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Peterthumpa · Dec 31, 2012

Today I finally had a chance to sit down and play through most of Halo 4's campaign. Besides the fantastic gameplay, I was absolutely amazed by how good the game looks on the Xbox 360. The leap in graphics quality (both technically and artistically) from Halo 3 to 4 is nothing short of stunning.

Which leads me to my main point... I'm mainly a PC gamer, so good IQ and the latest graphical tricks are always welcome. I was damn impressed by the game and to say the truth, if Halo 4 was running at 1080p with 4xAA, it could absolutely pass by a next-gen game.

So, I started to think that all this talk about the PS4 and the 720 unable to be technically superior than a high end PC at launch really doesn't matter. I think that next-gen will finally break the barrier of doing whatever the devs wants graphically with the hardware, the limits will be only their imagination and their competence.

343 Industries are amazing devs, and like Santa Monica Studios, I expect these guys to make me regret spending so much on my gaming rig. And I'll be glad if they make it. Not bashing PC games and devs, I really love both. But after playing Halo 4, I'm almost sure that this gen will bring the leap in graphics needed for us to finally experience Hollywood-like productions in real time, if the devs are up to the task.

Discuss.

RoboPlato · Dec 31, 2012

This has always been one of the benefits of developing a console exclusive game. When a really talented team can really get into the hardware and learn it in and out, they can push it way further than you would ever expect.

Radec · Dec 31, 2012

Expect more Halos and Gears next gen.

Will be interesting to see the leap from the 360 to 720 on these games.

Iceblade · Dec 31, 2012

I feel like we say this every generation

Deleted member 81567 · Dec 31, 2012

Then what's the point of generations if they're going to be so open?

JordanN · Dec 31, 2012

felipepl said:
But after playing Halo 4, I'm almost sure that this gen will bring the leap in graphics needed for us to finally experience Hollywood-like productions in real time, if the devs are up to the task.

Discuss.

Eh, PS4 and 720 are going to be surpassed by much more powerful GPU's either at launch or a couple months after nor do they represent the power that actual Hollywood movies use.

Imagination and competence can only go so far...

I NEED SCISSORS · Dec 31, 2012

This gen stopped really impressing me around 2010. Once we had God of War 3, I think we could pretty much call it a day on current consoles. I mean, Halo 4 looks great, but it doesn't impress me much after GOW3. And after being used to supersampling games on PC for about 3 years, all I can really see now in most console games is a whole lot of shimmering. Halo 4 had a ton of it caused by detail struggling to be contained in 720p resolution. It's probably one of those games like Resi 5 that could stun just with better image quality and a higher resolution, but alas it's exclusive so we will never know.

LightOfTruth · Dec 31, 2012

Finished it last week, great game. Didnt love it as much as I think most others did though. It was Halo.

As for the graphics, yeah they're great. Impressive considering the openness of the game, though some aspects of it werent so impressive. Overall its probably the best looking 360 game next to gears, and the best looking FPS after KZ3.

Reiko · Dec 31, 2012

I bet 343 is barely scratching the surface of what they're really capable of when they debut Halo 5 on Durango.

_tetsuo_ said:
Crysis 2 looks better on PC and it came out last year. Crysis 1 probably looks better on PC as well, I haven't played it ina few years. I am installing Warhead right now though

Fixed

-tetsuo- · Dec 31, 2012

Crysis 2 looks better and it came out last year. Crysis 1 probably looks better as well, I haven't played it in a few years. I am installing Warhead right now though

gaming_noob · Dec 31, 2012

As impressive as it is it has a ton of blurry textures - i.e. when you zoom up close to a Phantom ship as it's about to drop off enemies. The blurriness on that is actually appalling. The marine animations in Spec Ops are back to it's old Bungie roots in terms of quality.

But besides that, music and production and everything else is top notch in the campaign and multiplayer and I'm really happy 343i was able to pull through. The new team has made Halo more "cool" for a lack of a better word.

