: http://youtu.be/FRTsl1jCqq8
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I believe a few of you are missing the point of the video. For a long time now, developers (of mostly FPS games) have strived to improve the realism in their games and only succeeded in hurting the game in the process. Halo4 is a great example of this.I love the game, but consistently seeing myself push a button with the same dumb animation over and over again, really took the fun out of it. There's no reason to show such a animation other then to give the player a close up look at the graphics. It's a button, WE KNOW the character pushed it!

The button cinematic is just one example of many I could list. Another example would be the Rocket Launcher in the Halo5 Beta. For over 13 years (more so if you count the early RTS days) the Rocket Launcher has been a double barrel cannon that hod two shots with a simple barrel rotation animation and reload. The Halo 5 Rocket Launcher is a Call Of Duty Rocket launcher with ONE barrel, Two shots, no rotation animation, and a completely different reload feature and animation. It's clearly 343i's attempt at making the game "more realistic" simply for the sake of it. And in doing so, they take one of the most iconic weapons of the franchise and remove it. All for realism sake.

The Beta does look great, but they are all small maps. How will they look as large maps? Are we going to be stuck with tiny maps for the campaign again? Or once again, large levels with practically nothing in them? On top of that, it looks like they are introducing a more realistic energy sword (including glare effect) just so they can push out the classic design. I pray I'm wrong in this.

Personally, I'm very happy with the Halo4 graphics. The only real issue with it is the loading and popping in and out of the textures and meshes. We could keep the H4 graphics and 343i could then focus on BETTER level and map design as well as gameplay. I can't be the only one that thinks it was incredibly stupid and lazy to use the crashed FUD ship as the PERFECT path to drive Warthog (Requiem level).

Halo CE was a game that was linear in story but played as if it was a open world. Allowing players to often determine their own path without actually doing so. The Halo and Silent Cartographer level are great examples of this. But with each sequel, this freedom (or at least sense of freedom) has been taken away. All because the graphic upgrades prevented the notion of exploring within the engine. Halo2 was the last real game to let us explore any. And that was limited to rooftops! Oh and by "Exploration", I'm not refuring to breaking the game and getting off the levels.

Here's yet another great example of graphics being the focus over gameplay in Halo4. Spartan Ops is filled with levels that are over used and NOT AT ALL playable offline. Gameplay Issue. And what about the complete lack of the ability to fallback in H4's Campaign levels due to lack of cover or returning to the other side of a NOW LOCKED door? Gameplay Issue!

The main point, I believe, of the video's author, is that just because a new game/squeal comes out, it does not automatically mean the graphics have to be upgraded. The gameplay is more important. Mirror's edge would be a great example along with Minecraft and MANY Indie games. Most of Nintendo's squeals look like their precursors, and yet they sale like crazy because they are fun and the gameplay and story is put first and foremost. Okay, maybe not with story when it comes to Nintendo. But you see my point.

Graphics are important in certain games like Forza, and maybe even Alan Wake. But in the end it's pointless without great gameplay.

Story>Gameplay>Graphics.