I realize this topic has been discussed quite frequently, but I feel the need to revive it because I would like to provide a different perspective from usual, and start a discussion from that.
The question is this:
Which difficulty in each of the Halo games is as close as possible to a canonical difficulty as shown in other Halo media?
Most would say heroic, but I beg to differ, at least on some of the games. In this thread, I’d like to assign a difficulty for each game in the series. However, some games, like Halo 2 and Halo 3, I haven’t played in a while, so I will need feedback from the community until I get the opportunity to replay the campaigns. The difficulties I do assign are obviously debatable, and this is the entire purpose of this thread, so let’s begin.
Halo Combat Evolved:
Normal
Reasoning: Normal seems to reflect the damage the Master Chief is able to deal to the Covenant most accurately, while heroic makes enemy shields much too strong. However, heroic does emulate the damage the chief and the marines take much more closely, but normal still seems more fitting since the player has so many limitations imposed on him during gameplay (e.g., not having a gameplay version of Spartan reflexes).
Halo 3: ODST
Heroic
Reasoning: Regular soldiers were extremely vulnerable to plasma fire, and heroic emulates this pretty well. Furthermore, going in hand-to-hand confrontation with Brutes almost always resulted in a quick demise, which makes sense as well. From this perspective, legendary might fit a little better, but again, since the game imposes limitations on the player (e.g., unable to take cover properly, unrealistic perception of enemy AI), heroic fits best.
Halo: Reach
Normal/Heroic
This is the toughest one to give a concrete answer to. On normal, the amount of damage both the player and the marines take from plasma fire is much too toned down, however it is much more canonical when it comes to the amount of damage that Grunts can take. On heroic, it can take half a clip from the Assault Rifle to kill a Grunt, and that is clearly not canonical. Elites and Brutes are much more accurately displayed on heroic than the Grunts and Jackals.
I’ve neglected to put most Halo games, and this is because I have no idea (yet). User response will eventually create those categories in the OP. Also, I have not mentioned skulls, but they are fair game to talk about. Certain ones are off the table, such as black eye, cloud, and IWHBYD, but others can be argued (Mythic, Tilt, Tough Luck).
Finally, everything I’ve posted is clearly debatable; I wouldn’t have made a thread if it weren’t so. So please contribute your opinions and reasoning.