I do, I’ve loved them since Halo CE. They’re adorable, they’re funny and they’re just the greatest little bundles of awesomeness in the entire Halo universe. I’ve been collecting Grunt figures and merchandise since the first game, anything from buttons and wristbands to about a dozen figures lined up on a shelf. (Damn Halo Wars Grunt figures elude me) I’m just a grunty kinda guy I guess. Though for the last few months I’ve been a bit torn in regards to the Halo 4 Grunts and their new makeover. They look drastically different than any other incarnation over the years don’t they? Honestly I was a bit shocked and I couldn’t stand the scaly little buggers with stubby little toes and a surprisingly tight little grey buttocks…
Out of habit I bought the Halo 4 Storm grunt figure while paying off my Halo 4 console, he was just sitting there on the shelf by the register at Gamestop. There was only one of them and he was begging for a home. Against my better judgement I bought him, ripped open the package and stuck him along side the dwarfish little legion that occupies my room.
(They protect my Borderlands loot chest)
After a bit of disappointment in his looks and buyer’s remorse, I wound up placing him alone on my desk, right by my keyboard. As I type this he stares at me with his thick neck and sketchy looking goat eyes. He’s been watching me for a few weeks and to my surprise I’m starting to like the little mutant. Before he looked strange and unwelcome among my little collective but now, now he’s their king. The old grunts looked great but now they just look awkward and weak in comparison to this new fellow. Thin little limbs, mouths that don’t even look like they close, weird globular feet that don’t even look possible, like little balls of misshapen clay. This new guy looks so much more realistic, he’s short and thick and very alien. Not to mention this Storm Grunt can actually stand up on his own, unlike the top-heavy Bungie Grunt figures that you basically have to lean against a wall to keep them upright.
So, long story… To my amazement I’m starting to prefer the new incarnation over the originals. At least the Halo 3/ODST/Reach version. Anyone else feeling the love for the new models? When they were revealed everyone hated them but now, they’re quite appealing.
Well my ONE gripe is none of them have the iconic mask… I mean one variant with the tri-breather gas mask would be nice. Other than that, they’re peachy.
They have inspired my namesake. My WoW character is named Unggoy. They are, and forever will be, the best race in Halo, to me anyway. Not a huge fan of their new voicing, but I digress…
Agreed. I like pretty much all the new character models. All of the covenant look more alien and sinister. The master chief looks sufficiently worn and grubby. And Cortana… Uh… Really filled out.
I am going to miss the grunty dialogue from h3 though.
For me the best part of the Grunts were the random phrases they spew out. “They got elite run!!” and how you’d just watch as they run and cower, then say “shoot you” miss and run some more it was comical.
Any idea if they still suicide? that got so annoying.
I’m looking forward to maybe seeing an Easter Egg grunt too if there is one, Food nipple and the one in halo 3 were always humerous to listen too.
I’m not going to miss the old high pitched voices. They stopped being funny to me long ago and I preferred them in Reach when they didn’t speak English. They look a bit more sinister now and don’t just seem like unfunny cannon fodder to me any more.
The food nipple grunt made me sad, I just wanted to pick him up and bail out… I don’t mind the lack of dialogue so much, I just liked their demeanor. I feel bad for them, basically being forced into battle, they’re so unwilling and afraid. Whenever they run from me, I let them go. If they’re not pointing a weapon at me, they’re not a threat.
CE: cute, cuddly, and scary. Black beady eyes, head staring at me and leaning his head to the side inspecting me like he wants to eat me!!! I also loved their voices, dialogue, animations, etc. Thirsty Grunt was the best Grunt ever!
Halo 2: less interesting in combat but they had equally great dialogue. Still looked cute. And they are monstrous with Catch skull turned on. While the Halo 3 and Reach Grunts are prone to blowing themselves up and have slower grenade tosses, these guys can chuck grenades so fast it’s -Yoink- scary (made even scarier by how the activated plasma grenade has a more noticeable light)!
Halo 3: seriously, red eyes? How is that intimidating? And what is up with their skin?! And I hated their voices and dialogue. It was especially disappointing to be killed on the spot all because I wanted to stay with the Final Grunt in it’s final moments. Why couldn’t they have made an alternate cutscene where the Final Grunt and Chief hug?!! Probably the only good thing about Halo 3 Grunts is that kamikaze behavior.
Suicide Grunt trains! I also liked trapping them in the grav lift and getting them jumping repeatedly.
Reach: no more red eyes but their skin is even worse! But at least some of them wore helmets, which hid their ugliness. Too bad they required another headshot… but I did love it when a Grunt occasionally cowered for what seemed like forever.
Halo 4: looks and even feels like a return to CE. I love how they raise their arms high up into the air when they panic. :3 I also love how quickly they die on Easy. I’m going to collect a bunch of them and plow my way through them. I want to make this look like nothing. The highest number of Grunts you can assemble in CE was 36. I hope Halo 4 will let me surpass that.
I’m glad that Halo 4 is making them cute and funny again. Halo CE and 2 grunts were cute and funny. Halo 3 grunts are hideous but at least they were still funny and had high voices. Reach completely wrecked grunts. They were hideous and there voices were a deep, screeching mess. Halo 4 looks to redeem grunts. At least in appearance.
