If the Brutes return...

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

If the Brutes make a return in Halo 5 and beyond, they need to be their own character ( not Elite clones) and need the qualities that made them unique to begin with.

The Power Armor: In my opinion this was a great addition to the Brutes in Halo 3, as it set them apart from the Elites in terms of shielding. ODST took this a step further by giving the Brutes energy shields that would break with their armor. I feel this feature needs to return, so that the Brutes don’t have to become bullet sponges, to make them difficult.

The Spike and Brute Plasma Rifles: Are two weapons that would need to return in some form as they are iconic Brute weapons, or if to stay inline with the changes introduced in Halo 4, then may a Red variant of the Storm Rifle should appear for the Brutes along side a upgraded version of the Spike Rifle.

Berserking: This was one defining feature that set the Brute apart from the Elites. Having a Brute go berserk either upon a teammate dying or their armor getting broken,was what made the Brutes a difficult enemy to fight. This feature needs to return, I want to be frightened when I see a Brute throw his weapon and charge at me.

Please 343 if you bring the Brutes back, make sure you include these features, the Brutes need to be their own enemy not shadows of the Elites.

2

> If the Brutes make a return in Halo 5 and beyond, they need to be their own character ( not Elite clones) and need the qualities that made them unique to begin with.
>
> The Power Armor: In my opinion this was a great addition to the Brutes in Halo 3, as it set them apart from the Elites in terms of shielding. ODST took this a step further by giving the Brutes energy shields that would break with their armor. I feel this feature needs to return, so that the Brutes don’t have to become bullet sponges, to make them difficult.
>
> The Spike and Brute Plasma Rifles: Are two weapons that would need to return in some form as they are iconic Brute weapons, or if to stay inline with the changes introduced in Halo 4, then may a Red variant of the Storm Rifle should appear for the Brutes along side a upgraded version of the Spike Rifle.
>
> Berserking: This was one defining feature that set the Brute apart from the Elites. Having a Brute go berserk either upon a teammate dying or their armor getting broken,was what made the Brutes a difficult enemy to fight. This feature needs to return, I want to be frightened when I see a Brute throw his weapon and charge at me.
>
> Please 343 if you bring the Brutes back, make sure you include these features, the Brutes need to be their own enemy not shadows of the Elites.

What you stated is so contradictory…

The Power Armor using energy shields justifies them more as ‘Elite’ clones… the bullet sponge… with the flesh, made them seem durable and tough… They should have less armor and warpaint like Tartarus or Lydus… less protection but more for ceremonial pack distinction.

The Plasma Rifle is not the brutes iconic weapon… it is the Gravity Hammer and Brute Shot…

Berserking yeah this was a good asset.

3

> > If the Brutes make a return in Halo 5 and beyond, they need to be their own character ( not Elite clones) and need the qualities that made them unique to begin with.
> >
> > The Power Armor: In my opinion this was a great addition to the Brutes in Halo 3, as it set them apart from the Elites in terms of shielding. ODST took this a step further by giving the Brutes energy shields that would break with their armor. I feel this feature needs to return, so that the Brutes don’t have to become bullet sponges, to make them difficult.
> >
> > The Spike and Brute Plasma Rifles: Are two weapons that would need to return in some form as they are iconic Brute weapons, or if to stay inline with the changes introduced in Halo 4, then may a Red variant of the Storm Rifle should appear for the Brutes along side a upgraded version of the Spike Rifle.
> >
> > Berserking: This was one defining feature that set the Brute apart from the Elites. Having a Brute go berserk either upon a teammate dying or their armor getting broken,was what made the Brutes a difficult enemy to fight. This feature needs to return, I want to be frightened when I see a Brute throw his weapon and charge at me.
> >
> > Please 343 if you bring the Brutes back, make sure you include these features, the Brutes need to be their own enemy not shadows of the Elites.
>
> What you stated is so contradictory…
>
> The Power Armor using energy shields justifies them more as ‘Elite’ clones… the bullet sponge… with the flesh, made them seem durable and tough… They should have less armor and warpaint like Tartarus or Lydus… less protection but more for ceremonial pack distinction.
>
> The Plasma Rifle is not the brutes iconic weapon… it is the Gravity Hammer and Brute Shot…
>
> Berserking yeah this was a good asset.

