Why Halo 3 didn't deserve the hype, but GTA IV did

xsynergyx | May 04, 2008 | Blog | Playstation 3 XBOX 360 Company

There's no doubt you've seem the countless articles flooding in about Grand Theft Auto IV, but Blend Games believes that the game deserved the hype without a doubt. Now let's rewind back to Halo 3 which had loads of hype as well. They believe that Halo 3 did not deserve the hype at all due to the fact that it didn't live up to it, for one and it didn't fill in the shoes of the 'next-generation' gaming. On the other hand, Grand Theft Auto IV fit those shoes perfectly and deserves all the hype it can get.

One of the things that Rockstar has always managed to do with spin-offs, (feigned) sequels and new IP, is convince the industry that it’s something worth noticing because it’s something worth playing. The revolutionary step from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to Grand Theft Auto IV is almost staggering, if you neglect the missing airplanes and a slightly smaller play-area. But all of what is absent in this newer GTA from San Andreas is made up for in generationally satiated content (a.k.a next-gen gameplay.) From the implementation of the Euphoria engine, to the improved animations from Natural Motion, GTA IV embodies what gamers have been expecting. In other words, its’ living up to the “next-gen” hype. Let’s face it, this is more than anyone can say for the Xbox-and-a-half sequel known as Halo 3.

News Story attached to:

Grand Theft Auto IV [PC, XBOX360, PS3]
Halo 3 [XBOX360]

28 comments | go to source (www.cinemablend.com) | Add to favorites!

favourite this article |

send to friend

64	Cliffy B Doesn't Deserve Press Coverage, Infinity Ward Community Manager Should Be Fired [Slapstic] (1) November 9, 2008
193	30 Things We Didn't Know About the New Xbox Experience (6) October 24, 2008
162	Editorial: Sony Didn't Intend PS3 To Succeed As A Console (27) December 13, 2008
91	Halo 3 Shooter Blames Halo 3 Addiction For Parent's Murder... (9) December 17, 2008
123	GTA IV DLC, Chinatown Wars Delayed (10) November 13, 2008

Comments

-2 thumbs!
Final Blade | May 05, 2008

_{This i definitely agree with, me a Halo 1 fan and after playing 2 and 3 i was very disappointed. I felt Halo was just turned into an online game where they should have made it a MMO, rather than a game with a story. Its because of that and similar graphics to the second where i never liked 2 or 3. Halo 2 became a 1.5 and halo 3 into a 2.5. There wasn't a defining upgrade to set it apart from the other games, too much similarity.

Now GTA4 takes a completely different route and ups the graphics, ups the Battle system with guns and hand to hand combat. Ups the car handling. UPs the difficulty. I mean this game definitely took next gen to a new level as well as GTA series. IT definitely deserves its scores and hype.}
- 0 thumbs!
  LordMaChao | May 05, 2008
  
  I doubt you've played a Halo game in your life.
  - -2 thumbs!
    Final Blade | May 05, 2008
    
    _{LOL Since you don't even know me or what i played your doubt is meaningless. I know i played those games and thats all that matters.
    And and i can say Halo 1 is and the only halo game worth playing. The other two completely turned into a storyline shit fest, which then turned into a MMO.}
  - -1 thumbs!
    Lighting | May 05, 2008
    
    Lol at LordMaChao making a stupid comment.
    - 0 thumbs!
      LordMaChao | May 05, 2008
      
      Oh yeah, it's stupid to say someone like Final Blade hasn't played Halo. He's just been so specific with his constant criticism of Halo, like such brilliant quips as '2.5. It didn't deliver.'
      
      Lighting, I'm just going to assume you're a moron.
  - -2 thumbs!
    Lighting | May 05, 2008
    
    Yes, so saying that he never played Halo is the perfect response right? He doesn't really need to be specific. Most gamers all together have the same thoughts and criticism are always similar. No need to ramble on what we already know and to say that he never even played the game off of so little support is the exact definition of a moron.
-1 thumbs!
xsynergyx | May 05, 2008

Wow, did I seriously spell deserve wrong?

Anyways, I completely agree with this article. Halo 3 didn't seem to deliver like Grand Theft Auto IV.

Syn: Thanks to whoever fixed the mistake.
- 2 thumbs!
  Cdemon | May 05, 2008
  
  Neither game owned up to the hype; that was pretty much an impossible feat.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Storm | May 05, 2008
    
    You mean as how big they were hyped up to be? Yeah, I'd agree with that. GTA and Halo's hype were too big, I don't think any game could have lived up to that kind of hype. The marketing, the anticipation, and of course, there's those that hyped it up too much and ended up not liking the game.
0 thumbs!
Storm | May 05, 2008

I admit that I did have fun playing Halo 3, wacky shooter style, and Co-op story was pretty good...but it was short-lived. I grew tired of it, and online, people were really being [insert bad word here] to be on top of the scores.

