Halo 3 vs. CoD 4
November 9th, 2007It appears that CoD 4 is on track to outsell even the vaunted Halo 3. It’s already sold 3M units and is on 4 times as many systems. Kotaku is derisive:
And chances are, critically acclaimed or not, COD4 isn’t worthy to clean the shoes of Halo 3 or the 4 million games it’s moved on the 360 alone.
But I’m not so sure this is off-base.
I confess: I got caught up in the Halo 3 hype, and rushed out to buy a copy at launch. But I’ve been surprised to discover that I haven’t been playing it nearly as much (or as enthusiastically) as Call of Duty 4, which I’ve owned for all of 2 days. I’m not 100% sure exactly why that is, but I’m inclined to attribute it to three factors: first, the plotline of CoD is far more compelling to me than Halo’s, perhaps because I didn’t play the first Halo - and that’s admitting that the CoD plot is both absurd and plagiarized. It still manages to be more visceral and less reliant on sci-fi cliches.
Second, CoD 4 feels far more solid and cohesive - and less pretentious - as an experience than Halo. The latter’s energy guns and advanced weaponry never really felt like more than a toy collection to me, and I was constantly conscious that I was playing a game that aspired to Great Things.
Finally, CoD 4 manages to do something somewhat new with the CoD franchise, while Halo 3 pretties up its predecessor but leaves it largely unchanged. Neither one is an incredible innovator in its field, but it definitely felt fresher to me to be playing a modernized WWII shooter than a rebooted space opera.
I know this probably won’t convince too many Halo fans, but it’s my $0.02.
Posted in Geoff, Microsoft, Xbox 360 |
November 9th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
@Geoff,
I’ll make sure to say it now, because typically you and I disagree, but here, you are spot on. Not to belittle Halo 3 (ok, well, maybe a little), but CoD4 is vastly superior from my PoV. Halo 3 was just tired to me. Like so many shooters are tired these days. CoD 4 feels MUCH fresher. Not quite to the point that I’m excited about FPSs again, but to the point that I’m not totally depressed when thinking about the last 5 or 6 I’ve paid good money just to not play them. I’m not sure if CoD 4 is a 10 or not, but if its not, Halo 3 sure as HELL aint. Maybe the comparison isn’t fair. I don’t know, so I’ll shut up now and go play some more BWii, a game that really gets me excited to pick it up.
November 10th, 2007 at 4:10 am
I just rented CoD4 and have been at times extremely impressed and at other times finding it either surprisingly similar to the WWII CoDs, except with more enemies, and more pinpoint accurate grenades (seriously, what’s up with these guys?) So far I’m not finding the story all the impressive yet either… I’ll say that I don’t really think the Halo 3 story is that great either… Hell, I barely even understand it, and while I tried to read this ridiculous thread, if that’s what goes for a “summary” of the Halo plotline, I’ll pass. There’s far too much crap to go through there.
But the story for Halo 3 itself is, at a basic level, simple enough to understand (Rescue Cortana) and has enough interesting set pieces that it drives the game forward. Maybe CoD4 is slightly more compelling than Halo 3 simply because it’s more relateable to the “real world” that we live in.
That said, I think you’re also being unfair to Halo. As far as the campaign is concerned, Halo 3 has a tremendously different feel than CoD4. CoD4, like the other CoDs, has a deadly serious, realistic feel to it. The Halo series has an almost whimsical feel to it. Not that it doesn’t have a complex backstory (that no one but the dedicated Halo fans apparently understand), but I think it’s this sort of “semi-serious” tone that has actually made the series popular, both in single player and multiplayer. The lighter gravity, ridiculous explosions where bodies go flying everywhere, the other Marine’s side-chatter, the little covenant guys that remind me of Ewoks when they talk, even the bigger Brutes sound kind of funny with the way they grunt, all contribute to an almost more “light-hearted” game. Where Halo 3 bogs down the most is when it tries to get too serious (pretty much any time Cortana starts talking to you during Co-op, people complain), but that only happens occasionally, and this would be the only thing I’d really point to as “pretentious”.
And not to knock CoD4s multiplayer, which is excellent and different enough from Halo 3’s to be worthwhile, but Halo 3’s multiplayer and community offerings absolutely blow CoD4’s out of the water. The playlists, 4-player coop with “metagame” and skulls, forge editor, vehicles, films, screenshots, custom games with tons of customization and options (related to Forge)… Honestly, a night of Halo 3 multiplayer can easily start with just 1 other friend playing coop, then moving on to various playlists, then partying up with some more people for bigger games, then starting a custom game of Rocket Races with 16 people… there’s a substantial amount of variety in all of that gameplay, and it’s all fun (and I could probably still play Rocket Race for hours on end without getting bored if we had enough people around to play). I don’t think CoD4 multiplayer, despite it’s excellence, will have nearly the staying power of Halo 3’s.
In the end, I’m not sure what the “better” game is just yet, as I’ve only just started CoD4… Both seem like great, and different, games to me, but I’m wondering if you mistook Halo 3’s “confidence” for “arrogance” or “pretension”. For such a big game with so much hype, I think it’s easy to think that the game is screaming “Hey, look at me and how awesome I am! I’m so awesome! Yeah!”, when really it’s just trying to be a good game like anything else. I’ll also say that if you haven’t finished Halo 3 yet, you haven’t gotten to the best part… although you’ll have to go through the worst part first (and I highly suggest co-op for that… took me FOREVER by myself).
In any case, to each his own. =)
March 17th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
halo is alot better for like 2 or 3 reasons. the first is COD4 is a game of hide and seek. if you get found, your dead. next reason is COD4 has NO vehicles! halo has like over 10 different vehicles. a third reason is halo has way more weapons and game tpyes like infection and ctf. thats why halo is better.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:28 am
I rented CoD for a week… played the online. yeah it was great. i loved it. I loved playing with 8 people on the really small shipment level in my ghillie suit laying in the grass sniping whoever comes around that corner… It gets old, its repetitive. Fair enough, Graphics (excellent) community (alright) maps (i dont like the whole take-a-sector-from-the-campain thing) But this is just my opinion. i can remember sittin gup, having al nighters with 3 mates playing Halo3, we beat legendary (co-op) and played multiplayer for about 5 hrs straight. To the point that i would shut my eyes and still think i was playing halo.
There is SOO much more variety in halo then in cod. Theres the fun aspect of stand in the middole of the map and just aim and shoot. That was always good. And i love hearing the countdown and “slayer” at the start of each game…
Making your own map on foundry and playing infection is just fantastic… (Which then again ads more variation to Call Of Duty multiplayers) and riding in a scorpion blasting the hell outta anything that sets its crosshairs on you is always wicked fun.. Then theres those dog fights, its always great to see that purple blob in the distance… then to hear that laser charge up…
And who can forget always trying to find those sniper spots.
In conclusion to my endless complaint.
HALO 3 pwns Call of duty ANYDAY
<3