Daily Archives: 09/19/2013

HFFL 2nd Anniversary trivia question #5

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As promised I will be asking at least one trivia question a day leading up to HaloFanForLife.com’s Two-year anniversary on the 24th of September. So stay tuned each day to HFFL for questions to win prizes!

Here is question #4:

We know we can play as Master Chief and the Arbiter in Halo 3’s campaign. Give me one of the two names of the other playable Elites in the campaign.
Spelling is CRITICAL. If spelling is incorrect, your answer will not count.

To answer you must reply to this article. To reply, you must be a registered subscriber of the blog. During this 9 day trivia contest worth of questions, if you win once you may not enter again, until the final trivia question on the 24th for the big prize.

Okay folks, first to answer correctly gets a Halo Mega Bloks Convention Covert Ops Spartan Mk VI w/green visor (as seen here), as well as either another Halo Mega Bloks figure OR a McFarlane Avatar minifigure.

[UPDATE] The question has been answered correctly. The answers were: Usze ‘Taham or N’Tho ‘Sraom

-Sal

The Halo Bulletin 9.18.13

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The Bulletin starts off first with news of the Halo 4 Ricochet Forge Contest.

Here’s the text from Halo Waypoint:

We’re happy to tell you that Certain Affinity’s Halo 4 Ricochet Forge Contest is currently underway and accepting submissions!

They’re looking for the six best community-created Ricochet maps on Forge Island, Ravine or Impact. Maps will be judged in phases by a panel of Certain Affinity members, Rooster Teeth members, Community Cartographers and individuals from 343 Industries. Not only will your map have a chance to be included in Halo 4 Matchmaking, but we’ve also got prizes. Oh yeah.

GRAND PRIZE

  • Autographed Champions Bundle poster (signed by Certain Affinity)
  • Autographed Halo 4 Concept art (signed by Certain Affinity)
  • Certain Affinity T-shirt
  • Autographed Halo 4 Game of the Year Edition (signed by 343 Industries)
  • Halo 4 T-shirt
  • Rooster Teeth DVD
  • Rooster Teeth T-Shirt
  • Rooster Teeth poster

2ND PRIZE

  • Autographed Halo 4 Concept art (signed by Certain Affinity)
  • Certain Affinity T-Shirt
  • Autographed Halo 4 Game of the Year Edition (signed by 343 Industries)
  • Halo 4 T-shirt
  • Rooster Teeth poster

3RD PRIZE

  • Certain Affinity T-Shirt
  • Autographed Halo 4 Game of the Year Edition (signed by 343 Industries)
  • Rooster Teeth poster

For a full breakdown of the rules, technical musts of the contest, as well as advice for creating a top-notch Ricochet map, check out the contest page. We absolutely can’t wait to see what creations you come up with, and I am particularly looking forward to some new twists on Ricochet goal locations and map layouts. The top maps from the finals will be considered for placement into the Ricochet playlist. The submission time period will extends until 12:00 PM PT, October 8, 2013. Best of luck to all entrants!

Matchmaking Playlist Update: 
Additional maps added to Ricochet playlist. Spawns, weapons and added geometry in select locations.
Team Doubles gets some more maps.

Team Throwdown Update:
We are evaluating ways to highlight players who stand out, as we see the playlist as the go-to proving ground for aspiring tournament-level players. While we do not yet have the specifics nailed down for this effort, we’d like to provide you with some behind-the-scenes vision into what we’re looking to do, which includes:

  • Provide consistent updates on Waypoint that identifies, displays, and recognizes top 4 vs. 4 talent in this playlist
  • Feature content, interviews, and other exclusives with top 4 vs. 4 players and teams
Next is a LENGTHY article of gamers who competed in the Halo 4 GC and their thoughts on respective parts of the competition.

Finally the bulletin ends with the usual screenshot spotlight. This week: Energy Sword.
I like the one named “Will of the Divine.”
As always, if you’d like to read the full bulletin, go to the official site HERE!
-Sal

Halo 4 The Essential Visual Guide: A book review

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Halo4 essential guide

This is a long article, so for those who want the TL;DR option. The book is MEH.

I got this delivered yesterday from Amazon.  And I have to say I’m a bit underwhelmed. Why? Let’s explore that…

First, I thought the book would be bigger. Not just in page count but in actual height/width dimensions. As a VISUAL guide, I’d like to see…you know…bigger visuals. Some of the pics inside are rather small. Some are crossing over into a two-page spread that just cuts the image in half and distracts from what should be an otherwise great graphic.

What’s most disappointing to me though is that the NEW things Halo 4 brought to Halo lore and the franchise are not focused on. Rather characters like Lasky, Del Rio, ships like the Infinity and other entires have a paultry one or two-page spread. The Infinity’s entry is SO disappointing. It’s one of those where the graphic is cut in half. The information about the Infinity is VERY lacking. This should have been a HUGE entry in this book, covering several pages. It would have been great to have seen an ‘exploded’ view showing the key decks of the ship. More pics from the inside of the ship could/should have been shown.

