Zero Punctuation: Halo: Reach

[JPH330]

Nice to see that Yathzee still [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/6.182953.5453389] has a hard time playing FPS' ^^

Okay, I've seen people say this before, and it's bullshit. Yahtzee has played a ton of FPS games, some easy, some hard, and considering in his Haze review [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/93-Haze] he called it "insultingly short and easy," I don't think he needs to play an "easier" FPS.

 

[Varya]

But then they should just remove the single Player and replace it with Botted Training Maps or Perfect Dark 64 esque multiplayer for its single player. They have a story adn i had friends who followed the story but The story is no longer really the main point in the game. I understand that multiplayer is the selling point but if they took 20 min and looked at the story and said "shit. We have nothing.....Wanna scrap it and leave just the multiplayer?" They would have sold just as much. then it would be made for its targeted demographic and not singleplayer. Then they could have bigger multiplayer.

I'm not saying that wouldn't have been a better move, but remember a lot of people really do like the single-player as well. What I mean is that the whole make up the game, and it is designed to be both single and multiplayer. Yathzees review covers one part, but to dismiss the other is wrong. I would totaly approve of selling the game in two parts, single and multiplayer.

 

[Thyunda]

Halo: Reach isn't the start of the war, but I can't blame you for not noticing.. But I like how you liked it. It was a good game to be honest

 

[CAW4]

Let me make that point more clear. The two films may have been different down to every detail. But I went to see it expecting more of the great story telling and epic battles I got from a new hope.

Mass Effect 1&2 both have great story and epic encounters.

The same can be said for Halo 1-Reach

Wait a second, are you actually saying you played Halo for the story? Really? Because i came in expecting a good story, but i haven't found it. It was simpler than the horrible mishmash that Halo 2 was, but it wasn't good.

A great example of sequel done better is Half-Life 2. New Weapons, new enemies, same enemies in new and refreshing disguise, new gameplay-elements like the gravity-gun, completely different setting and storyline, new characters, more depth, etc.

Halo is missing all that.

Once again, this is all opinion. ALL FUCKING OPINION. And oyu're arguing about it as if it's scientific fact.

Zero Punctuation is brilliant, but it brings out by far the worst in the community here. Refer back to my last post in this thread. You guys are behaving like youtube trolls.

Well it is a fact that the Halo Franchise is missing some "change".

Each game has enough change in it to warrant being called "different". That's good enough for me.

Really, some people (not you or the guy you were arguing with) make me so damn annoyed. They seem to have made it their life's mission to try and destroy any games they don't like (and usually this means "games not made by Valve" on these forums). Do they care that some people don't give a shit about comparing Halo to some old game which supposedly has greater depth and more change, because they've got a positive enough outlook on life to be satisfied with a game which is just fun? No. They will not rest until every person in the world has been utterly convinced that Halo is an abomination and we should all be playing Half-Life, and are convinced that anybody who prefers Halo is a casual dipshit with no taste. It's the very worst kind of fanboyism, and I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, and I just wish these people would see reason and stop.

This militant, elitist and extreme fanboyism of Half Life 2 is incidentally why I hate the game and franchise despite never having played it.

And as someone who has played Half-Life 2...it was meh at best. There was next to no story, it was an incredibly linear game that was still very counter-intuitive in terms of pointing out where you need to go, and for the majority of the game, just wasn't fun.

@YoungZero: Halo has introduced new weapons, new enemies, many more new gameplay elements (e.g. sprint, armor lockup, drop sheild, jetpack, and evade all in one game), all the games have switched settings & Reach introduced a new storyline, and new characters have been introduced. As for old enemies in disguise, what was so covert about soldiers shooting at you, zombies attacking, or animals attacking you (unless your simply meaning a reskin)? And I've yet to find any depth in HL2, so either it stayed at zero depth or you're saying it gained a negative amount of depth.

I'm happy to see that despite him liking the game, the Halo haters still found ways to clog the board with their "Waaah waaaah! He didn't hate the game so I'm going to ignore most of what he said so I'm still right!" child-like tantrums. Just another day on ZP.

