• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Halo |OT 20| It really does feel like Halo

MouldyK

Member
Would this be under NDA or no? Just don't want you to be in trouble because it's great having someone who reviews the games be a part of the community here.

Frankie said similar things, so really, he is our replacement Stinkles.


And I for one welcome our new Stinkles.
 
I always thought that the halo 4 chief had too many changes to his design, the armor doesn't look like armor any longer and more like pieces of meta slapped on the body, one gut shot and he's done for.

Will never understand why such changes are done when their original designs were more or less great already.
 

Nirvana

Member
I actually love the Halo 4 Chief. I like that he looks a lot bulkier, so he isn't dwarfed by the Knights and Elites as much, and the little details all look really good. The helmet shape I wasn't sure of at first, but I actually really like the design now.

It's a shame the multiplayer armour wasn't designed as well, there are very few cosmetics that don't look terrible. In fact I just run Mark VI, as I did in Halo 2 despite owning all the cosmetics. I guess I'm not a big cosmetics guy.
 

Madness

Member
I always thought that the halo 4 chief had too many changes to his design, the armor doesn't look like armor any longer and more like pieces of meta slapped on the body, one gut shot and he's done for.

Will never understand why such changes are done when their original designs were more or less great already.

zoLe35P.jpg


Yeah, that's what I meant above. It just looks like he's wearing an under armour type spandex layer underneath with random pieces of metal slapped on. The shoulders are the thing that irritates me the most, but so is the chest. Doesn't really feel like a cohesive/unified suit of armor that can regenerate health, withstand bomb blasts etc.

I understand why they want to make changes (I love the old look more), and they're free to do them. I just wish they had done it better and also explained it in the story. I think their helmet designs were the worst. Random shapes, weird eyeholes/visors, Halo 3 helmets were the best.

You never know though. Bungie went from Mark V, to Mark VI and then changed it a bit again in H3, maybe 343 will do the same, especially since it seems his visor is cracked, armor is all damaged looking, maybe they'll have him be given a new set.
 
zoLe35P.jpg


Yeah, that's what I meant above. It just looks like he's wearing an under armour type spandex layer underneath with random pieces of metal slapped on. The shoulders are the thing that irritates me the most, but so is the chest. Doesn't really feel like a cohesive/unified suit of armor that can regenerate health, withstand bomb blasts etc.

I understand why they want to make changes (I love the old look more), and they're free to do them. I just wish they had done it better and also explained it in the story. I think their helmet designs were the worst. Random shapes, weird eyeholes/visors, Halo 3 helmets were the best.

You never know though. Bungie went from Mark V, to Mark VI and then changed it a bit again in H3, maybe 343 will do the same, especially since it seems his visor is cracked, armor is all damaged looking, maybe they'll have him be given a new set.
I personally love the new look. It gives the impression of a fast moving tank because of the under suit and the slapped on pieces. He looks agile and kind of threatening.

But I love nearly all of Chief's iteration and I agree that the game should have explained where he got the new armour.
 

jem0208

Member
I really like 4's chief. I always felt that 3's chief was a bit too cartoony and generic space marine-y.

In 4 he looks like a proper tank.
 

klodeckel

Banned
For me, Halo 4 Chief is the best version by far. It is the first time in the whole series you could actually "feel" that his armor isn't just some 2 kg plastic, but a battlesuit that weighs half a ton.
 

IHaveIce

Banned
Roster for The Master Chief Collection Launch Invitational.


  • StK – Heinz, OGRE2, Royal 2, Snakebite, Coach Diesel
  • OpTic Halo – Flamesword, Pistola, Ace, Snipedown, Coach Elamite
  • Believe The Hype – Formal, Lxthul, aPG, Maniac, Coach Mr. X
  • The Agency – Ninja, Hysteria, FearItSelf, Victory, Coach Towey
  • VwS Gaming – Naded, Legit, Goofy, Mikwen, Coach Wolfmayyne
  • TCM Gaming – Riotz,TuFoxy, Ramirez, Chalkie, Coach Xavier
  • Purple Rain – Gandhi, Puckett, Maven, Legion, Coach Sundance
  • Str8 Rippin – Tsquared, Ryanoob, Roy, Str8 Sick

Ugh why were Gandhi and Formal set as team leaders.

Gandhi's team will lose so damn early (probably can't even beat the EU team. And Formal played COD for like the last year throughout.

Shame there aren't other names on the list, would have loved to see Kampy or Walshy on there.
 

danwarb

Member
Can't unsee the crop top in 3 and off the shoulder number in 4. Chief's helmet is too big in 4, he looks like a giant toddler.
 
K

kittens

Unconfirmed Member
Halo 4 Chief is the best looking Chief by a mile. 343 nailed it.
 

Welfare

Member
Ugh why were Gandhi and Formal set as team leaders.

