GI: Halo 3 Recon is open-world
by Justin McElroy 
{ Nov 18th 2008 at 8:30AM }
We don't mean to argue semantics, but seriously guys? A three- to five-hour open-world game? We have an open world that would take us three to five hours to explore. It's called our house.
Gallery: Halo 3: ODST Controller & Pack Shots
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
JerJer @ Nov 18th 2008 8:32AM
i mean....fable is "open world"....
and it's still "8-10 hours"...
...so...
yeah.
tcc3 @ Nov 18th 2008 10:09AM
Saying Fable 2 is 8-10 hours is like saying Halo is only 30 minutes because you stopped playing after you escaped frol the Pillar of Autumn.
You missed a lot of stuff if it only took you that long.
JerJer @ Nov 18th 2008 10:14AM
i would agree with you. which is why i didnt say fable II....
spartan084 @ Nov 18th 2008 10:44AM
oh ho!
Megadanxzero @ Nov 18th 2008 10:49AM
Halo is easy? Since fucking when is Halo easy? Maybe if you play it on Easy. But guess what? You're playing it on Easy. It's called Easy because it's Easy. Why the fuck else would it be called easy? If it was called Easy and wasn't Easy there'd be complaints.
You know what other games are easy? Devil May Cry 3. If you play it on Easy. Gears of War's easy. If you play it on Casual. If you don't play a game on Hard don't expect it to be hard... Halo on Legendary is like some kind of sadistic torture if you're not playing it in co-op... Halo's not easy...
I honestly don't see how people can say Halo's not amazing. Maybe if they don't like FPSs in general. But otherwise it just makes no sense. Unless they're completely INSANE
Megadanxzero @ Nov 18th 2008 10:51AM
Oh fuck you Joystiq. Your comment system is gay, GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY... And why can I not now delete my comment and move it to where it should be? Ugh...
ZaxCG2 @ Nov 18th 2008 11:42AM
@Megadan
Halo is a great game! Halo 1 was revolutionary and intriguing, Halo 2 made playing online worthwhile, but then Halo 3 kinda like... oh its the same thing- it just looks different.
My feeling is that Halo is getting kinda drawn out because it sold so well - and yes I love FPS's in general.
Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 18th 2008 3:23PM
The Halo games were never that hard on Legendary.
Try playing World at War on the highest difficulty. I spent about five hours last night trying to move my character between two checkpoints. Brutal.
Kodge @ Nov 18th 2008 8:36AM
This is why Bungee is a big bag of shit bags. Halo games are rubbish, this game is going to be equally as bad.
Esat Dedezade @ Nov 18th 2008 8:40AM
I, and many others will beg to differ.
Kodge @ Nov 18th 2008 8:43AM
I know that, I respect bungee from a business point of view, they're making sequals to games that're popular. But Halo is just far too easy, the game is just one massive poor show. I can't fathom why its so popular, if someone can explain to me why this game, thats really poor, is so popular, ill never troll again.
Swifty @ Nov 18th 2008 8:51AM
The emphasis on tactics, strategy, and accessibility while de-emphasizing reflexes and uneven playing fields.
Esat Dedezade @ Nov 18th 2008 9:01AM
At the end of the day people opinions differ and thats fair enough, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
I'm a halo nut, and I still play Halo 3 more than anything else; not so much for the campaign (in fact I have yet to complete it!) but simply for the great online experience, that no other game I have played has yet to match up to, both in terms of interface, ease of use, and a consistent experience that just works.
Halo was the first FPS that I ever actually enjoyed. I can't really explain why exactly, they just seemed to nail the controls to the point where everythin gis just reflex, without having to think about it. Its was the first FPS in which the controls were, well, they just felt right. The multiplayer, be it LAN or on live is still IMO the best on any game that I myself have played.
Oh and it's Bungie by the way not, Bungee. Don't mean to sound like an ass hole, but I figured I'd let you know before someone else did.
Kodge @ Nov 18th 2008 9:07AM
Your post, whilst I respect your honesty. Just backs up all the " HALO: MY FIRST FPS " posts you see floating around forums and image boards.
I can't really understand what you mean by they nailed the controls perfectly. Playing a first person on a shooter is like trying to draw the mona lisa with a lead weight, its just rubbish, its pants.
And games like counter-strike, and team fortress are MUCH more fun than Halo, and they've gotten it right, halos multiplayer, don't get me wrong. Times ive played it with friends over pizza and beers has been alot of fun, but I could find myself getting bored of it. Its just far too easy.
You're right in saying its everyones opinion and in 99% of the cases I would generally just agree and not post anything. But when it comes to Halo, my mind just boggles to the point of needing to post, because I just CAN'T understand why its so great, when tbh, its done NOTHING new, its just another generic FPS, just really poorly done.
Also, thank you for correcting me on Bungie, I wasn't sure if it was Bungie or Bungee. :)
Gehodra @ Nov 18th 2008 9:20AM
@Swifty
You've never played Halo have you?
"emphasis on tactics, strategy"
No.
"de-emphasizing reflexes"
No.
Its a standard shooter, and plays as such.
before you go crazy though, standard!=bad. Standard shooter is more like a genre, in which skill from one game carries over to another.
