I want the Brutes that Bungie promised.

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

Let me start this off by saying that I am assuming that Brutes will return in Halo 5/Xbox One.

Remember this vidoc: Halo 3 ViDoc: Et Tu Brute? - YouTube? I remember watching it for the first time, being completely stunned at the Brute animations. Watch the whole thing if you’d like, but I’m mainly talking about 2:45-3:55 - y’know, the parts with the Brute ripping a human’s arms off, smashing a Marine into a wall, hitting another Marine over the head with a gravity hammer, and flipping a warthog.

Of course, these animations were nowhere to be found in Halo 3, and I still feel a slight sense of betrayal when I fight the Brutes in that game. They basically became the Elites of H:CE and H2. I want a Brute’s presence on the battlefield to really mean something, y’know? I want a Brute’s presence to be an “oh -Yoink-” moment. Brutes need to be a game changer. I want Brutes to have the same power they had in First Strike, when Chief fought one for the first time. This doesn’t mean that they should take 3 BR clips to take down or anything, but they should definitely make the player rethink his or her strategy.

Does anyone else share this opinion? For the most part, I love where 343 is going with the canon of the Haloverse, but I think Brutes have fallen VERY short of their potential so far. I’d love to see them become more…well, brutal.

And holy -Yoink-, I’d -Yoinking!- LOVE to have the Brute Chopper back.

2

i agree those animations were bad*** and the chopper was awesome.

3

I agree with this but I have some other animation ideas like a brute jumping onto a warthog and obliterating it with a gravity hammer which would cause insane damage to it, kind of like how elites board but your vehicle most likely gets destroyed or a brute with a hammer jumping onto a tank and smashing the turret that shoots the tank shells off, making the driver useless. Maybe there could be an animation where they are out of battle and they are in a fist fight or something, not damaging each other but it’s still cool. I also think they should add berserk mode back but not so insanely op you die instantly if he gets up close, I’m thinking of a more destroy everything kind of mood. Maybe the brutes could have more variety in their weapons they only have brute shots, spikers, hammers, and brute plasma rifles. Maybe when you took cover from brutes they would basically lift up stuff and throw it trying to find you. That’s really all I have now but brutes definitely didn’t have good enough animations and just felt like I was fighting an elite without shields

4

Oh and I forgot about the chopper that NEEDS to be added back, it was so fun and awesome.

5

> I agree with this but I have some other animation ideas like a brute jumping onto a warthog and obliterating it with a gravity hammer which would cause insane damage to it, kind of like how elites board but your vehicle most likely gets destroyed or a brute with a hammer jumping onto a tank and smashing the turret that shoots the tank shells off, making the driver useless. Maybe there could be an animation where they are out of battle and they are in a fist fight or something, not damaging each other but it’s still cool. I also think they should add berserk mode back but not so insanely op you die instantly if he gets up close, I’m thinking of a more destroy everything kind of mood. Maybe the brutes could have more variety in their weapons they only have brute shots, spikers, hammers, and brute plasma rifles. Maybe when you took cover from brutes they would basically lift up stuff and throw it trying to find you. That’s really all I have now but brutes definitely didn’t have good enough animations and just felt like I was fighting an elite without shields

Yeah, I think the berserker mode should return, but it should only occur quickly in Brute Minors to reflect their lack of discipline. Brute Majors and Captains should only do it if they get damaged heavily (shotgun, grenade), and going berserk would give them a second wind. Chieftains should only go berserk if their unit is dying rapidly, or possibly after their entire squad is dead. I agree that while berserking, Brutes shouldn’t just attack the player - they should go crazy on the immediate environment overall.

That’s not to say that they should just kill each other or other Covenant right away, but they could get pissed off at retreating Grunts and kick/throw them outta the way.

Brutes just need to be scarier. I remember reading Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss from Evolutions and being terrified at how monstrous the Brutes seemed. I want that feeling to come across in gameplay.

6

I want an improved version of the Halo 2 Brutes. Huge, hairy, scary, savage, and ferocious. I want the Brute Shot and the Brute Chopper back. The Brute Plasma Rifle also strikes me as a particularly “brutish” and outstanding weapon and I much prefer it to the rather useless Spiker. Spike grenades were a neat concept, but I’d much rather Brutes have a sort of “Needle grenade”, similar to an idea that’s been floating around the forums. The return of the original H3 gravity hammer (as opposed to the pathetic versions in Reach and 4) would also be nice. Speaking of which, abolish everything about the Brutes from Reach. They were downright awful. Not saying Halo 3 Brutes were great, but they weren’t terrible. Halo 2 Brutes weren’t perfect either, I just want Brutes to be based off them. With energy-shielded armour, jump packs, and vehicles and such.

