aPK provides a rundown of many of the changes made to Halo 4 over the last few months in this video, and makes his case for why he thinks Halo is back. So what do you all think, is Halo back? What do you think about the recent changes? What needs to be done for you to declare Halo is BACK!?
Personally I don't think Halo is 'back'. Yet I must agree they are making some great changes. I just recently started playing Halo 4 again (about 3 days ago) and I've played more in those 3 days then I did at the release of Halo 4. For Halo to make a comeback I think 343 shouldn't take 6 months to listen to the community about changes that need to be made. I think that they need to get rid of armor abilities and player rank and make the game less casual and more competitive like it once was in H3 and H2. Have a true skill rank, as they just recently implemented. I honestly think the biggest problem with H4 was that it took months for 343 to respond to the requests that the players had and I think the game was just too casual as was Reach.
I still despise the fact that most playlists utilize custom loadouts and personal ordnance. Additionally, I hate how customization in custom games is beyond butchered. The competitive gamer in me isn't very satisfied and the casual gamer in me is incredibly unsatisfied. I like Team Throwdown, but the thing I hate is the only way to play decently competitive settings is to get into one playlist that the vast majority of Halo 4's population is too scared to touch because they know competitive settings means they'll be playing against competitive teams, making its total population like 150 players. A lot of people like the competitive settings and think they're more fun than default, but they just don't feel like getting their *** handed to them by a bunch of pros/tryhards. I like how BTB Pro is set up, and I wish pro settings would come up more often in the voting lobby, and would come up in just about every standard playlist.
I'm pretty much on the same page with you guys. To be honest, though, I didn't even expect this much progress after 343 released the wheelchair pic as part the demonstration of their vision for Halo 4 at the GDC conference a while back. I'm pleasantly surprised by the improvements. Regardless of what changes are made at this point, it's highly doubtful that most of the population that left in the first few months will ever come back. I hope I'm wrong about that. It would really send a message if the population started growing instead of shrinking. Population is kind of beside the point, though. I think the main focus in this video was that the fundamental changes to the game itself are bringing Halo 4 closer to the Halo we've traditionally known. There are 3 main things that still need to change before I can say that Halo is back to being Halo: Sprint must go, or least be a toggle-able option. Flinch must go and be replaced by descoping. Flag dropping must go or be a toggle-able option. There are several other things that should without a doubt be done in addition, but as long as these 3 things are still in place it just isn't quite the same game to me.
OMG THAT FOUR SHOT BR!!! lol The game's still lame... for the reasons you mentioned above, Chunk, as well as the terrible default maps.