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Post by Blade Runner 07 on Dec 26, 2014 18:50:38 GMT -5
Crazy fool, why do you always jump? Presentation: 7/10 It's subjective. On one hand you have a collection of some of the best first-person shooters ever made on a single disc, looking, sounding, and playing better than ever. On the other, you get networking problems, technical hiccups, and spots where the whole sections of the games fail to preserve their original sense of scale and dramatic weight. The networking is all kinds of wonky in particular. Half of the time I can either get into a party with a friend or a game session but not both, and getting into a matchmaking game is tedious and a true test of patience as finding enough players can take ages. On top of all that, the customization of your multiplayer avatar has been dumbed down to only being able to wear full sets of armor instead of mixing different permutations. Worse yet, they rarely show up in the middle of actual matches. Gameplay: 10/10 When everything is working perfectly it's easy to see why this franchise was seen as being so revolutionary in it's day. Between the dramatic pacing of these stories and the memorial battles that take place, it's easy to understand why more titles in this genre made an effort to be more like Halo. Halo 2 and Halo 3 stand out spectacularly in this department while Halo: CEA is still a classic albeit, noticeably aged experience, and Halo 4 feels nearly out of place as the first in 343 Industries brand of Halo games. A universal control scheme ties it all together in a seamless fashion and the 60 frames per-second really helps things. When all kinds of human and covenant weapons start firing in multiple directions you can really tell the difference and I don't imagine I'll want to play an FPS at a lower frame-rate ever again. It's that profound. Thought I'd try shooting my way out. Graphics: 9/10 The original graphics are the best they have ever looked, Thats to say, they range from dated, to ugly, but it's still easy to see how they were considered AAA for there time. Most of the problems have to do with the actual art-style inconsistency between the games. The original graphics of Halo 2 and Halo 3 could be two parts to the same game, bombing around in war-torn cities and far-off worlds is where Halo is at home, and it's never more apparent than in those games. On the flip-side, Halo 4 has a a very clean, straightforward, and "new" feel to it while Halo: CEA retains its more lived-in atmosphere with the alien-world feel to it all. In order to save time with Halo 2, 343i borrowed several art assets from Halo 4, and it leads to a few instances of losing your sense of time passed within the lore. Seeing the Halo 4 warthog model in Halo 2 Anniversary really takes you out of the experience and is a small but dramatic oversight. Technically, nothing is pushing the Xbox One in any real way here but I can't imagine these games looking any better than they already do. Sound: 9/10 The games sound as good as they ever have, but it's not without it's feelings of missed opportunity and intrusiveness. Liberties taken with changing some of the finer nuances of the original Halo sound in the Anniversary editions underhandedly change the way whole sections of the game feel. They're worth a listen, but it's hard to say if the changes are really that good. Some sections of Halo 2 especially were known for shutting up and letting the music do the talking. I loved these moments. It's a real shame that the gentle voices of a quire while riding an underwater elevator are now drowned by an orchestra and babbling A.I. Really, all the iconic music may have been best left alone going forward. Luckily both the new sound and graphics can be toggled on and off on a whim. I just wish I didn't have to play whole sections of Halo 2 on old graphics just because the audio is tied to it's visual generation. I can't stand some of the new stuff. Less drums, more guitar. Value: 9/10 Is this game worth the asking price? In short, yes. The first three of these games can be considered true classics of the genre and still stand as some of the best shooters ever made, and Halo 4 is a good way to get a feel of the direction 343i is taking the franchise. The changes made have both good and bad elements to them but there's something here for every shooter fan. If you've long since burnt out on the franchise this might play to your nostalgia enough to buy in. For everyone else, if you've ever been a Halo fan, a FPS fan, or just enjoy action games, and getting alot of mileage for you money, you can't go wrong with Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Warts and all. Heres to making things right. 9/10
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Post by JMMREVIEW on Dec 29, 2014 12:40:51 GMT -5
9/10 seems pretty high considering just how broken the online side of the game is. I don't know I just find it unacceptable to still have to put up with laggy servers in the day and age.
I guess I can see where you are coming from, if someone asked me to rate PD XBLA I would give it 10/10 despite the unplayable co-op and poor multiplayer game severs.
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on Dec 29, 2014 14:49:19 GMT -5
Yeah at the end of the day, these are still very memorable stories, with good graphics and some of the best FPS gameplay ever made. Considering the original trilogy can still stand up to the likes of today's most popular games in the genre, and while everything pre-halo feels dated and wonky at times, it's a true testament to how great these games are.
Someday, and that day may never come, the likes of Halo 2 and COD4 will sit next to Bioshock and Half-Life 2 as the greatest shooters of all time. We've just never had a long enough break from these franchises to look back with subjective eyes and see just how great these games are.
It's easy to get stuck on the bugs, glitches, and age of these games but when you look past that, you got gold. When/if, the bugs are fixed, I think more people will see the 9/10 to be justified. As for right now, the matchmaking is hit and miss while the online co-op and custom games is solid and still fun. I gave it a 9/10 because in my opinion, this compilation deserves nothing more and nothing less.
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Post by JMMREVIEW on Jan 1, 2015 13:33:58 GMT -5
the likes of Halo 2 and COD4 will sit next to Bioshock and Half-Life 2 as the greatest shooters of all time. Halo 2, Cod 4 and Half life 2 will go down as improvements on what came before, Golden Eye, Halo and Half Life. A little off topic but I don't see why people hold Bioshock in such high regard I personally don't see it on any top 10 FPS game lists other than top 10 FPS games for the Xbox 360.
