Examining Halo's Surprise Attack

[@BenPlaysGames]

✅ Subscribe: kzbin.info 🖱 Support the channel: www.patreon.com/ben_plays_games Happy holidays everyone, have wonderful, restful breaks and I'll hopefully see you all again very soon!

[@torb-no]

Other creators: stressfully rushes out all kinds of stuff on the newly released Halo game Ben: Releases careful analysis of mission in 20 year old Halo game. Thanks for this christmas present of a video!

[@BenPlaysGames]

My KZbin has been flooded by ten-minute videos people are pumping out every day or two about some tiny feature in Infinite - had to tell KZbin not to recommend a few channels as it was getting a bit much 🙈 And no worries either Torb, hope you're having an awesome holiday!

[@miragebarrage9748]

I’m surprised you never mentioned that this is the only mission in the whole game that doesn’t have the iconic pistol. It’s like bungie is forcing you to get good with the sniper. While that might be viewed as a negative by some, I honestly have to give credit to this mission for making me a much better sniper in video games

[@BenPlaysGames]

This is a good shout, didn't even think about that!

[@BeeDaWorker]

I saw it as a negative... until i started using the sniper as intended Its an intense and really fun mission now

[@yamasakil]

On my first playthrough of CE I completely missed the extra sniper round pickup near the grav lift and had to do the entire ship interior/rest of the mission with covenant weapons and the AR. I got a lot of good practice with grenades bc of that but boy it was painful

[@tripleunited968]

One of bens best traits is his honesty and fairness If you’ve watched more than one video you would realize he has no bias even on his favorite missions. He criticizes every mistake and compliments every thing that is done well. Another thing i want to note is that repeating and dragging missions on for too long is something bungee done a lot in the trilogy and it’s something that killed many of the missions, mostly flood based missions, such as the library, Keyes, cortana, and even the flood less truth and reconciliation. I do think this mistake is harmless however, just something I believe is more of a con than a pro. Thank you Ben for your insightful videos

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks for the kind words dude, really appreciate that! And yeh, as much as Combat Evolved is one of my favourite games ever made (and one that had a massive impact on the genre as a whole), I'd be the first to admit that when looking at it objectively, it isn't perfect. Which is no bad thing necessarily, nothing is!

[@mjpraetorian4386]

@@BenPlaysGames Hey Ben sorry to ask a dumb question but which Halo is your favourite and which mission if you don't mind me asking?

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@mjpraetorian4386 Hey dude, not a dumb question at all! My favourite Halo is Combat Evolved. CE is the first Halo I played and it was also crazy revolutionary at its time of release, so I think it will always be my favourite. Either Reach or 3 would come second, I struggle to choose between the two! Favourite mission, I'm going to cheat a little and name a couple. I absolutely love 343 Guilty Spark in CE. It's such a shocking midway twist in the game and I love how Bungie introduces The Flood with all the small hints/atmosphere building before you actually encounter them. In terms of the mission I think is a near perfect representation of what I think Halo should be, I'd say it's The Covenant in Halo 3. For me, it's the greatest Halo mission ever, with so much variety packed into a perfectly designed and paced level.

[@mjpraetorian4386]

@@BenPlaysGames That's fair enough to be honest. Mine is H2 Because of 2 reasons. 1. The Marines. While the Marines are Brilliant in all halos, except 5, h2 Marines are on another level. I've never laughed so hard listening to a Marine arguing with an elite or grunt or just a random line of dialogue. Nothing has ever beaten them. Infinite comes close. Plus they can hold their own in a fight in most situations. Just don't give them a M41 Rocket launcher for God sake! 2. Story. There's so much explained to you but it's not really forced. You understand that Arbiter and Chief are kinda similar. They're both fighting for what they believe, they're both reluctant heroes in a way as they just doing their jobs but one is celebrated and one walks with shame. Its an interesting parallel to each other but both are similar in a way. Thanks for the response mate! Have a good one sir and keep up the good work

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@mjpraetorian4386 No worries at all dude, and will do! Completely agree with you regarding Halo 2's story too - it's the best in the series by far (and the others are all still good too). So much plot packed into one game!

