Ronin Gaidin

So I’m playing the Destiny beta, when one of my gaming buddies, Mace Windex, sends a message asking how I like it. Part of my reply includes how I’m not too impressed with the graphics.

The reason why we’re messaging instead of discussing it in a party, is he’s recently moved from the Xbox 360 to the Xbox One. Immediately I began receiving messages about how incredible the graphics were on the Xbone. Yes, I was jealous. Not only had I lost one of the few gaming buddies I had playing Battlefield 4, but now he was gaming in lobbies of 32 (holy cow, I still can’t believe it!) – – 32 people in a game, whilst I was still stuck with the measly 16.

But back to Destiny. When I told Mace how I wasn’t happy with the graphics, his reply was that they were “amazing” on the Xbox One. It’s eaten away at me for a couple days, and finally after bitching about the graphics for two days I had to go find a comparison video.

Fred Wood has done a great job showing exactly what the difference is in this side-by-side comparison. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting there to be this big of a difference. Like Battlefield 4, it’s like a film is lifted off the screen when the video is played on the Xbone. Tons of detail appears that is fuzzy on the Xbox 360 and the contrast is all that I would hope for it to be (one of my biggest gripes was the lack of contrast). Plants and tarps move more naturally, and things have a much more detailed texture.

I can’t help wondering if they’re doing it on purpose. I mean, if I were a company that wanted people to buy my next product, would I put effort into making the old one look as good as it could? No, no I wouldn’t. Well, not if I was a soul-sucking, money grubbing bastard.

Is it worth the cost of the Xbone to have next-gen graphics? Only you can decide, but this vid makes a convincing argument.

So, the new Halo 2: Anniversary Cinematic Trailer came out today, and I just watched it. A lot of things went through my mind and emotions as the trailer played.

First, I began to reminisce of my journeys through the campaigns, the awe I had at the Halo story and the artistry and the all-immersive experience of it. I remembered thinking, “Why do the cutscenes look soooo bad, when there are CGA movies out that are so badass?”.

As I watched Chief strangling the Prophet in the trailer (hey, you know that’s what you really wanted, too), I realized one thing: I really, REALLY want to own and play the Master Chief Collection!!

I miss the things that made me love the game and franchise, and I could imagine reliving them… better. But will they really be better? And is it worth a whopping $400-$500 (the purchase of the Xbone) to find out?

These are questions I must work out in my own time, especially as I realize that the same drive that makes me want MCC, that collection of games that I truly loved, only makes sense if that $400-$500 goes towards playing the continuation of the series which I most certainly have not.

All that aside, one thing and one thing alone is crystal clear after I watch the trailer. It is a thought I’ve had before, and it comes to mind fresh and screaming as a newborn babe….

THEY HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO BRING BACK SERGEANT JOHNSON!!!

Missed the trailer? Check it out now.