Snowblind @ Nov 18th 2008 9:21AM
If you think Halo did nothing for the FPS genre, you are very, very ignorant. I can only assume you've never actually played any of the games. I personally dislike Half-life and Counterstrike, but I woudn't go as far to say they outright "suck", just because I can't get into them.
If you honestly don't like it, then fine, but you just sound like another jealous hater. You only have to look at FPS games released before Halo, and then all the ones released after. Are you claiming that the fact most FPS are now based around the same structure of Halo is a coincidence?
It also has a very cool story, with a lot of really interesting characters. The universe is really deep, and although many will say they're just milking the franchise, there's plenty they can do with what they've created in the Halo universe.
dark_inchworm @ Nov 18th 2008 9:31AM
Bungie is a big bag of shit bags, you say?
Are there additional bags in the shit of the shit bags?
Sinister Rouge @ Nov 18th 2008 9:40AM
"Your post, whilst I respect your honesty. Just backs up all the " HALO: MY FIRST FPS " posts you see floating around forums and image boards"
My first FPS was Doom and I still think Halo is one of the best FPSs I've ever played. Your argument doesn't hold. Hundreds of reviewers, writers and gamers have already justified why Halo is a great game. Why don't you justify why it sucks so much? Spare me the "controls suck" and "it's too easy" (???) remarks, if you will.
Anam @ Nov 18th 2008 9:50AM
What Halo did:
1) Implemented a regen mechanic that removes the somewhat arbitrary health bars. This is especially good when playing on a team where one player getting shot can back off for a second while another player covers him. Unfortunately, it does somewhat ensure that in an unbalanced match, the winner keeps on winning.
2) Added good, solid vehicle combat that works well with the basic gameplay without feeling like a minigame or sideshow.
3) Used controls that were direct and simple, taking advantage of dual-analog sticks to create the first console game that decently emulated the PC experience (compared to the slower pace of Goldeneye, for example).
4) Allowed co-op during missions and designed said missions in a way where the second player actually feels valuable.
In general, I'd say that Halo took ideas that other games started and put those components together in a package where they worked together without being overly complicated or convoluted.
kaneda @ Nov 18th 2008 9:55AM
I will try to offer an unbiased perspective. I did enjoy playing all 3 Halo campaigns as it's one of the only games my wife will play with me. As an avid PC FPS fan, I do perfer PC still, but Bungie did make great strides in bringing decent controls to console FPSs. They are still much slower in comparison, but I think we them to thank for the control layouts of games like Gears of War and the new MGS 4's layout.
Beyond that, Halo has a compelling, if somewhat hookey, (giant talking plants that speaks through telekenises?) storyline. The execution is really what compels above the quality of the tale told. I personally thought that the story could have been much better, but I don't think they could have told it any better. I wouldn't say that the games bring anything new in terms of character development or design. Esp the stereotypical black sergant macho man barking clever one liners. But this was one of the first games that actually let had friendly AIs that seems to be consciencse of what was going on.
The game is pretty, but I don't think it surpasses Gears or Metal Gear in terms of style or detail.
Online is definitely where Halo has made the biggest impact on console gaming. This cannot be denied. Halo is the father of all modern online match making systems. The key word is 'modern'. They didn't invent online gaming, not even for consoles. But Halo brought us into a new age of features.
That is all I have to say about it.
Duke @ Nov 18th 2008 9:55AM
Kodge, I don't think anyone is going to say a thing that will make you stop trolling or talking smack about Halo. That being said, Halo is just a fun FPS to sit down and play. Thats it. It isn't the one I play for a realistic feel or serious tatical elements. It isn't the most well rounded, nor does it have the best mechanics - but its simply fun to play for people. So, while you may not get it, the fact is that millions of other people do. All the crying you do won't change what they like to play. Now go back to your WoW and give some respect to a company that could buy and sell you like a box of tic tacs.
Anam @ Nov 18th 2008 10:04AM
That's odd Duke, bashing World of Warcraft while defending Halo. They're both fairly similar in respect to what they've done in their genre: take what other games have done, scrap the excess, simplify the controls, bring the components together and focus on the group experience.
Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Nov 18th 2008 10:06AM
What vegeta heard: WAAAH I'M A REBEL BECAUSE I HATE SOMETHING THAT'S POPULAR. AM I COOL YET?
T @ Nov 18th 2008 10:40AM
"Are you claiming that the fact most FPS are now based around the same structure of Halo is a coincidence?"
Just because everybody rips a game off doesn't mean the original was a good idea.
I honestly feel that Halo (even Multiplayer) is nothing spectacular. My impression from day 1 of Halo was that people who jumped on board the original Xbox were dying to try and find a game to justify their purchase. They latched onto Halo and the rest is history.
I love my 360, in only a year its replaced my PS2 as the primary gaming machine in the household, and that's after having a PS2 since FFX came out.
But I still don't get Halo.
Duke @ Nov 18th 2008 11:00AM
I didn't bash WoW at all. He plays WoW.
