Maybe it's not the frame rate but the motion blur that's making it seem like the frame rate is low. It does sort of create a ghost effect like an old school LCD. The frame rate is not noticeably problematic for me. It feels smooth and responsive. There may be the odd slowdown, but I don't really think so.
I noticed frame rate drops in a fair few places, but nothing problematic. A couple of them were surprisingly large, given how smooth Halo 3 usually was (even in co-op at the twin scarabs + tank + warthog + aircraft + etc bit) but again it was nothing that spoiled the game.
I found the post campaign lone wolf "ending" bit to be very deflating and, lacking achievable goals, to be demotivating and a net detractor to the game regardless of how "clever" it might seem to include interactive fatalism. Having read Fall of Reach, it was also something of an anticlimax and a huge disappointment compared to some of the other stuff that you know was happening on Reach at the time (after the Pillar of Autumn left) and that they could have tied in to.
Oh well. Great game, disappointing climax and conclusion.
Oh well. Great game, disappointing climax and conclusion.
The covenant station where you use the jet packs that was destroyed right before the USNC cruiser was destroyed was actually a cloaking device and not just a communication jammer.
Its not motion blur, worst part was new alexandria level rly annoying and fight outside the lab (underground) i wanted to turn off console.
Hmm just finished the game there was no huuuuge battles as bungie promised. Pretty solid campaign aside from framerate issues but vehicle combat was weak in compare to all previous halo games and no scarab fights at all. Good game but imo h3 was much better in sp.
(((interference)))
Veteran
I think the level design, story etc are much better than Halo 3.
The only problem is the difficulty, Heroic is way too hard and normal is too easy.
The elites are so bloody strong and don't stand still for a second which means trying to take them out at long range is hard and at close range its completely futile because they just sidestep your melee and hit you in the back.
And they have recharging shields, on Nightfall I was trying to snipe the elites wielding concussion rifles and it takes two or three shots to take out their shields and then one in the head or a few more in the body, but what always happens is that I'll get 2 or 3 shots on them and then they'll run to cover and recharge their shields so I have to shoot them all over again. And it's not like you can run down and chase them while their running away either as all the jackals and grunts will strip your shields and you can get taken out by a single concussion rifle blast or melee attack.
I think the other big problem besides the Elites is that they've made the plasma pistol way more powerful now, which means even basic jackals and grunts can actually deal significant damage with theirs, unlike every other Halo game to date where only the needler, carbine, beam rifle, fuel rod wielding (or overcharged PP shot) grunts and jackals posed a threat - the rest were basically cannon fodder.
They have changed the shots to kill a player in MP for the plasma pistol from 25 down to 10 and the increase in damage seems to be carried over to the single player.
Furthermore, your shields recharge much slower than Halo 3 - the time you have to avoid damage until your shields recharge seems to be twice as long as H3 (they said this in the podcast as well).
All of which conspire to make it ridiculously hard on Heroic and not much fun to play (especially if your like me and like going into close ranged combat with the AI - which was a viable strategy in all past Halos even ODST - though to a lesser degree).
The only problem is the difficulty, Heroic is way too hard and normal is too easy.
The elites are so bloody strong and don't stand still for a second which means trying to take them out at long range is hard and at close range its completely futile because they just sidestep your melee and hit you in the back.
And they have recharging shields, on Nightfall I was trying to snipe the elites wielding concussion rifles and it takes two or three shots to take out their shields and then one in the head or a few more in the body, but what always happens is that I'll get 2 or 3 shots on them and then they'll run to cover and recharge their shields so I have to shoot them all over again. And it's not like you can run down and chase them while their running away either as all the jackals and grunts will strip your shields and you can get taken out by a single concussion rifle blast or melee attack.
I think the other big problem besides the Elites is that they've made the plasma pistol way more powerful now, which means even basic jackals and grunts can actually deal significant damage with theirs, unlike every other Halo game to date where only the needler, carbine, beam rifle, fuel rod wielding (or overcharged PP shot) grunts and jackals posed a threat - the rest were basically cannon fodder.
They have changed the shots to kill a player in MP for the plasma pistol from 25 down to 10 and the increase in damage seems to be carried over to the single player.
Furthermore, your shields recharge much slower than Halo 3 - the time you have to avoid damage until your shields recharge seems to be twice as long as H3 (they said this in the podcast as well).
All of which conspire to make it ridiculously hard on Heroic and not much fun to play (especially if your like me and like going into close ranged combat with the AI - which was a viable strategy in all past Halos even ODST - though to a lesser degree).