[@Aaron-Fife]

Merry Christmas, Ben. I've been a fan of your videos for the last few months because you have a unique perspective as an older Halo fan (no offense) that I as a relative newcomer don't always see. Keep it up, man!

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers Aaron, and thanks for taking the time to watch them! Plenty more in the pipeline, so keep your eyes peeled!

[@christianwilson5956]

This is a mission that I felt could have been split into two more satisfying missions. This is kind of the opposite problem that halo 2 has where you spend multiple missions in the same setting and it just feels like one painfully long mission instead of two.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I've not covered much Halo 2 so far and the main reason for that is because it's probably my least favourite game in the series in terms of the actual missions - love the story, love most of the gameplay tweaks, but boy do I find a lot of the locations and set pieces fairly uninspiring.

[@malcolmcouturier6993]

This is literally one mission. Why should it be split into 2?

[@leegofilms]

Despite how grueling the second half is, there will always be one moment that stands out to me: after an hour of fighting through samey corridors, with respawning and ambushing enemies, the next mission is nothing like that. That feeling of triumph was so much stronger playing those two back to back

[@NotALotOfColonial_SpaghettiToG]

i thiink it's a big part of why TSC is so loved, aside from it being a great mission by itself

[@BenPlaysGames]

Agreed, the second half of T&R is a slight lapse in my view, but the first half as a whole is so well paced and packed full of so much variety that it's barely noticeable.

[@sturm9087]

Grueling? An hour? The entire inside section of the covenant ship takes like 15min, maybe 20.

[@leegofilms]

@@sturm9087 depends on the difficulty you play at, and how many times your friend dies when you have iron on

[@sturm9087]

@@leegofilms well I’m talking about solo legendary/heroic no skulls. I guess if you struggle with halo then it could be grueling though.

[@shifterverse]

This was the first mission in Halo CE that truly made me feel like I was playing as an intelligent super solider and not a roided up guns blazing duke nuken type. A stealthy commando for the first half and a shock and awe badass for the second. It's also the first time you feel like your kicking the covenant in the balls and not just recovering from been kicked yourself.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Agree, little less purple hallways would be pretty sweet though 😂

[@shifterverse]

@@BenPlaysGames definitely, a bit less repetivness in general is the key flaw of this game to be honest

[@ArthurVere]

I don't think CE is repetitive in any way, but that may be because I'm blinded by my huge love of that game! Cool video man

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers dude!

[@calumroberts1212]

Interesting note about the pelican - it drops off marines at different points in the mission depending on how many have survived. I'm pretty sure that they can be dropped off at the grav lift and also in the Truth & Reconcilliation's hanger if you deactivate the shield.

[@derekmensch3601]

There are two points they can get dropped of in T&R. When you initially walk into the hangar. And on the balconey above. The 2nd time is when you open the hangar

[@uwesca6263]

Also the amounts of marines imside the ship is always the same. I once had a pelican dropping a full squad while my original marines were alive but you still have only 6 in the ship. 2 points of marines outside the ship an 2 points for them inside it.

[@Benjaminy2k]

The anniversary graphics actually make the ambush section with the sword elites much harder. It's considerably harder to see the sword on the updated graphics

[@BenPlaysGames]

That doesn't surprise me being that everything is harder to see in the anniversary edition - just loads of stuff everywhere 😂

[@theredangel8]

The mission which introduced 6 year old me to the dreaded Sword Stealth Elite. He came through the door, shouted "AAAAAUUGHWABDAH" and thirty seconds later we were all dead. Good times.

[@BenPlaysGames]

It took me so long to realise what was happening the first time I played the level, still remember it like yesterday!

[@theredangel8]

@Gravemind Cardiophile AAAAAAAUUUUGGGHHHWUBADAH

[@CrimsonJ3ster]

Bruh how this channel doesn't have 100k+ subs is wild these videos are so well done

[@BenPlaysGames]

One day Jester, one day! Cheers for the kind words too my man.

