Recent reviews by alienatedpoet17

I've been playing since the public flights, I pre-ordered and moved to the Xbox App because of it. It had an extremely rough launch. I would like to talk about the campaign, because that is what halo is most known for. Make no mistake, this is a multiplayer game first, the campaign is its own thing. Its an overpriced $60 DLC. But I'll get to the campaign at the end.

Its first year was a mess. We were promised 3 month long seasons with events in the middle. You'd think the events would have thematic game modes and maps to go with them. You'd be a quarter right. Yes, a quarter. Because there wouldn't be maps, and the game modes had nothing to do with the events. Then
6 month long season 1 (Which didn't have all the cosmetics from previous games we wanted, despite being advertised. Also $20 armor bundles. You couldn't even use skins on what you want)
6 month long season 2 (We're down to $16-$18 bundles)
4 month long not-a-season. (Adding more of those cosmetics, seasons 1 and 2 stuff were rotated back in, but now $14-$16)
We had a multiplayer story! It was slow going but its going somewhere!
During all of this the game was glitchy, lots of install issues, and desync. We didn't even get match XP until that 4 month long part. But it slowly got better.
Then season 3 hit. We were getting more maps, community made maps were added. 3 months long and it delivered the same amount of stuff (and quality) as seasons 1 and 2. It isn't revolutionary, but its progress! And with skins being applied to more armors, that $14-$16 price tag didn't look so bad. And the story was still slow, but it was going in an interesting direction!
Season 4 came along, and finally the game feels like where it should have been at launch. For the last event we even got themed maps and modes. But prices are back to $16-$18... and the multiplayer story was cut even though this season's main mode was story-dependent. It is literally based around a character from the story.
Then season 5! It... was just Halloween and Reach leftovers... and the prices are back to $20? Events have been changed to include less... and the big game mode meant to come with this season came at the mid-way mark. But hey, at least the main menu background changes with each event!
And then when season 5 ended... so did all seasons. We have events only where you get 1 bundle of armor, and no new game modes. Maybe a map if you're lucky. No new guns. In fact, we only got 1 new gun. No new vehicles, nothing to spice up the gameplay from launch. But oh all the cosmetics that could have gone into a whole season, are being sold as bundles for $24 now. In fact, everything raised in price again.
Season 7 would have started now and I can't bother to play this game anymore. Even the community-made maps come too slow to matchmaking to mean anything. The custom games browser is emptier than Halo 5's ever were. The game at this point is literally just a way to take your money.
What's more insulting is that the new trailers for this game do not lie technically. There are 70+ total maps. There is lots of community content, lots of cosmetics, lots of game modes. But good luck finding people to play the community content if you don't have a bunch of friends. Have fun wasting your money on the cosmetics. Good luck trying to play any of the maps added, I haven't been able to play most of the new ones in the game modes I actually like.

As for the campaign, it is fun. It isn't $60 worth of fun, but it is fun. The story is very character driven and all of the characters are interesting. The openworld is a novel concept.
But just like how this game launched it isn't finished. You get a complete character arc, but in the grand scheme of the Halo story, it kind of ends where it begins. Chief is on a Halo ready to fight the banished. That is how the game starts, that is how it ends. The questions you'll ask at the start will not be answered. The locations are all the same. The open world has little variety, which may have been okay if they didn't leave a bunch of cut content. As you explore you'll find lots of repeated structures and elements, and various places that seem important, but have nothing associated with them. Its obvious more was planned but had to be cut for time. There's even a whole area of map that is locked off. Some say that it was implied that there would have been campaign DLC. Maybe that used to be the case, but in reality the game is simply unfinished. You've got a quarter of a complete story. You'll get a could of complete character arcs that takes Chief from Halo 4 and 5 and returns him to how he was. And the chemistry Chief has with the others is awesome. But that's all for the story. And the moment-to-moment gameplay is fun, but I hope you like the pacific northwest and forerunner hallways. That's all you get.

If you asked me this time last year if I would recommend the game, absolutely! It could only go up from there! Now, no. The game went down again. Sure technically it is "complete" but the playerbase has moved on. The numbers are the lowest they've ever been and 343 is only making overpriced cosmetics for this game. Forget about worthwhile maps, modes, and sandbox additions. Part of the fun for me was playing dress-up, I'll admit. But not at these prices, and not for a game I don't want to play anymore.

