{"id":1659,"date":"2009-09-14T05:54:14","date_gmt":"2009-09-14T05:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/danielprimed.com\/?p=1659"},"modified":"2009-09-14T05:54:14","modified_gmt":"2009-09-14T05:54:14","slug":"halo-%e2%80%93-the-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danielprimed.com\/2009\/09\/halo-%e2%80%93-the-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Halo \u2013 The Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In my previous Halo<\/em>-themed article<\/a> I mentioned that I’d write about the franchise’s iconic science fiction theme. Honestly? I gave it a red-hot go, but unfortunately the final write-up wasn’t very flattering, so I’ve decided to skip that part and move onto the other proposed article — flaws and weaknesses. Maybe I’ll reuse the canned<\/span> material for my next post.<\/p>\n

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A good portion of my criticisms leveled<\/span> towards the franchise are superbly written up in Daniel Weissenberger’s review of Halo 3<\/em> for GameCritics.com<\/a>. You should take a read once you’ve read this, of course.<\/p>\n

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It’d be safe to say that few video game franchise reel the haters quite<\/span> like Halo<\/em>. Personally, I can swing either way. My assertions made on Halo<\/em>‘s influence as <\/span>discussed in my Halo \u2013 Building the New Standard<\/a> post are all objectively true; the series has simply done a lot for the genre. The disdain that many hold towards the franchise is also an equally legitimate argument too. Let’s delve into the other side a little;<\/p>\n

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Level Design, Pasting and Momentum<\/h3>\n

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The highs are so high and the lows so low. That’s probably a good description of the level design throughout Halo<\/em> and Halo 2<\/em>. Halo<\/em> is a very iterative series, with the same homogenized strengths and weaknesses in design shaping the first game, effectively reoccurring to carve away at the two sequels. Halo<\/em> in particular is top heavy, with the best levels stuffed into the front and the drawn-out, weaker levels in the back. It’s a good representative sample of the issues at play, so let’s take a poke.<\/p>\n

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After a weary, corridor-shooter-esque introduction to a fairly generic science fiction premise in Pillar of Autumn<\/a>, the benchmark is quickly set high with the excellent (and again, self-titled) Halo<\/a>. Halo provides a refreshing entry point for the series to strut it’s large playing fields and open-ended environment<\/span>, while introducing the franchise favourite warthog. It’s a very iconic level and for good reason. The momentum slows for Truth and Reconciliation<\/a> which is a quieter romp. Truth and Reconciliation is the intentional lull period leading into The Silent Cartographer<\/a> which builds the pace once again. In a similar vein to Halo, The Silent Cartographer is both open-ended and engaging through the respective<\/span> two-way, circular design of the island and the generous serving of supporting marines and vehicles.<\/p>\n