7

Don’t stop at just Brutes though.

The entire Covenant smorgasboard of aliens could have provided a rich and deep experience yet it’s always been unfullfilled.

It’s also something that I’m worried about with HXB1. What few Prometheans we did experience in H4 failed to add the depth that I’m looking.

8

I want them to be more like the incredible hulk, abomination etc… in terms of raging, berserk game play… plus they need to feel larger than elites and spartans…

This is how 343 Industries should structure the now significant races with gameplay behavior variations…

  • Human - Guerrilla, Defensive, Patriotic, Xeno-Racist, Team-orientated. (Survivor)

  • Sangheili - Skilful, Disciplined, Stealthy, Respectful, Honor-orientated. (Warrior)

  • Jiralhanae - Arrogant, Aggressive, Self-Possessed, Oppressive, Tribe-Orientated. (Berserker)

  • Mgalekgolo - Resilient, Submissive, Suppressive, Deficient, Colony-Orientated. (Tank)

  • Kig-Yar - Scavenger, Pirate, Untrustworthy, Undisciplined, Mercantile-orientated. (Sniper/Support)

  • T’Vaoan - Agile, Confusion, Scout, Mobile, Escort-orientated. (Scout/Taunt)

  • Yanme’e - Unified, Co-operative, Concentrated, Distraction, Hive-Orientated. (Divider)

  • San’Shyuum - Preserved, Religious, Aspiring, Ambitious, Spiritual-orientated. (Shaman)

  • Unggoy - Obedient, Cowardly, Fearful, Skeptical, Cautioned-orientated. (Fodder)

  • Forerunner - Presumptuous, Strong, Intelligent, Concluded, Divinity-orientated (Gods)

  • Flood - Collective, One-Minded, Co-ordinated, Intimidating, Assimilate-orientated. (Swarm)

  • Monitor - Obligated, Loyal, Affirmed, Persistent, Curator-orientated. (Monitor)

  • Sentinels - Duty-Bound, Impartial, Warden, Diligent, Protocol-orientated. (Guardian)

  • Promethean Knights - Assertive, Dominant, Massive, Alarming, Afflictive-orientated. (Knights)

  • Promethean Watcher - Protective, Pessimist, Itinerant, Complication, Assistance-orientated. (Healer)

  • Promethean Crawler - Divergent, United, Energetic, Crafty, Pack-orientated. (Flanker)

9

> I want them to be more like the incredible hulk, abomination etc… in terms of raging, berserk game play… plus they need to feel larger than elites and spartans…
>
> This is how 343 Industries should structure the now significant races with gameplay behavior variations…
>
> - Human - Guerrilla, Defensive, Patriotic, Xeno-Racist, Team-orientated. (Survivor)
>
> - Sangheili - Skilful, Disciplined, Stealthy, Respectful, Honor-orientated. (Warrior)
>
> - Jiralhanae - Arrogant, Aggressive, Self-Possessed, Oppressive, Tribe-Orientated. (Berserker)
>
> - Mgalekgolo - Resilient, Submissive, Suppressive, Deficient, Colony-Orientated. (Tank)
>
> - Kig-Yar - Scavenger, Pirate, Untrustworthy, Undisciplined, Mercantile-orientated. (Sniper/Support)
>
> - T’Vaoan - Agile, Confusion, Scout, Mobile, Escort-orientated. (Scout/Taunt)
>
> - Yanme’e - Unified, Co-operative, Concentrated, Distraction, Hive-Orientated. (Divider)
>
> - San’Shyuum - Preserved, Religious, Aspiring, Ambitious, Spiritual-orientated. (Shaman)
>
> - Unggoy - Obedient, Cowardly, Fearful, Skeptical, Cautioned-orientated. (Fodder)
>
> - Forerunner - Presumptuous, Strong, Intelligent, Concluded, Divinity-orientated (Gods)
>
> - Flood - Collective, One-Minded, Co-ordinated, Intimidating, Assimilate-orientated. (Swarm)
>
> - Monitor - Obligated, Loyal, Affirmed, Persistent, Curator-orientated. (Monitor)
>
> - Sentinels - Duty-Bound, Impartial, Warden, Diligent, Protocol-orientated. (Guardian)
>
> - Promethean Knights - Assertive, Dominant, Massive, Alarming, Afflictive-orientated. (Knights)
>
> - Promethean Watcher - Protective, Pessimist, Itinerant, Complication, Assistance-orientated. (Healer)
>
> - Promethean Crawler - Divergent, United, Energetic, Crafty, Pack-orientated. (Flanker)

