I don’t see any reason that there can’t be a “Graphic content” toggle for stuff like blood. Really hope it gets added in at some point.
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thats a great point, but who really knows
It’s a fair question, I don’t understand why they chase a Teen rating. The reality is most parents will buy their kids games with higher ratings.
Hell, most of my games as a kid were rated M or MA15+ (Aussie ratings)… I even had the Playboy game on the original Xbox.
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Blood is quite important to halo for sure but I feel like the reason they’re pushing for a T rating and not really having blood is because of Microsoft rather than 343i themselves - Either way blood is important to halo’s identity and i feel like it should be included in Infinite properly.
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Why? Genuine question there; why is blood quite important to Halo’s identity?
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Rumor has it, the blood censorship is due to China’s video game laws, which highly restricts or bans games that show blood spatter or corpses. And since nearly 20% of the world population lives there, its extra cash for them. I would prefer they just patch the chinese version to remove blood textures while keeping the global version intact, but guess they don’t care enough to go through that effort.
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Aesthetic is part of any video game’s identity. But I think in particular, the discovery of the flood and its attacks really create an eerie feeling that’s amplified by the blood visuals. You can argue that them not being present in the later games removes that need. And in the end, its really a matter of opinion. But I consider that censorship in any form of media or art only reduces the artists’ works, and iit is only implemented for either political or monetary gain… nothing else.
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I do wish there was some blood but I think that from an art direction they don’t want blood or gore for the aesthetic, which I do respect.
You know, I’m sure someone will just mod it in.
I know ‘just add a toggle’ is a bit of a joke, at this point, but it would really make sense for blood. It’s a common toggle for games, and having blood adds to the immersive experience of the games.
An example of a superfluous addition can be seen in COD MW. It has the best gun animations in the industry, and that was purely done for immersion. Gameplay certainly didn’t gain from it, but it creates a better experience for the player.
Blood certainly isn’t as key in Halo as in, say Doom, but it does add to the experience in Halo. Gore, in particular, used to be key to Halo, with the Flood - the body-horror is obvious. We don’t need limbs flying off in Halo, but blood coming out of enemies, and staying on the ground, gives a better feedback to the player. Without it, it’s like a Gravity Hammer not sending enemies through the air after you hit them- Wait a minute…
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It’s an effect displayed exactly once, and experienced exactly once. When we first encounter the Jackal-painted hallway, we’re presented with the suggested question of “What did this?” We soon find out, and we cannot experience that mystery again. There is the minimal argument for “new players”, but this mystery is not essential to the Flood.
The removal of blood in later Halo titles, specifically in regards to the Flood, does remove the “need” (if there was ever any) for blood to be an identity feature of the Flood. It’s not a necessary factor, and the Flood has been able to attain greater atmosphere and presence without blood and excess gore.
Neither is this a matter (for me at least), of “censorship”. Politics and monetary gains have no presence in the criticism of the claim - or the claim itself - that blood is essential to Halo’s Identity. Speaking for myself, but I am certain it’s not a minority sentiment, I don’t think “blood” when I think “Halo”. I think of alien vistas, alien combatants, and threats that span the known Galaxy and beyond fought off by the efforts of biologically enhanced supersoldiers.
Blood is nothing but jimmies on that. Some might like how they look, and think it “pretties up” the ice cream, but they don’t really do anything for it.
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Strongly disagree here. The blood in 343 Guilty Spark adds to the atmosphere. Of course, tension is alleviated by the time of a second playthrough, but the atmosphere will still remain. I certainly wouldn’t want to play Halo in silence simply because I’ve heard the music before. I mean, case-and-point, Anniversary 343 Guilty Spark has far less of a tense atmosphere, and still has the same blood and bodies. So, no, it isn’t just the presence of blood that makes the Flood, but when done right, it adds. Small details all contribute to the overall experience. Atmosphere is key, and a hallmark of great game design.
A single piano note accompanying Chief’s helmet being shown in the Halo Infinite reveal put excitement and anticipation back into all those disillusioned by Halo 5. You can still feel the atmosphere in a horror game or film, even if you’ve played or watched it before, and 343 Guilty Spark is meant to be light horror.
Not to put words into @BlendedSmoothie’s mouth, but I don’t think they literally meant that without the presence of blood, the Flood fail as an enemy. I think their angle is more so in regards to atmosphere - as I said.
I think I’d disagree about your point on the Flood attaining greater atmosphere too. Until Halo Wars 2, I don’t feel the Flood were done better than they were in Halo CE, and the body-horror shown in the Blur cinematics was a key party of that. Even in Halo 3, when the Flood are on Earth, I didn’t feel that the atmosphere was as tense as it was in CE. And no, it wasn’t just because of corridor painted with Jackal.
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I think you misunderstood my point in what you quoted. However, in what way does the blood add to the atmosphere, especially when it is so inconsistent?
In regards to Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, I argue that it doesn’t have the same tensity of atmosphere for two reasons: first, the level is lit more in Anniversary graphics, and secondly we’ve known what’s coming for twenty years now (ten years then). At some point, the scariness wears off.
Half of what adds to a horror atmosphere is the psychological implications. It’s why the panicked Marine in Halo 3 still holds so much gravity. It’s not just experiencing the Flood’s atmosphere in that level, but also knowing what’s going on. Seeing a Marine get turned before our eyes.
As well, regarding the growth of presence with the Flood, Halo 2 maintained dark environments shrouded in fog, making it claustrophobic and tense when swarmed by the Flood. They also added Intelligence and Purpose through the Gravemind. Halo 3 reinforced this, with entire biomes once familiar taken over completely, Earth itself threatened, and the gravity of a single Flood Spore impressed upon. The horror of the Flood is more than “Space Zombies”.
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I would love the option to enable / disable however not to fazed by it as long as the mechanics and everything else is implemented well with minimal bugs. Not going to say no bugs as we know they kick up but we will see.
I’m honestly shocked people are defending it’s removal. Halo was originally rated M of course, but T rated games have had blood before, is it really THAT much to ask if it’s been in EVERY TITLE, even Halo 5 to a lesser degree?!?
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I don’t think anyone so far has taken up a defense of it’s removal. Again, it’s still more questioning why it’s needed.
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Halo CE set the stage for blood in the universe, in tight corridors before the flood were introduced the atmosphere was heightened with the blood (both human and covenant) splattered across the walls - letting you know SOMETHING bad was coming
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It’s pretty concerning how bloodthirsty most gamers seem to be.
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I mean, we are playing in a universe with needle shards that home in and explode in living beings causing disastrous levels of damage, fleshy space zombies with pus-like goo filled bodies that rip apart under gunfire, and the pure fact that we are shooting aliens often using ballistic non-cauterizing projectiles and/or explosives. Although Halo is not Dead Space or some other gore-fest it makes sense to have at least a little blood here and there. Halo 3 and Reach didn’t have HUGE CE globs of blood but if you got hit by a grenade or bullet you would see some blood fly in the air and sometimes even splatter a bit on the wall or floor.
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The needler thing is part of the lore, but you don’t see that in-game, thankfully. And I’m not a fan of how gory the Flood are, though they are interesting as a concept.
While I like action, I don’t like gruesome violence and don’t see the need for it. I don’t think Reach was gruesome, but I really don’t mind at all if there’s less or no blood.
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