Halo 3... Very, very unimpressive.

[Big Gulp]

I just finally got around to trying the H3 beta tonight (even though I've had Crackdown for weeks), and I'm really very underwhelmed by it.  Of course, I don't really like run and gun FPSes in the first place, but this just feels really vanilla.  To hear people talking about the first two you'd think Halo would all but suck your dick...  I'm not seeing anything inspired in this game at all.  It's just doing what a ton of other games have done, and continue to do much better.

Am I missing something, or is it just that as usual, the world is filled with mongoloids?

[Azazel]

I think it was that Halo 1 was the first pretty good FPS on the X-Box, and since there was no competition, it was made out to be the bee's knees. Hype and marketing > Halo 2, and again > Halo 3. The fact that MS used some big $ to sell it from the start also helped.

I mean, I've got the first one on PC, I never really played it though. It was ok, but it's no HL2.

[Big Gulp]

I mean, I've got the first one on PC, I never really played it though. It was ok, but it's no HL2.

Shit, if you're into run and gun, I can point to countless better games, many of which have been on consoles: Half-Life 2, Quake, Unreal Tournament, Doom, Tribes, Far Cry, Gears of War, etc...

There is nothing special about this fucking game.  Talk about useless hype...

ETA:  It doesn't even have the saving grace of great graphics.  When I say vanilla, I mean it.  This thing could have easily come out on the first XBox.  It doesn't look anywhere as good as even HL2, and that game's over 2 years old.  When you've got MS bucks behind you I'd think you'd hang your head in shame for putting out something this subpar.

[Azazel]

As i said, I think the first Halo was the first really good/popular/successful popular FPS on the X-Box, and much of the success since has been a result of well-done franchising and consumer loyalty.

See, Halo came out on console before those other titles you're going on about, or at the very least, most of them.

[schild]

There's nothing special about any of the Halos.

I don't expect Halo 3 MP to be more fun than Shadowrun or Lost Planet MP.

If you ever get a chance, the story told in I Love Bees is heads above anything Bungie has put out. Bungie should've hired that crew to write all of the Halo stuff.

[NowhereMan]

Halo's got a decent storyline to it and solid (though not exceptional) gameplay. When it first came out that made it one of the best console FPSes and MS used it as a system seller with big bux. Yeah fan loyalty is a big part of it, I think Bungie's done a good job of creating characters and a world that people care enough about to look forward to finding out what happens next, keeping the gameplay solid means people can continue to enjoy MP without having to get to learn anything new or too complicated. Works well for the Madden crowd, which I'm guessing transfers to good unit sales.

I agree that it's really not impressive in any way when compared to newer FPSes but that's not necessarily what a lot of console owners want. They want Halo not some new fangled thing that they didn't play the hell out of and have a great time with back in the day.

[schild]

if we're talking about multiplayer FPS, Unreal Tournament predated Halo by 2 years. Looked a hell of a lot better. And played a HELL of a lot better.

There is no doubt in my mind that Unreal 3 will be the best straight multiplayer FPS of this generation. Unless Enemy Territory turns out to be the cat's pajamas.

[Tannhauser]

Halo was teh awesum.  Halo 2 not so much.  I think the reason Halo was so great was that you could have up to 16 folks playing deathmatches, etc.  With Warthogs, Ghosts and Banshees flying above.  I can't remember ANY game for the XBox that also featured this so early in the XBoxes life. 

Most of the maps were cool, the weapons reasonably balanced (except for the pistol) and the graphics were good for the time.

You get 8 guys playing Halo in the same room, that is manly trash-talking heaven.

[Sairon]

To even name a main character "Master chief" should be punishable by death.

[Trippy]

That's his rank. It makes perfect sense.

[Murgos]

To even name a main character "Master chief" should be punishable by death.

It's an E-9 in the US Navy it's short for Master Chief Petty Officer.  In other words he is a future version of a SEAL.