I know 343 Industries, and Bungie before them, have integrated slight connections to this list but… I want to see a greater influence… not a re-hall of each race but rather, more of the actions, emotions, dialogue aspects that make each race significant. (See next post for examples)

10

  • Human - Guerrilla, Defensive, Patriotic, Xeno-Racist, Team-orientated. (Survivor)

  • The humans should be back-to-back or back-against the wall type gameplay where they lean on each other for support, and moral… they should also gain a sense of confidence or rather cockiness when they kill other species or constructs. Like a marine kills a sangheili “Yeah! Did you like my lead sandwich… you ugly hinge-head -Yoink-!!!”*

  • Sangheili - Skilful, Disciplined, Stealthy, Respectful, Honor-orientated. (Warrior)

  • The Sangheili should be shown using their weapons with genuine skill… whether that is spinning with energy swords or dual-wield swords? Or even plasma rifle dual-wielding and kicking close foes… They need to be seen as disciplined warriors as well as using stealthy active camouflage… Some of the honor bound stuff could be a one-on-one with a Sangheili warrior or zealot… who throws you a spare sword… to which the player can choose the honorable option or the dishonorable… to which the Sangheili responds accordingly.*

  • Jiralhanae - Arrogant, Aggressive, Self-Possessed, Oppressive, Tribe-Orientated. (Berserker)

  • The Jiralhanae are lead only by the strongest of their pack… through sheer strength of arms… they need to be seen as unruly, aggressive and complacent… to which arrogance and threatening each other is seen… They could even break out into fights… They are also a lot less honorable then their Sangheili rivals… and so should be seen doing less honorable things… like wager for something via hostages and then kill the hostages…*

  • Mgalekgolo - Resilient, Submissive, Suppressive, Deficient, Colony-Orientated. (Tank)

  • The Mgalekgolo always work in pairs, and have been known to become extra tenacious once their pair-mate dies… this is a great addition but I want to see them… really interact with each other… once one hunter falls… the other hunter sort of halts combat to acknowledge his/her fallen brethren…*

  • Kig-Yar - Scavenger, Pirate, Untrustworthy, Undisciplined, Mercantile-orientated. (Sniper/Support)

  • The Kig-Yar are by far one of the most unique races for this suggestion. To show they come from a Mercenary or Pirate background… we should seen them trading weapons with the dead corpses or have Human, Covenant or Forerunner weaponry… they need to be seen fighting over the spoils and scavenger for the best items. They also should be shown if a rare item or thing is nearby they could bicker among themselves for control… due to being undisciplined.*

  • T’Vaoan - Agile, Confusion, Scout, Mobile, Escort-orientated. (Scout/Taunt)

  • The T’Vaoan, although they are technically Kig-Yar, they are seen as their own race in terms of behavior. They should be seen as rare, agile scouts who are very mobile. As well as flanking and going for the weak spots of players…*

  • Yanme’e - Unified, Co-operative, Concentrated, Distraction, Hive-Orientated. (Divider)

  • The Yanme’e are too bee seen as a hive… swarming and overwhelming the player. They should be so many that the players is swatting at them due to being always under fire… They could also out of combat be seen collecting weaponry or equipment for their queen.*

  • San’Shyuum - Preserved, Religious, Aspiring, Ambitious, Spiritual-orientated. (Shaman)

  • The San’Shyuum are too be the prophetic race, that believe in the spiritual and hopes of a purpose… They should have sufficient knowledge of Forerunner artifacts, as well as are puppet masters to give the combat hard-tasks to their followers… They are quite selfish and preserved in-terms of only socializing with other San’Shyuum when possible…*

  • Unggoy - Obedient, Cowardly, Fearful, Skeptical, Cautioned-orientated. (Fodder)

  • The unggoy have been known as the most significant in terms of behaviour… with their memorable running and screaming or suicidal rants. This is great to show how timid and insignificant they believe themselves to be… yet they should also show that they are like children and like to play pranks on each other (grunt).*

  • Forerunner - Presumptuous, Strong, Intelligent, Concluded, Divinity-orientated (Gods)

  • The Forerunner are new and so their actual behavior is not quite been seen… although we can assume that they seen themselves are higher or royalty compared to other races… and so would find them primitive. I would like to see, if we do see, Forerunners shown using all aspects of the battlefield… like flanking, using traps etc. They also need to be shown as intelligent.*

  • Flood - Collective, One-Minded, Co-ordinated, Intimidating, Assimilate-orientated. (Swarm)

