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[DopeyFish]

Man Reach could've done a much better job making you feel like you're at war =\

I like what they did though, don't get me wrong

I think the issue is we came from halo 1. Master chief is a badass and doesn't take shit. Reach Spartans seem like they are dying way too easily

From relaying what you knew about Spartans through books, halo 1-3... These Spartans just seemed more incompetent than casualties in a hard fought war

Coming into the game as your first, you would believe Spartans are just humans with above average fighting abilities while halo 1 made you believe Spartans were demigods

I think

 

[Randolph Freelander]

I wished Voc had continued with those videos.


Trying not to be a bit rude after your "CE is best your opinion is wrong otherwise" post, but the part in bold is wrong.

You linked me to a wiki post composed of speculation as for motive and at any rate very little of that motive was expressed in the games. But that was based on me skimming through, but if you have anything more specific in mind, please correct me. The books may do a better job filling in gaps, I don't know. After Halo 2 micturated upon First Strike, I didn't care anymore. Actually, I tried to care, I read Ghosts of Onyx. And then I didn't care anymore. (That is also a bit strong. I still held out hope through Halo 3, but I wasn't going to invest in any additional fiction before that game. And for that matter the only reason I look forward to 4 is that I still hope. So I suppose I am still willing to be fooled, if only by myself.) Fall of Reach and First Strike were excellent. The Flood was a mixed bag -- great when it was not covering the game, merely passable when it was. Ghosts of Onyx was a bit of a letdown for me. I don't know, perhaps the other fiction is spectacular. The fiction as expressed in the games? No.

 

[Gui_PT]

I think the issue is we came from halo 1. Master chief is a badass and doesn't take shit. Reach Spartans seem like they are dying way too easily

From relaying what you knew about Spartans through books, halo 1-3... These Spartans just seemed more incompetent than casualties in a hard fought war

Coming into the game as your first, you would believe Spartans are just humans with above average fighting abilities while halo 1 made you believe Spartans were demigods

I think

I forgot to agree with this post



I agree

 

[The Librarian]

You linked me to a wiki post composed of speculation as for motive and at any rate very little of that motive was expressed in the games. But that was based on me skimming through, but if you have anything more specific in mind, please correct me.

What speculation for motive? It's spelled out pretty clearly in the summary. You wondered and/or criticized if there was any ulterior motive to the Covenant's drive to wipe out humanity and activate the rings, and I gave it to you. Whether or not that motive was expressed in the game – ignoring the awkwardness it would take to get information like that into the game – you're still wrong on your original fiction complaint.

After Halo 2 micturated upon First Strike, I didn't care anymore.

What is this word?

 

[Randolph Freelander]

What speculation for motive? It's spelled out pretty clearly in the summary. You wondered and/or criticized if there was any ulterior motive to the Covenant's drive to wipe out humanity and activate the rings, and I gave it to you. Whether or not that motive was expressed in the game – ignoring the awkwardness it would take to get information like that into the game – you're still wrong on your original fiction complaint.

What is this word?

The entire section on motivation is wrapped with the words "seem" and "theory" and "speculation." I don't see how it invalidates any criticism of the plot as expressed in the games, particularly since Bungie didn't seem to care about the canon of the novels.

As for that word, Bungie was a vagrant, and the novels were a rug. It is now up to 343 to compensate the owner.

 

[Extra Sauce]

Stop playing that filth.

Grab Anniversary.

Reach is a million times better than Anniversary. I guess if you're nostalgic about the story you might enjoy Anniversary more, but Halo games were never about the story for me anyway. Interesting universe, pedestrian storytelling. It's all about the gameplay, and Reach owns Anniversary in that regard. Not to mention better-looking.

 

[Overdoziz]

Reach is a million times better than Anniversary.

 

[Extra Sauce]

I can't see that gif from my workplace, so I am impervious to your snark!

 

[HollovVpo1nt]

I see that a lot of people admires the AI on Legendary.

I just want to point out that enemies have the same AI regardless of difficulty level. It's just that they aim better and takes more damage before they go down on Legendary. This causes players to believe that the AI is better, when in fact it is not.