I DID like the additional info on Fireteam Majestic. It’s nice now knowing the first names of Madsen and Hoya. Madsen’s minimal backstory though makes him out to be even more a loser than I thought he was. He should have never been a spartan. Heh, in fact his story is actually what I would have expected with that yutz of a Spartan, Miller. Funny, no mention of Miller in this book either…

I have to be honest that I skimmed over most of the weapons and vehicles. Since most were NOT new to Halo, there wasn’t much of a need to all read all of those entries word for word. In fact those entries could have had a lot LESS info about them.

Another section showing the various Spartan IV Armor in Halo 4 was uninspiring to say the least.

This book was written as if it was ‘factual’ historical data, rather than a look at the game, how things came about (NO Concept art at all, which was HIGHLY disappointing) and in the case of armor for instance what it takes to unlock said armor in the game.

I get that this is a visual guide, however more attention could have been paid to the information about each entry as it relates to the game and not just the faux historical data. Which itself was lacking in most respects.

I will say that there were parts that were entertaining. These however were so few and far between for me that I just didn’t feel the book was worth the cost, even the discounted price I paid for it.

Now take that last statement with a grain of salt though. I’m DEEP into the lore of Halo and can recite quite a bit from memory. So if you are a newcomer to Halo or are ‘casual’, then this book IS a good repository of information and visual references. If you’re a moderate fan who knows some of the lore, this is a good book for you.

However, if you are like me and have been following the franchise since it’s earliest days, the book is a bit of a let down.

The highlights for me were the named characters. Sadly that is at the front of the book. After this, with exception to some of the ships near the end of the book, there just wasn’t enough for me to be excited about reading nor considering rereading in the future.

This is in part due to me already having the Prima Games Halo 4 Guide which gives you MUCH of the same information and nearly all of that in digital form too.

Had the Halo 4 Essential Visual Guide also had a companion digital version that you could view (after say using a code to unlock it), then this book would have been definitely worth the price.

Had I created this book, I’d have included such things as star charts showing the location of the Gamma Halo, Requiem, Infinity’s shipbuilding yard, etc. As well, a height chart showing the key characters would have been a great visual. Less info about things we already know about quite well like weapons and many of the vehicles and MORE info about all the NEW stuff added to the Halo lore in Halo 4 would be been the rule for this book.

It’s sad when you can easily find most of this info and in better detail on the internet. The price isn’t bad at $16.99 (I paid $14 for it through Amazon). So it’s really up to you to decide if you want a book you likely already know much of what’s inside and just want pics OR pass on it hoping for something better down the road.

Given the many months wait for this and now having it in my hands has left me with wanting SO much more than what was given to us.

Since this is a review and I give a score at the end of my reviews typically, I have to give this a 5 out of 10. It’s great for newcomers, good for middlin fans, but disappointing to those of us who are hardcore into the fiction.

If some ask, could I do better? Well, frankly YES, I could. If I were given the graphics to put a book together like this, I could easily write a bigger, better book. Sadly, unless 343 challenges me to do so and gives me all the material I request, it won’t happen.

For those who may cry foul here, let me state that I’ve been in the marketing and advertising field for more than 16 years now. During that time I’ve been a production artist, graphic designer, and art director. I’ve also been a marketing and advertising assistant manager. My skills and experience in designing and producing print publications would speak for themselves if given the opportunity to create a book of this kind in the future.

Oh and yes, my lack of cleaning up the pic at the beginning of the article is in direct correlation to my feeling underwhelmed but the book.

Should you still want to take a look at this for yourself, you can find it at most major book sellers and through Amazon.com.

-Sal

 

Halo Spartan Assault Soundtrack: A song by song review.

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Halo Spartan Assault Logo

This review comes from me as a person who has not played the game as yet. In this respect, I am solely reviewing the music and not its relation to corresponding missions. You will find that many of the songs have recurring themes and I make note of that throughout this review.

1. Legacy – Has hints of Marty’s  classic Halo theme. This is kind of like a transition to Halo 4

2. Stark – An airy song. Reminds me of the recent Malukah Cortana Tribute

3. Who’s There? A mix of digital and drumbeats

4. Bridge Too Far – Starts out soft then brings us familiar sounds in the drumbeats finishing off with strings piano and the drumbeats getting heavier

5. Hunted – Definitely gives off the feeling of it’s namesake. Like the first Predator movie o that setting

6. Ready or Not – Starts off as an a cappella of tenor and soprano voices then with an intro of techno drumbeats

7. Wolverines Return – A heavy metal type of vibe, it works for it’s name sake.

8. Rising – Gentle strings and choir voices give way to horns in the distance. Then add piano. Much like the morning sun rising, hence it’s name. Halfway through it transitions to a heavy drumbeat as if awoken by an alarm. Violins come in to a somewhat hurried pace.

