Halo Discussion Thread

[Tasardur]

First Strike comes before Fall of Reach.

First Strike, Fall of Reach, and Ghosts of Onyx are a trilogy in that order.

[TheHobbitofDune]

First Strike comes before Fall of Reach.

First Strike, Fall of Reach, and Ghosts of Onyx are a trilogy in that order.

Really? Everyone else says its Fall of Reach before First Strike. I thought it was supposed to be: Fall of Reach -> Halo 1 -> First Strike -> Halo 2 (?)

[Tasardur]

...I don't think so...

My memory might be off though. It's been a couple years.

Edit: Just Wiki'd it. I'm wrong. Sorry. Lol.

[TheHobbitofDune]

It's okay, lol.

I just reached the third chapter of Contact Harvest, and it's so nice to get some more backstory on Sgt. Johnson. It's such a well-written book as well. Feels like a more visceral version of a Splinter Cell novel.

[TheHobbitofDune]

A leaked preview of Halo 5 for the upcoming Xbox 720 console! Okay, not really, but hey, it's still really awesome

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk6AVld-UWI" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk6AVld-UWI</a>

[B1ondeange1]

Sorry for the double-post, but...

Oh. My. GOSH. This is the greatest fan film I have ever watched in my life. Actually, it's the only fan film I've ever watched in my life. Still, this blew my mind. Watch the WHOLE thing. This is just...  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL-mR79GErU

ok i was watching this and i was thinking man master chief got some mad skillz! then the robot turned up and im like ok wtf. then haha master chief is getting made p!$$. then more wtf as a chick exploded out of the armour wielding a lightsaber (whip by the looks?). and laughed at master chiefs reaction. then followed by even more wtf. and then omg cool! and then wtf master chief had a sex change. then i saw credits and closed it. and had no idea there was dancing involved at the end so i had re opened it and laugh some more! that was very cool- though im guessing a guy made that? couldnt half guess *rolls eyes* very clever all the same!

my first halo memory is a massive lan in my now-fiancee-then-just-friends  dads shed, must be 9 or 10 years ago now while we were still in high school. we set up four tvs, four xboxs, 16 controllers, a heap of lounges and chairs, and 15 people. and four copies of halo. for 2 days (my mum wouldnt let me stay for the whole thing lol. though i came home to a very cool present my first car, so i wasnt so upset!). omg that was soooo awesome! what was the trick big groups used to do, get a warthog or a ghost or something up onto one of the forts on some particular map by piling up warthogs and whatever against the side and eventually managing to drive the vehicle up there? we did it! is it sad that that was a highlight of the weekend?! anyway that got me absolutely hooked.

we loved it when halo CE anniversairy came out, it was like seeing an old friend again! and the graphics were gorgeous! havent gotten around to finishing the playthrough, had other games we bought at the same time and soon after, and i was still in uni then so didnt have much spare time to game myself. and when i did have time, it was a case of choosing which game i wanted to play, and there were a lot of options! im also one of those people that rarely finishes games. i tend to keep starting new characters. or getting bored most of the way through.
 i love halo, so it might seem strange that the only one ive played right through is halo 3 on coop. i tend to watch my fiancee play games moreso than play them myself. comes of only having one tv in the loungeroom, id rather be with him while he is playing games, than have to go to a different room to play games myself. with borderlands and borderlands 2 we got sick of that, and so the bigger of my two computer screens got set up so we could both play on separate xboxes, one person with a big tv, one with a little (split screen in borderlands sux, but omg that is an awesome game!!!!). also means i can play my game on xbox while he plays his- funny thing is coz ive been playing kotor and xbox original wont work on the cable to my lil computer screen, ive been getting preference over the big tv which is actually his. hehe!
that, and until last year only my fiancee had an xbox 360, i had his old one but that was hooked up in the study and since it was his xbox, his tv and i didnt have much time to play, i didnt play much. now we have two xboxes side by side hooked up to the same tv (when his isnt banished to my little screen muhahaha!). along with a computer and a blu ray player. but we dont have an antenna, so the tv is never actually used as a tv.
 i love playing halo, but im a mediocre player. im the kind of person who flukes some really awesome games, and a few awesome shots- and then gets stuck turning round and round after jumping through the air turning and firing at someone (causing the screen to spin and me getting confused as to which direction im facing) trying to figure which way is up and which way is down  . or doing the same trying to figure out where im getting shot from. and then dying. oh well its hilarious watching me suck at it! i do the same thing a bit in borderlands, but im a much better borderlands player than i am a halo player! before borderlands, halo was the only fps type game id play, i prefer rpgs. and borderlands is a bit of both
i think the only halo my fiancee doesnt have is halo wars, hes always loved it. so much, hes currently building a set of spartan armour from pepakura and fibreglass, mk IV i think (i always get it wrong!). the armour looks pretty awesome so far. im not sure itll be ready in time for supanova this year though, unless he gets his butt into gear and finishes it.