At least this was the case with Bungies games, and it's something that Bungies AI-programmers have stated several times.

Not at all. I have a much harder time landing a shot on an Elite on Legendary, let alone killing him. Everything is different, from aim to health to movement. And it's the movement that is amazing on Legendary.

 

[Dachande]

Just to add to the divisiveness in this thread, Reach is probably the best Halo game. I haven't played Anniversary though, and I'll admit Halo 1 was pretty special but it's aged a little and has a really bad level or two.

Halo 3 is utter shit.

 

[Gui_PT]

Halo 3 is utter shit.

 

[Stripper13]

Just to add to the divisiveness in this thread, Reach is probably the best Halo game. I haven't played Anniversary though, and I'll admit Halo 1 was pretty special but it's aged a little.

Halo 3 is utter shit.

No. That's just plain wrong.

Reach is amazing and by far the easiest to recommend to someone who has never got into Halo before.

Halo 1/Anniversary - looks/sounds great, some awesome design - but hasn't aged all that well gameplay wise. Repetition and bland weapon selection have driven away quite a few people that I know IRL. Probably my favourite campaign.

Halo 2 - A mixed bag at best. Campaign was ambitious and creative for better or worse - but again, hasn't aged all that well. On top of that, the visuals aren't great so it would be difficult to recommend to someone who isn't in love with Halo.

Halo 3 - This game is amazing for anyone who loves the expected Halo gameplay. I loved the game - probably my most played campaign/co-op wise. It is not in anyway, utter shit. The battles and variety in encounters are easily the best in the franchise. The weapon selection is fantastic, and it's just very well thought out and designed in general. The issue here -is that from an audio/visual standpoint, it's subpar. I think some elements of it are brilliant - probably the most impressive water I've seen in a game, or at least a shooter - the lighting effects are great - and the scope of the levels/encounters leads me to believe there wasn't much wastage in terms of the Xbox 360 horsepower available to Bungie.

However, compared to nearly any shooter that has come out since - it looks and feels totally subpar. The visuals are a mixed bag at the best of times, and a total joke at worst (the Plasma pistol looks comical in 2012) - and the guns/shooting/explosions etc. are all muted and boring. There is no element of excitement walking into a new area, or picking up/firing a new gun - because the whole game feels flat from that perspective.

Despite it being a fantastic game to play - there is very little reason to recommend it to anyone. Well, that's not entirely true - as a Halo fan, I want to recommend it to everyone. However, if you wanted people to see Halo as many of 'us fans' see it - you would start them at Reach, or even Halo 4 in November... because Halo 1/2 have aged enough that I don't imagine (and certainly from my experience watching people play) it's all that fun to persevere with the aging mechanics until it 'clicks'. Worse still, Halo 3 - despite being an old game by many standards, is still the last mainline entry in the series. It has the unfortunate position of being borderline ugly at this stage in the console lifecycle. More importantly, anyone who was to forgive the visuals and play it because they wanted to see what the game was like before say, Halo 4 arrives - would have to endure extremely basic audio/visual feedback during battles (obviously a massive portion of the game) - which wouldn't be an issue if there wasn't leagues of COD/Battlefield/Killzone-type shooters that absolutely nail the 'guns are fun' feel.

I went a bit all over the place there - but I just wanted to state again WHY:
A) Some people think Halo 3 (or even in some cases, Halo in general) is shit
and
B) That it's not a game to recommend to franchise newcomers

I wish Halo 3 was still pretty by today's standards (I thought it was gorgeous at release, and I'm still quite fond of the visuals) - but I think Halo Reach captured a best of both worlds that should represent what Halo is about. Big scope, great visuals (Reach looked fantastic despite the ghosting), acceptable-if-not-great gunplay, and a well designed campaign.

tl;dr - Halo Reach is best Halo, if you are a franchise newcomer.

 

[The Librarian]

The entire section on motivation is wrapped with the words "seem" and "theory" and "speculation." I don't see how it invalidates any criticism of the plot as expressed in the games, particularly since Bungie didn't seem to care about the canon of the novels.