LightOfTruth · Dec 31, 2012

BTW, whats the overall consensus on GAF regarding Halo 4 vs Reach? Though I LOVE the new weapons and enemies in 4, I thought Reach had a better campaign (especially the ending).

Radec · Dec 31, 2012

_tetsuo_ said:
Crysis 2 looks better and it came out last year. Crysis 1 probably looks better as well, I haven't played it ina few years. I am installing Warhead right now though

Console Crysis 1/2 is mediocre at best in the graphics dept. Crysis 2 in all areas.

-tetsuo- · Dec 31, 2012

Radec said:
Console Crysis 1/2 is mediocre at best in the graphics dept. Crysis 2 in all areas.

I'm talking about the PC versions, of course.

Dirtbag · Dec 31, 2012

LightOfTruth said:
BTW, whats the overall consensus on GAF regarding Halo 4 vs Reach? Though I LOVE the new weapons and enemies in 4, I thought Reach had a better campaign (especially the ending).

HaloGAF is in civil war. Most of us seem to hate 4, myself included.

I think the campaign is one of the weakest right alongside Halo2, and the MP is such a departure from series staples its right alongside with Reach as a bad 'halo' game.
Visuals are nothing short of stunning in Halo 4, but it comes at a noticeable hit to battle scale.

I'd definitely give a campaign edge to Reach with enemy AI and I found many areas of 4 to be tedious.
And the jury is still out for me on MP between the two. But they both sit at the bottom of Halo MP for me.

les papillons sexuels · Dec 31, 2012

i hated how they put the graphics first, often I was blinded by lightshafts and lensflares when trying to land headshots.
garbage game design, bungie was boss at editing what they needed.

Skel1ingt0n · Dec 31, 2012

LightOfTruth said:
BTW, whats the overall consensus on GAF regarding Halo 4 vs Reach? Though I LOVE the new weapons and enemies in 4, I thought Reach had a better campaign (especially the ending).

Seems to be really split - the community is definitely divided; seems like on the internet, at least, most people are disappointed in H4. Though, that could just be the cynical internet for you. I, myself, am certainly disappointed; but I have been disappointed with Halo since H3. In any case, though, I don't know if it was worth it to change so much of the game, as it doesn't seem like they're gaining much (if any) of the CoD crowd they're so obviously trying to cater to.

Maps are some of the best since H2. Gunplay is tight. Graphics are fantastic. But SO, SO MUCH has been changed, that it doesn't really "feel" like Halo anymore. Lack of emphasis put on strategy, vehicles, communication, and patience takes away from some of the IP's defining characteristics.

Also, I would argue that 1:1, Bungie is a better developer than 343. Furthermore, they're more focused on their community than the latter, too.

sp3000 · Dec 31, 2012

felipepl said:
Today I finally had a chance to sit down and play through most of Halo 4's campaign. Besides the fantastic gameplay, I was absolutely amazed by how good the game looks on the Xbox 360. The leap in graphics quality (both technically and artistically) from Halo 3 to 4 is nothing short of stunning.

Which leads me to my main point... I'm mainly a PC gamer, so good IQ and the latest graphical tricks are always welcome. I was damn impressed by the game and to say the truth, if Halo 4 was running at 1080p with 4xAA, it could absolutely pass by a next-gen game.

So, I started to think that all this talk about the PS4 and the 720 unable to be technically superior than a high end PC at launch really doesn't matter. I think that next-gen will finally break the barrier of doing whatever the devs wants graphically with the hardware, the limits will be only their imagination and their competence.

343 Industries are amazing devs, and like Santa Monica Studios, I expect these guys to make me regret spending so much on my gaming rig. And I'll be glad if they make it. Not bashing PC games and devs, I really love both. But after playing Halo 4, I'm almost sure that this gen will bring the leap in graphics needed for us to finally experience Hollywood-like productions in real time, if the devs are up to the task.

Discuss.

Why are you comparing the graphics between Halo 3 and 4 and totally ignoring Reach. This entire post reeks of blind love for a studio more than fact.