[TheHobbitofDune]

INCOMING THREAD REVIVAL!!!

Okay, my question is this...

What are your favorite games in the Halo series?

I'll start, however I won't mention Halo 3: ODST, since I actually never got around to playing that, believe it or not.

Anyway, here we go.

6. Halo Wars. I actually really enjoyed this game, and it's great for casual play. That is kind of odd for me to say since I usually dislike RTS games, but there is just something about this one that I really like. Maybe it's the simplicity. Anyway, it's a great game in it's own right, but when you compare it to other Halo titles, it just rolls over and dies. NEXT.

5. Halo 4. WAIT, I CAN EXPLAIN! Okay, look. The callofdutyization of Halo is something that I can't stand. The multiplayer just plain sucks, and no matter how hard I try to get into it, it just doesn't click with me. The single-player campaign is actually really good, and the ending made me cry, but I feel like that is Halo 4's only saving grace. While I did enjoy Spartan Ops at first, the novelty of it quickly wore off, and it just feels like a super-repetitive, half-assed game mode that they just threw in for kicks. I do enjoy the cutscenes, though. Those are awesome.

4. Halo 2. The only reason why I'm giving this a lower ranking is because the remaining games are just simply better. I love Halo 2. I haven't played it in soooo long though, so I can't really say much more. I just remember that it rocked. They better make a Halo 2 Anniversary Edition!

3. Halo 3. This is the game that got me into Halo. While my love for the campaign has diminished greatly since I originally played it, I don't think that really matters, because this game's greatest strengths lie in two things: Multiplayer, and Forge Mode. Halo 3's multiplayer is, in my opinion, the third best in the series (no pun intended), while Forge Mode just presented me with endless hours of hysterical fun with my friends. The game Duck Hunt, in particular, was amazing. Halo 3 is also going to be available for free on Xbox Live next month, and since I broke my disc in a fit of rage about a year or two back, i'm ecstatic! I can't wait to start owning some noobs again

2. Halo: Combat Evolved. This is the original that started it all. It is a masterpiece, in every sense of the word. Back in high school, my friends and I would get into so much trouble for playing the Halo: CE demo in the library during lunch. We would also sneak over to the computer lab to play it there. It was totally worth it, though. This game is amazing. The campaign, the music, the multiplayer, the everything. This is definitely one of the greatest video games ever made.

1. Halo: Reach. Remember Reach. Remember it well. This, my friends, is the greatest Halo game of all time, IMO. The campaign is the finest in the series, and though you know that the story will end in tragedy, you will still refuse to give in as you jump feet first into Hell. The game will wrench your heart more times than you can count as, one by one, your teammates, your brothers and sister in arms, fall to the nightmarish Convenant onslaught. When the dust settles, you will be the only one left. You will make one final stand amongst the corpses of your fellow Spartans as the Covenant descend upon you like vultures. You will die, yes. But you will die a hero's death. Halo: Reach is just that one special game that takes everything that is great about a series and improves upon them all, while still managing to usher in wonderful new elements that only serve to improve the game even more. Sure, it has it's flaws, but what game doesn't? Halo: Reach rules.