You're trying to expand this discussion beyond the single point I had a problem with. Where are any of those words in the section I quoted? Your specific criticism/wondering (the one I put in bold) – that the Covenant didn't have any motivation beyond religious zeal – is answered and debunked within the section I quoted. The motivation to wipe out humanity, and any Forerunner artifacts found along the way, is rooted in the leaders' will to keep the Covenant together. At least up until Truth's desire for power gets the best of him. Yes, none of this is expressed in Halo 2, but there's much to Truth's history we don't know, and I have a hard time seeing how Bungie would present all this information in a manner that isn't awkward and doesn't interfere with the story they were trying to tell in Halo 2.

The only time Bungie "didn't seem to care" for the canon of the novels was Halo: Reach, where I do believe they made the decisions they did because they thought they'd be able to present stronger gameplay. Otherwise the novels were strongly independent of the games, which left Bungie the freedom to explore other aspects of the universe.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

You're trying to expand this discussion beyond the single point I had a problem with. Where are any of those words in the section I quoted? Your specific criticism/wondering (the one I put in bold) – that the Covenant didn't have any motivation beyond religious zeal – is answered and debunked within the section I quoted. The motivation to wipe out humanity, and any Forerunner artifacts found along the way, is rooted in the leaders' will to keep the Covenant together. At least up until Truth's desire for power gets the best of him. Yes, none of this is expressed in Halo 2, but there's much to Truth's history we don't know, and I have a hard time seeing how Bungie would present all this information in a manner that isn't awkward and doesn't interfere with the story they were trying to tell in Halo 2.

Again, is there anything in the games or the non-game fiction that points to some operative either internal or external to the Covenant that knew "the great journey" to be utter rubbish but was still using the Covenant to achieve their own goals? I ask knowing completely I haven't read any book after Onyx, so I acknowledge I am at a total disadvantage.. As for what you linked me to, it seems that even the manipulative prophet Truth was still committed to the great journey and anything that suggests he was not is still just speculation and inference. My issue is with "the great journey." Not with the civil war, not the quest for power, it's simply collateral damage. It is so ridiculous as to render, for me, the entire narrative of the games irrelevant as it very specifically offends my sensibilities.

I will quote what I'm drawing from so as to not contribute to confusion:

Although inspiring and charismatic, it is likely that Truth is at least partially insane, considering how fanatical and manipulative he is. He was solely responsible for the Covenant Civil War, along with Mercy's and Regret's easily preventable deaths. This however, may not be considered insanity, as he only did these things to secure his complete rule over the Covenant, as well as to ensure the Great Journey.
...
Although a description for the Prophet describes him as "deluded, possibly insane" as well as a true believer, it is noted that he has always been far less ascetic in his views, even while still the Minister of Fortitude, accepting the dogma but not usually acting in particular reverence toward it.[14] This continued later on in his career as a Hierarch, most likely because he was partially disillusioned to the Covenant Religion by 05-032 Mendicant Bias's revelations aboard the Forerunner Dreadnought, though not to the extent, unfortunately, that he knew that the Great Journey was a myth and that activating the Halos would destroy all sentient life in the galaxy.

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that "the great journey" ruined the possibility of enjoying ODST and Reach for me (even if I could get over the continued over-reliance (in my opinion) of vehicular combat sequences). Knowing the story was going to end unsatisfactorily, I found it incredibly hard to care about prequels and side stories. I find it partially odd that I am therefore anticipating Halo 4, but I do so because the other part of me is still hoping for justification, that someone or something out there was using the Covenant to achieve some other purpose.

It's not unlike my reaction to another series, God of War. I hated 2. In fact, far more than I might dislike any Halo followup. I will not even acknowledge its existence. Gameplay enhancements, any of it, I don't care. And I will not appreciate it (and will never play 3) because it ruined for me the narrative of Kratos being a sympathetic anti-hero seeking forgiveness and solace. 1 was almost the perfect Greek tragedy, as in the end it didn't entirely work out for him, though he was forgiven and in fact elevated to god-hood, it was still an imperfect victory. In 2, they turned him into a raging idiot. But, like Halo, I will continue to replay and love the original, as I can focus on what I liked sort of as a standalone experience.

