Ok, Halz--you know you're my Halo God--fucking shit, you are the only reason I started playing Halo online in the first place; I remember being on your friends list for about 5 minutes after that SWAT game on Narrows. :-) That was beautiful.
I'll try to review this with as little bias as possible...but seeing as how I worship you, that probably won't happen.
As soon as I heard the wubstep, I immediately knew you were going to catch shit for it....I like dubstep. But this isn't about me. Regardless of the music choice and whom chose it, none of that matters. I know this was a two-man effort, but it works both ways--so this applies to whoever chose the songs. You find a song that you like, a song that you feel, something that inspires you and makes your video come to life before your eyes and FUCK anyone else. Fuck them with a prehensile flagpole, all the way through their intestines and guts and shit. Human Centipede that motherfucker. Now, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit and Fort Minor--I'm more than likely gonna mute those dipshits(rofl), but you do what you feel. That's it. If the two of you disagree, sleep on it, look for a compromise, find another option, end it peacefully or just suck it up. Trust me, it'll feel better knowing the project ended on your terms, not some flavor-of-the-month-ass Top 40 garbage.
Moving on. The intro was incredible. The wait for something like this, finally over...a legend long gone resurfaces, the world opening up in front of us...Hell, I actually cried. That rush of emotion was absolutely overwhelming, and it was immaculate. The only thing I'd taken note of was the old, old press photo used for it, which was a little down. A small nick in an otherwise remarkable and highly appropriate comeback. 10/10.
Gameplay--the action was good and enjoyable. For the most part, there was really good sniper action throughout, and Twich, you have pretty good Battle Rifle control. A lot of those clips are really impressive. There were a few that I wouldn't have included, but I'd say 3 or 4, tops. I can't believe iAlcom (I'm guessing) sent you his view of him getting sniped by you. That must've been awkward. Don't forget, there are maps out there other than Lockout. Gameplay gets a 7.5/10.
Editing--Dubstep is hard to edit to, believe me. I forgot who said it, but it's basically a million different sounds. Finding good ones to sync to, then actually syncing them is a serious challenge. I'll be honest: the first song didn't really feel like it had enough cuts/effects behind it; it felt a little more like watching normal (maybe 90%) speed clips that just happen to be set to music, with the occasional twitchy(Oh! I get it now!) cut. The second song, however was PERFECT. THAT is what I would've loved to see the first song's editing prowess. One thing you featured a lot, is those deceptive kill edits. Right below sleep sex and cold milk, deceptive kills are one of my biggest fetishes. It's always fantastic--the more there are, the better it gets, and the more skillful your player looks. As for the jump cuts and stutters, I had absolutely no problem differentiating each clip. I could follow through each of them easily--for Chrissake, you put a fade between each one! It's pretty damn obvious, at least to me. 7.5/10
I wasn't too crazy about that permanent 75% B&W thing for the whole montage. Unless that's the quality settings for Twich's computer. Which, if that's true, Jesus...
Halzred, you're still a great editor. You've only gotten better over the years and I'll always support you. That being said, I seriously think it's time to move on to Halo 3, or further. You do amazing work, but Halo 2 can only go so far. Theater mode can make stuff amazing, and with you behind the wheel, your videos will only exponentially flourish. I know you're busy with reality--hell, most of us are. But keep that in mind, if you ever pick up on another project.
Thanks for sharing this experience, and making a big comeback special to your biggest fan. Hope to see more from you soon.
Oh, and your site's invalid--fix the shit!
