Halo MCC/Infinite/general Griefing thread - Six months, two maps, no refunds

[heyitsmike]

According to their blog post on Halo Waypoint, the campaign will support 2-player splitscreen and 4-player co-op.

Have they said if it would support System Link in co-op and multiplayer?

 

[Trans Fat 41g]

 

[Titos]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gESYyh_tsGA

Was just about to post that, damn. Sounds good, I wonder though if these are the only two composers. The way they worded it sounded to me like they might have more. Kinda wondering who else might fit and coming up blank.
Edit: Just realized Joel Corelitz is also composing. Weird choice but he would probably fit in for some of the more synth heavy tracks that were in previous games. Here's an example of his work.

 

[Trans Fat 41g]

I *really* want to hear this games take on In Amber Clad if we're getting into classic Halo spirit here.

That particular track sounded more conclusive to a story ark than anything representative of a transition.

But that's an overly complicated way of saying it's a beautiful piece.

 

[HeyYou]

Added a poll

 

[James Roancrest]

I liked how the story sounded and some of the things in the demo (enemy animations, grapple hook, more emphasis on sandbox gameplay, and a return to a more classic art style); however, the unfinished feel of the graphics, the replacement of the magnum and the shotgun, the f2p multiplayer, and the general lack of information regarding how many features will be there at launch has me concerned.

I am waiting for more information before I am willing to purchase or pass on this game, I am getting too many flashbacks to Halo 5.

 

[Trans Fat 41g]

I need to see more (even though I voted CRAIG MONKE). The first impressions on music is dead-on and even better identifies with Infinite specifically as well as being true to the Halo orchestra formula. The graphics were officially acknowledged as being worked on, so it's safe to say I can continue to call a bald turkey ugly. The free-to-play aspect gets me nervous but I just want the game to fucking work at launch. I am most scared of a bone dry content offering at launch like Halo 5 had, where all the stuff we cared about came a year and even two later than acceptable. Honestly it seems like 343 "gets it" in some ways while still stumbling around where it counts. Where it counts. I will ALWAYS hold that first MCC launch over their heads, I'm not here to FWB with corporations.

 

[Miller]

I wonder though if these are the only two composers.

They have 3 composers for Infinite: Gareth Coker, Curtis Schweitzer and Joel Corelitz. I don't like when there's more than one composer on a project because that means the soundtrack will be a mess (like AC: Revelations, Mass Effect 3, DE: Mankind Divided, etc.).

 

[King Dead]

I need to see more (even though I voted CRAIG MONKE). The first impressions on music is dead-on and even better identifies with Infinite specifically as well as being true to the Halo orchestra formula. The graphics were officially acknowledged as being worked on, so it's safe to say I can continue to call a bald turkey ugly. The free-to-play aspect gets me nervous but I just want the game to fucking work at launch. I am most scared of a bone dry content offering at launch like Halo 5 had, where all the stuff we cared about came a year and even two later than acceptable. Honestly it seems like 343 "gets it" in some ways while still stumbling around where it counts. Where it counts. I will ALWAYS hold that first MCC launch over their heads, I'm not here to FWB with corporations.

If you look at it one way, the Xbone version of MCC ended up being the beta test for the PC release. For a series that has had very little PC support until this past year, I find that somewhat amusing. Props to the El Dewrito team for lighting a candle under 343's ass and getting the series finally ported to PC. All I can say is, 13-year-ago me would be ecstatic to finally get to play Halo 3 on PC...even though I ended up getting a 360 a couple years later anyway, so whatever.

I bought MCC during the Steam summer sale since it was 20% off, and man, I have been having a blast going back and rediscovering what I loved about the series. Halo 4 really left a bad taste in my mouth that led me to stop caring about Halo so much, although once it comes to PC, I intend on revisiting it to see if I still have problems with it. Shortly afterward, Bungie unveiled Destiny, and I began to focus on that instead (I could write a book on my feelings on that series, but that's not relevant here). I had a laugh or two with regards to MCC's launch problems and Halo 5's issues, but I'd mostly moved on entirely.

And yet, all these years later, I'm enjoying playing through each game again and finding out so much more about the series than I knew before. Achievement hunting has had me finding Easter eggs I'd only vaguely heard about before, as well as learning about all kinds of speedrunning tricks that people figured out over the years. The campaigns are just as fun as I remember, and I've soloed each one on Legendary so far (fuck Gravemind, fuck that level so much). And the inclusion of every game's multiplayer, with all maps, all gametypes, and now Forge as well, makes it well worth the money I spent. It's just as fun over a decade later. It might have had a rough start (and rough couple years), but MCC has proven to be a great deal for me, even without all the games in the collection available yet.

With Infinite releasing simultaneously on the next Xbox (who the fuck came up with "Xbox Series X," seriously) and PC, I'm not 100% sure I'll pick it up. 343's taking a big gamble with making an open world Halo game, but who knows, it might pay off. If nothing else, the free multiplayer will be a nice way to try before you buy. We'll see, I guess.

 

[Trans Fat 41g]

Honestly no reason to be surprised.

 

[Uncle June]

Ver archivo adjunto 1512810
Honestly no reason to be surprised.

Lmao, there it is, the nail in XSXs coffin. Playstation is definitely stealing this generation, unless Microsoft can come out with a decent launch title that isn't 3rd party indie shit. Halo was pretty much the driving force for selling the new console generation.

 

[anti SJW]

Lmao, there it is, the nail in XSXs coffin. Playstation is definitely stealing this generation, unless Microsoft can come out with a decent launch title that isn't 3rd party indie shit. Halo was pretty much the driving force for selling the new console generation.