 

[NullPointer]

Remember guys, there can be only one Halo campaign to rule them all, and all others will be referred to as shit. Thats the way it works.

 

[Muffdraul]

What is this word?

The only way to find out is to watch The Big Lebowski.

 

[The Librarian]

Again, is there anything in the games or the non-game fiction that points to some operative either internal or external to the Covenant that knew "the great journey" to be utter rubbish but was still using the Covenant to achieve their own goals?

Oh my word. Truth, Regret, and Mercy. The passage I originally quoted you. They are using the Covenant's holy war – and the pursuit of any artifacts in relationship to the Great Journey – to keep the Covenant together.

My issue is with "the great journey." Not with the civil war, not the quest for power, it's simply collateral damage. It is so ridiculous as to render, for me, the entire narrative of the games irrelevant as it very specifically offends my sensibilities.

It seems to me you're putting too much weight on extrapolations that don't need to be there. The entirety of the conversation between the three Prophets and Mendicant Bias plays out in Contact Harvest. There, they learn that Humans are Reclaimers – close "relatives" of the Forerunners – meaning that some were left behind after the last Great Journey. Meaning they realize everything they believe is wrong, or severely in doubt. However, they shut off MB before he can explain what the rings do, so the three Prophets don't know they'll kill everyone. They have to keep up their belief in the Great Journey in order to maintain order in the Covenant, and that includes actively looking for artifacts.

 

[Karl2177]

-snip-

Your post made me think a bit more into Truth's motivations. The following spoiler tags are about story events in Halo 3.

Spoiler

Truth and the other Prophets know that humanity are the Forerunner's "reclaimers", yet they know if the Covenant found this out, it would separate. So in Halo 3, the Covenant is partially broken up and the 2 other Prophets are dead. Why does Truth continue to lie to the Covenant, and why is he so adamant about lighting the rings? There isn't a strong motive for him to activate the array.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Oh my word. Truth, Regret, and Mercy. The passage I originally quoted you. They are using the Covenant's holy war – and the pursuit of any artifacts in relationship to the Great Journey – to keep the Covenant together.

Again, irrelevant. I am not concerned with their quest for power, with them trying to wipe out humanity, or about their own civil war. It's just not important. My issue is that the great journey, which you are telling me they never disavow, as a driving plot device, what they are trying to accomplish, what the Master Chief is trying to stop, was not satisfactory.

Now you reference Contact Harvest, again something I have not read and I readily acknowledge as a disadvantage, does it specifically call into question their belief in the great journey? It's not in the wiki article you are referencing. But again, in your own words, you say they end up not knowing. So are they committed or aren't they? Are they knowingly maintaining a false belief or do they still intend to follow through? Based on the games I played, based on the article you have linked, it seems to still be the case that Truth was still oblivious to the outcome and intended to see it through.

Let's once again clarify, even all the way back to my post you originally quoted, that my issue is the great journey, I find it idiotic. It is never refuted in the games by anyone in the covenant as far as I recall, nor is it revealed in the games to be the means rather than the end. The plot of the games, therefore, is unsatisfactory. Yes, I realize this is all entirely subjective, as are most things related to story.

Setting aside the games, what I am still unclear on is if any fiction elsewhere shows anyone in the covenant power structure knows the great journey to be completely and utterly false. The article you referenced does not communicate that at all, would you agree? Your words on Contact Harvest are themselves inconsistent and unconvincing. Put yourself in my shoes for a moment and see if you can see it from my perspective based on the information that is available, as I am indeed trying to see it from yours.

Nevertheless, my opinion on the story as told in the game is what it is, and I suppose we will simply have to agree to disagree. And so as to never be called into question that I think I know more than I do, I once again freely admit my disadvantage as to knowledge of the expanded universe.

 

[DopeyFish]

I think you guys are discussing story spoilers in a thread where the OP has only played reach

 

[The Librarian]

Your post made me think a bit more into Truth's motivations. The following spoiler tags are about story events in Halo 3.

Spoiler

Truth and the other Prophets know that humanity are the Forerunner's "reclaimers", yet they know if the Covenant found this out, it would separate. So in Halo 3, the Covenant is partially broken up and the 2 other Prophets are dead. Why does Truth continue to lie to the Covenant, and why is he so adamant about lighting the rings? There isn't a strong motive for him to activate the array.

