Halo: Reach is set to be an awesome games – selling close to 1 million copies before it’s release – and while I love all of the new features that Reach will bring to the table, there were a few kinks in Halo 3 that haven’t been resolved in Halo: Reach.
Elites and Spartans aren’t created equal
Hrmmm… While playing matchmaking in Halo 3, you might have noticed a huge difference between Spartans and Elites, and that difference is that they weren’t created equal. In some games that differences aren’t that noticeable, but gametypes like Snipers, Swat, and Griffball brings out the biases towards Spartans and Elites. Elites are bigger than Spartans, and their wide shoulders make them easier to hit around corners, but they are harder to headshot. Spartans on the other side are more well-rounded and make for better head to head matchmaking. Unfortunately, Halo: Reach hasn’t slimmed down the size of the “big ass Elite” to make for a more balanced multiplayer.
Camping
Multiplayer maps in Halo 3 are what I like to call “camp-able.” Camping in Halo is when a player – or group of players – hides at a certain location with controlled entrances where they can fend off enemies “300 style.” Halo: Reach seems to have only made the problem of camping worse, but having more camp-worthy maps and even adding jetpacks that can take camping to a new level – literally.
Spawn Points
Random and inconvenient spawn points was a problem that I was truly hoping would be fixed in Halo: Reach; but, so far, “no dice.” In Halo 3, I’m quite used to spawning in front of an enemy’s rocket blast, completely away from my teammates, or having enemies spawn behind me for a quick kill. I’m crossing my fingers in hopes that Halo: Reach’s spawn problem will be fixed after the Beta, but until the official release of Halo: Reach, I’m going to count the spawn problem as a loss.
The disappearing shot
Halo 3 weapons were kinda glitchy and it appears that that tradition has been passed on to Halo: Reach. Unbalanced shotgun wars, weird sword lunges, head shot mishaps, and other problems were presented with weapons in Halo 3, but my biggest gripe was with the disappearing shot. In Halo 3, if you were killed while shooting a rocket, sniper rifle, or Spartan laser, and managed to actually fire a shot, the bullet would actually just disappear. I’m not sure why, but if I shoot a rocket, I expect it to kill the enemy – even if I die.
Lag
Lag is such a big issue and Bungie is more than likely doing everything they can to deal with multiple connections from all over the world on different ISPs, but lag is still a major issue in Halo: Reach. I considered not adding lag to this list, but lag is responsible for more headaches in Halo than any other factor.
The melee system
The melee system is, was, and likely will continue to be broken. Exaggerated melee lunges, front melee assassinations, double beat downs – when you clearly hit the other person first – and other melee issues are still prevalent in Halo: Reach even though they’ve been a huge complaint on the Bungie forums for eons.
For more, read The Top 5 Noob Friendly Halo 3 Game Playlists, 6 Lies I Learned About Halo from Watching Halo Montages, and 5 Ways to Enjoy Halo: Reach Even If You Suck at Matchmaking.
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