Counterpoint: Multiplayer Unlocks Don’t Ruin Halo 4

ARTICLE_halo 4 kotaku

Counterpoint: Multiplayer Unlocks Don’t Ruin Halo 4

And here we go…

by Arthur Kotsopoulos

©2012 Arthur Kotsopoulos

halo 4 boxartOver the last month I’ve had a few issues with the level of quality journalism from our colleagues at Kotaku, from the abysmal THQ Humble Bundle article to the criticism of why the Bioshock Infinite cover is terrible and why it matters.

As we all know, the third time’s a charm when another Kotaku article caught my eye, this time criticizing why “This Year’s Biggest Shooters Remind Me Why Multiplayer Unlocks Suck“.

At first I thought: “Okay, it’s a bit of a stretch but I’ll bend my imagination, give this article a read and see what the fuss is about.” The first paragraph sums up the article and its outrageous claims nicely:

Kotaku: The other day, a colleague mentioned that she felt like there was something off about Halo 4′s multiplayer. She was getting destroyed by others players, eventually feeling like she didn’t have much of a chance when up against people with advanced abilities or gear gained from level unlocks.

I’m not sure what game the supposed colleague was playing but as far as I know, Halo 4 doesn’t include advanced abilities, nor any type of gear you can unlock at higher levels that even remotely attributes to a stronger Spartan.

Sure, Halo 4 includes Armor Abilities, Tactical Packages and Support Upgrades, but neither of these substantially increase the player’s chances of being an unstoppable killing machine.

When GameInformer broke down the inclusions of Halo 4‘s multiplayer aspect, a lot of gamers cried foul about how Halo 4 was moving away from its roots and becoming another Call of Duty among the plethora of generic shooters.

Does Halo 4 really suffer from modernizing?

Halo 4: A Hands-On Preview by a PS3 Journo

Halo 4: A Hands-On Preview by a PS3 Journo

My editor thinks he’s funny, but I get the last laugh

by Nicholas Capozzoli

©2012 Nicholas Capozzoli

My editor has asked that I, devout Playstation gamer and archbishop of the church of Kevin Butler, preview Halo 4, an exclusive 360 title.

I’d be a tad worried for his sanity, but it’s possible that he was hoping for a fresh look at a series that has been such an ingrained feature of the Xbox for two gaming generations.

Either that or he thought it would be fun to taunt me with a game I will not be able to play on release.

Well, for better or worse, here are my thoughts on how Halo 4 looks to be shaping up.

Before you go to crucify me in the comments section, please know that I’ve always admired the Halo series, and I’ve at least a little experience with the games to my name.

All things considered, I’ve now actually had a decent amount of time with Halo 4, even among my fellow writers here at OXCGN.

In addition to firsthand coverage at Microsoft’s conference and demo time at E3, I was lucky enough to attend a “VIP” event for Halo 4 at the Exchange nightclub in Los Angeles to see what the game looks like after you’ve overindulged at a comped bar (spoiler: kinda blurry).

Now that Halo 4 was playable at last weekend’s RTX 2012, and new details emerged at San Diego Comic-Con, it’s a good time to review what we know about the game, and what impressions I’ve managed to garner from my time with controller in hand.

Halo 4 Preview from a Playstation Journo this way

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