Halo 4 Eurogamer Campaign Preview
In the bowels of Londons Earls Court where assorted gamer types met to exchange back sweat, freebies and opinions on the coming 12 months biggest gaming releases; we were treated to a 10 minute campaign play through by 343s Frank OConnor of potentially the biggest release of the past 5 years: Halo 4. We were promised the moon, the earth, the greatest there ever was and a step forward in the Halo Universe; what we got was a missed opportunity. Whilst the pacing was excellent the grim reality is that the new developers, 343 Industries, appeared too nervous to take a chance and push Halo forward in to the realms of mature, dark and imposing FPS and instead stuck to Halo type and echoed almost exactly the only Halo Ive played for any length of time...Which was Halo 2. Though apparently different; the environments and enemies had the same feel and the rather unrealistic approach to the games design hampered what could have been a dark discovery of a new world and the beginning of a new war. Before any smart-arses-with-a-keyboard (like myself), jump on any form of wagon; the footage we were displayed was lifted from Chapter 3 of Halo 4, so it wasnt the beginning of the game, it was in the middle of its established gameplay which gives us a rather depressing inclination as to what the game will possess as a whole; familiarity. An unimaginative attempt to appease hardcore fans as Halo is reigned in from its potential and held to what it has been for so long. 
The vehicles, the guns, the enemies all have the same tone and whilst the different dynamic in the battles makes Halo seem more intriguing and challenging than the rather formulaic Run, crouch, shoot, win, run FPS were accustomed to the games design and tone prevent it from reaching its full potential. Everything, and I mean everything, has the shiny sheen of a My Little Pony In Space spin off that doesnt help make this alien environment feel like an imposing planet of doom, merely just a planet run by angry, odd looking aliens with OCD and too much bleach. The weapons again feel samey and comfortable, the vehicles shown are nothing new and their inclusion feels like a forced appeasement of fan demands than actual game advancing necessity. Beyond the mechanics of the gameplay comes the actual direction the game was taking; which once again gave little to suggest that this is a new innovative step up as the game hugged to the objective clichés of Halo and any other FPS we have. FPS have long been labelled as repetitive, monotonous tat, but not Halo. Yet the mission we witnessed gave no inclination that this is the massive step forward in a Halo franchise spear headed by a new story, a new developer and new ideas. It instead gave us the familiar tang of genre hugging easiness that has befallen a company which seems to have been overwhelmed by the massive task at hand. Predicted rating:4
Previewrating:3