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I saw this on halo.bungie.org and had to pass it on because I know there are other Jatraqueros who love to drool over this game as much as I do.
The guys at Bungie created a tool for making 3D screenshots, and have posted the first one on Bungie.net. It requires a version of Quicktime that supports Quicktime VR (any recent one should do). And it looks very, very cool. They'll be releasing more as development continues.
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Halo annoys me. Not that I dislike it, it is a well made and enjoyable game. I just didn't think it was the end-all-be-all game ever.
Mostly what I find annoying, I think, is how XBox fanboys constantly use only Halo and Halo2 as examples of why someone should pick up an XBox, etc. like there hasn't even been a better game released.
It annoys me lots.
I also don't think that Halo 2 is the prettiest game in development for the XBox. Its gorgeous, sure, but its not the best.
Posts: 20 | Registered: May 2004
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The excitement about Halo 2 comes mostly from those who became addicted to Halo (myself included). Assuming Halo 2 is an exact rehash of the Halo gameplay (probably not), then Halo 2 will still be an awesome game. The new features I've seen make it look like a really awesome game. Although I said the same thing about the Unreal Tournament 2003.
I'll admit, Halo isn't the greatest game ever. There are a lot of levels that are very repetitive (Attack on the Control Room and Two Betrayals, anyone?), but the levels that aren't repetitive have some really great moments. The first level, Pillar of Autumn, is pure gaming enjoyment. My favorite moment: "Covenant, on the landing above us!" There are those who think Halo is the end-all of games--it's not. It's fun, but I think it was just a really good representation of a FPS on a console system. It's also not the only great title on the XBox. I personally bought it for a trio of titles out at the time: Halo, Jet Set Radio Future, and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. I've never regretted my investment, especially not after I bought great games like Ninja Gaiden (it's hard, but I still like it) and Knights of the Old Republic.
Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
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you can scroll by highlighting the text (holding down the left mouse button) and pulling down. That is what I did to get it to work in mozilla. It is annoying and awkward, but it works
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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WheatPuppet, Lupus: If you go to the Mozdev.org Extensions room and install a Firefox extension called SuperScroll, then your scroll wheel will work on Bungie.net. That and it's a nice extension to have installed anyway.
I'll admit that I'm biased toward Bungie games. I didn't like Myth that much (never got into it), but I'm a Bungie nut - this is mainly inspired, however, by the Marathon trilogy, and the great work and thought that went into both the technology of the engine and the story as well. (An aside: look out for a gaming studio called Wideload Games - they're made up of all the Bungie peoples that have fallen off since Marathon - Infinity, and I expect great things from them).
I am a Halo nut. I love the multiplayer. But the SP does have some failings, which I attribute to the buyout and then having to meet the Xbox launch date deadline. I've seen what Bungie can do with a game that they take their time with, and that is exactly why I am so psyched about Halo 2.
That and the features they've already announced are pretty pfhreaking sweet [sic].
(I am planning on getting other Xbox games once my Xbox arrives, but other than Ninja Gaiden, titles that come to mind are few because I have, until now, ignored the Xbox.)
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I'm a Halo addict myself, and I'm drooling in anticipation for Halo II if only for its superior graphics and smoother engine -- but I'm ignorant of its new features. What are they?
As far as X-Boxes go, I've never understood the practicality of buying a new system to play games on. Most decent games have a PC version -- why not stick to the more powerful CPU and superior graphics of the computer rather than buy a weaker, more expensive system with no notable benefits but a handheld controller and the possibility of a larger screen to play the games on?
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
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PCs are a pain in the butt. The most powerful PCs are much more expensive than consoles, and those seem to be the only computers capable of handling the newest and greatest games.
And then you can hardly have a PC for a year before you have to upgrade it. Consoles typically last 5 before the new ones come out.
And I have never been able to install a PC game without tons of problems. All of the difficulties could probably be attributed to not having the best of some card or component or another, but I don't have to money to buy a game and then all the stuff that'll allow it to play on my PC.
And even if you have all best hardware, you still have to wait for the game to install before you play it. And there's always the issue of space.
Console games on the other hand...
You buy the console. You buy a memory card. You are now capable of buying almost any game and be able to play it the instant you get home. Only a small percentage of console games require some other peripheral or something.
Posts: 20 | Registered: May 2004
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Lalo, consoles have the advantage of stable specs — the developers know exactly what hardware to build the game around, and as a result, the games are typically more reliably fast and smooth.
Consoles also offer a different "flavor" of experience than PC games. It's usually a matter of personal taste, and certain genres work far better on one platform than the other.
As far as Halo 2 innovations go:
1. You can hijack vehicles by hitting the X button at just the right time while the vehicle is moving slowly. Basically, you jump onto the vehicle, kick the other guy out, and take over.
2. Vehicles are destructible, and come apart in pieces. You can shoot the hubcaps off a Warthog, or shoot the stabilizers off a Ghost. Vehicle damage impacts vehicle performance.
3. New weapons and weapon improvements. You can wield a submachine gun, a new versatile battle rifle, and a needler that doesn't suck (the pink shards now fire as fast as bullets, so your aim actually matters, and death occurs more swiftly). You can wield the elite Energy Sword. SPNKR rockets can now be made to track large targets.
4. New enemies, including a brutish, melee-based enemy, and some kind of crazy overlord.
5. New vehicles, including a one-man ATV and some big Covenant behemoths.
6. Melee attacks can now be chained together into combos, making them far more useful.
7. Destructible terrain features in both single- and multiplayer.
8. Of course, fully bump-mapped models with pretty specular effects.
Posts: 1907 | Registered: Feb 2000
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Oh, and I forgot one of the more exciting ones — you can wield any two single-handed weapons simultaneously in both hands, using both triggers to fire. The only drawback is, you can't throw grenades.
Posts: 1907 | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:The most powerful PCs are much more expensive than consoles, and those seem to be the only computers capable of handling the newest and greatest games.
And then you can hardly have a PC for a year before you have to upgrade it.
I built my PC two and a half years ago from not-top-of-the-line parts, and it runs Halo just fine. There are only a couple games out right now that actually require a processor faster than the one I've got (a 900 MHz Athlon).
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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