Reading is fun.
knighty (GT: ZeraKnight) @ Nov 18th 2008 11:03AM
http://blog.ascendantjustice.com/halo-3/hindsight-halo-3/
Read everything on this site and tell me Halo is shit.
Anam @ Nov 18th 2008 11:05AM
Fair enough, Duke. It's just the way you put it sounded like a bash.
Zach S @ Nov 18th 2008 4:53PM
So, by "amazing online experience" you mean 12-year-olds cussing like sailors and teabagging you after every kill?
I kid, I kid.
(except, really, that is what playing Halo online is like)
Kodge @ Nov 19th 2008 4:41AM
@duke
Well done in reading, you'll see that those posts we're made in the year 2006? A whole 2 years ago since I played WoW, bizzare isnt it, when you pay attention to dates.
@kaneda and anam.
Out of all the posts that bit to my bait, the two of you, in my opinion, are the only two people who gave valid responses to my question, I thank you for that. Whilst I somewhat understand that Halo might've taken things from other games and made them better, thats still really nothing new, that halo braught to the table, is it?
I think my hatred for the game, when its thought about, is because its so slow paced, I didnt enjoy the story or anything like that, the multiplayer being its only great feature, but even that wears thin after a few hours, Halo 3 has been sat on my shelf for the past few months, being completely unplayed, if thats an innotive(sp?)game, im failing to see what they did new.
brain @ Nov 18th 2008 8:35AM
so this guy can do missions for the thief's guild now?
Deeznuts420 @ Nov 18th 2008 8:50AM
the "world" is a 10 block radius.
thegamer200519 @ Nov 18th 2008 8:53AM
yeah this game will blow
akfresh @ Nov 18th 2008 9:09AM
I doubt it will be completely open world like far cry is. Just have multiple routes to each objective. In my opinion bungie should just wrap of master chiefs story asap and come up with a new ip. But continue to make multiplayer only halos so they focus on a really competitive games with minimum bugs and glitches and good networking.
Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Nov 18th 2008 10:07AM
You do realize that this game has(at least so far) shows no sign of having anything to do with Master Chief right?
akfresh @ Nov 18th 2008 11:08AM
yeah i know that, but obviously master chief didn't die in halo 3, so that story needs a true ending, if bungie are capable of it.
Muffin Lad @ Nov 18th 2008 9:00AM
Yet reviewers will give it 10's no dout
Hyams @ Nov 18th 2008 9:05AM
If it takes you 5 hours to get around your house, then damn, being a Joystiq writer must really pay loads.
Richard Mitchell @ Nov 18th 2008 9:09AM
Most of our money comes in the form of bribes from publishers.
But seriously, JMac is getting more bribes than me, apparently.
Dirty @ Nov 18th 2008 9:37AM
The floor is so covered in game related tchotchkes that you have to tip toe around them, really adds a lot of time to a bathroom trip.
343 Guilty Fart @ Nov 18th 2008 2:41PM
I'm going to give you +1 just for using the word 'tchotchkes'.
DEEP NNN @ Nov 18th 2008 9:45AM
I read somewhere Brian Jarrard commented that the 3-5 hour playtime will quite likely increase substantially as they keep adding more features to fill out the storyline.
Let's not forget re-playability. 3-5 hours is okay if you want to play all of Easy, Normal, Heroic and Legendary and then again because you really like it.
To many gamers all of the Halo games had lots of re-playability
Duke @ Nov 18th 2008 9:58AM
3 to 5 hours in an open world makes me think the game is really lacking. Just exploring an open world should add hours to gameplay. This news doesn't encourage me.
Snowblind @ Nov 18th 2008 12:05PM
The Fable II comparasion is a good one. It's open world, but could easily be completed in 8-10 hours. Yet if you take your time to explore and look around, most people got over 30 hours from it.
And remember people.. This is only an expansion.
Dirty @ Nov 18th 2008 12:42PM
I feel no need to blindly defend this game. Its not like a negative comment on the stiq is going to slow down the cash avalanche that will commence after this releases.
Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Nov 18th 2008 10:03AM
So apparently people now have the ability to be able to judge games with only a few scrapes of information. Amazing.
Anyways, I'm remaining optimistic. I really want to see what this game is about.
ExMcCloud @ Nov 18th 2008 10:21AM
I'll stay optimistic too because it could just be a 3-5 hour story line but a huge open world... but we must remember this story takes place in one city.....If that trailer is to be believed
Gehodra @ Nov 18th 2008 11:06AM
People have had that ability for a long time now.
ZaxCG2 @ Nov 18th 2008 11:46AM
What are you talking about? This game will obviously suck because it's got Halo as the title. And everyone knows Halo did terrible in sales all around. >:0
Heh. I'm just bitter because I don't have an Xbox 360.
Courtney @ Nov 18th 2008 10:15AM
A small open world game? I'm interested. I enjoy sandbox games, but I tend to hit a point where I get burned out on exploring the world.
Mitsuo @ Nov 18th 2008 10:57AM
I think this is just some game Bungie is putting out to milk more money out of people. I mean what's going to be so different about it? It's a halo game so you should know what you're getting. The same weapons, the same vehicles. Basically it'd just be another map pack but with a story line.