“The 1143-year-long war hand begun on false pretenses and only because the two races were unable to communicate.” – The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
It may seem like the battles between the Covenant, the Flood, and the Spartans have lasted for 1143 Xbox-years over the 12 calendar years since the first Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved, was introduced by Microsoft. In the first three games of the Halo Trilogy, Master Chief, a mechanically enhanced Spartan soldier, singlehandedly saved the universe from powerful galactic weaponry.
Breaking away from the original core story line, 343 Industries, which took over managing game development from creator Bungie, launched the fourth Halo game beginning a new storyline, dubbed the “Reclaimer.” Given that the tried and true Halo saga is over, gamers will have a lot of questions about this new game. Here are some answers.
How does the new storyline compare to that of the original trilogy?
The new campaign storyline, complete with extensive, emotionally riveting cut scenes, feels just like the storyline of the original Halo trilogy, although the new story has nothing to do with the halos, themselves, but rather the discovery of an entirely new race of enemies.
In the opinion of Matt Mazzini ‘14, “The cinematic structure of Halo 4’s story is brilliant and compelling, causing the player to want to save Cortana, and the Spartans. It is less like Call of Duty, or Michael Bay which provide cliché dramatic explosions and overused plot types.”
What are some of the good surprises in the new game?
Along with a handful of new weapons that the new alien race brought with them, and a new Spartan multiplayer vehicle, Halo 4 uses a Halo Reach style class system, in that players are able to customize weapon load outs during, or before entering a multiplayer match, for use against the opposing team. Although some say this is “too Call of Duty” of 343i to be sticking with a customizable model, and “why isn’t this like Halo 3, where we all start with the same weapons?,” I believe that since Halo 4 does not provide the level of customization that Call of Duty does, Halo 4’s customization does not lead to any unfair advantages that Call of Duty’s may, as all weapons are balanced very well, and all available for unlock relatively early in the SR ranking journey.
In addition, 343i also includes a multitude of new, sometimes over the top, aesthetic armor customization options. While no drastic game play changes have been made between Halo 3, Halo Reach, and Halo 4, game play has improved through graphical nuances and the improvement of fluid character movements. Halo is still a 100% skill-based game.
Robert Brandao ‘14 commented, “Halo 4 is the best Halo yet. It connects the original storylines seamlessly and provides a sensational multiplayer experience that drives me to level up, and never bores me. Once again, Halo impresses the video gaming community with another unique and memorable game.”
What new characters have been introduced?
There are a handful of new Spartan supporting characters, as well as the two new forerunner characters, the Librarian and the Didact. Gamers also experience a side of Cortana, Chief’s artificially intelligent personal assistant, that we have yet to see.
How have the weapons and vehicles evolved?
Weapons, although slightly different looking, generally have the same affects that they have carried throughout the years. However, 343i has introduced a new concept, similar to that of Call of Duty kill streaks, the personal ordinance system. Upon reaching a certain amount of points in a game, a player has the option to summon a choice of two power weapons and a personal power up that can help the player contribute to his team.
Will the Reclaimer trilogy be as successful as the original?
In my opinion, the nostalgia associated with the Halo franchise will cause the same fans to purchase all of the Halo games to come, and the prestigious ratings that 343i have earned are a fair indicator of the Reclaimer trilogy’s success to come. Max Miller ’14 expressed his excitement about the new Halo, “Unlike the Call of Duty franchise which pushes out yearly installments of more versions of the same general game, Bungie and 343i spend years to create a unique, expertly crafted game worthy of the Halo franchise and its superior standards. Halo 4 is absolutely a game worthy of the superior Halo franchise.”
