Response To The "343 STILL DOESN'T UNDERSTAND ART"

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

I’m not gonna make this a huge long topic like this guy did. https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/6e35355aecdf4fd0acdaee3cc4156fd4/topics/343-still-doesn-t-understand-good-art-design/7305d2a7-e8b1-4cda-90bf-06c99f173cd6/posts

But I’m just going to show some examples as to how Halo 5 (in my opinion) looks better in Art Design than Halo 3 or past Halos. Also do keep in mind, Halo 5 is not even released yet, so these textures and sky-boxes are not final yet. One final thing to note is that I’m not trying to super hard bash Halo 3 or any past Halo, I still believe they look amazing and gorgeous, but I just believe Halo 5 and at times even Halo 4, looks better in most ways.

Halo 3 Skybox: http://ripleyhs.jack.k12.wv.us/studentweb/spring09/Will/Will’sPersonalPage/images/halo3-4-full.jpg
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20071125082309/halo/images/b/bc/H3_Narrows.jpg
https://danfasulo.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/halo-3-guardian.jpg

Halo 5 Skybox: http://cdn4.dualshockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/h5-mp-beta-empire-drop-troops.jpg
https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/games/halo-5-guardians/media/regret-gallery/h5-mp-beta-regret-crash-landing-6fa63aad31c945f8938252fa7cd1f3f5.jpg
http://haloeurope.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Halo-5-Guardians-Beta-Empire.jpg

Halo 3: Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle: http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130910124801/halo/images/c/c6/Gungj8-MA5C-transparent.png
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120522151205/halo/images/7/79/BR55HB-BattleRifle-Transparent.png

Halo 5 Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle: https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/games/halo-5-guardians/media/renders/h5-guardians-render-assault-rifle-cdd3b12f356e4a438b1f0c0256f1dbaf.png
https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/games/halo-5-guardians/media/renders/h5-guardians-render-battle-rifle-035f7f1bbb8b4dfe813e02d016c6623b.png

Halo 3 Spartan: http://www.halopedian.com/images/c/c5/BR55HB_SR2.jpg
http://images.eurogamer.net/articles//a/1/2/6/5/6/6/8/Spartan_Halo3_000.jpg.jpg
http://img09.deviantart.net/6b4b/i/2011/213/f/8/the_lone_spartan_poster_halo_3_by_kuraxim-d42djvm.jpg

Halo 5 Spartan: http://cdn.gottabemobile.com/wp-content/uploads/Halo-5-Guardians-Empire-13.jpg
https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/games/halo-5-guardians/media/renders/h5-guardians-render-buck-head-0653a99424924770bdbfdd6b32de8066.png
https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/games/halo-5-guardians/media/renders/h5-guardians-render-masterchief-05-b2e58080139f43ed852eb646c0060f5a.png

2

If you have a problem, post it in his thread. No need to make a new one.

3

> 2533274867157068;2:
> If you have a problem, post it in his thread. No need to make a new one.

He made a new thread to showcase an image comparison. I think thats fair

4

While I think the guns, characters, in faces look better in Halo 5. The textures (especially in environments) look A LOT better in Halo 3 than in Halo 5. Compare the grounds.

5

> 2535444539078749;4:
> While I think the guns, characters, in faces look better in Halo 5. The textures (especially in environments) look A LOT better in Halo 3 than in Halo 5.

While I agree some of the textures are a little blurry and undone atm, that is Halo Reach, not Halo 3. Halo 3 looks a little like this, https://www.google.com/search?q=halo+3+textures&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS611US611&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=oRKPVdbgJcyMNse-gYAH&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=643#tbm=isch&q=halo+3+highground+textures&imgrc=vbsnzmm4fDWO-M%3A

6

> 2535444539078749;4:
> While I think the guns, characters, in faces look better in Halo 5. The textures (especially in environments) look A LOT better in Halo 3 than in Halo 5. Compare the grounds.

I think he’s talking more about art style, but man, I didn’t notice all those low-res textures before. Hopefully that’s something that’ll be cleaned up by launch.

I like both the look of the older and newer games, but I think that with a new developer, new artists, new saga, etc., there ought to be more of a visual distinction between the two. I like 343’s take on a lot of older designs and their new ones for the most part are also very nice … and I’m talking assets here, like character models, armor, vehicles, weapons, etc.

As for atmosphere and lighting and environmental details, I’m kinda torn. Halo 3 was one of most beautiful games I had seen at the time. Reach was impressive, but a little on the opaque/bland side, and Halo 4 blew me away. I haven’t been unimpressed with anything I’ve seen in a Halo game ever, so for me it just boils down to simple taste.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind it if every game looked like Halo 2 Anniversary in terms of asset design and lighting, but if I had to chose between classic Bungie and 343, I’m going with 343.

