MarkMe2525
Banned
.........okI wonder how much MS invested into the marketing/shilling of this game. They had to know that if this game failed, Halo would be dead as a franchise. They couldn't let that happen as Halo is synonymous with the Xbox brand. The disparity of opinions between the media and people actually playing the game on Twitch is staggering, with most real person opinions being somewhat negative on the game structure as open world, but all agreeing that the gameplay loop is solid.
The level of manipulation at play here is also next level. Choosing to skin the entire game after the most iconic level in Halo Combat Evolved, and going so far to manipulate your feelings of nostalgia as to use the exact same box art as Halo Combat Evolved reeks of desperation. 343 clearly doesn't have the magic that Bungie did, and still does with Destiny. Destiny is the natural progression of Halo. Infinite just reeks of a desperate attempt at reviving a dying brand by using nostalgia and paid propaganda to dictate public opinion.
This game will be largely forgotten by this time next year. I don't really see the Halo brand going anywhere positive from here. If this game is a commercial success, I can see them going back to the well of nostalgia for the next installment as well.
I'm in the third act on heroic and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. I find the boss encounters challenging and are a nice change of pace. Like many other people have said, the grapple hook is a perfect fit for this game.
One small annoyance is how it locks you out of previously played sections of the map without much of a warning as you progress through the main story.