The trailer we have seen has left me with more questions than answers. Certainly a lot of surprises, but I haven’t been surprised as much from the trailer as I have been surprised by the community.
Here is what I think about the trailer as I progressed through watching it.
Is this halo? Who is that person? Oh my god thats inside a pelican, it is halo! Loving the human aspect and touch they are including here (Something Halo 4 did right), but still who is this person? OK, so time lapse because beard grown. Cheif! and nice armor. Bulky and tank like as 343 has tried to achieve previously, but also resembling the classical design somewhat. (More on that later). Nice sheild sound. We are going home… because pelican has power now somehow? Cortona is missing, pretty expected. We have lost? OH damn… that halo is yoinked. aaaand power is gone thanks to guardian maybe. Yes, we fight! Annnd aww maaan, it was cut short… but there is more?! I like the particle effects, and is this a reunion?
Now other thoughts, this might be a game with a couple of flash backs, Im assuming they already “lost” from the start of the trailer, hence the pelican was without power.
Thoughts on armor: Well, the community clearly has mixed thoughts, but here are my own: I like it. Helmet is perfect. Ive read that perhaps bicep protectors could be less bulky to allow for a larger range of motion and I agree. People say it looks too plastic, I disagree. . . however I will acknowledge what they mean by such. Im guessing they want they armor to look more gritty, metallic/shiny, like halo 2 anniversary cut scenes. Im not sure if its too late for that, but I object. I prefer the current textures and look for a multitude of reasons. Among them are more practical aspects of military armor. Im not very picky about color, but I don’t mind a different shade of olive as some others complained about. As of the 117 on chest, I have no personal opinion. As of the shoulder guards, I am pretty pleased. I get the idea and reason for them to be designed that way.
We might be beyond the point of return for changing this design , but it doesn’t hurt to give feed back. As for those who are complaining about change from the halo 4/5 design… and whether or not there is a canon explanation, it seems there has been plenty of time between halo 5 and this trailer, (a full beard has grown) and many fans could complain about the same for the change from halo 3 to halo 4. So, please be open to other people’s perspective. As a halo player since 2001, I feel like the current design pays a lot of respect to the previous design while also fitting the niche of character 343 wishes to portray of chief.
I wish 343 follows this route of art decisions with elites as well. Im optimistic that they understand the difference between elites and brutes.
As for the pilot, I don’t think i can say much. Its been suggested he isn’t wearing uniform because it may not be comfortable for extended periods in space. I have no comment.
As for the engine, the particle systems seem awesome and functional, character facial expressions are on point. The water (tear in this trailer and other parts of previous engine demo) is also seeing a massive improvement.
The music is perfect.
There are a few things to note about the community thou. Being critical is healthy and ok. If you wish to criticize, constructive criticism is welcome. You are entitled to your opinions as others are as well. Try to Understand the situation from other people’s perspective as well as your own and try to find reasonable common grounds and make compromises.
We have seen very little of this next game and I see people making very bold claims and statements in both directions. Dont be over hyped, and dont give up on it already.
Sure some of us miss the times of old, and some of us want something new. For those who miss the times of the old and cant stand change you may play the older games, and for those who want something entirely new then play something other than halo. New Halo games are for those who love the universe which evolves and develops over time. That respects its past and continues to develop as we progress towards the future. Perhaps there may be a way to satisfy both old and new fans.
A suggestion i have, although maybe late, is to have something like halo anniversary where you can switch between art styles. That way no one is disappointed. Another suggestion I have is to include options to toggle on and off for other issues… like sprint, and thrust, and stabilize.
There are people who say this is 343’s game. There are people who say this is the fan’s game. Its both. And 343 is as much a part of the community as we are. Let them know what you think, and hopefully they can deliver a game we all would love to play.