What I love about the new Halo! :)

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

Hearing a lot of people telling about how they want the old Halo back, I wanted to make a list of aspects that I love about the new Halo. I want the original artstyle, music, etc. back, but I also want these new additions that 343 has given us:

Spartan and Sangheili Size: I really love how big the spartans are. Master Chief used to look too skinny and not bulky enough. Taking away from the super soldier look he should have. Luckily in Halo 4 and 5, he looks like a force to be reckoned with. I also thought it was odd how skinny the Arbiter and his elites looked. I liked how 343 bulked them up a little in Halo 2 anniversary but still keeping them thin enough to not be brutes.

The music (Kazuma Jinnouchi): Kazuma Jinnouchi is a fantastic composer for Halo. Music like: The Trials, Blue Team (my favorite), Scavengers, 117, Wreckage, Mantis, The light is green. Are all great examples of how good of a composer he is. Although I do have to say that he should put in more classic sound to his music. Not too much more, but a little more. Give more variations than just string instruments too.

Forerunner architecture: I really enjoy how alive and floaty the new architecture is. Although it could use more varieties of looks, like darker tones and beam colors besides blue.

More personal: I really enjoy the empathetic, full of emotion stories that 343 has given us. It sets them apart from the Bungie games, and when done well. Really makes you care for the characters more.

More into the Halo lore: I love 343’s enthusiasm for the existing and new Halo canon, but it can make stories confusing to some, as Im betting they already know. Just keep that enthusiasm for the story and let it prosper.

Giving the Jackals human voices: While the classic Bungie Halo games had english Covenant, they didn’t include Jackals, so I’m glad 343 gave Jackals an english voice.

Exploring new territory: One of my favorite parts of Halo 5 was the trip to Sanghelios. It really mixed up the scenery and made the levels feel more fresh. I’d love to go to other alien worlds besides Forerunner and human planets.

2

What about the competitiveness of Halo 5? How the gameplay is.

3

Some see the Sangheili size as a problem. They don’t look agile elegant beings as they once used to, they do look like brutes,they even sound like brutes. Their current size needs to change.

Forerunner architect is suppose to be ancient and mysterious, not alive. That’s what made the old games feel erie, that the ruins we walked through were once inhabited. I don’t get that same feeling any more.

More emotion - is there really? Apart from H4, H5 just seemed like a big mess. Not sure what I was supposed to feel when looking at team osiris. Personally more emotion doesn’t make Halo great. If any thing it distracts us away from big plot holes and other loose ends.

When did Jackals get English voices?

That’s my critique, the rest I agree with.

4

> 2533274963755476;1:
> More into the Halo lore: I love 343’s enthusiasm for the existing and new Halo canon, but it can make stories confusing to some, as Im betting they already know. Just keep that enthusiasm for the story and let it prosper.

I’d agree with this had 343 not created an emotional end for a character like Cortana only to bring her back as an evil villain in a -Yoink- way.

5

> 2533275050532363;2:
> What about the competitiveness of Halo 5? How the gameplay is.

I feel like competitive was highly advertised for this game as 343 wanted to get back in the MLG leagues with Halo 5, and they did a good job on it. A bit of a too good of job.

Another thing was the lack of social playlists that were available at launch.
As everyone was only given a few options, and one of those few options is a competitive playlist you can see the effect it had on the community. Making it more competitive. It deeply disturbs me how competitive Fiesta is…

6

> 2533274963755476;1:
> Hearing a lot of people telling about how they want the old Halo back, I wanted to make a list of aspects that I love about the new Halo. I want the original artstyle, music, etc. back, but I also want these new additions that 343 has given us:
>
> Spartan and Sangheili Size: I really love how big the spartans are. Master Chief used to look too skinny and not bulky enough. Taking away from the super soldier look he should have. Luckily in Halo 4 and 5, he looks like a force to be reckoned with. I also thought it was odd how skinny the Arbiter and his elites looked. I liked how 343 bulked them up a little in Halo 2 anniversary but still keeping them thin enough to not be brutes.
>
> The music (Kazuma Jinnouchi): Kazuma Jinnouchi is a fantastic composer for Halo. Music like: The Trials, Blue Team (my favorite), Scavengers, 117, Wreckage, Mantis, The light is green. Are all great examples of how good of a composer he is. Although I do have to say that he should put in more classic sound to his music. Not too much more, but a little more. Give more variations than just string instruments too.
>
> Forerunner architecture: I really enjoy how alive and floaty the new architecture is. Although it could use more varieties of looks, like darker tones and beam colors besides blue.
>
> More personal: I really enjoy the empathetic, full of emotion stories that 343 has given us. It sets them apart from the Bungie games, and when done well. Really makes you care for the characters more.
>
> More into the Halo lore: I love 343’s enthusiasm for the existing and new Halo canon, but it can make stories confusing to some, as Im betting they already know. Just keep that enthusiasm for the story and let it prosper.
>
> Giving the Jackals human voices: While the classic Bungie Halo games had english Covenant, they didn’t include Jackals, so I’m glad 343 gave Jackals an english voice.
>
> Exploring new territory: One of my favorite parts of Halo 5 was the trip to Sanghelios. It really mixed up the scenery and made the levels feel more fresh. I’d love to go to other alien worlds besides Forerunner and human planets.

