Before reading this post, go youtube a little song by the name of 'The Siege of Madrigal'. Go on, I'll wait...
Heard it? Mmmmm, very sad piece. But it got my thinking: the problem with the Halo trilogy and it's story, is that it has a happy ending. 'The Siege' made me think about just how sad and hopeless the Human/Covenant/Flood war really is, and honestly, I don't think the Halo games quite gave it justice. What does this have to do with Reach? Well, the great thing about the events surrounding the fall of Reach is that its a story of defeat. Bungie has a chance to do something really amazing with the story here: think Pearl Harbour, without substandard acting. Think War of the Worlds, minus the happy ending. Think puppies being crushed en masse, plus sweet sweet interactivity. Bungie has the opportunity here to tell a sad, crushing tale of defeat and of failure, but also of human faith, determination and sacrifice. Halo: Reach could set the new benchmark for storytelling in the videogaming medium. So, Bungie, if your listening, blow us away with the story. Blow us all away!
[Edited on 07.14.2009 6:33 AM PDT]