Silent_Buddha
Legend
Cool, so they basically act like a player or a creature that isn't suicidal?
Sounds great, mine is installing to the HDD right now.I'm sure the elites on the other side are thinking the same thing, "Gdamn Human keeps hiding when I pop his shields, stupid thing is hard to kill."
Regards,
SB
Hey Guys, as a long time lurker and occasional poster, i thought i would throw my name in the hat if anyone wants to play some co-op or firefight. I'm in Au - though so i'm online odd hours for most of the planet!
gamertag: FALLOUT BOY44
gamertag: FALLOUT BOY44
But that was only cloaking the ship once it got there correct? How did the ship get there is my question.
I thought it was used to hide the ship's approach as well as to keep it hidden while the Covenant forces to deploy. Anyway it was pretty cool to see plot twist of just when you thought you've won, the Covenant smacks you in the face destroying a USNC cruiser.
Cool, so they basically act like a player or a creature that isn't suicidal?
I'm sure the elites on the other side are thinking the same thing, "Gdamn Human keeps hiding when I pop his shields, stupid thing is hard to kill."
Regards,
SB
Not really. They do act like low-end people in multipayer. Though they actually have better tactics than most groups of people
The bad news is that previously you could stun an Elite if you hit them just right, thus giving you time to line up shots 2 and 3. If you did it properly, you could take the Elite down at longe range, thus the point of the sniper rifle. Granted you had to do it just right, but now the stun seems to be much harder to obtain, I'm not sure just how or if it is even repeateable or random. Basic result, the sniper rifle is not particularly useful in the campaign. The first time you plug an elite with the sniple rifle (on heroic at whatever the range) in the back of neck where there is no armor, and he runs away is ... not a particularly enjoyable moment. Remember that the movement speed is significantly increased as well. Even when they have not twigged to your presence yet they are often in constant motion.Nice to see it wasn't just me.
Last edited by a moderator:
dragonelite
Veteran
In the books human slipspace tech is primitive.
If memory doesn't fail me.
The covenant sometimes moves ships in clusters through slipspace so it seems like they are big asteroids stuck in slipspace.
Does not like the retcon bungie did to Fall of Reach
but it is nice to put a face on Halsey in the halo lore the legendary Halsey sucked ass. And the biggest face smacking was after jorge death felt for the dude sacrificing himself in his head to save reach and bam huge ass covenant fleet arrives. Oni is a bad faction wouldn't be surprised if they killed everybody that spotted the covenant cruiser just to stop mass hysteria
this game is really good, love it.
I played a bit of halo 3 yesterday and the graphical difference is obvious.
I have a big question though, i like taking screens, but i exceeded the limit, and i do not know how to erase older sreen to have the new ones uploaded on the bungie website, can someone help me ?
I played a bit of halo 3 yesterday and the graphical difference is obvious.
I have a big question though, i like taking screens, but i exceeded the limit, and i do not know how to erase older sreen to have the new ones uploaded on the bungie website, can someone help me ?
I thought the overall campaign experience was better in Halo 3, and preferred Halo 3's story. I missed Halo 3's epic battles and really missed the flood too, who added another dimension to the gameplay. Reach felt like ODST - a bolt on. Quite a bit of dodgy retcon action going on too. Actually I preferred ODST's campaign to Reach's too (I think ODST is underrated).
Reach is still great, and the multiplayer is great, and the campaign is fun and the graphics are greatly improved. It's definitely worth a 9/10. But ... it does feel like the fourth one in the trilogy. Time for Bungie to move on and leave 117 to someone fresh.
Reach is still great, and the multiplayer is great, and the campaign is fun and the graphics are greatly improved. It's definitely worth a 9/10. But ... it does feel like the fourth one in the trilogy. Time for Bungie to move on and leave 117 to someone fresh.
I was looking forward to seeing Buck on Reach.
The only really official story is only what's in the games. Whatever books some hired writers have made is irrelevant IMHO. Books comics and such are always made to make some extra profits on the established franchises and they're usually pretty low priority for the actual people who dreamed up these fictional universes.
So whatever you've read in Fall of Reach doesn't really matter and Bungie can do as they see fit. I pretty much expected them not to pay any attention to those books well before the game was released and they're right to do so. Their storytelling shouldn't be constrained by some outsiders' imagination... and so I don't consider it as retconing anything.