And 343 are not even in the same league as Bungie. The MP is by a significant margin the worst in the series with one bad design decision after another.

The fact that the best part of Halo 4 is the graphics speaks a lot about where the series has gone.

Synth_floyd · Dec 31, 2012

The graphics were good in Halo 4 but the campaign was downright awful. Plus they turned it into Call of Halo with the loadouts, experience system, points during multiplayer, nerfed grenades and melee, etc.

danwarb · Dec 31, 2012

I was much more impressed with 3 in 2007 than with 4 in 2012. This generation has been showing its age for a long time.

The detailed backgrounds and quality HDR in 3 was taken out for improved image quality and effects in 4. Maybe we can have it all next time out. I thought Reach had a better balance, ghosting aside.

clutch.as.it.gets. · Dec 31, 2012

After playing Halo 4 i wouldn`t call 343 industries a top tier developer. The Singleplayer was very average.

That being said, i agree that great first party developers are very important to show off what the machine is able to do.

Prologue · Dec 31, 2012

sp3000 said:
Why are you comparing the graphics between Halo 3 and 4 and totally ignoring Reach. This entire post reeks of blind love for a studio more than fact.

And 343 are not even in the same league as Bungie. The MP is by a significant margin the worst in the series with one bad design decision after another.

The fact that the best part of Halo 4 is the graphics speaks a lot about where the series has gone.

To each his own. Halo 4 seems a lot more fluid than Reach or Halo 3. It does have issues, but I can't help but enjoy it. Really reminds me of Halo 2.

Striek · Dec 31, 2012

Radec said:
Console Crysis 1/2 is mediocre at best in the graphics dept. Crysis 2 in all areas.

Thats crazy talk. Crysis 2 is easily up there with the best looking FPS on consoles.

Omega · Dec 31, 2012

that's kind of all Halo 4 had..

next guy points out some of the many flaws this game has. I wouldn't exactly call them top-tier after one pretty game.

Psychoward · Dec 31, 2012

Yet it also had the worst campaign out of all Halos, removed campaign theater, and removed Firefight and had no Spartan Ops theater.

Bombadil · Dec 31, 2012

I'm one of those people who will slowly roam through a level and zoom in on EVERYTHING.

Halo 4 looks good, but I've already spotted plenty of low-res textures. So, I'm sorry, but I'm not impressed.

JdFoX187 · Dec 31, 2012

PsychoWARD23 said:
Yet it also had the worst campaign out of all Halos, removed campaign theater, and removed Firefight and had no Spartan Ops theater.

And it was still a better game than the piece of shit known as Halo 3. Though I'd say even as bad as Halo 4's story was, it still had more heart than anything in that travesty.

cluto · Dec 31, 2012

Bombadil said:
I'm one of those people who will slowly roam through a level and zoom in on EVERYTHING.

Halo 4 looks good, but I've already spotted plenty of low-res textures. So, I'm sorry, but I'm not impressed.

This post is hilarious.

Majanew · Dec 31, 2012

Striek said:
Thats crazy talk. Crysis 2 is easily up there with the best looking FPS on consoles.

Yeah, as long as you're not moving. Stuttering frame-rate pulls the looks down big time.

PsychoWARD23 said:
Yet it also had the worst campaign out of all Halos

What? Impossible. Halo 2 exists.
I thought Halo 4 had the best Campaign since CE. Even had a HUGE plus over CE: no Flood.

And even Halo 3's Campaign is overrated. For an awesome level like Tsavo Highway, you get shit like The Cortana level. Fuck that level. Fuck the Flood.

Bombadil · Dec 31, 2012

JdFoX187 said:
And it was still a better game than the piece of shit known as Halo 3. Though I'd say even as bad as Halo 4's story was, it still had more heart than anything in that travesty.

The thing that made Halo 3's campaign a piece of shit was the fact that they removed the dual character campaign feature that they had in Halo 2.

Since Halo 4's campaign once again omits that feature, it is still about as bad as Halo 3's campaign, if not worse.