(Fixed that for you)

P.S. I repeat: "MULTIPLAYA YO!" has become the 21st century equivalent to the late 90s's "awsum gr4fx". You can roll out anything, but if you hit that one little box on the checklist, all the 12 year old boys of the world will defend your work to the end.

As for your P.S., is that why there's only a very small amount of games which are defended like that, and they are all AAA titles that have been made by some of the best studios in the video game industry, and many games are hated universally despite having multiplayer, even if made by the same studio as one that is liked?

 

[mr_rubino]

I didn't need Yahtzee to tell ME that this game is a dud!

I still can't believe that people still play Halo when there are sooooo many other games that are soooo much better.

GAH! *quotes self*

Really, some people make me so damn annoyed. They seem to have made it their life's mission to try and destroy any games they don't like (and usually this means "games not made by Valve" on these forums). Do they care that some people don't give a shit about comparing Halo to some old game which supposedly has greater depth and more change, because they've got a positive enough outlook on life to be satisfied with a game which is just fun? No. They will not rest until every person in the world has been utterly convinced that Halo is an abomination and we should all be playing Half-Life, and are convinced that anybody who prefers Halo is a casual dipshit with no taste. It's the very worst kind of fanboyism, and I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, and I just wish these people would see reason and stop.

This militant, elitist and extreme fanboyism of Half Life 2 is incidentally why I hate the game and franchise despite never having played it.

Halo fanboys: Thinnest skins in the west. Saying anything needs improvement is mean, and Halo shouldn't be compared to other games, because that's unfair. It should be judged on its own merits, and every feature of the game judged on how it perfectly matches past Halo games.

I'm happy to see that despite him liking the game, the Halo haters still found ways to clog the board with their "Waaah waaaah! He didn't hate the game so I'm going to ignore most of what he said so I'm still right!" child-like tantrums. Just another day on ZP.

(Fixed that for you)

P.S. I repeat: "MULTIPLAYA YO!" has become the 21st century equivalent to the late 90s's "awsum gr4fx". You can roll out anything, but if you hit that one little box on the checklist, all the 12 year old boys of the world will defend your work to the end.

As for your P.S., is that why there's only a very small amount of games which are defended like that, and they are all AAA titles that have been made by some of the best studios in the video game industry, and many games are hated universally despite having multiplayer, even if made by the same studio as one that is liked?

And once again, the Halo-players do nothing to show me they can speak to others on an adult level. Hell of an effort.
Somehow I found your clumsy attempt to show me how witty you were in the first paragraph had more substance than when you actually tried to make a point in your second, even though that old "Fixed it" gem has been beaten to death by every flipper-handed latchkey tard child on the net since about 1998.
Incidentally, no, I'm right: Multiplayer is the widely-used defense to every game with terrible single-player campaigns. Try finishing your thoughts if you have a point to make.

 

[lumenadducere]

This entire thread could use a reminder as to what the word "subjectivity" means.

 

[JPH330]

Uh, I don't think Yahtzee's as well-read on the Halo story as he thinks

...Did you see what he said near the beginning of the review? You know, how he said "apparently you have to have done all that to know what the fuck's going on"? He clearly admitted that he hardly knows anything about the Halo story.

 

[Theistic]

snip

You're quite right. I think I should've made it clear that I wasn't counting in the price.
Then again, if you're buying a primarily multiplayer game you should know what you're paying for: a multiplayer experience
With Halo, you could argue that campaign mode is just an extra feature. Many Halo players don't even bother with it. It's like buying GTA IV for the multiplayer for them.

In the end, it doesn't really matter since this is just an opinion and some want their entire package to be flawless while others will be satisfied with just a stellar part of it.

Then again I have to pay ~$100 USD for a new console game so fuck, I have to enjoy everything.

 

[hclarke15]

The only thing that I found slightly surprising is that he didn't mention Firefight or Forge, those are fun by themselves.

May I just point out one minor fact, Reach was not the first run-in humanity had with the Covenant, just throwing that tidbit out there. Frankly I enjoyed the game and that despite all the flaws you have pointed out it's a fun game regardless.