So whatever you've read in Fall of Reach doesn't really matter and Bungie can do as they see fit. I pretty much expected them not to pay any attention to those books well before the game was released and they're right to do so. Their storytelling shouldn't be constrained by some outsiders' imagination... and so I don't consider it as retconing anything.
I think if you officially licence books and talk about them being cannon you really ought not to reduce them to the level of fanfiction when it suits you. It's dishonest, and it's retcon.
That kind of thing goes on all the time, and normally I would steer well clear of licensed add-ons, but I was hoping for more from Bungie. Maybe they hated the books and never wanted them published, and maybe they always intended to rewrite those bits of the story given the opportunity, but it's still an un-necessary mess.
It doesn't help that what's described in Fall of Reach is better and more believable (within the context of the Halo universe) than what's in the game.
That kind of thing goes on all the time, and normally I would steer well clear of licensed add-ons, but I was hoping for more from Bungie. Maybe they hated the books and never wanted them published, and maybe they always intended to rewrite those bits of the story given the opportunity, but it's still an un-necessary mess.
It doesn't help that what's described in Fall of Reach is better and more believable (within the context of the Halo universe) than what's in the game.
I thought the overall campaign experience was better in Halo 3, and preferred Halo 3's story. I missed Halo 3's epic battles and really missed the flood too, who added another dimension to the gameplay. Reach felt like ODST - a bolt on. Quite a bit of dodgy retcon action going on too. Actually I preferred ODST's campaign to Reach's too (I think ODST is underrated).
Reach is still great, and the multiplayer is great, and the campaign is fun and the graphics are greatly improved. It's definitely worth a 9/10. But ... it does feel like the fourth one in the trilogy. Time for Bungie to move on and leave 117 to someone fresh.
I was looking forward to seeing Buck on Reach.
+1 completely agree with you.
If you have the limited edition, I think you should read Dr. Halsey's journal as it bridges the books and the games together.
And if you think the games are overriding the books you need to know that Dr. Halsey, Spartan III's etc. were all lifted FROM the books.
Seriously, I understand the decisions they made; if you are a hardcore halo fan and have read the books, you will get a better understanding of the world if you read the journals, and if you are a casual fan then you understand it as you see it. Basically they are killing two birds with one stone.
I repeat they are not doing any retcons, all they did is look for extra spaces to tell their story.
And for those wandering why the covenant vessel was in atmosphere undetected; the covenant vessel can jump into atmosphere as the can do pin point slip space jump (another element FROM the books) and the spire was a cloak.
The battle for Reach is NOT restricted to just the events in Fall of Reach, its a large scale war.
And if you think the games are overriding the books you need to know that Dr. Halsey, Spartan III's etc. were all lifted FROM the books.
Seriously, I understand the decisions they made; if you are a hardcore halo fan and have read the books, you will get a better understanding of the world if you read the journals, and if you are a casual fan then you understand it as you see it. Basically they are killing two birds with one stone.
I repeat they are not doing any retcons, all they did is look for extra spaces to tell their story.
And for those wandering why the covenant vessel was in atmosphere undetected; the covenant vessel can jump into atmosphere as the can do pin point slip space jump (another element FROM the books) and the spire was a cloak.
The battle for Reach is NOT restricted to just the events in Fall of Reach, its a large scale war.
dragonelite
Veteran
Have a feeling that the battle in First Strike and Fall of Reach take place after noble team died or after
jorge sacrificed himself and the big fleet came in
Hope that if 343 makes a game it will follow the chief in First Strike that book is the epitome of the action from the books i have read so much cool stuff.
I can understand bungie for implementing noble team it was a good way for them to make a good goodbye to the franchise no lose ends on noble team. They said in the interview that they already had the next trilogy story base done for Halo 4,5 and 6. but it wouldn't feel good for them to make Halo 4 they wanted to move on. Still wondering what bungie Aerospace is?
If they made a real effort to bridge the gap then they deserve more credit than I was giving them, and they're doing what I previously expected them to. So good on Bungie then. But ...
Retcon is still retcon even if you do damage control. Some of the "extra spaces" they created don't fit well, were IMO unnecessary and lead to a rather less dramatic start to Reach's destruction than previously understood to have happened.
The way they played it in the original intro reveal was much, much better ("You picked a hell of a day ..." etc).
I guess they needed to add some more turns to the drama ("We safe planet moustache man!" then "nooooooooo").
You don't say.
Does the limited edition explain how a helmet survives a planetary glassing? Was it in the bit they left?
I want Halo 4 to be about Arby looking for Chef (with Shipmaster as his grumpy sidekick).