And you know, I've been cynical, but optimistic for this game. It is one of the games I can play with my Girlfriend who is on Xbox. It used to be our weekly thing. She even likes the Halo show, she's far more optimistic about Halo than I am. And she said that she isn't excited about this game anymore. That was a realization to me that this game is over.

If you want a fun gamenight with someone, or even your group of friends you'll definitely find it. If you want to play a 20 hour long fraction of a (albeit enjoyable) campaign, then you'll find that here. But if you want a live game, or you're coming back expecting anything substantial since launch, don't bother. We're getting a few quality of life things and cosmetics, but that is all. I don't see support lasting to the end of this year.

Literally take your money and go buy Helldivers 2. It is PVE only, but it made me realize how bad this game, and the whole industry is.

Even though Sony said they backtracked their position this game is still banned in over 180 countries. As much as I love this game it will now be negative.

As for the game itself.

Do you like 4 person co-op?

Do you like overwhelming amounts of enemies?

Do you miss when friendly fire was in games and you weren't punished for it?

Do you wish live service games had a fair price and paid you for playing the game?

As someone who jumped from Halo Infinite (and defended its shop prices) Helldivers 2 made me realize how bad the industry is. It is a lighthouse in a dark sea. And example of what games should be.

Even if you're a solo player, you'll have fun with this game.

I am doing my part to counter the review bombing. The doom community is just being Toxic.
I play on Nightmare only, I like my doom hard, but not impossible. Yes, this DLC is easier than TAG1. This feels more in-line with the base game.
Yes, the new enemies are just re-skins plus buffs. But so is the original Pain Elemental, so is the cyber mancubus. So is the dread knight. So are the shield soldiers. none of this is new!
The hammer works well with my gameplay style. The people who complain about it should also start complaining about the BFG. Just like how the unmaykr and crucible fill the same role.
Level designs feel somewhat repetitive, but not enough to be that big of a deal.
The missions are beautiful.
The only thing I can genuinely complain about is the story. It has completely retconned the hell/urdak lore. The ending is underwhelming. Nothing connected back together making the story feel rushed. My fears after TAG1 were realized. Not all hope is lost, it is possible they can fix it, they just need to hire a better writer to work with their direction.
ID Software could have done better, but this isn't as bad as everyone says. Eternal since release has been polarizing, favoring the extremes of the community and over-correcting. People loved the story of 2016, but felt that the gaemplay was unbalanced. In base Eternal some felt the gameplay was on point, but the story suffered. Some also said the gameplay is harder, but overall people complained that the story focused too much on knowing all the lore. Then in TAG 1 they doubled down on the difficulty, but the story was better. Here TAG 2, they fixed up the gameplay, but now the story actually suffers for it.
ID listens and correct themselves all the time. We need to let them work! This review bombing does nothing but scare the devs.

Skip this game and wait for the next Wolfenstein. 5/10. Skip this review now or watch me go into detail. This game was a hassel to get through. I only played the Fergus timeline and that is all I want to play now. The rumors are true, you start with 50% health and you don't get it back to full 100% until 2/3's left in the game. I played on the medium difficulty and it was nearly impossible. Some of you might say I need more skill or "git gud" Let me just say I love a challenge. A challenge is a hard task that you need to improve your own skills to come through in the end. This game instead handicaps you (story wise literally) and forces you to make your own saves (no quicksave button either) mid battle so you can slowly inch your way to the end. I wanted to throw my keyboard into my monitor I was that mad. Once I had 100% health the game felt like Wolfenstein again. I was finally having fun. Then the game ended abruptly. The story, what little there was, was good. In the first game the story felt like is spanned a good number of months in the game universe and built up character relationships. This one feels like 2 or 3 days most and it shows, barring a spoilerific time jump. The characters that carry over are fun and well written. I had fun until the game was pulled away from me. There are 3 new supporting characters. The two resistance leaders from the trailers are good. Sigrun though is one of the most useless characters I have ever seen. She served no actual purpose. She is there to complain and fill a demographics slot on the corporate suits' checklist. I actually wanted her out of the entire game she was that useless. What little she did, could have been done by literally any other character. There are plot threads introduced and left to be answered in the next game. What you get in the trailers is literally the whole game. Those are some pretty nice trailers though, if I do say so myself. Sure B.J. now has a backstory, but it was resolved and unneccesary to his motivations. I can sum up the entire game with one sentence. B.J survived New Order. Boom. done. Onto Wolfenstien 3 for the real war in America against the Nazis. There are only 3 important plot points necessary for the next game. You can google them if you want. The controls are largely the same and they are good. Only problem is trying to equip a different gun in the left hand. You have to go onto your weapon wheel and from there go left onto another weapon wheel then select it. Time does not slow when you are doing this and now when you switch guns by using the quick button you go back to one gun, or the other way around. I just stuck with using one gun at a time or dual wield the same gun like the older games. Overall this left me feeling like this was half a game. This was just a set up for Wolfenstein 3. Watch the trailers again and watch the 3 spoliers. That is all you need for the next game. This left me with the same feeling I got when I played Dead Space 3 Awakening DLC. Except this was a "full" game. I can't say this enough, skip this and wait for the next one. The next one will be what we wanted from this game in both gameplay and story. If it is on sale for $20 then buy it if you were so invested in this series like I am. If you are just an average fan, just wait for the next one. Please. I'm trying to help you here.