[Tasardur]

7: Halo 2. Before you judge me, I'd just like to point out that I played this after Halo 3 and Halo: Combat Evolved. I never played the Halo 2 multiplayer, so I have no experience with that. the campaign was beautiful, as are they all. But there are better games for me.

6: Halo Wars. Love it. I am an RTS fan and this hit home for me. However, the covenant in that game are worthless. It is terribly imbalanced, sorry to say. That's why it's here in my rating.

5: Halo: Combat Evolved: I love it, but it just can't compare to Halo 3 or even Halo 4 for me.

4: Halo 4: I like it. Yeah. It's a great game. The gameplay is smooth and visceral. The campaign made me cry too. I hate spartan ops as much as the next guy, though and miss the living hell out of firefight. I still have my trusty DMR, though, and that's all that really matters. It was CODified a bit, but honestly, it still feels like Halo to me.

3: Halo 3: First Halo I ever played. I played the campaign at least 30 times all the way through. I love it so much. This game means so much to me, I'll never forget when I first picked it up.

2: Halo 3: ODST: Yeah. Believe it or not. I freaking love this game. How often do you get to play as a freaking ODST?! These guys are complete badasses. Yeah, spartans are awesome but the ODST's feel real. I loved it. Plus, the story arc was done incredibly and the music was the best in any Halo game. Ever.

1: Remember Reach.

[TheHobbitofDune]

Yay, a response

Also, I'm surprised that you put Reach in the #1 spot. I thought I was in the minority for loving it as much as I do. As for my comments on Halo 4, I probably should have worded it differently. It is leaning more towards Call of Duty, but what I really mean is that it feels like a hybrid of the two. It's no longer uniquely Halo, and I feel that it appeals to more to the casual crowd. While I do enjoy a more casual Halo experience nowadays, I still feel that they should have preserved it's difficulty, even if that would serve as a detriment to some of us. Halo is supposed to be harder to get into than other games, after all.

But I can't stress this enough: These are just my opinions. I'm not trying to tout them around as facts. I just love reading what other people have to say about things, and felt this would make for a good discussion. Hopefully I don't offend anyone

[Tasardur]

Yay, a response

Also, I'm surprised that you put Reach in the #1 spot. I thought I was in the minority for loving it as much as I do. As for my comments on Halo 4, I probably should have worded it differently. It is leaning more towards Call of Duty, but what I really mean is that it feels like a hybrid of the two. It's no longer uniquely Halo, and I feel that it appeals to more to the casual crowd. While I do enjoy a more casual Halo experience nowadays, I still feel that they should have preserved it's difficulty, even if that would serve as a detriment to some of us. Halo is supposed to be harder to get into than other games, after all.

But I can't stress this enough: These are just my opinions. I'm not trying to tout them around as facts. I just love reading what other people have to say about things, and felt this would make for a good discussion. Hopefully I don't offend anyone

Reach makes me cry just thinking about it. 'nuff said.

Seriously though, Remember reach is my motto.

Close your eyes and listen to this video after watching it a few times and everything will be made clear:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMMDlxYX6WQ" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">Remember Reach</a>

Then go ahead and watch these trailers and focus more on your ears than your eyes and remember why Halo is the best scifi storyline in history....Um...aside from starwars....of course....

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m40HiszQqaU" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m40HiszQqaU</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vebkNoMJVQg" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vebkNoMJVQg</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bslC2NTyDLw" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bslC2NTyDLw</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RK6WFIUDbg" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RK6WFIUDbg</a>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-THNo9rp-bQ#ws (Embedding disabled, limit reached)

[TheHobbitofDune]

I kind of don't want to watch the first video, because the first time I watched it way back when, I actually cried. I will watch it tomorrow, though. Same with the rest of the videos. Oh, and I still do consider Halo to be #1

But anyway, Halo: Reach is actually my favorite game of all time. I'm not even kidding. I've never been more immersed in any other video game before, and still haven't to this day. The art direction, the cinematography, the music, the atmosphere, the characters, the gameplay mechanics, the story... the, the... the EVERYTHING all just comes together in such a perfectly harmonious manner. I can't say enough good things about Halo: Reach; it's had such a profound impact on me, and still does to this day.

