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So #Halo2... Hmm... I find I’m going the wrong way a lot. Like every five minutes. Between unclear signposting and enemies that keep spawning unless you move forward (at least that what it seems like) pacing is all over the place.
Coming off playing Reach it’s notable how much better they got at guiding you. In that game it‘s often just as simple as an objective marker on the HUD or a VO line, but it works. #Halo2
New enemies like the Buggers and the sniper Jackals are conceptually good additions that change your how you approach fights and think about space, but in practice they are fussy and annoying. Dying to either never feels quite fair. #Halo2
In what I have to imagine is a move to limit LOS for performance reasons the exit for an area is often around a sharp corner, it’s not always clear it’s actually the exit. #Halo2
Arbiter and the boys rolling into the club... #Halo2
More even than Combat Evolved this is a game of its time. Multiple combat arenas you can’t leave until all waves are defeated, elevator fight sequences where you’re stuck in a moving platform while enemies bombard you from all sides, boss fights. #Halo2
So far every vehicle section has included attacks from Banshees that approach from behind or the sides and are able to damage you before they appear on your motion tracker. Between them an the Jackal snipers there's a lot of "Gotcha!" moments. #Halo2
A lot of fights seem to be of the "remember this layout for the next time" variety, with ambushes and oddly timed enemy spawns. I don't recall Halo 1 leaning so much on that, but it's hard to compare as I've played 1 so much I've practically memorised it. #Halo2
I can say that Reach didn't do that as much. You always knew which direction to go and enemy spawns were either ahead of you or indicated; signposted by a Covenant dropship, or called out by other members of Noble team. #Halo2
Environment come across as spaces in which enemy encounters were placed rather than spaces designed around enemy encounters. A lot of empty space far away from the area of combat. They don't use all the parts of the arena, as it were. #Halo2
My recollection is that they do a much better job with their level\\encounter design in Halo 3. #Halo2
I do like that they bring up the existence of another Library with another Index only for Miranda Keyes to tell you to stay on mission and that she'll go after it. #Halo2
Well that's not right. #Halo2
The special edition of #Halo2 came with a making of video where it’s really clear everybody involved knew the game needed a few more weeks and they weren’t going to get it.
An example of the style of encounter design common in this campaign. Enter a space on the lowest level, flying Drones with Plasma Pistols and Needlers (both weapons with homing projectiles) launch up from around the top of the bowl, followed by Elites shooting down at you. #Halo2
Well this is fun... Too many of these encounters start you in a weak position. Halo 1 did this a few times but the majority of encounters had you enter them from a neutral or slightly advantageous position. #Halo2
Remember when Halo had boss fights? Really bad boss fights? #Halo2
Understand that for me even a "weak" Halo game is worth playing all of, and my irritations with parts of the #Halo2 campaign should be taken in that context. Furthermore with the design of Halo 3 and its successors (ODST, Reach) Bungie understood those issues and fixed them.
Skybox porn... #Halo2
I call this combination: The Four States of Matter. #Halo2
I like how Sacred Icon is just "Let's do The Library again, only this time inside a giant Forerunner machine that's vaguely reminiscent of Terraniux from Unreal". #Halo2
It’s frustrating to go back through the #Halo2 campaign. It’s so full of weird choices (Sniper Jackals and Drones in nearly every fight, Flood using vehicles) that are mostly unique to this game. What’s the value in criticising things that rarely appear again?
Playing as the Arbiter was such a cool idea, it’s just you spend most of that time fighting The Flood with Covenant weaponry (human armaments are much more effective), and even the Covenant Civil War is mostly shown from the Chief’s POV. #Halo2
That your first fight against Brutes isn’t as the Arbiter is a missed opportunity. Master Chief has never seen Brutes (as far as we know) whereas they have been a constant presence in the Arbiter’s storyline. #Halo2