For one thing, the new enemies are pathetic. Their culture, their weapons, their personalities, their animations are all bland. "Am I playing Halo or Bionicle?" was a question that kept running through my mind.

Plus, it was extremely linear and took place on one planet. Just like Halo CE, which was a piece of shit compared to Halo 2.

meta4 · Dec 31, 2012

Halo fans seem to be a divided bunch. I have not seen universal love for any of the Halo's except for maybe CE. I did not know a lot of people did not like Halo 4. Anyways with regard to the OP I agree it looks great and I cannot wait to see what these studios come up with next gen.

Spruchy · Dec 31, 2012

Bombadil said:
The thing that made Halo 3's campaign a piece of shit was the fact that they removed the dual character campaign feature that they had in Halo 2.

Since Halo 4's campaign once again omits that feature, it is still about as bad as Halo 3's campaign, if not worse.

For one thing, the new enemies are pathetic. Their culture, their weapons, their personalities, their animations are all bland. "Am I playing Halo or Bionicle?" was a question that kept running through my mind.

Plus, it was extremely linear and took place on one planet. Just like Halo CE, which was a piece of shit compared to Halo 2.

Does a different colored UI really tickle your fancy that much? Just put some colored seram wrap over your screen on every level and you'll have 8 different playable characters and your favorite campaign evar.

sky · Dec 31, 2012

Discuss what?

That massive, mega-budget games with talented teams slaving for years and strong art direction end up looking really visually impressive?

Um, ok!

cluto · Dec 31, 2012

meta4 said:
Halo fans seem to be a divided bunch. I have not seen universal love for any of the Halo's except for maybe CE. I did not know a lot of people did not like Halo 4. Anyways with regard to the OP I agree it looks great and I cannot wait to see what these studios come up with next gen.

The people who take Halo seriously have issues with Halo 4. The people who don't really care are having a good time with it.

DeadTrees · Dec 31, 2012

felipepl said:
I think that next-gen will finally break the barrier of doing whatever the devs wants graphically with the hardware, the limits will be only their imagination and their competence.

In other words, we're still screwed.

GrizzNKev · Dec 31, 2012

Halo 4 made a great many sacrifices to level design, draw distance, and other visual effects to achieve what it has. Most players didn't take kindly to that.

Take a closer look and you'll see it's Reach without motion blur and ambient occlusion, with more bloom everywhere.

Moa · Dec 31, 2012

Halo 4 everybody.

OrangeOak · Dec 31, 2012

Striek said:
Thats crazy talk. Crysis 2 is easily up there with the best looking FPS on consoles.

This ^
What Crytek achieved on this old hardware is really amazing.

Primethius · Dec 31, 2012

Halo 4 dissapointed me graphically as a fan of Halo 3 and Reach's accomplishments. Low-resolutions sky boxes, textures and lower scale encounters was all I could see once I got past the initial awe.

I would rather take Halo 3 at 720p with some AA or Reach with brighter colors and a consistent framerate then Halo 4.

Plywood · Dec 31, 2012

I wouldn't really praise 343 considering it's unsure how much work they actually put into the game once you find out how much of it was outsourced.

Majanew · Dec 31, 2012

Moa said:
Halo 4 everybody.

Nice way to find a terrible spot.

Here's Reach AT ALL TIMES:

Bombadil · Dec 31, 2012

Spruchy said:
Does a different colored UI really tickle your fancy that much? Just put some colored seram wrap over your screen on every level and you'll have 8 different playable characters and your favorite campaign evar.

Really? You really think that's all the dual character campaign brought to the table? A different HUD? Let me tell you something. I have played Halo 2's campaign 12 times. 12. It is far and the away the best Halo campaign that ever existed. And every little ungrateful Halo CE fan that complained about playing as the Arbiter because they felt like they were betraying humanity needs to shut their pie holes.

