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It wasn't emotionally compelling for me at all...
Posted By: Phoenix_9286 <Ian.Sechler@gmail.com>	Date: 12/28/12 1:21 p.m.
In Response To: Stop with your logic (Cody Miller) At least not outside of the first play-through, and even then it fell flat on it's face. The game starts out really, really, super strong with the Halsey cinematic, and then by the time I reached Forerunner, felt like it'd lost all that momentum. It picked back up a bit around Infinity and Reclaimer, and then died back down, ironically, during Shutdown. Then, again, it picked back up a tiny bit during Composer, before being demolished during Midnight, where not even the ending saved it. I found the entire game to be a roller coaster that never, ever reached the heights of that opening cinematic again and was constantly skirting the "I care/don't care" line. As a few other people have pointed out, the Chief and Cortana element was the strongest point in the game, yet after Forerunner, is practically sidelined outside of your Hud flipping out, a distorted voice in your head, and a very depressed looking blue lady popping up at random intervals in a window. Meanwhile, the Didact was a complete waste as a villain I was meant to care about, nevermind a personal nemesis like 343 hyped him up to be. He shows up, it's pretty cool, he does his evil thing, and for a bit I care about getting even. Then he disappears and does absolutely nothing outside of what... stopping a few trams and removing a couple sections of floor tiles? to stop me. Oh, and taunt me infrequently. You know who did a better job at being a villain I was meant to care about? Truth. Throughout Halo 2 and 3 he's constantly talking. Be it in a cinematic, or a hologram on a pedestal, or a voice over a comm system. You never forget about him, because his insanity is always there. So there's two plot stands going on, and neither one ever felt fulfilling to me in the slightest. One is sidelined after the other shows up, and the other doesn't go much of anywhere. In my first play-through, I think I hit, or at least saw, all the emotional beats they wanted me to. Unfortunately due to how miserably I found both strands of story to be executed, and how bad some missions are, by the time I reached many of those beats, I just didn't care, or wasn't in the right state of mind to fully appreciate what they were going for. A good example is Composer and Midnight. The opening of Composer was pretty strong, and was the first time in quite a long while we saw just how bad Cortana was getting. Throughout the mission, things escalate, and I actually really, really liked the moment Chief had to tell her to focus on just one single thing. The reveal of just what the Composer does is fantastic. The end cinematic where the Chief has to remind Cortana, again, that there's still hope, when she's so lost she's practically forgotten it, was pretty well done. And then the game threw all that out the window by putting me in a Broadsword, and making me play through the single most on rails portion of the game. A trench run, through a ship that apparently has six billion moving parts for no reason. We have Infinity blow a tiny hole in the ship, which we fly through.... and then there's literally a perfectly sized door right behind that hole which closes behind us. After that, we stepped onto the Grid. This entire portion was so unbelievably stupid, not to mention frustrating, that by the time I reached the Didact, I wasn't connected to the game at all anymore. Even on subsequent play-throughs, where all that frustration and disbelief is curbed, I still find I don't care at all when I finally reach him. That's resulted in the final cinematics, including Cortana's farewell, to be entirely hollow for me. I get what they're going for, in fact I think their moments are all pretty well constructed (and if they went on longer, I might even reach the emotional state they want me to be in), it's all the places in between those moments, the lead ups, where things fall apart for me, and it's something I think Bungie always managed better. I can think of dozens of places in past Halos where I was truly connected and invested in the game, but none in Halo 4 that hit me as hard as Jorge throwing me out of the Corvette, and watching in horror as his sacrifice is for absolutely nothing. Or watching the Pillar of Autumn successfully lift out of dry-dock and leave me behind. Or watching ONI Alpha Site burn at night as the Rookie. Or the race to get out of New Mombasa before the Covenant glass it. Or being left for dead by Tartarus, and discovering when I return, that the Brutes have been killing my comrades. Or being forced to leave Cortana behind so I can race to stop Truth. Detonating Halo 04b and racing for the Portal to Earth. Watching Johnson die. Getting Cortana back after spending 343 Guilty Spark and The Library so alone. Storming the beach in Silent Cartographer. It just goes on... I don't know where I was trying to go with this anymore. I just know there could've been a great story in Halo 4. And for a time I thought it was actually pretty good. But subsequent play-throughs and reflection have come to make me believe it isn't that good at all. I found it was poorly executed, and because of that, all the emotional beats I was meant to feel, that were meant to involve me, fell flat.

Message Index

Stop with your logic	Cody Miller	12/28/12 1:49 a.m.
Re: Stop with your logic *SP*	Jaydee	12/28/12 2:44 a.m.
I.. Uhhh.... Agree...? With.... You....	Lurono	12/28/12 3:22 a.m.
Also meant Adywan instead of Adi-Wan *NM*	Lurono	12/28/12 3:26 a.m.
Re: I.. Uhhh.... Agree...? With.... You....	Cody Miller	12/28/12 11:38 a.m.
Email sent *NM*	Lurono	12/28/12 8:56 p.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	uberfoop	12/28/12 3:22 a.m.
Re: Stop with your logic *SP*	rhubarb	12/28/12 5:39 a.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	DEEP NNN	12/28/12 7:43 a.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	Metalingus627	12/28/12 9:43 a.m.
I like this post. *NM*	SonofMacPhisto	12/28/12 10:58 a.m.
A nice hypothesis...	NsU Soldier	12/28/12 11:05 a.m.
Re: A nice hypothesis...	Cody Miller	12/28/12 11:31 a.m.
Re: A nice hypothesis...	Leisandir	12/28/12 11:53 a.m.
Re: A nice hypothesis...	SonofMacPhisto	12/28/12 11:55 a.m.