That's the thing. Halo was the only big first party launch title. Sony has'nt said what the PS5 first party launch titles are yet. Assassin's Creed: Vallhala and Cyberpunk will be out but those are third party titles. Sony already said Horizon Zero Dawn sequel was'nt going to be a PS5 launch title.

 

[James Roancrest]

Honestly, I'm relieved. Infinite looked like it needed more development time. Besides, as long as CDPR hits the November 19th release date, I'll be too busy to play Halo anyway.

 

[jje100010001]

Yeah, Infinite looked sort of visually dated in its reveal.

On an aside, personally I'm not a fan of the expanded lore Halo has been getting since Halo 4, as well as the constant redesigns of the Covenant enemies. The original trilogy and spin-offs kept things like the Forerunners mysterious, which is one of the main world-building draws of the franchise.

(Also, I find that modern takes on Forerunner designs tend to be somewhat overdesigned and too greebly compared to the pure geometry of the original designs.)

 

[Vault Boy]

Ver archivo adjunto 1512810
Honestly no reason to be surprised.

I honestly didn't think the graphics looked bad enough to warrant a delay, but hopefully this creates a better product. I certainly won't begrudge 343 for it, all the lockdown nonsense might've constrained their efforts. My only hope is that it won't get delayed until next Fall, that would suck ass.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, this will make the Series X a tougher sale compared to the PS5. Unless the PS5 has something catastrophic like the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death or a delay past the Holiday season, I think it'll win the first round of the new generation.

 

[heyitsmike]

Lmao, there it is, the nail in XSXs coffin. Playstation is definitely stealing this generation, unless Microsoft can come out with a decent launch title that isn't 3rd party indie shit. Halo was pretty much the driving force for selling the new console generation.

I don't think not having Halo Infinite on launch will cause Microsoft to lose an entire generation. I think that's a little hyperbolic.

The only generation of the four Xboxes to even have a launch Halo will be the original. And while Halo CE did sell consoles, it didn't even come close to narrowing the lead the PS2 had banked. And the success of Halo CE was a surprise in itself. It wasn't expected to be a system seller. If one of Microsoft's other titles fills that role this generation it's just as well.

 

[ThatOneLurker]

I found the lore in the first three games (plus ODST and Reach) to be relatively digestible (though that may be simply because I was subconsciously comparing it with the non-stop mind-fucking that comprises the plot of Bungie's earlier Marathon FPS series), but I am speaking here specifically about the games. Eric Nylund's books, which relentlessly try to beat the reader over the head with how awesome and wonderful is Nylund's personal Mary-Sue, Catherine Halsey (AKA Dr. Mengele reincarnated), are just tiresome. Actually, as a reserve member of the Glorious PC Gaming Master Race, the lore was the primary means by which I interacted with the franchise after a PC port of Halo 3 or any subsequent games failed to materialize. That and the aesthetics, although I've always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Halo's art-design, which seems to veer wildly from mediocre to outstanding to awful in any given installment. But then my brother bought me the Master Chief Collection for Christmas and I've been steadily racking up time in Reach, to the point where I've finally been able to replicate, in-game, the appearance of my favorite McFarlane Toys Spartan figure from all those years ago.

Late as fuck, but that's a really interesting take on the Eric Nylund books. I actually really enjoy them, and I think Catherine Halsey is fairly well written, especially in the later novels like Ghosts of Onyx where she's gone blatantly AWOL and is depicted as completely crazy (though understandable. At that point she thought the galaxy was doomed). Honestly, I would give them a re-read, starting with Ghosts of Onyx, which is my personal favorite of the book series and overwhelmingly the most well-written. Ghosts of Onyx is one of my favorite sci-fi novels ever created.

Ironically enough, if you want to see Halsey get absolutely dragged through the mud just read the Karen Travis books (they have flaws of their own though. If you want to see a Mary Sue, look no further than Naomi). A third of that trilogy is just characters walking up to Halsey and telling her how shit she is.

Edit: Grammatical errors.

 

[Vault Boy]

I don't think not having Halo Infinite on launch will cause Microsoft to lose an entire generation. I think that's a little hyperbolic.

The only generation of the four Xboxes to even have a launch Halo will be the original. And while Halo CE did sell consoles, it didn't even come close to narrowing the lead the PS2 had banked. And the success of Halo CE was a surprise in itself. It wasn't expected to be a system seller. If one of Microsoft's other titles fills that role this generation it's just as well.

It's not so much a guarantee that the Series X will lose the generation, rather it'll be at a disadvantage at launch.

A console needs a big game to attract people to it, and Infinite being delayed will put it in a worse light than the PS5.

 

[Trans Fat 41g]

At this point I think Microsoft has put a line in the sand for Halo given how much of a failure cortana was as a glorified dynamic marketing scheme for the Master Chief Collection and Halo 5, as well as the overwhelming demand for Halo 3 on the PC having been over a decade late to the party.

Putting Covid 19 aside...

The other factor for more aggressive course correction, and this is just speculation, is the fact that the viral marketing for Halo 5 was such a disaster that it not only felt disconnected from the game but came across as false marketing. Phil Spencer had to light a fire under their asses because Halo was going to be included as a participating entity for the unification of products and services.

 

[Vault Boy]

Having given it some more thought, I see a few possible silver linings from Infinite's delay.

• The PC releases for ODST and 4 won't be overshadowed, and might even get some more attention overall.
• As a way to placate fans and get valuable feedback, there might just be a multiplayer beta after all.
• Much more polished presentation, with ray tracing no longer being a post-launch update.
• Assuming that the "work from home" hysteria ends this Fall, 343 will have time to better coordinate their efforts.

So while the delay will certainly hurt the Series X at launch, it might be a boon for Halo fans overall. Fingers crossed.