The Power Armor(with shields) was still different from the Elites in the terms that the Power Armor could break and the shields would not recharge, unlike the Elites shields. Also making the Brutes ‘‘bullets sponges’’ makes them more of a pain to fight than a competent opponent. Halo Reachs Brutes prove this, you couldn’t even headshot them unless you shot off their helmet and in a ironic twist made the Brute Chieftains, pushovers. I was much more afraid of a Chieftain in Halo 3 than I was in Reach. So their armor needs to return.

Maybe the Brute Plasma Rifle is not as iconic as the ‘‘Grav-Hammer’’ or ‘‘Brute Shot’’ but it is still a common weapon used by the Brutes and was one you would encounter more often than a ‘‘Hammer’’ or ‘‘Brute Shot’’.

4

Eh, I wasn’t really a fan of the Brute’s armor somehow breaking off when their shields were gone. It was too easy, and also kind of ridiculous.

Something I think they should do is find some other way for them to go berserk beyond just losing their shields. They probably only tried that out just for the sake of the Brutes being less like a more mobile Hunter clone. (I don’t really know, just speculating here.)

5

Here is a way to make the Jiralhanae unique…

Canon Story
Since the Jiralhanae are a pack-base species, who fight for superiority, through strength… and have renounced their allegiances to the other packs and Covenant Empire… their technology has subsided and remains stagnant. Hence why they are raiding the Sangheili colony worlds for supplies, during 2558.

Appearance
And so, the Brute appearances should be more primitive and war-like, to symbolize their pack and strength… they have less plate armor, yet possess more ceremonial pack garbs and warpaint… as well as having more hair and flesh to show their unruly nature. The Chieftains armor possess some energy shielding systems due to their higher status and attribution to the pack.

Gameplay
The Brutes would have no energy shields (Exception. Chieftains), yet have copious amounts of health and durability… which retains damage and cannot heal… but the more damage they absorbed the more aggressive and stronger they become. This way at their weakest… they are at their strongest and most dangerous. The bezerk could be triggered by a variety of cases lower health or constant distruption in the Brutes attack ie… getting knock-backed and stunned… hence building up the brutes rage and frustration.

6

I’d love to see Brutes distinguished from Elites in some way without being bullet sponges, but it seems they, by definition, are.

With regards to the damage=frustration idea, how do headshots factor in? Are they ineffective, hard to get but instakills, or just do more damage than a bodyshot?

7

Completely agree. There should be more ways to piss the brutes off.

8

I liked the idea of having Brutes without armor or shielding in Halo 2. It gave me the impression they have some thick skin or very matted hair since they took so much damage.

9

Do you remember how the headshots worked in Halo 2? I can vaguely recall that the brutes were hard to get headshots on, but I don’t really know how.

10

> The Power Armor(with shields) was still different from the Elites in the terms that the Power Armor could break and the shields would not recharge, unlike the Elites shields. Also making the Brutes ‘‘bullets sponges’’ makes them more of a pain to fight than a competent opponent. Halo Reachs Brutes prove this, you couldn’t even headshot them unless you shot off their helmet and in a ironic twist made the Brute Chieftains, pushovers. I was much more afraid of a Chieftain in Halo 3 than I was in Reach. So their armor needs to return.
>
> Maybe the Brute Plasma Rifle is not as iconic as the ‘‘Grav-Hammer’’ or ‘‘Brute Shot’’ but it is still a common weapon used by the Brutes and was one you would encounter more often than a ‘‘Hammer’’ or ‘‘Brute Shot’’.