Spoiler

Some years later after Truth and the other two prophets learn about the Reclaimers from MB, Truth decides to eventually force the Elites out after they make a direct threat against his life in The Cole Protocol. He figures Brutes are easier to manipulate, and the dude is power hungry. He finally gets his opportunity in 2552 and pushes them out. He now has the Covenant the way he wants it, so by this point he still has to maintain appearances because the remaining Covenant will still fracture if he doesn't pursue firing the rings; he'll lose his power. He kind of forced himself into a no-win situation.

 

[Dachande]

Lots of Halo 3 things

Well, there are quite a few reasons I feel this way.

When it comes to the battles, I really cannot disagree more. I hated the battles and encounters in 3, because I found the levels and fights completely unnavigable and unintuitive. You mentioned the rendering/video point and I think that's a part of it - I find it a genuinely blurry mess and found myself getting lost in the more enclosed spaces, but also I think the level design isn't very well laid out, is really sparse and, to be honest, generally pretty uninteresting. The colour pallete being quite narrow in scope and not highlighting the passages through the levels well may also have been an issue in some of the levels - it's one of the reasons why I gave up on one of the last levels in the game, I believe. I remember I got so lost and bored in there that I gave up in anger/frustration.

I can't remember a single locale in 3 outside of one of the first Covenant/Forerunner bases in the first few chapters, and a large bridge you drive over in a Warhog. The game felt really bland and it remains the only Halo game I've not finished.

As for the ageing argument, I'm not a newcomer to the series and to be honest, until Reach, I thought the first was the best in the series. One of my largest problems with Halo in general is the Flood - outside of the level in 1 they're introduced in (and it IS a very, very good level), I feel they pretty quickly ruin the game when they turn up because I find them so completely unfun to fight, and from what I recall they're introduced in 3 sooner than any of the other games. (This is also partially why I reckon Reach is the best in the series.)

So this combined with the grating nature of the level design made me have such an adverse reaction to it that I really vehemently don't like the game.

 

[The Librarian]

Again, irrelevant. I am not concerned with their quest for power, with them trying to wipe out humanity, or about their own civil war. It's just not important. My issue is that the great journey, which you are telling me they never disavow, as a driving plot device, what they are trying to accomplish, what the Master Chief is trying to stop, was not satisfactory.

You're taking this beyond my original, (and very) simple point: me showing you that there was more to the Covenant's drive than just religious zeal in their quest for the Great Journey. You're turning this, it seems to me, into whether or not you like the basic concept of the Great Journey as a plot device. That is a totally different topic from what I was getting at.

Now you reference Contact Harvest, again something I have not read and I readily acknowledge as a disadvantage, does it specifically call into question their belief in the great journey? It's not in the wiki article you are referencing. But again, in your own words, you say they end up not knowing. So are they committed or aren't they? Are they knowingly maintaining a false belief or do they still intend to follow through?

You're asking questions I've explained in the post you quoted.

 

[Blue Ninja]

By Halo 3, Truth is also completely batshit insane.

Which is a shame, because his Halo 2 version was an amazing villain.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

You're taking this beyond my original, (and very) simple point: me showing you that there was more to the Covenant's drive than just religious zeal in their quest for the Great Journey. You're turning this, it seems to me, into whether or not you like the basic concept of the Great Journey as a plot device. That is a totally different topic from what I was getting at.

Ok. Hey, I can admit we're arguing passionately different points at different levels of detail not to mention different levels of knowledge of the Halo universe. We can move on.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

I think you guys are discussing story spoilers in a thread where the OP has only played reach

You make a great point. But would it be inappropriate for me to be apathetic when someone comes in at the 6th of 6 Halo games and has something spoiled that occurred in the prior 5? Prequel or no, play the games in the right order (which is the order of release). Bah. :/

 

[Digital-Hero]

By Halo 3, Truth is also completely batshit insane.

Which is a shame, because his Halo 2 version was an amazing villain.

And he also had a better voice...

 

[Gui_PT]

And he also had a better voice...

