To put it blunt, one of the weaker aspects of Halos 4 and 5 are the AI. Not only are the Covenant much simpler and less dynamic than previous, and the Prometheans are rather muddying to the sandbox, the allied AI in Halo 4 was practically non-existent, barring two missions, and Halo 5 had you constantly accompanied by Blue Team or Fireteam Osiris- not a bad idea in concept, given this was how Star Wars: Republic Commando handled cooperative gameplay. The main problem is that the game never makes you feel alone, where as Halo 4 constantly ensures you’re alone. This actually does more to hurt the gameplay as well as the artistic aspects of Halo, and I think it’s safe to say 343 understands (based on the Halo Infinite trailer) that they know what I’m about to state.
Halo’s Marines/Reach Army Troopers have always been an essential part of storytelling, mission design, gameplay, and overall enjoyment of the game for several reasons.
- They allow the player more options to approach combat situations with in terms of tactics and play style overall. On specific missions, Marines will distract Hunters to allow the player a more direct shot at their backs, or they’ll keep an elite strike team occupied while the player dispatches them quickly at range. They also carry unlimited ammo, and on higher difficulties, smart players will use this to their advantage by giving them power weapons. - Their dialogue can be used to deliver an objective, warn a player of danger, provide a sense of “life” in and out of combat, and (on higher difficulties or with IWHBYD) provide entertaining Easter eggs. They can also be used to pay homage to elements of the lore, as Halo Wars 2 does splendidly. - It raises the stakes of every battle that involves them. Good play will keep marines alive and make battles easier, while poor decisions are punished with the death of the Marines, and potentially the loss of their power weapons, if applicable. Even with base weapons, losing Marines will make every battle harder as enemies no longer have any distractions to keep from shooting at the player. - [This is more subjective] It enhances the feel of being a super-soldier to see standard grunts in military datigues that get chirpy and excited to see the player. Halo 4’s AI do this on occasion, but it’s barely present. In Halo 5, the AI allies (Spartans, Elites, and Meridian Station miners/security) are either indifferent or embittered towards the player. - Marines offer many more avenues of engagement with large-scale vehicle combat. Four spartans will fill a maximum of four single-seater vehicles, and in the entirety of playing Halo 4 and 5’s campaigns, I never managed to fill a Warthog or a Scorpion on any difficulty on any mission that had more than one AI companion. - In addition to the last point, it benefits the sandbox and increases the value of power weapons. It encourages the development of team-based vehicles such as the Hornet, Warthog, Spectre, and the Falcon. This makes development of larger, more interesting vehicles more valuable to the overall experience, as it benefits the campaign and the Multiplayer with large-scale team-based combat.Perhaps I could go on longer and go more in depth about these points, maybe make a video detailing them, but in my opinion I think Marines greatly impact the campaign of a Halo campaign, and I really want to see them return in a much greater fashion in Halo Infinite.
What do you all think?