Re: A nice hypothesis...	Cody Miller	12/28/12 12:11 p.m.
Re: A nice hypothesis...	SonofMacPhisto	12/28/12 5:01 p.m.
Re: A nice hypothesis...	NsU Soldier	12/28/12 12:19 p.m.
This!	Chewbaccawakka	12/28/12 12:59 p.m.
The Loftus Approach	Leviathan	12/28/12 11:16 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/28/12 11:24 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	mc_leprechaun	12/28/12 11:27 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	The Lionheart	12/28/12 5:28 p.m.
Qouth the Falcon, "YES!" *NM*	NsU Soldier	12/28/12 11:33 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Cody Miller	12/28/12 11:35 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	SonGoharotto	12/28/12 11:38 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/28/12 3:09 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Cody Miller	12/28/12 3:22 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/28/12 5:56 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Cody Miller	12/29/12 12:47 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Cody Miller	12/29/12 1:26 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Simpsons Rule	12/29/12 1:56 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	uberfoop	12/29/12 5:15 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Simpsons Rule	12/29/12 2:49 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	uberfoop	12/29/12 9:46 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/29/12 9:52 p.m.
Talking about this? *IMG*	The Lionheart	12/30/12 4:54 p.m.
Re: Talking about this? *IMG*	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/30/12 5:52 p.m.
Ah, okay.	The Lionheart	12/30/12 6:03 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Gravemind	12/30/12 5:07 p.m.
Thank you for this post. *NM*	The Lionheart	12/30/12 4:15 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Ragashingo	12/29/12 2:42 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/29/12 11:21 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Cody Miller	12/29/12 11:56 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Leisandir	12/29/12 1:20 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Cody Miller	12/29/12 3:36 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Leisandir	12/29/12 3:38 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/29/12 9:38 p.m.
Same here. *NM*	The Lionheart	12/30/12 5:01 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/29/12 9:42 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Cody Miller	12/30/12 11:55 a.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/30/12 1:27 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	The Lionheart	12/30/12 5:25 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	Archilen	12/30/12 11:36 p.m.
Seconded. *NM*	The Lionheart	12/30/12 4:59 p.m.
Re: The Loftus Approach	SonofMacPhisto	12/28/12 5:19 p.m.
Wow, that sounds like my kinda guy!	The Lionheart	12/28/12 5:35 p.m.
Agree with this also. *NM*	The Lionheart	12/28/12 5:30 p.m.
*applauds* You're so awesome, Levi.	Gravemind	12/28/12 1:26 p.m.
TOOK THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH *NM*	The Lionheart	12/28/12 5:28 p.m.
*Salute* *NM*	Quirel	12/28/12 5:40 p.m.
I don't disagree, but...	SonGoharotto	12/28/12 11:29 a.m.
My bad	SonGoharotto	12/28/12 11:36 a.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	scarab	12/28/12 12:09 p.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	Cody Miller	12/28/12 12:14 p.m.
It wasn't emotionally compelling for me at all...	Phoenix_9286	12/28/12 1:21 p.m.
No.	Quirel	12/28/12 6:15 p.m.
Very well said, sir. *NM*	Leisandir	12/28/12 8:11 p.m.
As always, I agree with Quirel	Ibeechu	12/28/12 10:38 p.m.
Re: As always, I agree with Quirel	Cody Miller	12/29/12 1:18 a.m.
Re: As always, I agree with Quirel	scarab	12/29/12 5:02 a.m.
Not quite.	Quirel	12/30/12 3:15 a.m.
I know this is slightly OT, but . . . .	Leisandir	12/30/12 8:49 a.m.
Re: I know this is slightly OT, but . . . .	Quirel	12/30/12 1:50 p.m.
Re: No.	TDSpiral	12/29/12 12:09 a.m.
Re: No.	Quirel	12/30/12 3:33 p.m.
Re: No.	scarab	12/31/12 8:51 a.m.
This is the limbo that I find myself in now. *NM*	The Lionheart	12/30/12 4:04 p.m.
Re: No.	Cody Miller	12/29/12 1:04 a.m.
Re: No.	Flynn J Taggart	12/29/12 2:12 a.m.
Re: No.	Quirel	12/31/12 1:57 a.m.
Re: No.	uberfoop	12/31/12 4:18 a.m.
Re: No.	RC Master	12/31/12 8:59 a.m.
Your brain doesn't work the same way as mine. O_o *NM*	The Lionheart	1/1/13 5:08 p.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	Kermit	12/28/12 10:59 p.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	Ibeechu	12/28/12 11:57 p.m.
Consistency and the Rules of Two Worlds	NsU Soldier	12/29/12 7:06 a.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	Leisandir	12/29/12 9:12 a.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	scarab	12/29/12 9:30 a.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	Leisandir	12/29/12 11:08 a.m.
Tru dat	scarab	12/29/12 12:11 p.m.
Re: Tru dat	Leisandir	12/29/12 1:22 p.m.
Re: Tru dat	Cody Miller	12/29/12 3:37 p.m.
Re: Tru dat	Leisandir	12/29/12 3:39 p.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	Kermit	12/29/12 3:33 p.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	Ibeechu	12/29/12 7:32 p.m.
Totally disagree	Avateur	12/29/12 1:04 a.m.
Re: Totally disagree	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	12/29/12 11:30 a.m.
Re: Totally disagree	Avateur	12/29/12 1:47 p.m.
Re: Totally disagree	Kalamari	12/29/12 6:44 p.m.
It's dog food?	scarab	12/29/12 6:55 p.m.
Re: Stop with your logic	General Vagueness	1/5/13 7:40 p.m.
Re: Stop with your logic *LONG*	Dundre	1/7/13 7:42 a.m.