Gandhi's team will lose so damn early (probably can't even beat the EU team. And Formal played COD for like the last year throughout.

Shame there aren't other names on the list, would have loved to see Kampy or Walshy on there.

You saying Purple Rain aren't top 2 material? With Sundance as Coach, they can go almost all the way!
/s

Yeah, would've loved to see some more big names on the list as well.
 

gAg CruSh3r

Member
Halo 4 Chief is the best looking Chief by a mile. 343 nailed it.

I agree and disagree. I think the only thing that bothers me the most is shoulder armor plates. If they would have kept the shoulder plates from 2/3 it would look way better. Other then that, Halo 4 Chief looks like a tank.
 
with each new title the helmet of the chief somehow got bigger and ugglier
eg in H3 the cheek-part of the helmet is so big, it almost looks like hes chubby or so
 

Blueblur1

Member
Halo 4 Chief is the best looking Chief by a mile. 343 nailed it.

Cannot disagree more.

Edit: Its not awful but the armor is not as distinct as it was before. And it doesn't look like a suit of futuristic armor like the previous incarnations did. Instead it looks like a bodysuit with some armor pieces floating around it. The only part of it I actually like is the helmet. And that's probably because its the part of the armor they least changed. Overall I give it (and all of the Spartan IV armor) a D+.
 
There are 2 main problems with the Halo 4 armor designs: the bodysuit is too visible, and the armor lacks decent attachment points.

By "too visible, " I don't mean that there's too much of it showing, that's fine; it's that it's got too much going on. It's all shiny and textured and colored and crap. Make it black, matte, and flatter, and a lot of my issues with H4's armors goes away. Oddly enough, that seems to be what happened with the H5 designs :D

The second one varied from set to set, but I don't think it was one of the issues the Chief's armor has. It's much more noticeable for stuff like the Scout. The mod on the previous page narrowing the Chief's shoulders just looks terrible to me (sorry!) because it just lessens the overall visual impact. Makes him look punier, really. Also, it lowers his range of motion again, so really nobody's winning :p

I do agree, however, that they should have come up with an explanation in-game. I don't mind the retcon, personally, but having him swap out for a new, next-gen suit on the Infinity would've been pretty cool.
 

Captain Friendo

Neo Member
I do agree, however, that they should have come up with an explanation in-game. I don't mind the retcon, personally, but having him swap out for a new, next-gen suit on the Infinity would've been pretty cool.
Well, technically its not a retcon. There is an in-universe explanation for the change, flimsy as it may be.
 

jelly

Member
Sometimes it looks good but the armour seems to float, stuck on, too much space. Seeing it in live action and the model toys it looks off. I understand the reason is for more believable agility from Chief as a rock solid suit seems silly in that respect. Just make the armour pieces more snug.
 

Madness

Member
Though I think a lot of the appeal for Halo 4 also comes from the fact they had much better renders and that the in game model looks better than ever.

Look at the Halo 4 MK VI version on the last page, and then also the version in Halo 2 anniversary. Imagine if it was fully rendered like in campaign, but also, if the new gritty dark green armor and texture work was applied. I wonder what it would like then.

v7jXlxm.jpg
 

Onikaan

Member
Well, technically its not a retcon. There is an in-universe explanation for the change, flimsy as it may be.

There is?

I'm pretty sure it's a straight up retcon. The first spartan deployment against the covenant in the prologue have the same armour.

EDIT: I've been thinking this through. So we can assmure that the spartans would have Mark IV during the covenant invasion, however that armour has since changed twice over throughout the Masterchief's story. He obtained mark V on Reach? and then Mark VI on Cairo. So basically the armour in the Halo 4 prologue shouldn't look anything like it does...
 

Woorloog

Banned
There is?

I'm pretty sure it's a straight up retcon. The first spartan deployment against the covenant in the prologue have the same armour.

Which is established (in some guide-book?) as Mark IV variant. How the Chief's Mark VI got a new look is not explained anywhere (beyond Frankie's "Nanomachines" comment, which i never took seriously), nor was the original Mark V-VI retconned out of the universe.
 
Though I think a lot of the appeal for Halo 4 also comes from the fact they had much better renders and that the in game model looks better than ever.

Look at the Halo 4 MK VI version on the last page, and then also the version in Halo 2 anniversary. Imagine if it was fully rendered like in campaign, but also, if the new gritty dark green armor and texture work was applied. I wonder what it would like then.

v7jXlxm.jpg

While I prefer those designs to the original H2 ones (and there are some definite differences), I still prefer the Chief's new look
/groove
. The torso design is waaaaay better, though if the had used the sort of bodysuit they did here, it'd be just about perfect.
 