If you want to skip my ramblings it is a 9/10 now here is why: After playing through both Fall of Cybertron right after War for Cybertron, this game is much better. I have very few complaints. Story wise it continues wittth the Prime/Aligned continuity and follows it well with included easter eggs left out of WFC. The weapons look unique and some return from the first game. You are unable to choose characters per mission which I didn't like as much but fits well with the game. The game looks great and feels great. The negatives are that some of the story parts in a game that still leave you with control of your character (much like half life 2's style) can be slow and limiting. (Minor ending spoiler won't give too much away.) At the end it gives you a choice, but you get the same ending cutscene for either one which makes your choice useless. Other wise great game. War for Cybertron had a 7/10 and with these improvements all across the board it is a 9/10. Get. This. Game.

So I just finished the game and this will be a lengthy review. If you want the good stuff keep reading, but I would give this a 7/10. It is above average. Now, this is a good Transformers game overall. Standalone, it is a good timewaster but thats about it. First of all you cannot change key bindings and the framerate is locked at 30 FPS during gameplay. Frames I couldn't care less but keybindings still make me mess up. The game is really easy except for the ending boss battles, specifically the one at the end of the Autobot campaign. Second, choosing your faction confused me at first because chapter 1 was unlocked, but so was chapter 5. The game's events are literally split in two, with the first events on the decepticon side with the last half on Autobot. The A.I. is pretty dumb for both allies and enemies. Weapons are lack luster. You have the gatling guns, shot guns, assault rifles. Nothing braking the mold. Meleetakes way too loing to recharge. All land based transformers (tanks and cars) suck at turning. They are much too slow to turn even when hovering. There is very little good cover so you'll be scavenging for health alot. Lastly, and this is nit-picking but for the hardcore TF fans will hate the continuity. It is meant to be the Prime continuity. The game throws you right in with no build up, which would be fine but if you read Transformers Exodus like I have you feel like the game is missing alot of important stuff. Also major continuity errors (very minor spoliers for the beginning of the game). In the Prime show, Dark Energon is some mythical rare thing. 1st mission of decepticons: Megatron (who is remarkably more of a brute in this than cunning) finds it and spends the whole game chucking it down to the planet like zeus with thunderbolts. Last of the continuity error, Orion Pax is never mentioned. He is Optimus through the game. Maybe it is to help kids better understand, but if the show explained the Orion Pax turned into Optimus Prime, so should the game. Despite that: THIS IS NOT A BAD GAME!!! Voice acting is great (even though Megatron sounds like a Fallout 3 Super Mutant alot) , the designs are both new and familiar at the same time. The soundtrack is not memorable, but it does have its awesome moments. Each weapons, despite not being any different from Call Of Duty or any other shooter, each work differently in some way. They aren't reskins of eachother. Changing from robot to vehicle literally anywhere sets it above other games. Definitly worth $20, but im glad I got it while on sale for $5. Now onto Fall of Cyrberton and I'll probably leave a review for that too.