I'm a person who hates spoilers of anything that is in the game. So when they released the first two opening cinematic that introduce both Spartan Locke and Master Chief. Its amazing when devs pull you in by teasing the opening or give you just enough to want more. The opening cinematic was amazing, don't get me wrong, but I wish they'd have kept it a secret. There are three things being judged (harsh words) in the initial review. The story, mechanics and weapons.
The Story:
The story does a great job at pulling the gamer in. Cortana is teased within a few minutes of the game. Spartan Locke starts his journey rescuing a doctor (who is familiar with cortana) from the clutches of the covenant. Master Chief on the other hand has his hands full.
In the cinematic you feel that Master Chief is still searching for Cortana and we still don't know for certain if she is actually alive. During the mission Master Chief has a "vision" that tells him to go to a certain place in the galaxy. The vision changes him to the point where he disobeys a direct order and heads off with his blue team in search Cortana. This sparks Spartan Lockes search for the blue team and master chief.
The story has a great mix of different people and places, but Master Chief is only in one of the first four missions. It does, however, pick up with Master Chief afterward. 343 Industries does a great job of telling what you need to know, but doesn't spoil anything major.
Mechanics:
They still haven't fixed the problem with the AI driving the warthogs. They still drive around in the same circle and make it impossible for you to actually shoot anything. There may be more to controlling the AI, but so far there is a mixed feeling about it. Aside from AI driving anything they've actually done a decent job in controlling what the A.I. does. There are kinks, but that is user error and there can be a learning curve for those who aren't familiar with it or don't know how to use it properly. Which is probably the case for me, but I make it work.
Weapons:
The weapons in the game are very diverse and seemed well balanced. In the heroic setting you can pick up any weapon and use it to your advantage. In past Halo's I found myself looking for specific weapons because other weapons I found ineffective. It is hard to not compare the game to Bungie's Destiny. Destiny's pace as far as running shooting seem faster, but they are different in a lot of ways. At least it gives you something to compare the mechanics to.
I'll have a bit more to write up after I dive deeper into the story and have the time to kill some spartan butt in multiplayer.
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