[Sairon]

Ah, I guess it makes sense since people generally refer to others in terms of their rank in the military. Still would've preferred a name 

[Miasma]

Halo was pretty good for a console shooter, it had some story, some vehicle use, and it was fairly easy to play but it owes most of its success to good timing and marketing.

There is no doubt in my mind that Unreal 3 will be the best straight multiplayer FPS of this generation. Unless Enemy Territory turns out to be the cat's pajamas.

Does anyone have some info on Enemy Territory?  It comes out in a couple weeks and I'd like to know if it's worth buying.  If it's a better, less buggy version of BF2 I would be happy.

One of my main concerns, from watching the gameplay videos, is that the objectives are too complex and will only be able to be executed by clans.

Edit: Added link to video of a mission tutorial.

[schild]

Ah, I guess it makes sense since people generally refer to others in terms of their rank in the military. Still would've preferred a name 

With a name, it wouldn't be a surprise when they bust off the helmet and Chief turns out to be an alien or a super hot chick.

[schild]

There is no doubt in my mind that Unreal 3 will be the best straight multiplayer FPS of this generation. Unless Enemy Territory turns out to be the cat's pajamas.

Does anyone have some info on Enemy Territory?  It comes out in a couple weeks and I'd like to know if it's worth buying.  If it's a better, less buggy version of BF2 I would be happy.

One of my main concerns, from watching the gameplay videos, is that the objectives are too complex and will only be able to be executed by clans.

Yar. I worry about that too. But there will be traditional playstyles for people who like 2v2 and shit. So I'll have to pick it up either way. I'm sure a demo will drop 2-3 days before release.

[gimpyone]

With a name, it wouldn't be a surprise when they bust off the helmet and Chief turns out to be an alien or a super hot chick.

You mean like http://www.gametrailers.com/umwatcher.php?id=57998

[Stormwaltz]

I'm looking forward to the soundtrack.

Any FPS without mouse/keyboard = pain to me.

[Chimpy]

I never played the Halo games (as I don't have an Xbox) but I always figured from what I heard about 2 being pretty crappy in relation to the original has to do with the environment it was developed in.

Halo was originally being developed by Bungie as a somewhat traditional PC FPS with some new takes on a few aspects of the game. Then MS bought Bungie out as the game was more than half finished and made it an Xbox first title. After that the devs were no longer working for a small game company that could do interesting things, they were working for M$ where spending money on marketing to keep printing money with the same formula was more cost effective than spending the money making and testing something edgy that might or might not work.

It was also the first successful FPS that was tuned from release to be playable on a console. Most previous titles were ports of games that had been kb/mouse oriented.

But, of course, I could be totally off base.  :-D

[NiX]

Then MS bought Bungie out as the game was more than half finished and made it an Xbox first title.

I thought MS bought them out after Halo 1 killed in sales.

[schild]

Microsoft bought Bungie before Halo 1 was out. It was published by Microsoft Game Studios.

I highly doubt Microsoft hampered development on the series in any way whatsoever.

[Velorath]

Halo was originally being developed by Bungie as a somewhat traditional PC FPS with some new takes on a few aspects of the game.

Actually, when Halo was announced at Macworld, it was originally going to be a 3rd person, squad based shooter.

[Moaner]

I tried really hard to like the beta.  But, after years of Quake and DoD, the gameplay just seems dated and boring.  It's as slow as molasses, gunplay is uninspired, and the graphics are lackluster.  Seriously, Halo 3 beta feels like a beefed up Quake 2 mod.  No shit.

Don't get me wrong.  I love me some Halo single player.  Co-op will probably be fun as well.  The multiplay is boring as hell though and the hype surrounding it is mystifying.

[Azazel]

To even name a main character "Master chief" should be punishable by death.

Even now, I still read it as "Master Chef".

if we're talking about multiplayer FPS, Unreal Tournament predated Halo by 2 years. Looked a hell of a lot better. And played a HELL of a lot better.

There is no doubt in my mind that Unreal 3 will be the best straight multiplayer FPS of this generation. Unless Enemy Territory turns out to be the cat's pajamas.