[@CrimsonJ3ster]

@@BenPlaysGames Np my guy keep up the great work

[@dualwielders1221]

Good analysis. We like Enough Dead Hero’s, a lot. I like when it plays… “Cortana to Fireteam Charlie: The Chief has the left flank covered. Recommend moving through the middle.” Then the drop ship arrives as the orchestra kicks in, so good. All of a sudden, Marty uses the same score to introduce the hunters, that same feeling of confidence listening to it becomes a feeling of tense worry! A good trick on the player to create some doubt😁

[@BenPlaysGames]

Good spot! I love CE's soundtrack, it's so good - nearly had a fit of excitement when I first heard the remixed tracks in Infinite 🙈

[@russian_knight]

Good to see some actual criticism of the ce campaign, while it's definitely great I think it's a little overrated as the resused areas and sometimes overly long missions get tedious

[@BenPlaysGames]

CE is one of my favourite games ever made (top five at minimum) but it's not without flaws, most of which are in the level design department. It's not like the second half is a terrible experience by any means, but when compared to the first, which is spectacularly good, it was always going to struggle.

[@gravemind6536]

Its a product of its time its 20 years old. Game development was nowhere near as advanced the money put into games was lower because the market was smaller. Given the circumstances they did well and yeah there are things that with time stand out as flaws but even so it was a great game.

[@HYDRAdude]

Always considered this level as one of my favorites, even the second half is great. Just as the first half forces you to get good with the sniper, the second half does the same with the covenant weapons. After the grav lift room you enter a room on the upper balcony where you can take advantage of the high ground. Then in the next room (the hangar) the tables have flipped with you on the low ground. Simply brilliant level design. Only zoomers complain about "long" levels.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Great shout on the reversal of the balcony situation between the hangar and the previous room - didn't think of that at all! I can also assure you that I am many, many years off being a Zoomer and I still think it goes on a little too long for my liking haha.

[@henryboy3656]

Been watching you a couple months now, but you never fail to make consistent well produced videos with actual points that are enjoyable to watch. You're definitely one of my favorite content creators, keep it up!

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers Henry mate, really appreciate that - and will do!

[@adamcrockford483]

Thanks again for getting this out before Christmas Ben😁. You’ve slowly become one of my favourite content creators and I’ve found that your videos are some of the only ones I watch all the way to the end. Merry Christmas

[@BenPlaysGames]

That's awesome, thanks Adam! Hope you're enjoying the holidays mate!

[@SirDonkle]

Gotta say your analysis are always one of my favorites. Even on the worst missions you've covered, theres still positive feedback and little thing here and there you're not afraid to say you like. The same goes for missions regarded as the best, theres always a bit of impartial criticism that never feels unwarranted.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks Jerry, appreciate that dude! That's great feedback to get as I really do try hard to be impartial and talk about the good and bad in equal measure as much as I possibly can.

[@GhostChild808]

I still remembered after that grav lift scene and all my Marines died, I just remembered Foehammer literally dropped more Marines in the ship hangar. Wasn't sure if it was that but seeing a lone Pelican swooped into a battle in the hangar bay is crazy and awesome xD

[@BenPlaysGames]

Foehammer was the best man, always wished she survived for later games.

[@Wertyber]

dude, I haven't played halo for 5 years but I've binged watching all your examining videos. keep up the good work man :)

[@BenPlaysGames]

No worries dude, cheers for taking the time to check them out. And will do!

[@stylesrj]

I like how the book describes the escape from the T&R... Keyes not only rams into the Hunters, he flies out with one of them impaled to the prongs and it slides off when the ship picks up speed... Too bad Anniversary couldn't do that in the cutscene :(

[@dianedenboestert8229]

When I first played halo ce, I remember seeing captian keeyes dead but I'm pretty sure i just seeing random things

[@mdioxd9200]

I got a shit ton of chocolate to eat and now a cool vid to watch... What more can I ask for ?

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers for checking it out dude!

