> 2614366390849210;2:
> I really just want the designs to look like direct evolution of the looks from Halo 3. The covenant bodies looked awesome, and the armor looked like a perfect mix of religious decorum and battle function.
Regarding my own personal taste, the Halo 3 Covenant are definitely up there. The Unggoy look perhaps a little too monstrous compared with the Halo 1 and 2 classic designs, but their armour, along with the likes of the Sangheili, Jiralhanae and even the Prophet of Truth looked great in Halo 3. That was back when everything was very smooth but ornate. My initial point still stands though, I don’t want to continue seeing the same designs overused. We got the Halo 3 models in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. I’m content with that for those particular designs.
> 2533275031939856;3:
> Agree. I hope Infinite is kind of a reimagining of Halo. Not completely just copying classic but not like 4/5 either.
That’s exactly what I’m saying.
> 2533274936074323;4:
> I like the Halo 4/5 elite design but I know i’m in the 5% of fans that do. I would like the H2A and H4/5 to be in infinite but I know that’s unlikely. I expect the H4/5 design to get retcon out of halo or get the thorne treatment when Infinite comes out. SO yeah…
I actually don’t dislike the 4/5 Sangheili design as most people do. I’m not the biggest fan of it in the sense that I prefer Bungie’s, but it doesn’t bother me that 343i tried their own thing. The problem is that I feel we’ve had enough of that particular design now, and over the time we’ve had those Elites, the more awkward and clunky they’ve begun to feel in comparison with Bungie’s established Sangheili (and Covenant) style, which dates back to Halo CE and pre-Halo days. Additionally, I actually prefer the Halo 4/5 Sangheili somewhat over the H2A versions, and see them as a more faithful adaptation of Bungie’s. Ignoring the bumps on their heads and their larger more defined mandibles, their bone structure is actually much closer to Bungie’s Sangheili when stripped back. The H2A designs are quite different, and as I mentioned in the original post, much more snakelike than anything we’d seen by Bungie.
> 2533274858862740;6:
> I think Halo 2 Anniversary nailed the Elites, my only grip with them is their small feet…
> I loved all the physical traits of the Halo Reach Elites but they had baby faces.
> I did really like the Halo 3 models, they were simple but they worked. They had one of the best armor variants imo.
I don’t want to sound like a whiner. I understand why people like the H2A Elites, but I never did. They’re much weaker looking. Their skulls have been shortened to snake-skulls (refer to these images for reference*), spoiling their original “split-lipped squid-faced” look, as well as the shark-like appearance that Bungie has been aiming for since they started Halo. (The shark-like design of the Sangheili was also the inspiration for many Covenant designs including their spaceships, vehicles and weapons.) Their skin is now hard, rough and almost thorny. Their mandables no longer blend in with their face. Their helmets are now rounded and tilted down. They loose the elegant but strong appearance they once had in exchange for a clicky-jawed, lanky, Toothless-the-dragon look. Obviously this is my personal taste and I respect others’, but I’ll be glad to see the H2A design left behind.
> 2533274897551225;7:
> I disagree. I like the new designs.
> The jackal were always odd looking. Their new look is unique.
> Never noticed grunts much.
> Sangheili… Oh man. People keep pointing out that they’re SO different. I don’t see it. A little bit, sure. I’ve had people point it out and I’ve done nothing but shrug.
> You just seem so bitter. I propose a blend of new and old in a different way. Use both models randomized on NPCs. Make everyone happy and keep the ‘different phenotype’ thing they’ve been going for.
>
> I just wanted to put my voice in here to let it be known that there are people who just don’t speak up often.
The Kig-Yar have the excuse of being a separate subspecies, which is why they now look like bulbous-piranha-faced versions of Bungie’s Jackals. That’s okay, but it was never looked upon that favourably by most fans, and it deviates from the established raptor-like Kig-Yar quite a bit. Seeing as they are canonically distinct from Bungie’s Jackals, it would be interesting to see them both in the same game (Infinite or other).
If I seem bitter then you may like to try reading things in a different tone. You seemed to have missed the point of this thread entirely. There are countless threads bashing 343i’s Halo 4 and 5 designs. That is not the point of this one.
I made a point of mentioning in the original post that I’m a very visual thinker. I’ve grown up drawing Covenant and other Halo pictures for an long time (about seventeen years). It seems quite apparent that you are not visual to the same extent; I’d say less than most. That’s fine, but surely you can appreciate that you have a different way of perceiving things for that reason.
> 2533274792372732;8:
> As long as they don’t bring back the silly Halo 3 elite designs, I’m fine. Personally, I’d rather see the look of the covenant species evolve beyond just dinosaurs and space pigs in power armor. What would an undercover grunt intelligence operative wear when he’s tracking down a rogue prophet?
>
> On a related topic, I really hope we’re not fighting the covenant again. We’ve already defeated them. Twice.
While I think the Halo 3 Elites are quite nice, if perhaps a little too caricaturish, I definitely want to see the Covenant evolve a little. That’s my point. I want them to stay true to what was established by Bungie, especially since Bungie’s designs are always referenced in lore (books, etc.) as well as the fact that Bungie created the basis for Halo’s identity as a video game series; but I’m also happy for 343i to extend their designs a little. Use the original inspirations (refer to the image in the OP) as a basis, but flesh the individual species out further. Make them their own.
Regarding your ‘related topic’, 343i could do a few things there. They could split the Covnenant up so that, like the Insurrectionists in the books, they exist as multiple factions in Halo: Infinite. That’d be really interesting. They could have some groups similar to the original Covenant or Covenant Remnant, they could have some Jackal raiding parties, they could have Jiralhane splinter packs, etc. etc. Some could even be allies. 343i might choose to replace the Covenant’s role in-game with the Banished from Halo: Wars 2. Maybe a new Covenant could form under the leadership of the “Created” A.I. … I’m not sure if any of these specific ideas are that great. My point is, 343i could include the Covenant in Infinite a variety of ways, and I’m sure some of these ideas could be enough to prevent the Covenant from getting stale or overshadowing the defeat of the original Covenant or Covenant Remnant (which are both notable concerns to consider).
At the end of the day, think about this: Do you want a main Halo title in which you only fight Prometheans or Flood? If 343i were to create an entirely new enemy now and leave the Covenant behind, what would that do to Halo’s identity and the interest of the fanbase? I think 343i could include the Covenant in some interesting ways, and I hope they do… But they can’t be “The Covenant” any longer, not for any media set after Halo 5.