When is U3 due out? And I also look forward to the ET as a better Battlefield 2142 (which I've so far avoided).

[murdoc]

Halo was the first 1st person shooter I actually enjoyed on a console... until I was forced to do the library level over and over and over and over.

I never even tried Halo 2. Anything I've seen of the 3rd one makes me think that trend will continue. It's too bad because I actually don't mind playing FPS on consoles.

[Tairnyn]

I never understood the allure of Halo, although I've only played it on the PC. I often have arguments with a guy at work who claims it's one of the best games ever, but he's an XBox/Microsoft fanbois so I guess the whole best-FPS-on-a-console angle makes sense. The only (very minor) validating quality of the game for me was the physics on the vehicles, but otherwise the weapons and enemies made only for monotonous drudgery. The interface is unresponsive and often felt like Master Chief had a few drinks while on some serious painkillers. Considering the popularity of Gears of War, I've always been interested to know how they made FPS fun on a console without the control and accuracy of a mouse/keyboard interface.

[MrHat]

lol, that Haloid video was great.

[Shrike]

The only reason Halo stands out among FPS' is because of Marathon. If not for the Marathon tie-in, it'd be just another FPS with multiplayer gameplay we first saw in DOOM then perfected in Quake. Needless to say, I have no interest in the multiplayer part of Halo (I still play Quake via Darkplaces).

However, the storyline as it relates to the Marathon games--particularly Infinity--is what interests me and I wait with bated breath to see what Bungie has wrought. Full campaign storyline coop better be in the frigging game.

And furthermore, if you haven't played Marathon you're a bloody heathen. Go download the Aleph games and learn something (yeah, it's retro, so what?).

[Morfiend]

I will be buying Halo 3 for the Coop story mode only. I doubt I will ever even play death match of capture the flag.

[Strazos]

Halo's success has nothing to do with Marathon. 99% of the people who buy and play Halo have never heard of Marathon. Hell, I've never even played the game. I was still in elementary school, and wouldn't own a PC for another few years.

[Margalis]

Halo is awesome if it is the only FPS you have ever played.

[Murgos]

Considering the popularity of Gears of War, I've always been interested to know how they made FPS fun on a console without the control and accuracy of a mouse/keyboard interface.

Gears of War is a lot of fun, you have no where near the control and accuracy of a mouse/keyboard set up even now though.  GoW doesn't really need it though, it's a glorified corridor shooter and you only rarely have more than three or four targets to deal with at one time.

[Miasma]

Considering the popularity of Gears of War, I've always been interested to know how they made FPS fun on a console without the control and accuracy of a mouse/keyboard interface.

Gears of War is a lot of fun, you have no where near the control and accuracy of a mouse/keyboard set up even now though.  GoW doesn't really need it though, it's a glorified corridor shooter and you only rarely have more than three or four targets to deal with at one time.

Yes, in Gears of War you are either running or gunning, rarely do you run and gun.  When you do have to both move and shoot at the same time it sucks just as bad as any other console FPS.

[SnakeCharmer]

IMHO, the success of Gears has more to do with the absolute perfection of the graphics and sound more than the gameplay, which is really quite good.  The cover and targetting mechanics are what make the game for me, along with the spectacular graphics.  Regular TVs do NOT do it justice.  HD is a must.

Edit: Back to thread subject though.  Somewhat saddened to hear that Halo 3 didn't meet your expectations, BG.  Did you really expect too much, or are you genuinely disappointed?

[sam, an eggplant]

I never understood why halo was so great either. I'm one of those guys that can't play FPSes with a gamepad, so I was truly excited when halo1 came out for PC. Then I started playing. It ran like dogshit, looked like crap, and played like every other FPS. Its only real innovation was the shield mechanic. I didn't even finish the singleplayer, and nobody ever played multi on PC. I went right back to UT2004.

[Chenghiz]

Halo still has the best vehicle implementation, in terms of game balance, that I've seen in an FPS. I am not really an FPS aficionado though.