9. Survive – Right away this song makes you feel like there is danger. It is definitely aptly named. Strong horns and violin themes with a heavy drumbeat propel this song forward. About halfway through it makes a sudden transition to a techno sound with violins. The pace gets faster, then with about 30 seconds left, a piano comes in. It’s gentle even with the techno music being hurried.

10. Prelude – Piano and a lone female voice start this song out. Then more voices come in. It’s a very light song similar to #2’s ‘Stark’

Spartan Assault landscape poster

11. Breaking the Code – Heavy digital music and ‘beeps’ open this song, with violins in a serious tone. You get the feeling something important is taking place. Perfect for ‘Breaking the Code’

12. The Big Guns – A rhythmic heavy drumbeat is then accompanied by gentle sounds of a choir and piano. All blending quite well together. Then guitars are added in for an even heavier feeling

13. Quiet Giant – Voices and the occasional piano note with a soft far off rare drum beat open this song. The drums start to take more prominence then with a guitar chiming in. Those soften to allow the piano and voices to come back. This is the second longest of the 27 tracks in the album.

14. Guns in the Dark – A heavy drumbeat but somewhat slower than previous songs. There is a recurring theme of specific notes in this one to start. Quickly this gives way to a more complex series of drum beats that then quickly end.

15. Epic Evolution – Another of the airy choice tunes, the addition of a piano then guitar add a gentle touch. A violin is added for even more harmony. Then song start to then transition from airy to drums. With about 20 seconds left the drums stop. Evolution indeed.

16. Eliminate the Resistance – Synth and voices start this song off. Then an annoying singular voice cries out briefly. Midway through the music becomes more militaristic then ending with a calm sound.

17. Night Dreams – The echoing choir and alternating digital piano open this song. Strings come in with a rhythmic guitar double note. A feeling of dreaming while sleeping. The choir then becomes more prominent with drumbeats added in. This adds a subtle complexity to the song.

18. Wolverines Reborn – Very similar in sound to it’s counterpart #7’s Wolverines Return. A guitar screams out with very heavy drumbeats.

19. Regret – The choir once again opens a song. A beautiful blend of male and female voices in varying tones.  It’s the shortest of the 27 tracks.

20. Castle Defense – Guitar and choir mesh together with crashing cymbals. This quickly moves to strings crescendoing. Bringing back in the choir. There is a somewhat hurried pace to the music, while the choir itself is not hurried.

Halo Spartan Assault Small logo

21. Simple Mystery – This has an eerie feeling to start. It’s ‘mysterious’. Heavy drumbeats add in then guitar comes in with strong chords.

22. Intimate – Soft piano keys strike, then a synthetic sound emanates from within.

23. Onslaught – This has a ‘jungle-like’ feeling. That’s the best way I can describe this with the very specific drum beats. Female voices add in an airy feeling. Synth chimes in. Different in tone to #5’s Hunted, it feels like it’s from the same area.

24. Elevated – Male voices open this song. Then the rest of the choir comes in. This is NOT the monk chant we are used to from classic Halo, but rather a light blend of male and female voices. Nearly all a capella

25. Knock Knock – This song opens with a foreboding sound as if something is about to break in.

26. Night Guards – A very hurried pace opens this song. This is another of the songs that mixes in strings of paces with the main sound. This adds to the richness of the song which ends all too soon.

27. Finishing the Fight – Lastly, drums and guitar usher in subtle voices and piano. You get the sense this is the end of something. After a minute clear drums and synth add a rolling distinct sound. Choir and violins add in. With one minute left this all gives way to a dramatic drumbeat. Then with 30 seconds left the airy choir and violins come back. Finally ending with a quick snap of a drum beat.

Spartan Assault lead-in graphic

Throughout the whole album there is continuity of drum beats as well as specific notes by the choir. I find that I can’t single out any one particular song, rather enjoying the whole album. Each song is rather short with the range of times from 42 seconds as the shortest to 3:16 as the longest. As such, I feel the album should be taken in as a whole rather than it’s component parts.

So the question is, should YOU get this album if you don’t already have it? That depends. If you’re looking for a break out hit from it, probably not, even though Wolverines Return is the highest rated among the tracks. Taken in as a whole though the complete album is chock full of militaristic tones, airy vibes, strong strings and heavy drumbeats. As a Halo fan, I definitely recommend it. The only complaint I have is that each track is way to short to enjoy them on their own.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the review. If so please leave a reply below.

I’d like to thank my friend ‘PensHalo‘ for getting this album for me.

-Sal