Spartan Size: The Spartans Undersuit/Body model is actually quite slender, though it is a tiny bit better in H5. I’ve actually been doing some mesh editing to make them look a bit more athletic (B is my edit, A is the H5 original) and built like in some of the comics.

Elite Size: The H2A elites certainly are gorgeous. Wish I could say the same about the rather cumbersome H4/5 elites.

Music: Agreed, Kazuma is an excellent composer. I hope that he brings in a couple more classics tunes to mix in with the H6 soundtrack like he did with H5.

Forerunner Architecture: I thought Halo 4’s Forerunner aesthetic was beautiful. It still felt somewhat grounded while being more alive. I do dislike the new forerunner stuff on the Ark in HW2 though.

Into the Halo lore: I do love that Halo is deeper now and involves more of the story than solely what happens within the games, BUT they really need to provide proper background and/or introductions of characters rather than simply throwing them at the player. Some more accessible background within the game like the additional information in the HW2 menu would also be very nice. Not everyone reads the books. Just having the information somewhere within the game for players to read and catch up on characters and events outside of the games would help in addition to a bit of basic information within the campaign (at least in my opinion.)

Voiced Jackals: Agreed.

New Territory: Agreed, Sanghelios was beautiful.

7

> 2533275050532363;2:
> What about the competitiveness of Halo 5? How the gameplay is.

You almost say it as if it’s a bad thing… It’s a beautiful thing! :’)

Halo and competitive gameplay are synonymous.

8

I love to see people that actually like the new… additions for Halo, instead of just hating the new, fresher face of Halo and the ones developing it (343). My personal preference would be that 343 should at least try to… mix the bag, like adding all “sub-species” and having them apear randomly, eg: 50/50% chance for the “new” and “classic” Elites to apear.

9

I love to see people that actually like the new… additions for Halo, instead of just hating the new, fresher face of Halo and the ones developing it (343). My personal preference would be that 343 should at least try to… mix the bag, like adding all “sub-species” and having them apear randomly, eg: 50/50% chance for the “new” and “classic” Elites to apear.

(I DON’T KNOW WHY THIS POSTED TWICE. But while I’m here I’ll just say that 343 should at least turn the Arbiter back into the “-Yoink!- beast” we’ve always known, like in Halo 2.)

10

> 2533274873580796;7:
> > 2533275050532363;2:
> > What about the competitiveness of Halo 5? How the gameplay is.
>
> You almost say it as if it’s a bad thing… It’s a beautiful thing! :’)
>
> Halo and competitive gameplay are synonymous.

Lol yeah they are. I really like Halo 5’s gameplay. But it doesn’t make up for it’s lack of a decent campaign with launch content and being a stable game (no microtransactions).

11

I don’t think the size of the Elites need changing, I think they’re just fine as tall as they are. They should be less bulky and faster, though.

12

I’ve really enjoyed H5 multiplayer, gameplay feels more dynamic than ever.

13

> 2533274812652989;4:
> > 2533274963755476;1:
> > More into the Halo lore: I love 343’s enthusiasm for the existing and new Halo canon, but it can make stories confusing to some, as Im betting they already know. Just keep that enthusiasm for the story and let it prosper.
>
> I’d agree with this had 343 not created an emotional end for a character like Cortana only to bring her back as an evil villain in a -Yoink- way.

Agreed. I’m hoping it’s part of an epic long term plan that will make it all worth it.

