there was the option to play regular Slayer. So far I have only encountered one jerk and one little talkative child.
Does anyone find the camo to be a little overpowered? I find its a bit easy to exploit, and that it charges very quickly. If I can hide invisible in a corner, and all you can do is run fast- well.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Dirk Temporo on September 15, 2010, 03:31:50 PM
Not really that big a deal since your motion tracker goes haywire every time there's somebody with active camo nearby. The general direction of the swarm of dots will tell you what direction they're in, and from there, it's just a matter of keeping your eyes peeled. I was going to one-shot a non-moving cloaked guy with my shotgun last night, and just as I pulled the trigger, my friend ran in front of me, so I ended up one-shotting him instead, and the cloaked guy promptly decloaked and unloaded on my face.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Stogi on September 15, 2010, 04:42:37 PM
I played it. It sucks. It's just like every other Halo game. Don't believe the hype.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: Halbred on September 15, 2010, 05:17:45 PM
I played through the first mission with a friend last night (local co-op). I actually enjoyed myself immensely, which is the first time that's happened with a Halo game. I assume this enjoyment comes from two years of playing Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2, but hey. It's very much a Halo game, but the pacing feels different, and the gameplay seems a little looser. I can't explain it, but it was very fun.
Title: Re: Halo Reach
Post by: greybrick on September 15, 2010, 06:09:36 PM
Not really that big a deal since your motion tracker goes haywire every time there's somebody with active camo nearby. The general direction of the swarm of dots will tell you what direction they're in, and from there, it's just a matter of keeping your eyes peeled. I was going to one-shot a non-moving cloaked guy with my shotgun last night, and just as I pulled the trigger, my friend ran in front of me, so I ended up one-shotting him instead, and the cloaked guy promptly decloaked and unloaded on my face.
I was having problems getting sniped by cloaked guys, since a quick scan of the horizon isn't enough to pick out someone that is essentially invisible.