Yea I was thinking the same thing

 

[repeating integers]

I didn't need Yahtzee to tell ME that this game is a dud!

I still can't believe that people still play Halo when there are sooooo many other games that are soooo much better.

GAH! *quotes self*

Really, some people make me so damn annoyed. They seem to have made it their life's mission to try and destroy any games they don't like (and usually this means "games not made by Valve" on these forums). Do they care that some people don't give a shit about comparing Halo to some old game which supposedly has greater depth and more change, because they've got a positive enough outlook on life to be satisfied with a game which is just fun? No. They will not rest until every person in the world has been utterly convinced that Halo is an abomination and we should all be playing Half-Life, and are convinced that anybody who prefers Halo is a casual dipshit with no taste. It's the very worst kind of fanboyism, and I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, and I just wish these people would see reason and stop.

This militant, elitist and extreme fanboyism of Half Life 2 is incidentally why I hate the game and franchise despite never having played it.

Halo fanboys: Thinnest skins in the west. Saying anything needs improvement is mean, and Halo shouldn't be compared to other games, because that's unfair. It should be judged on its own merits, and every feature of the game judged on how it perfectly matches past Halo games.

And here we go again. You misunderstand me to the extent that you're probably just trolling, and you have no idea how much it is taking me to remain civil here.

As I said, there are some of us with positive enough outlooks on life to be satisfied with a game. For us apparently privileged few, every game doesn't need to be absolutely perfect, totally deep, and completely innovative. We possess the apparently unusual ability to focus on what we think the game does well, and how it's fun. This is why I don't envy game critics - they're paid to be the opposite of this mindset, pointing out every niggling flaw in a game.

There, understand me now?

 

[spartan1077]

loved the review yahtzee is always amazing

 

[kikon9]

The jet-packs were pretty fun. But it was annoying how they weren't in a lot of the levels of the campaign.

At least it was annoying to me.

If bungie added that then it would have made certain routs accessible that shouldn't have been. It is not there because it balances gameplay.

 

[Kermi]

Oh Yahtzee, why do you assume this is the first time humans have engaged the Covenant? They have a whole contingency plan in place for when the Covenant find Reach - that was the whole point of the first mission of the game, you know, the one called Winter Contingency?

I know you hate it when people say you have to read the Halo books etc. in order to appreciate the story of the Halo games but I've personally only played Halo 1, 3, ODST and Reach - the same ones you've played. I've been paying attention and clearly you haven't.
Even by the time of the events in Halo Reach, which is of course a prequel, humanity and the Covenant have been duking it out for some time. The humans are losing - which is why Dr. Halsey has been squirreled away researching ancient alien artifacts in the hopes of finding an edge against them.
Noble Team knows they're fighting a losing battle about five missions in when about a dozen Covenant Supercarriers show up. You know how Noble Death #1 was all about activating a slipspace bomb and required a massive effort just to destroy one of the bloody things? When a dozen more arrive in orbit around the planet I think it's safe to say it's a lost cause... which is why the entire second half of the game was about the planet being evacuated. If Noble team seemed a little bit defeated it's because the planet was in the process of being turned into glass at the time so I'm sure you can forgive their insight.

I could go on, but I don't have the time. You don't like Halo and I get it. But stop making it so obvious you're not even trying.

 

[RexoftheFord]

Yeah, it is repetitive. And Multiplayer is no different. You shoot different colored people, but in the end you're the only white spartan on the board and everyone calls you racist for killing the douchebag who just threatened your mom with sexual assault. The levels are just Halo 2 on a new planet (Angry Joe said it too). And It's been like 3 weeks and I'm already fuckin' bored of it. Congrats Bungie for makin' an utterly average game.

 

[lwm3398]

Gee, Yahtzee likes shooters that don't depend on cover based combat? Especially if they have with characters, story and writing? As well as some space-dogfights?

Hmm, what does that remind me of?

Spoiler: Spoiler: Click for awesome.

 

[mr_rubino]

I didn't need Yahtzee to tell ME that this game is a dud!

