Recent reviews by Vick's VapoRub

The only good bug is a dead bug

halo

i have been playing this game since i was a child on a different account lost to time

i love this game with my entire heart

spiritual successor to silent hill complete with a beautiful soundtrack

jacob geller needs to talk about this

yeah

i hate this game

if there is one game i could play for the rest of my life, it's Rimworld

When Ideology shipped, it did come with a few issues regarding the viability and usefulness of certain Memes. I largely ended up using only a few specific ones and a lot went ignored because I just thought they were either too restrictive or not useful. A lot of these issues have been fixed with the recent update (2/28/22) and it's clear that Tynan and Ludeon are listening and trying to adjust the DLC and game to remedy these problems.

Regardless, Ideology is still worth the $20 even without the update. It adds even more complex layers of an already amazing game and has only wanted to make me play more.

can't really speak for the campaign but Halo as a series of the classic badass series i once knew it as growing up is dead. multiplayer has so many issues that 343i refuses or delays fixes to. hit registration is extremely whack, there are desync issues that cause players to not even spawn in, so many baseline polish things a game needs that are just... not present. i REALLY wanted to like Infinite but the game is a rushed mess of unfinished half-assed things that are entirely focused on making the multiplayer experience a cash-grab that preys on nostalgic fans like myself.

it's insane how far Halo has fallen off. just because it's free doesn't mean the fanbase that has been playing Halo since the first game needs to accept a lower-quality product. you want to lock certain things behind a battle pass? sure, whatever. but the ENTIRE ARMOR CUSTOMIZATION, which has been an integrated and free part of halo since 2008 is BEYOND ridiculous (not even to mention the GOD AWFUL progression system that 343i's update really didn't fix). i would be happy with a free multiplayer if it were as refined and polished as Fortnite or PUBG, but there are so many technical issues that have been ignored or purposefully put in that lessen and cheapen the experience to the point where it's just frustrating.

also what ever happened to playlists? instead of being able to choose the gamemode you want to play, you're forced to endure gamemodes you don't want to play. want to play a match of slayer and have some mindless fun? well, unfortunately 343i believes that if they add in dedicated gamemodes, other, more unpopular gamemodes will be ignored. so now you're forced into a dicerolled rotation of modes you don't want to play. custom games? they flat out don't work. your options don't save when you load in. forge mode? it's not in the game. theater mode? it's got even worse technical issues than regular gameplay. all of this is further compounded by a horribly predatory progression system.

say you bite the bullet like i did and spend the money for the battle pass. cool, now i can actually GET the cool stuff, i just need to level up first. this is done by completing challenges the game gives you, which some (a lot) of the times are not well designed. this is remedied by challenge swaps, items that cost REAL WORLD MONEY to buy. you can swap out the bad challenges you don't want to do... by paying for it. this, again, is to progress in a battle pass you ALREADY PAID FOR.

343i has expressed that they do not feel it their job to fix these issues. the Halo subreddit was completely locked for a few days because so many negative reviews of the multiplayer were coming in, and the subreddit's moderators were asked by 343i to get the users to stop. when confronted, they blame the fact that "servers cost money" and that "there are UI limitations", as if either of those explain anything wrong with the game. it's as if they're acting like a small indie company when they own the title to ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ HALO. it's nothing short of bewildering.

i ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ love Halo, man. i own a 3D printed ODST helmet. i've read nearly all of the extended universe books. i catch myself humming Marty O'Donnell's music all the time. i was five when my parents let me start playing Halo:CE. i even forgave 343i for the mess that 4 and 5 was and had hope they could get it together for what was supposed to be the greatest Halo since the release of 3, but this just... this just isn't it anymore. i'm fine with them changing the game and making it more modern (sprinting, armor abilities, faster paced movement/combat), but they've turned the series into a shadow of its former self. it just isn't Halo anymore. and that's incredibly disheartening.

all in all, stick to the MCC. Infinite does not improve on anything and in many cases actually worsens and cheapens the multiplayer experience.

this game is the opposite of fun