Forum:Halo: Spartan Strike: Difference between revisions

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:It definitely seems like a deliberate reference. Pretty cool if that's the case; we might even get an Sgt. Johnson voice cameo. Though I don't think there was a building there [[:File:H2 - NewMombasa.jpg|in ''Halo 2'']] that would provide a view like this (none of the buildings near the bridge are that tall). Though it's not like this is the first time they've rewritten Mombasa's layout. And it seems they're ignoring the ''ODST'' design of the city in [[:File:H2A - Mombasa.png|in ''Halo 2 Anniversary'']] instead of retconning the ''Halo 2'' levels into that version. I was kinda hoping they'd use this opportunity to reconcile the two, but oh well. --[[User:Jugus|Jugus]] ([[User talk:Jugus|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|Contribs]]) 03:01, 19 October 2014 (EDT)

::I was thinking that a terminal in Outskirts or Metropolis might be a good way for 343i to link ''Halo 2'' and ''Spartan Strike'', but this may be too much to ask. Some kind of Easter egg would at least be welcomed, though. I still think it's a good idea to "retcon" the existence of a parallel story into one that already exists. Something like the "Prepare to Drop" scene running in parallel with a scene from ''Halo 2''. [[User:Imrane-117|Imrane-117]] ([[User talk:Imrane-117|talk]]) 19:26, 19 October 2014 (EDT)

It's interesting that in the game, there are two Scorpions crossing the bridge some time after the Scarab. I wonder what this means as it seems unlikely they'd unintentionally make a mistake like that. --[[User:Jugus|Jugus]] ([[User talk:Jugus|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|Contribs]]) 10:21, 17 April 2015 (EDT)

==Early 2015?==

Okay, what in the heck is going with the release? 343i says "early" 2015, but were nearly done with Q1 of 2015? So is 343i going to release this anytime soon or what?? I'm really anxious to get a game for my laptop and this would be perfect. Yet 343i hasn't released anymore information about this game let-alone a release date. What are they waiting for? Is the game finished yet? Are they waiting to release it for windows 10? What's the deal?--'''''[[User:Killamin7i|Killamin7i]]''''' [[User talk:Killamin7i|///]] 12:19, 24 March 2015 (EDT)

==Initial thoughts==

Just finished the campaign up until Operation D. As expected, it plays like a more polished ''Spartan Assault''. I found the gameplay exceedingly enjoyable at times and will be revisiting some missions if only to get better scores (and not just to unlock Operation E). ''Spartan Assault'' didn't prompt the same reaction for me so I guess the improvements are really showing. That said, I also made the mistake of initially playing ''Assault'' on the Xbox and playing ''Strike'' on the PC it's quickly apparent that a mouse is a massive advantage as far as aiming is concerned. As I purchased a bundle containing both games on Steam I'll probably be doing a second playthrough of the first game on the PC at some point to see how it holds up with the better controls (probably snapping some screenshots on the way).

As with ''Spartan Assault'' I really like the visual style and the attention to detail in the level design (it's staggering how much attention they paid to backgrounds most people will probably ignore), and Tom Salta does again good job with the soundtrack. The tunes themselves are again very ''Halo Wars''-esque and more ambient than memorable, but despite them not rising to Marty levels of excellence they do feel genuinely Halo. The sound design is likewise decent and feels very Halo-like aside from the expected repetitiveness and some missteps (I'm not a fan of the M41 LAAG's firing sound, for example). On a side note, is it just me or does Kwon sound a lot like Jen Taylor? It's still distinguishably not her and the credits agree, but I wonder if the resemblance (if any) was intentional.

To my surprise, I loved the Kestrel. It controls great and the guns sound like they pack a real punch. The in-game credit system works quite well and is infinitely preferable to the microtransactions in the first game. As for my few complaints, I wish the Assault Ops were visible in the pause screen as I often forgot what those were supposed to be for a given mission.

I got serious classic ''Half-Life'' vibes from Operation D's final mission in the ONI facility. With the environment and the portals spawning left and right, it feels and plays like an homage to the finale of ''Lambda Core''.

As I suspected the story is very barebones and disjointed. The idea of a Spartan replacing the ODST squad in the simulation felt awkward storytelling-wise, and I don't see why ONI's top secret research facility had to be in New Phoenix in particular (aside from name-dropping a known city) when the Didact's attack didn't come into play at all (unless it will in the classified final op). It feels a little like a "Halo: The Amusement Park Ride" with known locations as settings just because. I'm also not sure where in the timeline the Gamma Halo and New Phoenix segments are supposed to fall - is this before or after the events of ''Halo 4''? Kwon is familiar with the Prometheans, but then again she also refers to the player as a Spartan in the New Mombasa missions so it appears she's roleplaying as part of the simulation rather than being in charge of the original missions.