I still can't believe that people still play Halo when there are sooooo many other games that are soooo much better.

GAH! *quotes self*

Really, some people make me so damn annoyed. They seem to have made it their life's mission to try and destroy any games they don't like (and usually this means "games not made by Valve" on these forums). Do they care that some people don't give a shit about comparing Halo to some old game which supposedly has greater depth and more change, because they've got a positive enough outlook on life to be satisfied with a game which is just fun? No. They will not rest until every person in the world has been utterly convinced that Halo is an abomination and we should all be playing Half-Life, and are convinced that anybody who prefers Halo is a casual dipshit with no taste. It's the very worst kind of fanboyism, and I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, and I just wish these people would see reason and stop.

This militant, elitist and extreme fanboyism of Half Life 2 is incidentally why I hate the game and franchise despite never having played it.

Halo fanboys: Thinnest skins in the west. Saying anything needs improvement is mean, and Halo shouldn't be compared to other games, because that's unfair. It should be judged on its own merits, and every feature of the game judged on how it perfectly matches past Halo games.

And here we go again. You misunderstand me to the extent that you're probably just trolling, and you have no idea how much it is taking me to remain civil here.

As I said, there are some of us with positive enough outlooks on life to be satisfied with a game. For us apparently privileged few, every game doesn't need to be absolutely perfect, totally deep, and completely innovative. We possess the apparently unusual ability to focus on what we think the game does well, and how it's fun. This is why I don't envy game critics - they're paid to be the opposite of this mindset, pointing out every niggling flaw in a game.

There, understand me now?

Yeah... You sure showed me with that post. I'm not at all thinking of an chimpanzee going into a hysterical giggling fit when someone jingles their keys.
I apologize for having standards that require a piece of media to have some amount of substance before I can enjoy it, or as Halo fanboys call it: "trolling".

Man, you people are bad at this. "YOR STOOPID. Now respond to my non-thought-out point, YU STUPED MEENY!" You're the kind that read the novels and considered them high art, aren't you?

 

[repeating integers]

I didn't need Yahtzee to tell ME that this game is a dud!

I still can't believe that people still play Halo when there are sooooo many other games that are soooo much better.

GAH! *quotes self*

Really, some people make me so damn annoyed. They seem to have made it their life's mission to try and destroy any games they don't like (and usually this means "games not made by Valve" on these forums). Do they care that some people don't give a shit about comparing Halo to some old game which supposedly has greater depth and more change, because they've got a positive enough outlook on life to be satisfied with a game which is just fun? No. They will not rest until every person in the world has been utterly convinced that Halo is an abomination and we should all be playing Half-Life, and are convinced that anybody who prefers Halo is a casual dipshit with no taste. It's the very worst kind of fanboyism, and I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, and I just wish these people would see reason and stop.

This militant, elitist and extreme fanboyism of Half Life 2 is incidentally why I hate the game and franchise despite never having played it.

Halo fanboys: Thinnest skins in the west. Saying anything needs improvement is mean, and Halo shouldn't be compared to other games, because that's unfair. It should be judged on its own merits, and every feature of the game judged on how it perfectly matches past Halo games.

And here we go again. You misunderstand me to the extent that you're probably just trolling, and you have no idea how much it is taking me to remain civil here.

As I said, there are some of us with positive enough outlooks on life to be satisfied with a game. For us apparently privileged few, every game doesn't need to be absolutely perfect, totally deep, and completely innovative. We possess the apparently unusual ability to focus on what we think the game does well, and how it's fun. This is why I don't envy game critics - they're paid to be the opposite of this mindset, pointing out every niggling flaw in a game.

There, understand me now?

Yeah... You sure showed me with that post. I'm not at all thinking of an chimpanzee going into a hysterical giggling fit when someone jingles their keys.
I apologize for having standards that require a piece of media to have some amount of substance before I can enjoy it, or as Halo fanboys call it: "trolling".

Man, you people are bad at this. "YOR STOOPID. Now respond to my non-thought-out point, YU STUPED MEENY!"