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on Jan 1, 2015 15:14:12 GMT -5
I've seen the first bioshock on a few different top fps lists but I agree. Personally, I don't understand the appeal. Not my cup of tea I guess but I was just alluding to the general consensus and the idea that just because we're sick of something, doesn't make it any less important.
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Xargen
Metal Gear
Kickin' names, taking ass.
Posts: 1,651
Now Playing: I PLAY THA VIDJA GAMES!
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Post by Xargen on Jan 3, 2015 23:25:55 GMT -5
I absolutely loved the story of Bioshock tbh (The first once moreso than Infinite)
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MMCC0203
Deepthroat
Posts: 658
Now Playing: Fallout 4
Favorite Game: LoZ: Majora's Mask
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Post by MMCC0203 on Jan 4, 2015 17:46:13 GMT -5
the likes of Halo 2 and COD4 will sit next to Bioshock and Half-Life 2 as the greatest shooters of all time. Halo 2, Cod 4 and Half life 2 will go down as improvements on what came before, Golden Eye, Halo and Half Life... I'm not sure I agree. The true greats always stand the test of time in some way regardless of what comes after them. I'd say games have been getting more ambitious technically, but what comes out today isn't necessarily an improvement upon the stuff we had a decade ago. As for Bioshock, I'd say it's held in such high regard because of its atmosphere. There's really nothing else like it aside from the other games in the franchise.
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MMCC0203
Deepthroat
Posts: 658
Now Playing: Fallout 4
Favorite Game: LoZ: Majora's Mask
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Post by MMCC0203 on Jan 4, 2015 18:15:29 GMT -5
OT: Your review is pretty much spot on. I've had a great time with TMCC aside from the matchmaking issues. As someone who has no nostalgia for H2 I'd say it holds up extremely well today as do the rest of games in the collection. It has to be said though that the matchmaking issues are still there, and by this point they shouldn't be. A proper lobby system would go a long way in remedying these issues IMO.
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Post by JMMREVIEW on Jan 4, 2015 18:22:24 GMT -5
It has to be said though that the matchmaking issues are still there, and by this point they shouldn't be. A proper lobby system would go a long way in remedying these issues IMO. Agreed there is no excuse for this, and it should be seen as a big deal.
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MMCC0203
Deepthroat
Posts: 658
Now Playing: Fallout 4
Favorite Game: LoZ: Majora's Mask
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Post by MMCC0203 on Jan 4, 2015 18:45:15 GMT -5
It has to be said though that the matchmaking issues are still there, and by this point they shouldn't be. A proper lobby system would go a long way in remedying these issues IMO. Agreed there is no excuse for this, and it should be seen as a big deal. Yeah. I really think a proper lobby system could fix most of the issues currently plaguing matchmaking. As it stands right now you're forced to endure insane search times after every match because you can't simply stay in a lobby with people you just played with. It's a bit ridiculous that a game that launched in 2014 doesn't have this feature.
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on Jan 5, 2015 11:17:18 GMT -5
I explained to a friend the other day that this collection has three of the highest rated games in their genre. They didn't get there on multiplayer alone. I think that's why games like titanfall will never be on the same level. If anything this collection goes to show how relevant a single player campaign is and will always be.
Also, I think Halo 2 is my new favorite. It feels less scripted (therefore less linear) than any of the others and has the best gameplay. Halo 3 was my number one for a long time.
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on Jun 6, 2015 11:59:39 GMT -5
ODST Mini-Review
The remaster of ODST is out and it's pretty much as you remember it from the Xbox 360 minus Firefight. The whole campaign is brighter now and doesn't suffer from being too dark the way the 360 version did. Less noticeable improvements are the absence of all the jagged edges, and the 60FPS really helping to make the character movement during the cut-scenes look more natural.
Despite coming out after Halo 3, if I were to choose an order in which to play these games, I would suggest playing it right after Halo 2. It feels like a story that Bungie always meant to have between the two games as a primer for the epicness of Halo 3. It wasn't, but feels that way to such an extent that if that was Bungies intention, they nailed it. ODSTs ending just made me want to go "finish the fight" all over again. In the whole, the game just makes that time during the Human-Covenant war feel all the richer, and only goes to make the original Halo Trilogy, a stronger story.
I still stand by the 9/10 I gave the Master Chief Collection last year. With ODST only $5, it's diffidently worth the asking price. I felt like I could finally enjoy this campaign for all it is without the eye strain, or list of distraction that came with the original. Distractions such as the "Road to Recon" achievements, new Halo 3 multiplayer maps, and everyone and their dog wanting to play firefight. The level of atmosphere of the New Mombossa Street levels has yet to be matched in a Halo game, and the music...
I'm in love with the first two minutes of this track. The last thing I'll say about ODST is this. Play this game alone! The first time I played it, I co-oped it with a friend and never got the full experience. It's a drastically different and arguably superior experience playing it alone, and at a slower pace. It's the one Halo game that's better when your by yourself, and that makes it special. Check it out.
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Post by JMMREVIEW on Jun 6, 2015 12:22:47 GMT -5
I was just about to say wow there really isn't much of a difference between this and the 360 version but then there wouldn't be considering it is going from HD to.... HD! This is more of a port than anything.
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on Jun 6, 2015 12:29:24 GMT -5
Yeah, I figured it's juuuuust different enough. I mean if we can call Resident Evil "remastered"... It's the best it's ever looked and looks better than the 360 version. That's saying something when alot of ported games just get uglier and uglier as the hardware gets newer and the video output magnifies the cracks. Ever seen Mario 64 via HDMI stretched to fit your 16:9??? Scary. Like Halo 3, ODST looks like it belongs on the Xbox One, even if it's clearly an older game. No jaggys ya know.
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