Power armor and plasma weapons are not Brute technology. They are 100% Covenant technology being used by Brutes. The Prophets (read- Bungie) took what the Elites were using, made some minor changes, and slapped it on the Brutes.

11

There are some good ideas here. Basically, pure “power armor” for Brutes is honestly a bad idea across the board. But so is prolific bullet sponges, because that doesn’t make a fun or creative enemy to fight.

You’ve got to find the balance. Which means, bring the brutes back en masse. We need to see lots of them and lots of variety in the upcoming games. What I’d love to see is sort of “scavenger” Brutes.

Depending on the setting, every Brute you encounter is different. Let it be warpaint, weapons, armor, etc. One of the things I loved about Halo 2 was Brutes wielding shotguns, giving the impression that they took it from a dead marine. They could have the old Brute plasma rifle, a spiker, a shotgun, an assault rifle, sentinel beam, a storm rifle, whatever! And their armor could be scavenged as well, bits and pieces of conquered humans or elites. Nothing gamechanging, mostly asthetics.

That is, until you run into Brutes with structure and a heirarchy. In which the ones lowest on the food chain would be much like the Reach ones, unarmored drones for the most part (yes please to war paint). And as you go up the scale, the increase in advanced weaponry is shown accordingly, until you get to the Chieftain which has the gravity hammer, the invincibility equipment, and an energy shield (along with ceremonial armor). I think Brutes of a rank or two down can still have armor, but no shields of any sort. The Brutes that have structure will have all the dirty Brute weapons, like the mauler, spiker, brute shot, gravity hammer. The scavs, more of an assortment.

As far as health goes, strike a balance between ferocity/firepower/spongeyness. The scavenger Brutes can be more prone to charging but have less health and firepower (poorer health and less weaponry), while the ones that are part of the organized system fight in a more cautious manner. Halo 2 brutes were not very fun to fight. And then Halo 3 brutes were a little too easy unless you faced more than five. Halo Reach brutes were a whole different animal completely (literally). Find the middle ground, and thrive in it.

12

> The Power Armor(with shields) was still different from the Elites in the terms that the Power Armor could break and the shields would not recharge, unlike the Elites shields. Also making the Brutes ‘‘bullets sponges’’ makes them more of a pain to fight than a competent opponent. Halo Reachs Brutes prove this, you couldn’t even headshot them unless you shot off their helmet and in a ironic twist made the Brute Chieftains, pushovers. I was much more afraid of a Chieftain in Halo 3 than I was in Reach. So their armor needs to return.
>
> Maybe the Brute Plasma Rifle is not as iconic as the ‘‘Grav-Hammer’’ or ‘‘Brute Shot’’ but it is still a common weapon used by the Brutes and was one you would encounter more often than a ‘‘Hammer’’ or ‘‘Brute Shot’’.

Imo this is exactly what makes brutes more similar to elites, even if their armor breaks off.
What differs brutes from elites is the fact that they are bullet sponges like in h2 with lesser armor, but a well protected head. Brutes from h3 are fine too, but the real brute will always be the ones from h2 for me.
In addition u have to consider that the covenant doesn’t exist anymore, so it’s very likely that the brutes will be,again, a more animalistic foe. Less ‘civilized’ and coordinated on the battlefield, but atrocious and fearsome.
They shouldn’t wear armor and energy shields, like they did when they replaced the elites as the primary force.
Their true nature, before they got integrated into the covenant, should rise visually and mentally.

13

Oh, I can’t believe I forgot to mention this, but one thing that would be really cool is being able to play as Brutes in multiplayer (in addition to Elites, of course). Been wanting that since Halo 3.