No no, merely having such standards isn't trolling. What you are doing is trying to assert that your views are correct and being demeaning (or rather, trying and failing to be demeaning) towards those who disagree with you. That right there is either trolling or flaming (or both), take your pick.

See, I would have had no problem with you if you just said "meh personally I don't like Halo, I prefer my games to be deep and all that". What you are instead doing is trying to make enemies by saying "My personal standards mean I look down upon this pathetic excuse for a game from my godly perch and lol at those noobs who like it".

Sometimes I think "the Escapist" should be renamed "the Elitist".

(And by the way, quit with the insults, they don't do much for your credibility or your argument).

 

[JPH330]

I didn't need Yahtzee to tell ME that this game is a dud!

I still can't believe that people still play Halo when there are sooooo many other games that are soooo much better.

GAH! *quotes self*

Really, some people make me so damn annoyed. They seem to have made it their life's mission to try and destroy any games they don't like (and usually this means "games not made by Valve" on these forums). Do they care that some people don't give a shit about comparing Halo to some old game which supposedly has greater depth and more change, because they've got a positive enough outlook on life to be satisfied with a game which is just fun? No. They will not rest until every person in the world has been utterly convinced that Halo is an abomination and we should all be playing Half-Life, and are convinced that anybody who prefers Halo is a casual dipshit with no taste. It's the very worst kind of fanboyism, and I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, and I just wish these people would see reason and stop.

This militant, elitist and extreme fanboyism of Half Life 2 is incidentally why I hate the game and franchise despite never having played it.

Halo fanboys: Thinnest skins in the west. Saying anything needs improvement is mean, and Halo shouldn't be compared to other games, because that's unfair. It should be judged on its own merits, and every feature of the game judged on how it perfectly matches past Halo games.

And here we go again. You misunderstand me to the extent that you're probably just trolling, and you have no idea how much it is taking me to remain civil here.

As I said, there are some of us with positive enough outlooks on life to be satisfied with a game. For us apparently privileged few, every game doesn't need to be absolutely perfect, totally deep, and completely innovative. We possess the apparently unusual ability to focus on what we think the game does well, and how it's fun. This is why I don't envy game critics - they're paid to be the opposite of this mindset, pointing out every niggling flaw in a game.

There, understand me now?

Yeah... You sure showed me with that post. I'm not at all thinking of an chimpanzee going into a hysterical giggling fit when someone jingles their keys.
I apologize for having standards that require a piece of media to have some amount of substance before I can enjoy it, or as Halo fanboys call it: "trolling".

Man, you people are bad at this. "YOR STOOPID. Now respond to my non-thought-out point, YU STUPED MEENY!" You're the kind that reads the novels and considered them high art, aren't you?

Hey now, what do you have against "the novels?"

 

[Netrigan]

Ok that is fair, he destroy the game but he didn't hate it, so That must mean this is one of the best shooter games on the market, I mean come on if Yahtzee can enjoy it almost anyone can LOL

By that logic, Gears Of War 2 is ten times better than Halo: Reach, because at the end of that review he pointed out that the reason why most things become popular is that they're good... or they star Will Smith.

His reaction to Reach sounds like a funnier version of mine to the first game. About a minute into any level, I'd already start getting a bit bored with the repetitive level design and combat. I very likely would have finished the game if not for having to replay the demo level (which had me getting lost for the second time in a bunch of samey looking corridors and ramps) and pushing the game past my boredom threshold. Which is not to say that the game was bad. The story and gameplay were solid enough, but the things I most valued in a FPS just weren't there... and it's quite obvious from every review I've ever read, they still aren't. I like a lot more variety in weapons, enemies, and levels than Halo offers.

 

[lukemdizzle]

no surprise here, he didn't love it yet he didn't like any of the others. I loved it and all the others. just a matter of preference.

the only thing I thought was weird was when he said the story was impenetrable. I thought it was rather easy to follow even for a newcomer. but whatever.

lastly as a member of the "halo fan base" most of us are not ass holes. Its just that you only ever hear the ass holes because they're the loudest. same as every game fan base