I did like his Halo 2 voice better.

Didn't they say they changed it because it didn't sound... villainy enough?

 

[NullPointer]

And he also had a better voice...

He was the voice of death.

 

[Squire]

I beat the game last night guys. Thanks for all the tips ITT. So hyped for Halo 4, oh man. OH MAN.

 

[Havok]

By Halo 3, Truth is also completely batshit insane.

Which is a shame, because his Halo 2 version was an amazing villain.

Yep, they really didn't capitalize on the potential that was there, even if it often just stemmed from the voice work. The possibility of the series having that nuance that a lot of people were looking for (as seen in the discussion above) just went out the window when they decided to make him a zealot nutjob instead of a politician. Even if the basic events of 3 remained the same, showing that he was intent on killing everything in the galaxy by using the Ark and returning to be the supreme ruler/false deity or something like that would have done wonders for my feelings about the story and his character.

Finished mission nine, part way through ten and I definitely agree. This game did an awesome making me like a soldier in a conflict.

Umm... Is that doctor who I think she is?

I noticed that nobody answered this question for you -- that depends on who you think she is. She's very important to the Halo universe. Her brain was the basis for Cortana, which is why they are both voiced by Jen Taylor. She is the founder of the Spartan project as well, though she didn't have anything to do with or know anything about the Spartans in Noble outside of Jorge.

Congrats on finishing it, if you play the other games they end up having a very different feel, in terms of story. More space opera, less "boots in the mud."

 

[TheOddOne]

"Halo 3 is shit", "Reach gave out a good impression of a greater war" and "Halo CE sucks".

I stepped into the Twilight Zone.

 

[sp3000]

Reach had the best single player after the original and a really good multiplayer that was hampered by idiotic design decisions like bloom and putting forge world maps into matchmaking. I hope 343 doesn't repeat that mistake

 

[DopeyFish]

I beat the game last night guys. Thanks for all the tips ITT. So hyped for Halo 4, oh man. OH MAN.

Play halo anniversary first (seriously, halo:CE is pure game and sets the stage, halo 2/3 change everything... It's like watching Star Wars episode 4 and 5 then watching episode I)

Good stuff, though!

What are your thoughts?

 

[Karl2177]

I beat the game last night guys. Thanks for all the tips ITT. So hyped for Halo 4, oh man. OH MAN.

Nice! Reach character spoilers follow:

Spoiler

What did you think of the post-credits combat scene? Did you feel attached to your Noble 6 when s/he was killed?

Now even though my favorite campaign gameplay wise is Halo 3, I will strongly suggest picking up or renting Anniversary. Reach streamlines straight into it, so you'll have a couple of familiar characters. You'll also get to see what sucked people in (now) 11 years ago.

 

[DopeyFish]

Halo 1 may just be perfect going into 4

2 and 3 has way too much politics

Here's to hoping that in halo 4, the only talking you hear from the covenant is from grunts!

 

[Squire]

I noticed that nobody answered this question for you -- that depends on who you think she is. She's very important to the Halo universe. Her brain was the basis for Cortana, which is why they are both voiced by Jen Taylor. She is the founder of the Spartan project as well, though she didn't have anything to do with or know anything about the Spartans in Noble outside of Jorge.

Congrats on finishing it, if you play the other games they end up having a very different feel, in terms of story. More space opera, less "boots in the mud."

Ah, this explains why Jorge calls her "mother". Thank you.

Play halo anniversary first (seriously, halo:CE is pure game and sets the stage, halo 2/3 change everything... It's like watching Star Wars episode 4 and 5 then watching episode I)

Good stuff, though!

What are your thoughts?

I really liked it! The fiction seems interesting and it pulled me in. The story had a skeleton and could've used more muscle if you know what I mean. But the game was so atmospheric, I wasn't bothered at all. A lot of people have said Reach isn't even the best in this regard which excites me infinitely. I genuinely felt bad whenever a member of the team was lost :'(

Nice! Reach character spoilers follow:

Spoiler

What did you think of the post-credits combat scene? Did you feel attached to your Noble 6 when s/he was killed?