Also, I’ve seen Destiny (it’s a gorgeous game) and it doesn’t take much of a stretch of the imagination to visualize what a Bungie Halo game would look like today, and to be honest, I don’t think they’d be that different. Destiny seems a bit more detailed, but we won’t really know for sure until we see some 100% polished ready-to-ship Halo 5 campaign gameplay.

7

Honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan of the art style of Halo games before. It always felt a bit… cartoony to me. What I mainly don’t like about where 343 is going with the art style is the amount of unrealistic, over the top helmets and armor pieces. Most of the armor pieces look like ornaments I would see at an art gallery, not some futuristic warfare equipment.

Just look at this comparison between Halo Reach (http://goo.gl/wOukbj) and Halo 4(http://goo.gl/u7sgK3) helmets. Halo Reach’s helmets actually look like functional, realistic helmets. Halo 4’s helmets are just all over the place. Some of these look like they would be horrible to wear in combat. Others look like you would just see nothing while wearing it.

Except for armor and helmets, I really like Halo 5’s style so far. Weapons and vehicles looks great. Aliens look great. Map design and sky boxes are always stunning.

8

Let’s complain about Escalation’s art before we pin anything on Halo 5.

9

> 2533274876631466;8:
> Let’s complain about Escalation’s art before we pin anything on Halo 5.

I didn’t think it could get any worse after the last two issues. I have no idea how they managed it, but they set the bar even lower with the newest release.

10

> 2533274809788760;9:
> > 2533274876631466;8:
> > Let’s complain about Escalation’s art before we pin anything on Halo 5.
>
>
> I didn’t think it could get any worse after the last two issues. I have no idea how they managed it, but they set the bar even lower with the newest release.

Yet another great comic ruined by subpar art

11

> 2533274876631466;8:
> Let’s complain about Escalation’s art before we pin anything on Halo 5.

I’m choking so hard. I wonder what the user DR HALSEY thinks of this.

12

> 2533274933219173;1:
> Halo 3: Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle: http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130910124801/halo/images/c/c6/Gungj8-MA5C-transparent.pnghttp://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120522151205/halo/images/7/79/BR55HB-BattleRifle-Transparent.png
> Halo 5 Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle: https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/games/halo-5-guardians/media/renders/h5-guardians-render-assault-rifle-cdd3b12f356e4a438b1f0c0256f1dbaf.png
> https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/games/halo-5-guardians/media/renders/h5-guardians-render-battle-rifle-035f7f1bbb8b4dfe813e02d016c6623b.png

The weapons in Halo 3 look far superior than in H5G. Texture resolution set aside, they at least look like they are made out of metal. The UNSC weapon roster from Guardians looks like it’s made out of plastic.
As for the Spartans, I think both designs are en par with eath other. So are the skyboxes, you just chose to pick the most boring ones to represent Halo 3.

Construct.
Epitaph.
Isolation.
Last Resort.
Valhalla.

13

Reach had the best weapon designs of any Halo (Excluding the AR. Halo 5’s AR is perfection)

14

Options are too vague, I think halo 5 looks amazing, but I prefer the art of the older halo games more (particularly reach). Halo 5 obviously looks better, but that does not mean it has a good art style.

15

I think this is kind of pointless, Halo 5 looks very similar to Destiny. The art directiong was heading this way anyways.

16

Halo 4 had some pretty cool skyboxes, but I like the art style of past games. However, I haven’t seen too much of Halo 5’s art yet, so I’ll hold off on a full judgment.

17

Hey OP, here’s a version of your post with hyperlinks to make it easier for people to see. Copy and paste it into your original post if you want. Cheers!

I’m not gonna make this a huge long topic like this guy did.

But I’m just going to show some examples as to how Halo 5 (in my opinion) looks better in Art Design than Halo 3 or past Halos. Also do keep in mind, Halo 5 is not even released yet, so these textures and sky-boxes are not final yet. One final thing to note is that I’m not trying to super hard bash Halo 3 or any past Halo, I still believe they look amazing and gorgeous, but I just believe Halo 5 and at times even Halo 4, looks better in most ways.

Halo 3 Skybox:
Snowbound
Narrows
Guardian

Halo 5 Skybox:
Empire
Regret
Empire 2

Halo 3: Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle:
Assault Rifle
Battle Rifle

Halo 5 Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle:
Assault Rifle
Battle Rifle

Halo 3 Spartan:
Spartan 1
Spartan 2
Spartan 3

Halo 5 Spartan:
Spartan 1
Spartan 2
Spartan 3

18

> 2533274814635636;15:
> I think this is kind of pointless, Halo 5 looks very similar to Destiny. The art directiong was heading this way anyways.

I don’t see it.

19

Many of you would say Halo 3 has better art direction if it was drawn by a 3 year old. Just because of the number 3.

20

> 2533274876631466;8:
> Let’s complain about Escalation’s art before we pin anything on Halo 5.

Cermender Permer and Lesky. Anyway art is subjective. Halo 5 looks fine and 3 was beautiful for the time.