While it's true that the story is just there to be wrapping for a fun little arcade game I wish it were more substantial. Even ''Spartan Assault''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s story, which was nothing to write home about, felt like it contributed more to the overall lore by at least using established characters. The story was also framed better, being grounded to a set location rather than centering on an inexplicable and interchangeable MacGuffin over many years. The credits tell us that the lead writer was a third-party contractor from a consulting firm which is a bizarre choice to say the least. Of course, this is all subject to change (to some extent) once I get around to playing Operation E, but I doubt it'll introduce anything so revolutionary as to turn the plot's presentation up until that point on its head. --[[User:Jugus|Jugus]] ([[User talk:Jugus|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|Contribs]]) 10:21, 17 April 2015 (EDT)

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 :It definitely seems like a deliberate reference. Pretty cool if that's the case; we might even get an Sgt. Johnson voice cameo. Though I don't think there was a building there [[:File:H2 - NewMombasa.jpg|in ''Halo 2'']] that would provide a view like this (none of the buildings near the bridge are that tall). Though it's not like this is the first time they've rewritten Mombasa's layout. And it seems they're ignoring the ''ODST'' design of the city in [[:File:H2A - Mombasa.png|in ''Halo 2 Anniversary'']] instead of retconning the ''Halo 2'' levels into that version. I was kinda hoping they'd use this opportunity to reconcile the two, but oh well. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 03:01, 19 October 2014 (EDT)
 ::I was thinking that a terminal in Outskirts or Metropolis might be a good way for 343i to link ''Halo 2'' and ''Spartan Strike'', but this may be too much to ask. Some kind of Easter egg would at least be welcomed, though. I still think it's a good idea to "retcon" the existence of a parallel story into one that already exists. Something like the "Prepare to Drop" scene running in parallel with a scene from ''Halo 2''. [[User:Imrane-117|Imrane-117]] ([[User talk:Imrane-117|talk]]) 19:26, 19 October 2014 (EDT)
+It's interesting that in the game, there are two Scorpions crossing the bridge some time after the Scarab. I wonder what this means as it seems unlikely they'd unintentionally make a mistake like that. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 10:21, 17 April 2015 (EDT)
 ==Early 2015?==
 Okay, what in the heck is going with the release? 343i says "early" 2015, but were nearly done with Q1 of 2015? So is 343i going to release this anytime soon or what?? I'm really anxious to get a game for my laptop and this would be perfect. Yet 343i hasn't released anymore information about this game let-alone a release date. What are they waiting for? Is the game finished yet? Are they waiting to release it for windows 10? What's the deal?--'''''[[User:Killamin7i|<span style="color:Black; font-family: Arial;">Killamin</span><span style="color:red; font-family: Arial;">7</span><span style="color:black; font-family: Arial;">i</span>]]''''' [[User talk:Killamin7i|<font color="Gray">///</font>]] 12:19, 24 March 2015 (EDT)
+==Initial thoughts==
+Just finished the campaign up until Operation D. As expected, it plays like a more polished ''Spartan Assault''. I found the gameplay exceedingly enjoyable at times and will be revisiting some missions if only to get better scores (and not just to unlock Operation E). ''Spartan Assault'' didn't prompt the same reaction for me so I guess the improvements are really showing. That said, I also made the mistake of initially playing ''Assault'' on the Xbox and playing ''Strike'' on the PC it's quickly apparent that a mouse is a massive advantage as far as aiming is concerned. As I purchased a bundle containing both games on Steam I'll probably be doing a second playthrough of the first game on the PC at some point to see how it holds up with the better controls (probably snapping some screenshots on the way).
+As with ''Spartan Assault'' I really like the visual style and the attention to detail in the level design (it's staggering how much attention they paid to backgrounds most people will probably ignore), and Tom Salta does again good job with the soundtrack. The tunes themselves are again very ''Halo Wars''-esque and more ambient than memorable, but despite them not rising to Marty levels of excellence they do feel genuinely Halo. The sound design is likewise decent and feels very Halo-like aside from the expected repetitiveness and some missteps (I'm not a fan of the M41 LAAG's firing sound, for example). On a side note, is it just me or does Kwon sound a lot like Jen Taylor? It's still distinguishably not her and the credits agree, but I wonder if the resemblance (if any) was intentional.
+To my surprise, I loved the Kestrel. It controls great and the guns sound like they pack a real punch. The in-game credit system works quite well and is infinitely preferable to the microtransactions in the first game. As for my few complaints, I wish the Assault Ops were visible in the pause screen as I often forgot what those were supposed to be for a given mission.
+I got serious classic ''Half-Life'' vibes from Operation D's final mission in the ONI facility. With the environment and the portals spawning left and right, it feels and plays like an homage to the finale of ''Lambda Core''.
+As I suspected the story is very barebones and disjointed. The idea of a Spartan replacing the ODST squad in the simulation felt awkward storytelling-wise, and I don't see why ONI's top secret research facility had to be in New Phoenix in particular (aside from name-dropping a known city) when the Didact's attack didn't come into play at all (unless it will in the classified final op). It feels a little like a "Halo: The Amusement Park Ride" with known locations as settings just because. I'm also not sure where in the timeline the Gamma Halo and New Phoenix segments are supposed to fall - is this before or after the events of ''Halo 4''? Kwon is familiar with the Prometheans, but then again she also refers to the player as a Spartan in the New Mombasa missions so it appears she's roleplaying as part of the simulation rather than being in charge of the original missions.
+While it's true that the story is just there to be wrapping for a fun little arcade game I wish it were more substantial. Even ''Spartan Assault''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s story, which was nothing to write home about, felt like it contributed more to the overall lore by at least using established characters. The story was also framed better, being grounded to a set location rather than centering on an inexplicable and interchangeable MacGuffin over many years. The credits tell us that the lead writer was a third-party contractor from a consulting firm which is a bizarre choice to say the least. Of course, this is all subject to change (to some extent) once I get around to playing Operation E, but I doubt it'll introduce anything so revolutionary as to turn the plot's presentation up until that point on its head. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 10:21, 17 April 2015 (EDT)