In Halo 2 we got to hear the Covenant's side of the story. We got to understand the political strife that existed in the testy relationship between the Elites, the Prophets, and the Brutes. We got to travel to places we would never have gone to if we only played as the Arbiter. Playing as the Arbiter gave us the opportunity to experience the Flood in their truly horrific element (Quarantine). We got High Charity, Delta Halo, New Mombasa, the Library, and much more. We got VARIETY! We got an interesting villain! GRAVEMIND. In this game, he rocks. In 3, he's a bore.

What did we get in CE? Repetitive structures on a truly boring ring, a bunch of mysterious (though uninteresting) enemies that bumbled incoherently, no humor, shitty physics, a disappointing multiplayer, and the Flood in their most pest-like.

What we we get in 3? Well, strictly speaking for the single player campaign, we only got two places to go to while a scaly black, useless character clung to my boot for half the game because Bungie must have listened to all those dolts who demanded not to play as the Arbiter. We could have had the same dynamic, but we didn't.

And now we got Halo 4. Same problem. I'm the Chief throughout. Where? One place, throughout. Why? Because a generic villain who thinks humanity isn't ready (for what?), commanding a bunch of action figures from middle school is inadvertently awakened by incompetence, has been playing too much Mass Effect.

Halo 4 is 343's attempt to go back to Halo CE. And it sucks.

Omni · Dec 31, 2012

I know what you mean!

The crappy .jpg skyboxes, 2D water, terrible textures, super obvious LoD, flat lighting and small linear areas are stunning to look at! Halo 4 is truly amazing compared to Halo 3 - where, I might add, that none of those things were as big of a problem.

720p is nice, but it wasn't worth the visual and performance sacrifice. Even Reach looks better. Halo 4 is, in the end, (IMO) a step back visually. All it has going for it are facial animations and bloom.

Sanic · Dec 31, 2012

You make good points OP, but Halo 4 was almost like the textbook example of good developers seemingly hamstrung by legacy constraints while further homogenizing the product for broader appeal.

ElRenoRaven · Dec 31, 2012

koshunter said:
Halo 4 dissapointed me graphically as a fan of Halo 3 and Reach's accomplishments. Low-resolutions sky boxes, textures and lower scale encounters was all I could see once I got past the initial awe.

I would rather take Halo 3 at 720p with some AA or Reach with brighter colors and a consistent framerate then Halo 4.

I have to agree. I'm not going to shit on Halo 4 graphically because in the imediate area around you it's great looking but I would take Bungie's approach any day of the week. They realized that "Pretty Graphics" weren't the end all be all. They had a lot of hidden beauty in their games that people took for granted. I actually kind of laugh now to see people reacting to the changes 343 made. Most people were always oh Bungie's game looks lame it's not blowing me away. Then when all of those little things are stripped out to give you more fancy lighting etc the illusion created before starts to fall apart pretty quickly.

That's why I'll always take Bungie's approach any day of the week. It's also nice to see people start to come around and see what was always there before.

Syphon Filter · Dec 31, 2012

Halo 4 is trash. This is a good example of gameplay>graphics.

TCKaos · Dec 31, 2012

Bombadil said:
Halo 2

I thought it had the best plot but some of the weirdest encounter design. Haven't played it in years, though. I vaguely remember not enjoying Delta Halo or Regret for some reason despite everyone else liking them. Outskirts, Metropolis, Uprising and Great Journey were always my favorites.

Bombadil · Dec 31, 2012

TCKaos said:
I thought it had the best plot but some of the weirdest encounter design. Haven't played it in years, though. I vaguely remember not enjoying Delta Halo or Regret for some reason despite everyone else liking them. Outskirts, Metropolis, Uprising and Great Journey were always my favorites.

I agree, but despite being weak levels, they demonstrated Bungie's desire to add different locales to the game. I appreciated that fact that my character kept getting sent to different places. It reminded me of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Omni · Dec 31, 2012

Majanew said:
Nice way to find a terrible spot.

Here's Reach AT ALL TIMES:

But Halo Reach was pretty much like that at all times because of temporal anti aliasing.

Randolph Freelander · Dec 31, 2012

It doesn't matter how a game looks. The game was terrible. We need top tier developers to make good games. So far, 343 isn't one.

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