[@seekerofalice9787]

So I know this was probably patched by now, but when Anniversary first came out, they didn't align the new textures to the mapping correctly, leading to the best sniper spot in the first encounter having an invisible cliff-face that you could only spot if you turned off the new graphics. It really soured me on them as a whole as I wasted quite a few rounds on shooting invisible ground. That combined with the overwhelming brightness and overly-detailed designs made it so I will never use those graphics again.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I actually heard about this for the first time recently! My experience of the anniversary edition is fairly limited as I can never manage to stomach playing it for too long. Visuals are an absolute mess. I brought the game at launch and ended up playing most of it using original graphics haha.

[@pchurch692]

Great content as always, hope you're feeling better man!

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers mate - nearly there I think, just got to get over the fatigue, bloody thing gave me a right kicking!

[@montgomeryfitzpatrick473]

Merry Christmas to all

[@BenPlaysGames]

Merry Christmas Montgomery, hope you had a good one mate!

[@zeliph]

When playing this level, I just wonder what's with the pile of dead marines with supplies throughout the level from a lore backstory perspective. I makes me wonder if these marines tried surviving when crash landed on Halo, but died anyway.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Actually never thought about that, I've no idea either!

[@user-xb1wh5mt4l]

At first I hated Keyes' AI, but after playing Quake IV, when allies often charge overwhelming Strogg forces and try to melee tough enemies with little to no effect, I think that Keyes was smart for his time.

[@bromodragone8405]

This Fireteam Charlie is an ODST squad led by Sgt. Parker.

[@lysanderxx1664]

I'd have loved it if any Halo game had any mission that features a gun with a ridiculous amount of ammo like this one and the Sniper. This stage is THE WORST when played with the anniversary graphics which are really just a skin that overlays the original map and obstacles. So many rocks in the remade graphics appear smaller than they actually are! You think you're sniping around a rock, but no, you just shoot the rock's edge. The proof appears when you swap to the original graphics.

[@ziggsenheimer]

Good video, merry christmas

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks dude, merry Christmas to you too, hope you had a good one!

[@BewilderedBird]

Christmas eve and a new video to watch. Merry Christmas everyone.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Merry Christmas my man!

[@pjf674]

9:00 TBH, it's still more varied than Infinite's indoor missions.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Not sure I can argue much with this!

[@ThommyofThenn]

8:54 would be a better timestamp

[@Cheerybelle]

Oh, the stealth elite with the sword is supposed to kill off multiple marines? I guess I missed the memo, but it isn't the first time (nor the last) that design aspects of Halo CE flew straight over my head as a first-time player due to misaimed attention. FWiW, as a first time player, I didn't feel like this mission was too prolonged or irritating. The corridors are vibrantly cool-coloured instead of hot-coloured or grey, which is woefully rare in games, and the Covenant are fun to fight against (specifically just the Covenant), so I didn't find myself getting bored or worn down.

[@Hazzymane56]

Damn I love truth and reconciliation 😭

[@BenPlaysGames]

First half awesome, second half meh!

[@SpartanBrix]

Got an Xbox Series X and I maxed out the Infinite battle pass today, feeling good! Merry Christmas, Ben!

[@BradleyVella]

Nicely done brother 👍

[@BenPlaysGames]

Nice, I'm miles behind you at level 41. Hope you had a great Christmas too dude!

[@Loch_Ness_Lachster]

Just a tip for keeping Keyes up with you is to have 2 players, it makes Keyes catch up faster for some reason

[@baslofvers]

Love your analyses

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks mate, appreciate that!

[@davidharrington5694]

I feel like this is the most controversial of the halo CE missions, some people HATE it, some people like it. For me it depends on the mood I’m in.

[@ryanelliott71698]

It is what I’d call a mixed level. It starts out good until the grab lift section. Where depending on the difficulty will be slightly challenging or downright right annoying considering you don’t have a lot of cover.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I enjoy the first half most of the time and then struggle with the second unless playing co-op. That being said, I don't think it would be so bad on a first playthrough as it would be a new and interesting environment, but as someone who has played the game a spectacular amount of times, I feel no love for it haha.

