Halo 4: First Impressions

There are 2 first impressions threads, so i'm posting in this one as it looks more popular, perhaps a moderator could merge threads?? Also, i'm avoiding spoiler posts carefully, so thanks to all the people who are using the tags.

I'm only on the level where you first encounter the prometheans so far, so not too far in. I'm enjoying it, although i am still waiting to be amazed. There hasn't been much in the way of amazing levels yet, although they were clearly going for amazing scale and scope with some of the larger stuff like . I like outdoor large scale grassy levels the most, so i'm hoping i'll get to see some of that at some stage.

Promethean knights are tough, but once you avoid their grenades (which suck big time) and take out the accompanying watcher things as priority #1 so they can't generate shields for them, then it's just a case of pumping headshots into them with a light rifle till they die and keeping close to cover. Tougher when there are a few of them in a bunch (one of the b*st*rds flanked me using a teleport the last time i was playing and appeared behind me and knocked the crap out of me) but it's really just a matter of playing cagey and using the right weapons, and eventually they'll go down. Running and gunning with an assault rifle is suicide, as always.

Enemies on heroic don't seem as tricky or smart as i was expecting so far, but i guess it's still early. I thought the breakdancing hoparound elites in reach were a lot tougher and more annoying to kill than the guys in 4 so far, and jackals and grunts are just cannon fodder like they always have been. Also the new incoming grenade indicator is easy mode BS ripped straight out of call of duty. Halo doesn't need that crap. I much preferred listening for audio clues like the "clink" or the "fizz" of an incoming frag or sticky nade.

The sound and graphics have been uniformly excellent so far. The weapons and vehicles all sound amazing, but there haven't been any jaw dropping visual moments yet (although it's early on for me).

The weapons seem quite powerful. I'm looking forward to getting into multiplayer and trying out the new loadout classes to see what kind of devastating combinations i can come up with, but so far the needler seems ridiculously overpowered, and the light rifle looks like it will be a right pain.

The surpressor and the SAW look about as much use as a fart in a fiat punto, and the covy beam rifle is really only useful as a "look, there he is, get that guy" weapon to let your team mates know where the opposition are at, just like it was in reach. It's an infantry suppression weapon, but anybody being targetted at any kind of range will just dance out of the way of the beam far better than any shooter can aim and control it enough to do any real damage.

I can see the mantis being banned from lots of games due to it's sheer awesomeness. That thing looks like it will be a complete pain when it's being used as an infantry support vehicle in MP. Killing the other team's one first will mean instant unbalanced batttlefield ownage and lots of running away and hiding by opponents.

Pulse grenades look like they'll be more or less useless in multiplayer, except as an area denial weapon, when you're running away in tight areas and need to cover your tracks, and you're less likely to put them in a loadout than the much more useful sticky nades which do almost the same thing and lots more besides, so i can't see them getting a lot of use.

I'm looking forward to getting a go on the sticky detonator. Sticking someone and then letting them run around for a bit like a headless chicken before detonating them sounds funny as hell. Getting as much collateral damage as possible will be the plan there.

I can see the youtube video montages already...:D