What's with all the games having online issues this generation of consoles? First Battlefield 4 then DriveClub and now this. And these aren't some unknown games too! Let's hope we won't see these problems in the games of next year.

I think it's the result of two things. The first is the huge focus in the industry on pre-orders. Consumers have proven over the last two generations that they're influenced by the "sizzle" as much as the "steak" and pre-order accordingly. This allows publishers to embargo reviews and focus as much on pre-launch advertisement as they do on launch-day stability. The other related issue is the very technology that allows all this online functionality. With an online safety blanket, developers and publishers know that their games' major problems can be amended via patches, updates, and DLC. Games no longer need to ship complete. And, again, consumers have proven willing to wait for those patches and buy that DLC.

What if GameSpot only thought the MCC was a 7 or an 8 in the first place? So, they didn't dock 4 points, but 1 or 2 for online.

I think the score is deserved. People need to realise that not only does matchmaking have a plethora of issues which are completely unacceptable but even campaign when it comes to things like scoring and times is broken. Random freezes occur on both matchmaking and campaign.

There needs to be consistency with these reviews though. You can't just give out 8's to battlefield 4 which had a terrible launch and a horrendous campaign that doesn't even touch the worst of the halo campaigns within the MCC and then give MCC a 6 just because it had online problems. Gamespot aren't the only review site who have done this though, the other 58 score for MCC is from a review site which gave driveclub a good score.

And they were ridiculed for that, by gamers, which gave them incentive to get their act together, which they eventually did, aren't you tired of only having half a game working on it's launch?

No franchise should be immune to ridicule in aspects that it rightly so deserves, such as Halo's online aspects.

Besides, 343i have access to all of the Xbox's dirty little secret's, they have access to all of Microsoft's online infrustructure, they have untold resources in terms of money and man-power to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen.

In fact, but that wasn't my point. When FF XIV eventually re-released, critics evaluated it more favorable.

Of course, if you fuck up, you deserve to be punished. All I was saying is that a second chance, if you right every wrong, is deserved. The damage is done, but at least you fought to change it.

Yup. I'd be shocked if it had no issues, personally. 

The review my seem low but it is what it is for now. If microsoft wanted a higher score they should have made sure the most important feature of the game worked when they gave out advanced copies for review. I

My god, is online multiplayer really important???

Gamekult.fr give it a 6 too, for various reasons.

And they were in metacritics before, too bad they aren't now. If they were still in metacritics, halo would be at 86 now, or even 85 with the new note from polygon.

and well, Online for halo IS important, such as nearly all others FPS. If online doesn't work perfectly in a game like sunset overdive or dead rising, it's not really a big problem, but for a Fps, it is.