  • The Flood are and always will be a swarming, numberless legion. They have always been portrayed as the “zombies” of the Halo Universe yet I would like to see them… interact with other flood… by perhaps making larger forms out of multiple smaller forms… like 3 combat forms form and shape a dreadnaught… or they could re-rejuvenate lost tentacles and limbs.*

  • Monitor - Obligated, Loyal, Affirmed, Persistent, Curator-orientated. (Monitor)

  • The Monitors have always been highly-persistent to cleanse and uphold the protocol set by the Forerunner… yet they have been shown to have needs for emotion and boredom which leads to rampancy… a good concept. I would like to see more monitors perhaps more interaction with their other constructs… like Promethean, sentinels, other monitors, Mendicant Bias and perhaps Forerunner imprinted ancillas?*

  • Sentinels - Duty-Bound, Impartial, Warden, Diligent, Protocol-orientated. (Guardian)

  • The Sentinels have always been about containment… whether it fits to the direction of the hero or not… this has created some unique playing experiences… to which I want to see done more… like perhaps a halo has broken containment, the Aggressor Sentinels are the first to combat, with the hero also fighting the flood and the Covenant Remnant… so the Sentinels leave them alone… yet the Prometheans are fighting the Flood and the Humans… and so the sentinels see them as more of allies then Humans… and turn on the Humans…*

  • Promethean Knights - Assertive, Dominant, Massive, Alarming, Afflictive-orientated. (Knights)

  • The Promethean Knight was a good addition to the sandbox… in theory. Yet it had appeared quite robotic and showing no real significance beside a armor tank… And so I want to see more variantions or perhaps different tactics of the knights.*

Crawlers and Watchers in next post…

11

MODERATOR PLEASE REMOVE DOUBLE POST… MISS-EDIT PROBLEMS

12

  • Promethean Watcher - Protective, Pessimist, Itinerant, Complication, Assistance-orientated. (Healer)

  • The Promethean Watcher is a very protective and awesome addition, probably the most unique in terms of the Prometheans. They have a assortment of abilities to assist in combat… they serve a secondary role in combat… yet with the other classes have shown to be unique in creating different situations. I wouldn’t mind seeing more interaction with other races or constructs.*

  • Promethean Crawler - Divergent, United, Energetic, Crafty, Pack-orientated. (Flanker)

  • The Promethean Watcher is a agile quadrupedal enemy the first seen… and it creates a almost hunter like experience when the pack of “dogs” surround and maul you… I would like to see some more interactivity with other constructs in the future…*

13

The brutes should return to their Halo 2 style. Brutes are meant to be large and well, brutish. The chieftans should have power armour but the lower ranked brutes should just be hair and teeth.

The beserking needs to return as well, as does brute weapons. With dual wielding removed the Spiker could actually become a decent weapon.

14

I miss brutes too. I love fighting covey and brutes but do not enjoy Promethean nearly as much.

Assuming Promethean and Covey are both back, brutes would be an awesome edition (: Wouldn’t mind another type of enemy too. Maybe that will have to wait until H6.

It’s exciting to see what direction the story heads in Halos future.

15

Some of the vidoc is for scripted scenes, obviously, but some of it also means a better in-game AI. I’m down for both in Halo 5, especially a more vicious AI.

I agree with Methew, let’s not stop with the Brutes. I feel grunts and elites are pretty well scripted/animated, but the rest could certainly use a face lift.

I think Reach gave us the best offering yet, though not nearly as savage as the vidoc shows.

The Chopper might have been my all-time favorite vehicle. My life has been empty since its disappearance.

16

I agree with this. Brutes in Halo 2 and Halo Reach were significantly better than brutes in Halo 3, simply because you had to change your gameplan to deal with them (ESPECIALLY in 2), they had so much health that you couldn’t take them down on higher difficulties without either popping off their helmet and getting a headshot, or getting them with a Supercombine.

But on top of that especially in Halo 2 they were DEVASTATINGLY powerful in Melee combat, and that aspect shouldn’t just return, it should be exaggerated. Punching a Brute should be a very, very bad idea. As your fist meets his chest, and he doesn’t even flinch, he just looks down at you shocked you even tried, and then crushes you with his bare hands.

17

Everyone watched the HALO 4 Prologue right? Remember that scene where a SPARTAN-II (likely Master Chief) air kicks the massive Brute Chieftain in the face? Its at time 2:20 on the hyper-linked video.

That Brute was huge! I agree. I feel like the Brutes should have been these game/strategy/tactic changers, but they have never been that.

If anyone important is reading this thread, please, bring back the Brutes…but better than ever.

18

> Oh and I forgot about the chopper that NEEDS to be added back, it was so fun and awesome.

The Chopper was awesome and should return.

I like to see Brutes return as well.