Don't see how it can get such a high score. Halo had a huge problem: it was very repetitive. I still remember slogging through what seemed like hundreds of identical corridors, killing hundreds of identical enemies and then having to get out the same way I got in. I know the reason was the tiny amount of RAM on the original Xbox, but I don't know why the same problem on the newer Xbox 360 doesn't detract heavily from the score.
Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary Review
- Thread starter Russ Pitts
- Start date
Really? I've been finding the opposite, I'm breezing through on Heroic as if it was Normal. Back in Halo 1's days, I think the assumption was that you'd be playing through the game in a slow, cautious manner and they designed the enemies accordingly. The enemies in Halo Anniversary generally crumple like a pack of cards in you hit them hard and fast. You get so many grenades and so much ammo that you can really spam the life out of big groups of enemies - it almost feels unfair at times. (Not to mention you can Magnum one-shot the Hunters!) I'm playing through Legendary at the moment, which redresses the balance a little. The enemies don't seem much tougher, but I suddenly fall down dead a bit more often (damage indication really isn't this game's strong suit).OhJohnNo said:
Odd. When I try and rush/spam them, I generally die to an Elite's fist - or more commonly, those fucking Needlers. I think it's because I'm used to the later Halo games, where rushing generally involves using a lot of melee - in this game, melee is much less powerful, so it's got much less use.Batou667 said:
Also, trying to rush the Flood is like trying to rush... well, a flood.
The Elites are a lot more static in this game and see to have longer roaring/throwing animations so they're easier to plasma stick or pistol overcharge... also, the grunts never kamikaze so you don't have to worry about keeping your distanceOhJohnNo said:
You're right, melee is a lot more hit-and-miss (emphasis on miss).Against flood I certainly wouldn't recommend any rush-down tactics!
I really like Anniversary, i think the graphics look great (With the occasional texture pop-in) and it reminds me of the time where if you didn't know what you were doing you would loose, instead of holding your hand through each level.
Quote from one of my friends "Fucking 343 guilty spark, how do you complete this mission?! It doesn't even tell you where to go!" Oh dear... back in 2001 they expected you to work out how you got around the level
Quote from one of my friends "Fucking 343 guilty spark, how do you complete this mission?! It doesn't even tell you where to go!" Oh dear... back in 2001 they expected you to work out how you got around the level
Sadly, that's actually Anniversary's fault, at least to a good extent. I think the original game does a pretty good job with situation awareness indicators. The red directional arrows, for instance, are much more vivid than they are in CEA. CEA also has a ton of visual and sound clutter. A lot of the awareness sounds, like fuel rod guns being fired and banshee flying sounds, have been modified and quieted and are much more difficult to hear in the new and very uneven sound balance. Similar deal in vfx with things like the green glow when jackals charge their pistols or hunters charge their FRG's, things which are very noticeable in the original game. They don't stand out much anymore. And then there's stuff like the strong gun firing rumble, which makes the damage indicator rumble less distinct.
Most of the time these things aren't an issue, but when combat gets hectic, it's a noticeable difference.
343 Guilty Spark IS a maze - it took me a while to figure out where to go, getting more and more stressed as the time went on. Ravenholm from Half-Life 2 was also like this. I think the point is to make you feel like you're trapped in a complex with these horrible monsters and are never going to get out - in the end, you feel so much more relieved than usual when you actually do manage to get out.Laggyteabag said:
I'm sorry...why are they charging full price for a mod?! Bungie seems to be trying to have their cake and eat it, saying that they've not changed the original physics engine (a selling point apparently!)so we can all experience the wonders of the original, whilst changing the graphics enough to attempt to justify asking money for it. Seriously this is a cynical attempt to do as little work as possible. If you find Halo still that awesome, play the original. End of.
Russ Pitts said:
Challenge accepted good sir.
I could probably think a bit and come up with more but the first thing that instantly popped to my mind is more than enough to showcase my point.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
This game achieves what you say without any need for enhanced graphics or music mind you, it's low-tech 2D sprites made in 1997 and the amazing soundtrack it possesses were enough for the job. It also is arguably the pioneer of action games with RPG elements attached to them, which is equal if not superior of an impact to that halo had with FPSs.
Halo killed my dog and punched my mom. So I agree with the halo guy's rant.Susan Arendt said:You know, I did wonder.Ellen of Kitten said:Was that the infamous "Halo Guy" we heard about in the last podcast?Susan Arendt said:That's ok. We hate you, too.TheRealHardcoreGamer said:
It wasn't full price. It cost about $20 less.Stoneface said:
Halo Anniversary was never meant to be a full game, it's a souvenir. A curio. Celebrating the 10 year anniversary, an "optional" purchase if you will (needs a better word). Personally, I found it very useful for reasons I've already outlined in the thread (go look for them, on page 2 or something).
This is literally the same game with different graphics. I can't really see what warrants the score and glowing review. I understand that you liked the first halo, but still, shouldn't at least part of the score be based on the level of innovation?
