Just a few words from a long time Halo player here.
I'm stunned by 343's first attempt at Halo. The game is super. Campaign great (I finished solo legendary last week). Graphics and atmosphere super! KUDOS 343!!
Mulitiplayer's good too, but the speed of play (sprint) makes spawns a bit more tricky, and the option to select any weapon from start makes it a little too much of a MLG-style of play imo (since you have 90% DMRs/BRs at all times).
The multiplayer core's still SUPER though. KUDOS AGAIN 343!!
But Ok, I have some issues, here goes
My main issues with multiplayer are that there's too many power weapons and vehicles around at all times. In previous halos there was a fight for the power weapons and vehicles, in this game you can't even call them out, since everybody has a sword, sniper or a shotgun at all times almost. Vehicles are left abandoned, since there almost more of them than players on the field! You like this guys? Remember H3 days on Valhalla when your whole team got committed taking the ops Warthog out? What do we have now? Two Banshees, two Mantis, and two Warthogs? Give us a break 343! Also this new Ordonance system contributes to this mess. Reduce the drops or remove most power weapons from them. Keep Overshield, Speed Boost and such. Add things as Regenerator instead. Me myself, I prefer the 'ol AR/Pistol starts, and the rest you get from the map - if you can
What do you think guys?
At the same time, I come to like the multiplayer the more I spend time in it, so I dunno, perhaps we should (yes here's that godforbidden word) adapt?
Ok, signing out for now.
No wait, one more thing. GIVE US MORE BOOST IN THE JETPACK 343!! I'm absoutely came to love the Jetpack as a loadout in Reach (after months of getting used to standard pad config, coming from Bumper jumper of Halo3). I feel you really nerfed it to absolute minimum in this game (probably afraid it would damage map control etc). Not even a big leap as you take off gives you what's needed this time around. I would like to be able to conserve three boosts and get some work done on them. Look over it will ya?
Ok, guys. Back to War Games!
Oh, one last thing.
On weapon balance. I think 343 did quite good on these things aswell. The AR's upped, but it was absolutely worthless in Halo3, so that's a good thing. All closeups now doesn't need to end in a melee, and the AR is of some use.
Carbine seems a tad too nerfed compared to the DMR/BR, very similar to Halo3 carbine overall. But since the DMR is so powerful, I don't really see much use in it, except for the spam-single-shot-switch.
DMR seems a bit too powerful imo. You don't seem to be able to gain on BR by the ability to straf/jump in single shots of the bursts as a compensation, so well.... perhaps it should be nerfed? What do you say guys?
Needler There's a power weapon for you. CE style! Judgement...... like Or?