[@thisisthisis542]

Easily my favorite mission in the game

[@whiteasian3636]

Let’s go and feed the algorithm again! I’m back babeh

[@BenPlaysGames]

Hello mate, hope you had a good Christmas!

[@whiteasian3636]

@@BenPlaysGames you too mate! Keep up the good work

[@sturm9087]

Ironically I’ve always felt the beginning of t&r is the weaker half of the level since its so open with much less cover. The super long sightlines also make it hard to mix in the assault rifle. It would be fine only using the sniper if it wasn’t so useful in the ship as well which makes it a good idea to save some ammo for.

[@TanksyTube]

7:40 bro im crying why didnt you just end that sword elite instead of wasting those poor marines 😭

[@winglessmecha]

This was the first mission that made me look for cheat codes online (i found none) cuz it was so goddamn hard on Legendary

[@physical_insanity]

I know is probably going to make me sound like a heretic, but I kind of approve of the direction the second half of Halo CE takes. It doesn't mean I love it, but I don't really hate it because the gameplay works with the theme that half of the story is trying to convey - Halo is a super weapon capable of unimaginable destruction, there's an ancient plague that could wipe out all known life and the Covenant is only getting more and more into this campaign, so the longer you stay there, the more you're going to want to leave (or reach the end, in this case), and that's not saying it's trying to make you quit, far from it. If anything it's putting you more and more into the shoes of Master Chief, and sure it becomes really annoying on Legendary, but on Heroic or lower it's only about as stressful as Darkest Dungeon, Lobotomy Corp or some other game that might be relevant. I do admit, it could be better, but again, this was Bungie's big Magnum Opus, I doubt they were even expecting it would be this famous. Also, Happy Halodays, Ben! Hope you have a great time.

[@themasterseye]

I like it conceptually. I dont think it is the re-use of previous levels that is the issue. I just think the flood only had so many tricks back in CE. I think if they were to make it today, with the ability to have the flood do more, it would work out better and be less tedious. the second half of CE is a meatgrinder, which is alright, its just not quite as interesting gameplay as the variance in the first half.

[@physical_insanity]

@@themasterseye Agreed, but I still like playing through it because it makes the moments of respite all the more worth it (plus I'm a bone-a-fide masochist, so it's no big deal either). I do wish the flood had more, but hey, first game, first shot, it only got better from there.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I can kind of see where you're coming from for sure dude, I just find it such a slog once you get past 343 Guilty Spark. Although, based on some of my recent videos, many people don't at all! And cheers mate, have a great Christmas and New Year!

[@charchadonto]

The main Reason the second half is kinda wonky, is because the first half was actually completed nicely, while with and after the Library Bungie was kinda pressed to make do with what they had to finish the game. The Library for example was ment to be structured somewhat differently and less long, but their initial plan for it couldn't work so they had to change it into what it was today. Hence the heavy reuse of previous levels in the 2nd part of the game, and the somewhat rougher feel on it's design.

[@sreeser3512]

Truth and Reconciliation does get a bit repetitive, but a "nosedive"? Not even close. You board a Covenant ship. That's the goal - that's literally what you're there to do. Once you board said ship, you fight through a bunch of samey corridors trying to reach the brig... and this surprises you? What were you expecting to find, an indoor courtyard with a 15 restaurants and a casino? For an alternative, you can always look at The Maw with its multiple-kilometer-long Warthog track inside (sort of) the ship. While it is climactic and entertaining, that segment is so marvelously stupid in context it actually rips you out of the game because you can't help but marvel at how stupid it is. Yeah, Truth and Reconciliation didn't do that.

[@BenPlaysGames]

A casino at the very least! In all seriousness, it just never felt to me like a it could have actually been a real place where the Covenant lived and function. It's just this bizarre mess of corridors and repetitive rooms that never manages to grab me. I think we both agree on The Maw's warthog run at least - it's a fantastic sequence but the actual layout of everything is complete and utter nonsense haha.