14

> > The Power Armor(with shields) was still different from the Elites in the terms that the Power Armor could break and the shields would not recharge, unlike the Elites shields. Also making the Brutes ‘‘bullets sponges’’ makes them more of a pain to fight than a competent opponent. Halo Reachs Brutes prove this, you couldn’t even headshot them unless you shot off their helmet and in a ironic twist made the Brute Chieftains, pushovers. I was much more afraid of a Chieftain in Halo 3 than I was in Reach. So their armor needs to return.
> >
> > Maybe the Brute Plasma Rifle is not as iconic as the ‘‘Grav-Hammer’’ or ‘‘Brute Shot’’ but it is still a common weapon used by the Brutes and was one you would encounter more often than a ‘‘Hammer’’ or ‘‘Brute Shot’’.
>
> Imo this is exactly what makes brutes more similar to elites, even if their armor breaks off.
> What differs brutes from elites is the fact that they are bullet sponges like in h2 with lesser armor, but a well protected head. Brutes from h3 are fine too, but the real brute will always be the ones from h2 for me.
> In addition u have to consider that the covenant doesn’t exist anymore, so it’s very likely that the brutes will be,again, a more animalistic foe. Less ‘civilized’ and coordinated on the battlefield, but atrocious and fearsome.
> They shouldn’t wear armor and energy shields, like they did when they replaced the elites as the primary force.
> Their true nature, before they got integrated into the covenant, should rise visually and mentally.

That was the thing I liked about Brutes in Halo 2.

With a precision weapon you could shoot an Elite in the body (large target) until their shields depleted and then you just needed to shoot them once in the head to finish them off.

Then with the Brutes you had two options, fill them full of lead until they dropped or focus on their head for a faster kill. To kill them with a head shot you couldn’t do it the same way as Elites where you can soften them up with body shots then just one head shot. Every shot needed to be on the Brutes head (small target) to drop the helmet, then you could take the kill shot.

15

It’s so hilarious seeing the brutes’ “berserk” mode in Halo 3. They don;t even charge at you fast… they move slower than your maximum speed, so you can completely avoid them while berserk. Such a ridiculous downgrade from Halo 2.

16

at least somebody thinks that would be cool! they should also make it to where sometimes you loose control over the brute when it goes berserk right? or something like that.

17

> Please 343 if you bring the Brutes back, make sure you include these features, the Brutes need to be their own enemy not shadows of the Elites.

Yes but I can’t help but think that there are better ways of doing that than making fatter, uglier, Klingons. The brutes should have their own definite aesthetic and combat style but I don’t think that even Halo 2 serves as a good model for this because, well there you just have a Bat’Leth grenade launcher and the same antipathy towards a sensible shirt/pants combo.

The brutes deserve, IMO, a more alien treatment. Give them a look and feel that we haven’t seen repeated a dozen times before for the “savage” space faction. Beserking should still certainly be part of that, it has a lot of potential in gameplay and we shouldn’t throw that away just for aesthetics, but just about everything else about them should take a new artistic turn. I’d even advocate a complete morphological revamp.

> It’s so hilarious seeing the brutes’ “berserk” mode in Halo 3. They don;t even charge at you fast… they move slower than your maximum speed, so you can completely avoid them while berserk. Such a ridiculous downgrade from Halo 2.

Yes but we should also keep in mind that in Halo 2 they were a variety trooper. In Halo 3 they had to pull duty as the backbone of the covenant infantry. You can’t expect the same eccentric game mechanics, at least not to the same degree, because that would have had a very profound impact on how the campaign played. It wouldn’t have been Halo as we knew it, it would have been something else (something that lacked an elite analog.)

18

Anybody not satisfied with the ‘Storm’ Elites?

19

> Anybody not satisfied with the ‘Storm’ Elites?

Well only in so far as they didn’t distance themselves enough from the standard variety. Major political/social rifts should have some effect on how units perform in combat, certainly true enough in history. What we had in Halo 4 (in terms of combat and aesthetics) probably should have been closer to what brutes were in Halo 3 (with psychotic fanaticism replacing the weak berserk mode.)

20

If the Brutes return as enemies, I hope they are like in H2. In H3 they and the flood were a bit boring, imo.