Now even though my favorite campaign gameplay wise is Halo 3, I will strongly suggest picking up or renting Anniversary. Reach streamlines straight into it, so you'll have a couple of familiar characters. You'll also get to see what sucked people in (now) 11 years ago.

Spoilers: I

Spoiler

did like that scene. Very clever, very touching. I was proud to go down in battle. As all my fellow Nobles had before.

Does CE's campaign really hold up that well? I'm definitely tempted. How good does it look after 343's work? Balanced difficulty? (I played Reach on Normal, which for me was just right.)

 

[DopeyFish]

Halo anniversary was made by 343

It was pretty great except for one scene where they royally screwed up but you can press the back button and voila! Game looks like it did in 2001

Halo CE holds up extremely well, though coming from reach don't expect incredible cutscenes or all the armor abilities reach had... So it might feel a little constrained by comparison (also no vehicle jacking)

It's all pure gameplay with incredible atmosphere (just as good or possibly better than reach) with guns, grenades and vehicles

Halo reach leads directly into CE- when Keyes and cortana are talking at the end of reach, that's the start of halo:CE

I still consider the game to be a work of art

Especially the music. The music in reach was excellent, halo was masterful...

The game, while it has aged, is still something every gamer should play imo

On difficulty... It's probably the best halo game in regards to difficulty balancing... Even on hardest difficulty it never even comes across as unfair... Something that was pretty incredible at the time

 

[Havok]

Ah, this explains why Jorge calls her "mother". Thank you.

Ah, well, he's actually saying "ma'am" in that cutscene but the accent makes it sound like "mom," which confused a lot of people on release. It's tough to catch if you don't play with subtitles turned on.

I think CE still holds up wonderfully, for the record. Normal is still pretty easy in that game, so difficulty shouldn't be much of a concern. It's a simpler game overall, both in terms of story and gameplay, but the core is absolutely consistent with what you got in Reach.

 

[TheOddOne]

Spoilers: I

Spoiler

did like that scene. Very clever, very touching. I was proud to go down in battle. As all my fellow Nobles had before.

You think all of them died?

Spoiler

It's been a big debate since the release, but people think that Jun might have survived. I believe he is still alive, because he got Halsey off Reach. However, he might have also died even when he left Reach not soon after.

 

[Squire]

Ah, well, he's actually saying "ma'am" in that cutscene but the accent makes it sound like "mom," which confused a lot of people on release. It's tough to catch without if you don't play with subtitles.

Oh! That reminds me: What accent is that exactly? Can't put my finger on it... Kat and Jun have interesting accents as well.

 

[DopeyFish]

Oh! That reminds me: What accent is that exactly? Can't put my finger on it... Kat and Jun have interesting accents as well.

Hungarian is what it's supposed to be I think

 

[kittens]

I'd recommend Anniversary, but as you may already know, the level design is VERY repetitive. And the weapon sandbox is far more basic, which I feel is both a good and bad thing.

Also: I always thought it was ridiculous that some of the Spartans in Noble Team had accents when they were all kidnapped at a very young age and raised in the same camp.

 

[FyreWulff]

Oh! That reminds me: What accent is that exactly? Can't put my finger on it... Kat and Jun have interesting accents as well.

Kat is Israeli

 

[malfcn]

The scene where Halsey hands off Cortana was a bit unclear, due to the choice of words. It makes it sound like Cortana is Forerunner.

 

[kittens]

The scene where Halsey hands off Cortana was a bit unclear, due to the choice of words. It makes it sound like Cortana is Forerunner.

Really? What was her wording?

 

[malfcn]

Really? What was her wording?

The door opens and Noble Team steps in. They begin running into the corridor and reach the end of it: Dr Halsey's lab. A large sphere-shaped Forerunner artifact hovers outside the lab.

* Jun-A266: "What is this stuff?"

Dr. Halsey, still in the middle of preparing the package, moves to another monitor.

* Dr. Halsey: "Knowledge. A birthright from an ancient civilization. This AI is its custodian, and she has chosen you as her carriers.

-

Google shows up debates over it. Canon is she is a copy of Halsey's brain. She is just studying the artifact, but to those that don't know her creation could assume she is connected to the artifact.