To be very honest I’m excited for Halo infinite, but this switching back to the old look for the armor was an uncomfortable thing for me to realize was happening (unless they explain that he legit had to get an OLD suit for some reason then I may be cool with it). Don’t get me wrong I appreciate all of you fans that wanted this and I do appreciate that 343 listened to you, that’s actually dope! I however also consider myself a fan (I’ve read all the books and gotten all the games on launch (many legendary versions) and personally I’d like a choice to have at least chief’s armor return to the new style. I really enjoyed what was done to make the mjolnir armor look more realistic but still remain distinctly mjolnir. If you thought switching the style was a mistake because it was too sudden I think this is going way too far in the other direction in terms of completely retconning the art style of chief’s armor, see the Halo 4 style was an evolution because it was clearly Halo, but it incorporated new ideas annnd the increased technical looks of both the UNSC and the covenant that was developed both in Reach and the original Halo wars. Both of those games made slight variations to the visual look of spartans, UNSC and covenant tech, covenant forces etc in the direction of more detail and more technological complexity (in an industrial way for the UNSC and a sleek way for the covenant) and this was permitted I think by the increased graphical capabilities they had. The spartan red team armor from Halo wars is meant to have the same look that chief’s is supposed to in Halo:CE, but they’re vastly different and that’s mainly because Jeeezus graphics. This iteration of chief’s armor that their using in infinite now in retrospect seems to have originally been the result of having to sacrifice on the concept art that you could find in the Art of Halo books due to the graphical limitations of the day. I get that people thought it didn’t make sense how it ever changed between 3 and 4 and never bought that nano-bot upgrade stuff but it was really between Halo 3 and Halo 4 that they achieved realistic looking faces that weren’t boxy and old graphics looking(think lord hood and miranda keyes and marines!) and had them in the same frame as master chief. So despite the visual differences at least it felt like this was the same world being represented but without the same old graphical limitations! A boxy hood face was the old mjolnir, and a realistic and expressive lasky face is the new mjolnir. Now the graphics in infinite don’t seem to be better in such a way that the realism of the human and alien faces has improved or changed at all so it’s actually JUST the look of the in game armor and items that’s changed back! AND I still I can’t help but feel now you gotta explain to me how he has the exact same mjolnir now that he ended the original covenant war wearing like 6 years prior, a time during which you’d think there’d be SOME upgrades like there was between Halo:CE and Halo 2, that whole spartan IV program and all (again if he was caught without his new armor, and then had to go find old armor… ok). This stepping backwards entirely is just off for me makes me feel like I’m looking at Halo 3 remastered, or Halo infinite but with a cheat that gives you the old armor, except I’d like to turn that cheat off. I can’t help but be jarred as if someone smoothed everything over visually and I’m looking at what happens when someone who put a lot of detail into their digital painting forgot to save and opens it to see they just have their base layers and have lost hours of work. (and the graphics of the demo might not be helping that visual vibe I was getting.) In ANY CASE.
These are just my opinions and while they are pointed and seem to be complaining, do understand I in the end will love this game no matter what, I appreciate the people making it, I just hope they can do one more thing if they’re on this listen to fans roll. If you disagree with me please realize you’ve already won, you’re getting exactly what you want! So please don’t bash me or anyone who agrees with me so we can maybe get all of us to win ok? Maybe 343 will see this and eventually make it something they do post launch, maybe it’s already in the works and I’ve jumped the gun on being sad about the new armor being gone, either way if it happens it won’t hurt anyone!
TL;DR I would really like an ability to have the newer version of the mjolnir from Halo 4 and 5 and not just for multiplayer too. I’d like to be able to see those cutscenes with the new armor too.