14

so far every thing about halo 5 is inpressive

15

> 2533274972430429;3:
> Some see the Sangheili size as a problem. They don’t look agile elegant beings as they once used to, they do look like brutes,they even sound like brutes. Their current size needs to change.
>
> Forerunner architect is suppose to be ancient and mysterious, not alive. That’s what made the old games feel erie, that the ruins we walked through were once inhabited. I don’t get that same feeling any more.
>
> More emotion - is there really? Apart from H4, H5 just seemed like a big mess. Not sure what I was supposed to feel when looking at team osiris. Personally more emotion doesn’t make Halo great. If any thing it distracts us away from big plot holes and other loose ends.
>
> When did Jackals get English voices?
>
> That’s my critique, the rest I agree with.

I mean the elites in H2A specifically, compared to elites in Halo CE, 2, and 3. Thel for example, is scrawny in 2, but 343 made him bigger looking. Compare both cinematic scenes from each game, that include Thel

16

> 2533274972430429;3:
> Some see the Sangheili size as a problem. They don’t look agile elegant beings as they once used to, they do look like brutes,they even sound like brutes. Their current size needs to change.
>
> Forerunner architect is suppose to be ancient and mysterious, not alive. That’s what made the old games feel erie, that the ruins we walked through were once inhabited. I don’t get that same feeling any more.
>
> More emotion - is there really? Apart from H4, H5 just seemed like a big mess. Not sure what I was supposed to feel when looking at team osiris. Personally more emotion doesn’t make Halo great. If any thing it distracts us away from big plot holes and other loose ends.
>
> When did Jackals get English voices?
>
> That’s my critique, the rest I agree with.

Listen to them in Halo 5, Jackals clearly have voices.

17

> 2533274972430429;3:
> Some see the Sangheili size as a problem. They don’t look agile elegant beings as they once used to, they do look like brutes,they even sound like brutes. Their current size needs to change.
>
> Forerunner architect is suppose to be ancient and mysterious, not alive. That’s what made the old games feel erie, that the ruins we walked through were once inhabited. I don’t get that same feeling any more.
>
> More emotion - is there really? Apart from H4, H5 just seemed like a big mess. Not sure what I was supposed to feel when looking at team osiris. Personally more emotion doesn’t make Halo great. If any thing it distracts us away from big plot holes and other loose ends.
>
> When did Jackals get English voices?
>
> That’s my critique, the rest I agree with.

Halo 4 and 5 both have emotional stories, one just fails at it, due to poor writing, that’s not 343 as a whole. There arent plot holes in 4. Besides, you cant judge their overall storytelling, based on just 5. Emotion is great when done right.

18

> 2533275050532363;2:
> What about the competitiveness of Halo 5? How the gameplay is.

There was too much of it, they need to be casual friendly too.

19

> 2535453417714319;8:
> I love to see people that actually like the new… additions for Halo, instead of just hating the new, fresher face of Halo and the ones developing it (343). My personal preference would be that 343 should at least try to… mix the bag, like adding all “sub-species” and having them apear randomly, eg: 50/50% chance for the “new” and “classic” Elites to apear.

That would be great, but also a lot more expensive. We can only wish at this point.

20

I agree with a lot of your points.
Emotion and personal stories are great! Halo 4 was phenomenal in this regard. I’m just sad that they took the initial backlash against 4 to mean the story threads it set up needed to be axed. Halo 5 could have been so much more satisfying. (And it would be SO MUCH better if it wasn’t Cortana leading the Created: The story would still not be quite as good as the other games, but at least it wouldn’t have felt like a slap in the face)
However, I agree with you about Sanghelios; I first read about it as a planet with cities and people on it in Kilo -Five and it was really intriguing. I am in love with how it was realised in the game; it’s one of my favourite locations from the whole series.
As to the Elites themselves, I think that their bulkiness is only part of the problem. The main issue is the way they carry themselves. They were lumbering beasts in Halo 4 cutscenes in Spartan Ops and in Halo 5 but they might be able to get away with it if they change the species’ manner. For example, that Elite from the start of Blue Team (“HRRRRRRGG! Throw the Unggoy out the airlock!” Stomp stomp stomp) feels very different to the Elite at the start of Swords of Sangheilios (“The Arbiter is engaged in combat. We will escort you to him”). The latter is a big bulky brute/elite model, but as a Sangheili character works so much more because he walks with dignity and speaks more like Elites are supposed to. This gives me hope that they’ll find a happy balance in terms of how to execute Elites.
I really enjoy the gameplay; I like Spartan Abilities. Get rid of ADS, or heck, even just the accuracy buffs. Include a classic-style playlist (No spartan abilities). I’d be a happy man.