Heck, I love it so much that I risked losing what little sanity I had left in order to earn my single greatest Xbox Live achievement: Beating the game alone, on legendary. I'm repeating myself here, I'm sure of it, but I actually threw my controller into my favorite TV whilst doing it.

Off topic, and kind of random, but I just figured I would mention it since this is the Halo thread and all. lol.

 

[TheHobbitofDune]

Well, since I started this thread, I figured that bumping it/double-posting in it at the same time won't be such a big deal

Anyway, I've been playing Halo 4 nonstop for the past two weeks or so. Okay, I'll bite, despite the outrageous lag in War Games, I actually like it. I like it a lot. I have tons of fun with it... it is great. I'll actually bump it up past Halo 2 on my list.

[Tasardur]

Oh the lag. the lag is sin.

[TheHobbitofDune]

Oh the lag. the lag is sin.

Yep. You and an opponent will be teleporting all over the place trying to kill each other, and neither of your shields will go down, and you both know that the victor will be decided when the lag finally ends, and when it does... someone will randomly die. So fun.

I also don't quite like the matchmaking system, which has been ripped straight out of COD. Back in Reach, when you tried joining a match, it would always take you to a brand new lobby, and when the game started and people left, no one could join the session in progress. In Halo 4, it is the exact opposite. I get connected to matches where the game is almost over, or everyone is lagging out left and right. But that is only a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, I guess.

[Waxman]

I finally played and beat Halo 4 last night on Normal.

It was a really fun game and quite gorgeous but Halo: Combat Evolved still is my favorite.  I really had no major complaints of Halo 4 other then the very last part where the quadruped mechanical beast creatures became the most difficult enemy in the game for whatever reason.  Don't get me wrong, they were an interesting addition and helped give different combat mechanics and whatnot, but there was a sudden spike in difficulty which I thought was a bit weird and inconsistent, especially when all you have is the Promethean pistol and machine gun [excuse my wordage but the names have eluded me but probably because they're my least favorite weapons].  Basically, I could have finished the game by 3:00 am but I had to play on to 4:25 am because they kept on killing me and I had such limited weaponry.

I guess the other thing is that most of the objectives were kind of boring.  I realize there's only so much you can do in a fps but going through a bunch of hoops to deactivate some thing only for something to happen and have it not occur is a bit frustrating, or having to defend a spot for no real reason just seems bit odd.  It was different in Halo 1 and 2 because usually you had the Flood which were just terrifying and gave that sort of Zombie-apocalypse feeling.  Surprisingly, I found The Library mission in Halo 1 my favorite level for that very reason, but especially on the PC when I would have battle music play on my computer in the background which just makes everything better.  The Halo CE mod is also really fun for that level but I digress.
One final thing, and Starcraft 2 is pretty guilty of this too, but I found the only reason for all the weapons and items in the campaign was pretty much to have as a tutorial for the multiplayer.  Like the Promethean Vision which served literally one purpose on one level or the Auto-Sentry, but especially the Promethean weaponry.  For example, in Starcraft 2, in every level a new unit would come out and if you did not use that unit then most likely you would fail the mission.  While Halo 4 is a bit more diversified in the sense you have the option to choose which weapon and how to use it, the main problem is that depending on the area, i.e. no Covenant or UNSC characters are present, you pretty much have to use the weapons they give you, which is annoying, like the Promethean Pistol and Machine Gun which are the most boring weapons I've ever used.

I do think, however, that the campaign is a lot funner in co-op then single-player.  So yeah, I'm glad the I had the opportunity to play it and it's nice to have more dialogue and character development along with a pretty cool bad-guy.

It'll be interesting to see how future installment progress with all of these new and exciting additions.