Madness

Member
Vh9gquw.jpg


I'll drop it after this last image. But look at the MK VI here for Halo 2 Anniversary. Now I wish I could picture it in the Halo 4 Chief colors but I imagine that it would not only have kept the nostalgic look, but also make him look like that walking green tank.
 
Though I think a lot of the appeal for Halo 4 also comes from the fact they had much better renders and that the in game model looks better than ever.

Look at the Halo 4 MK VI version on the last page, and then also the version in Halo 2 anniversary. Imagine if it was fully rendered like in campaign, but also, if the new gritty dark green armor and texture work was applied. I wonder what it would like then.

v7jXlxm.jpg
That looks way better than the default armor. I'm fine with the armor in H4 besides the floating shoulder armor. I never understood that. It left a huge gap in that area and made it look like it was sliding off the arms.

master-chief-in-halo-4-face.jpg
 

Onikaan

Member
Which is established (in some guide-book?) as Mark IV variant. How the Chief's Mark VI got a new look is not explained anywhere (beyond Frankie's "Nanomachines" comment, which i never took seriously), nor was the original Mark V-VI retconned out of the universe.

So you could say chiefs new armour is a Mark IV variant?
 

Woorloog

Banned
So you could say chiefs new armour is a Mark IV variant?

No, because it is still Mark VI, which just looks like Mark IV variant for some unexplained reason.

While i like Halo 4 overall quite a bit, especially the Chief's new look, i detest the (visual*) retcons. The Forward Unto Dawn looking like the new frigate class is especially offensive.

*Not the Covies though. Those i like. But the UNSC ones... ugh.
 

Woorloog

Banned
Yeah, that's what I was trying to get at.

This has confused me ever since I saw the opening cinematic.

I always simply thought: CGI is expensive, and then there's artistic license.
The problems start when you start turning those into canon... (And me being what i am, i can't ignore official canon, even when it makes no sense.)
I mean, if the CGI Spartan armor had been attributed to artistic license and left it at that, i don't think there's be any issue, any confusion. Aside from explanation for the Chief's armor missing still.
 
Vh9gquw.jpg


I'll drop it after this last image. But look at the MK VI here for Halo 2 Anniversary. Now I wish I could picture it in the Halo 4 Chief colors but I imagine that it would not only have kept the nostalgic look, but also make him look like that walking green tank.
The only thing I dislike on that SIV armor is the chest piece. And the Visor.

They look like a generic piece and doesn't standout well. Needs more detail.
 
man i regret not playing odst before selling my x360.

i thing i really want from halo 5 is to play as a odst for a level or 2 or something so u appreciate how amazing chief is. it would also be good for variety if a level was more stealth oriented.
 

Woorloog

Banned
Speaking of stealth. The Active Camo in Reach single player. How does it work? Because as far as i can remember, the AI sees through it no matter what. The only time i remember it working is in co-op, where the AI focuses on the non-cloaked player before the cloaked one.


And a side-note, i'm pretty sure the AI in Reach (at least, not sure about other Halos) prioritizes the second player (in two player game) over the first with everything else being equal.
 
man i regret not playing odst before selling my x360.

i thing i really want from halo 5 is to play as a odst for a level or 2 or something so u appreciate how amazing chief is. it would also be good for variety if a level was more stealth oriented.

Call it a hunch, I suspect that's one of the things they're going to use Locke for. Have the ONI agent in the super-advanced armor do lower-key, stealth missions, while the Chief is involved in massive setpiece battles.

But still, I'd love another ODST.

Apparently FuD had nanomachines in its inventory and Cortana used them on Chief to replicate a Mark IV variant.

It can't be a retcon because the original Mark VI is still in Halo 4, available as an armor option for Spartan IVs.

Except, AFAIK, the UNSC never had any nanomachines prior to... I think Mortal Dictata (or whenever Naomi gets the Mark VII; any Traviss fans wanna help me out on this one?), which took place after Halo 3. The whole "H4 Chief is because Nanomachines" started off with something Frankie said, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously.

from Reddit:
vywhnmlgypd2zdmy7guu.png

Kinda neat!

Noice.
 

-Ryn

Banned
I love Chief's redesign. I just hate that it's a redesign and not a new armor. It could've easily been done better.

Also, I don't really like Halo 4's or the H2A multiplayer Mark VI armor. It's too... round? It looks plasticky and kind of airy if that makes any sense.

No, because it is still Mark VI, which just looks like Mark IV variant for some unexplained reason.

While i like Halo 4 overall quite a bit, especially the Chief's new look, i detest the (visual*) retcons. The Forward Unto Dawn looking like the new frigate class is especially offensive.

*Not the Covies though. Those i like. But the UNSC ones... ugh.
For me the Covenant was the worst offender for redesigns. The Grunts and Jackals... though I will say the Elites are pretty cool.
 
Top Bottom