Okay, so which Halo game should it primarily take after? It's easy to say bring something back to its roots, but Halo: CE, Halo 2, and Halo 3 all have things that make them play differently than before. Do we use health packs again ala CE? Does duel-wielding return ala Halo 2 and Halo 3? Does Equipment return ala Halo 3? Do we remove vehicle hijacking since it wasn't in CE? Do we keep the plasma pistol EMP from Halo 3?
Important questions.
The Original trilogy period.. Halo 3 would a good start.. wouldn't mind if it took after Reach even some regarding some the movement.. Just get rid of the Spartan charge, Ground Pound and Unlimited sprint... they don't have to get rid of Sprint completely which is why I just brought Reach up...
Doesn't really narrow it down. Halo 3 as a base is fine, but then if we allow Sprint because Reach is deemed fine, why not other Armor Abilities?
I think you're splitting hairs on this one. CE has quite a different style, though i would argue in terms of pacing and game flow; 2, a sped up (MLG) 3 and stripped down reach all play similar, even without changes those 3 have a lot in the same vein.
So if you do want a response for bringing it back to its roots i'd say do the things 4 or 5 don't do or don't do well that the others did, or one did well that everyone looks to.
1. No sprint, games can't be sluggish these days but a quick and fluid base movement and decent field of view is ideal.
2. Make weapon pickups and map control more important again; in 4 this was undermined by the sheer randomness of infinity settings, in 5 it was the advanced movement giving too much power that was difficult to punish with just a utility weapon, it also threw traditionally designed halo maps for a loop.
3. Solid user interface, i think even people that hate reach admit that in terms of utility this is the best interface we've had, push it further and keep it clear and succinct.
4. Decide beforehand what your staple playlists are, many playlists people considered mainstay have been rotational, have about 8 mainstays, 10 max with 2 monthly rotationals, or even rotate a small number of lesser playlists on a week by week basis, then it also won't spread the population to thin if it's limited to 10 at all times.
5. Make the multiplayer varied and diverse, don't put all your eggs in one basket like infinity settings or warzone, halo is well known for its options compared to other shooters.
6. Return the old medal design (this one's just a personal gripe)
7. Don't over-saturate the game with 2/10 quality armour sets, keep it simple but good quality, more customizable.
8. Be creative with map layouts, halo should have some more straightforward maps, but experimentation is key too, H4 didn't do a bad job (many just sucked unfortunately), H5 are 10 different shades of the same thing.
9. Prior to 4 there were very few weapon clones or weapons that served a similar role, the ones that did (post-CE pistol mainly) were obsoleted, each weapon should serve a distinct purpose and strive for less overlap, not 2-4 variants of the same thing.
10. This isn't as direct as the other points but halo is a game with strong community involvement, H2 had clans, never to be seen again, why not spend some development time on something which will help people connect, compare and compete and keep the longevity of the game going.
11. If advanced movement was to ever get ditched then there are still avenues for fresh movement options, most can be found in an unpolished version from previous halo games.like why not have 1 special nade slot, shrink bubble shield to have the size and make 3 shots destroy it, bubble nades, make grav lifts from 3 smaller and make grav nades; make jetpack, evade/thruster (2 uses so it's more aggressive), hologram etc map pickups, if they're limited to 1 or 2 people per map you can make them much stronger..it's only when all these things that have been jammed into reach, 4 or 5, are abundant and always used that there is an issue with balance and fairness.. even then they have to be a good concept for gameplay, hence why things like power drain, regen or bubble shield failed, they tipped the balance of the game without any ounce of skill.
12. make vehicles drive more quick and fluid, it's a feather in halos cap and it's not being put to good use.
13. All of bungies halos managed to capture a silly but serious vibe, maybe it was the death animations or the way things animated or exploded but i believe it has to do with its simple but effective design allowing for a range of pacing; calm and observational, wacky to intense, and a bit of humour, even if it's indirect. H5 even when played casually feels super serious 24/7, bar warzone which feels a tad forced, H4 is a similar offender.
LASTLY and most IMPORTANTLY make the things like music, art style, game feel and things of that nature to feel familiar. I picked up Mario Odyssey not long ago and was blown away, it is quite different from the others as is every Mario..BUT it still felt familiar in many different facets of the game, before making a change don't sweep away the familiarity, the point of a brand or franchise is that there is a common element..and since 343 arrived that common element that people call 'HALO' has been blurred due to the lack of adherence to all the little things, when it comes to familiarity it's what makes the difference.
I think these things are more universal to bungie halo and lacking in 343 halo or less prominent, enough to consider one 'roots' and the others not. I mean if you were to be over the top i'm sure i could make 100 points that are precise and not general, but i feel these ones bubbled to the top of what i feel are a priority for returning to its roots.