GTA...been a while since I had this much fun.
-1 thumbs!
StarJet | May 05, 2008

I haven't played Halo 3 or GTA IV, but I've played previous games and I can say that it's really hard to compare Halo and GTA. They're two genres, so I don't see why one should go about saying that GTA IV deserved hype and Halo 3 didn't.
- 0 thumbs!
  ali3n | May 05, 2008
  
  They aren't comparing the games themselves but rather which game actually delivered more of what it promised.
- -1 thumbs!
  Final Blade | May 05, 2008
  
  _{Listen Halo 3 promised big things, and so did GTA4, but the only one out of this that delivered and the hype is justified is GTA4.}
  - 0 thumbs!
    Slumpy monkey | May 05, 2008
    
    Lol dont come out with that crap.
    
    What was promised on halo that it didnt provide in the game?
    
    GTA dropped on the go radio and a whole host of other shit too.
    - -1 thumbs!
      Final Blade | May 05, 2008
      
      _{The go radio isn't anything to get crazy about, since really you can do it already, just pause the game and listen to the music there. Besides I don't want to listen to the music, i want to feel and experience the Liberty City Atmosphere.
      
      @LMC im going to assume your justing trying bait me into a argument. Sadly its not going to happen.
      But i don't need you to tell me what i have or have no played, your not at my house watching me.}
  - 2 thumbs!
    Cdemon | May 05, 2008
    
    Have you played Halo 3? No? *bleep*.
    
    I've put more than enough time into each game. Halo 3 was vastly superior to Halo 2, in my opinion, which had way more hype for a longer period of time. The four player co-op did more than deliver and the story and level design were probably the best of the series.
    - -1 thumbs!
      Final Blade | May 05, 2008
      
      _{If you have read everything i stated here, its quite obvious i have. Halo 1 > Halo 2 and 3}
0 thumbs!
Rinkydink | May 06, 2008

Neither game lives up to the insane amount of hype each game got, but GTA IV does deserve its hype more than Halo in my opinion. It's a shame that there are many people out there that completely over-hype the game, where they are only setting themselves up for disappointment, even though the game is still fantastic.
- -1 thumbs!
  Final Blade | May 06, 2008
  
  _{I can't see how GTA4 hasn't lived up to the hype?
  GTA4 shits all over every GTA game released. Its that good. Everything about it is completely better including difficulty and done things no other game has done before. Without all those things in GTA4 it wouldn't be the GTA4 experience.
  
  Halo 3 was a disappointment, GTA4 hasn't done that, in fact its the best GTA out of the lot.}
  - 0 thumbs!
    Slumpy monkey | May 06, 2008
    
    Halo 3 was the best out of the lot.
    You have nothing to prove that halo was a failer apart from your own bias opinion. For me GTA was a disappointment, I was expecting all this awesome crap but in the end it just turned out the same old game with a new coat of paint and online play.
  - -2 thumbs!
    Supernouva | May 06, 2008
    
    Well you know what, you've been drawing up some pretty hard conclusions without so much as giving a single [valid] reason as to how you came to them. So, since you adore GTA IV so much, why don't you go spend a week alone with it, soak in all the goodness, so the rest of us can have a productive discussion.
    
    Now then, you've been bashing Halo 3 quite a bit now. I don't really see how you could conclude that Halo beats Halo 3. Halo 3 is Halo and Halo 2 compiled together, only with much better graphics.
    
    Whether or not Halo 3 or GTA IV deserved all the hype it got, it doesn't change the fact that they are both the fastest selling games now.
    
    So when you say, "Halo 3 is a disappointment," you're just one versus several millions of people who think otherwise.
    - -1 thumbs!
      Final Blade | May 07, 2008
      
      _{Actually you don't my point and the articles, just like many. Halo 1 was remarkable and revolutionized FPS as far as im concerned when it released. Halo 2 and 3 did nothing more but have slight( i use it loosely) better graphics, added a few more weapons. And expanded on the Online, yet failed horrible of the storyline that has so much potential to be good. The real problem i have is the fact they turned into a MMO, than a game with a storyline. Which i loved the First halo, with the other stuff.
      
      So yea Halo 1 > Halo 2 and 3.
      They should have made halo in general a MMO, without a storyline. If they did that, i would be inclined to agree with you on how Halo 2 and 3 was better.}
    - -2 thumbs!
      Slumpy monkey | May 07, 2008
      
      It did have a good story, If you actually bothered to play the game properly you would understand that. I agree with you that halo 2 did not add much apart from that it revelutionised online gaming on consoles, But halo 3 added a hell of alot more than a few weapons. Its one of the best FPS on the market.
    - -1 thumbs!
      Final Blade | May 08, 2008
      
      _{Again nothing that screams Step up from Halo 2. It felt like a Halo 2.5.
      Again i did watch the story and played it, but the fact that the ending on Halo 2 was quite shitty, which ruined the story. Than 3 comes on does nothing to the story but made it worse. I mean come on, if they honestly cared for more of the Online than why didn't they make it a MMO?
      
      Its clear to me they did a half ass job on the story as a whole.}
    - 0 thumbs!
      Slumpy monkey | May 08, 2008
      
      Wtf you on?? The story in num 3 was awesome.
1 thumbs!
Gothic Girl | May 07, 2008

Why the hell has this turned into a "has Final Blade played a Halo game?" debate? Who cares if he has or hasn't! :/
- -2 thumbs!
  Slumpy monkey | May 07, 2008
  
  Because he is just making silly claims without much to back it.
  - 0 thumbs!
    ali3n | May 08, 2008
    
    He always does that, it's not like this the first time or anything.