[@load-bearingcoconut5586]

Truth and Reconciliation is the level that made me really dislike the graphics choice in Anniversary. You either get an interior where everything looks the same, or one that is overdesigned. Ultimately, I had to go with the overdesigned one, if only so I could tell which doors actually opened.

[@mrmadskillz1240]

Time to be iconic

[@ianhandy5090]

He missed a pair of hunters :/

[@jammash283]

Merry Christmas 🎄

[@BenPlaysGames]

Likewise, hope you had a good one Jam!

[@johnfritzjerald4535]

These videos are golden.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Nice one John!

[@1th_to_comment.]

Okay admit it who else tried to murder all of the marines they encountered?

[@BenPlaysGames]

Not me, I tend to shoot them by accident instead 😂

[@Seriona1]

This level has all the Halo CE criticism and issues rolled into one single level. I love CE and I still think it has one of the best campaigns to date but this level shows the failures of Bungie's thinking of training the player. This level is intended to make you snipe which is why you are given a sniper rifle as a starter even though Halo gave you some sniper training, they take away the pistol to force you do sniper. That's fine. The issue is that once your inside the ship, that would of been the perfect time to introduce the rocket launcher for the Hunters as this is the first time you see them and the shotgun for the tight corridors of the ship. The 2nd half of the level suffers from poor thought process and the reason I believe that is because as I said before in other video's, Bungie's mistake to me is using half of the campaign to teach you how to play the game and weapons when they should of done all of that on Pillar of Autumn. Another issues that bugs the hell out of me is the dead Marine fire teams scattered all over the levels, this was Bungie's way of making sure you're still armed with UNSC weapons and it doesn't make sense in the last half of mission as if the Covenant destroyed these recon teams and left the weapons and ammo laying around because who gives a shit. SPV 3.3 solved these issues quite well for this level, it's one of the few levels he doesn't change the level design but he smartly upgrades how the level is played. He makes Forehammer regularly bring weapons and ammo to you on the spots that you would of gotten Marine reinforcements if they were dead and then the area where you get Keyes and after, because you're so deep inside the ship, if you run out of ammo, tough shit, start using Covenant weapons.

[@BenPlaysGames]

This is a great write up - I actually never thought about the fact the pistol isn't featured and how it encourages use of the sniper rifle. That's a really, really good point. I've also been meaning to get around to playing SPV 3.3 too but just haven't found the time. One day my friend, one day!

[@Seriona1]

@@BenPlaysGames yes. It's the only level to not have the pistol. There is some parts inside the ship where sniping is useful, the hangers are prime, but another human weapon would of been nice like the shotgun.

[@guitarbass22]

I’m sorry. After the recent release of Cursed Halo 2.0, I can’t picture this mission without the laggy sniper rifle. Lol

[@mortonscastle5811]

It’s so true about CE’s campaign being in two halves. The first half is almost perfect but once I get to two betrayals it becomes unfun and tedious

[@BenPlaysGames]

Tedious is the word! Thankfully, the gameplay is good that it carries the game through to the end, but a little more variety towards the back end would have been huge.

[@MasterSkywalker..]

yes

[@BenPlaysGames]

Oh yes.

[@monkeychife]

T and R is my least favorite mission because it’s too long and on legendary certain sections are some of the most difficult sections in the game. Running through it without any speed run exploits has taken me 2 hours. Just removing a couple hold out sections would probably make me like the mission 20% more.

[@willyboods5197]

Man the anniversary graphics just ruin the whole tone of Halo CE

[@BenPlaysGames]

Agreed - the forerunner and covenant indoor areas are always a particular point of contention for me, way, way too much going on.

[@gianttacogod]

I have beaten all the bungie halo games. Took a while. Now I have halo 4…

[@BenPlaysGames]

4 is... fine. 5 is... okayish. Not my favourites, but by no means terrible games!

[@NotALotOfColonial_SpaghettiToG]

LASO

[@vital2379]

Bro look original half life

[@johnkirkendall3704]

FUNNY

[@Sentient6ix]

Funny enough, this is my least favourite level on Halo

[@Brandonanddaisy]

bent u