Halo 3: ODST Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!
  • Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!
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Posted by: defnop552
wow, my dick broke so i ain't getting it for a while!

UPDATE: Defnop552 has confirmed he has fixed his dick.

Posted by: chuckiej2
Posted by: Danves
Another thing I noticed last night as well, is that there are technically 9 missions, or sections. I believe that the first mission, Prepare to Drop, could be included in with the Mombasa Streets "missions," bringing the total down to 9. They are all basically the same thing, with the Rookie wandering the streets looking for clues. Perhaps the missions DO reference the circles of Hell. It may all be a conveniet coincidence, with the number of missions, but if we can find out whether or not said missions include elements of the circles of Hell, we might be able to take this thing further.

I don't really have high hopes for all of the missions referencing the Inferno in some way. The Rookie is Dante, and all missions associated with him immediately reference the Inferno in some way, so it would make sense for the Inferno to be the Rookie's 'Hell on Earth' in new Mombasa, and only that.


I doubt there are any direct references. But the ones you uncovered in your OP and the ones found in the audio logs are big enough!

Also, it would mean they limited the number of missions to the 9 for a pretty silly reason (dev time limits and "it's the story we wrote" are legit reasons, "there are 9 circles of hell" is not).


It'd be funny if in the next BWU they said "We hope you've all had fun going through the 9 circles of hell that is NewMombasa." Would be a great refrence and would go along with the OP's findings.

  • 09.30.2009 11:34 AM PDT
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  • Exalted Heroic Member

Wowee this is an awesome find!

  • 09.30.2009 11:43 AM PDT

NinjaTheory of HWF
The Official Halo Wars Ninja

Posted by: SPRdragon
True or not, Joseph Staten and his fellow Bungie writers are absolutely brilliant.


except when it comes to contact harvest and halo 2/3.

you can't say a writer is brilliant after 3 games containing the same story, a -blam!- book, and the finally an original story.

  • 09.30.2009 11:49 AM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through a classic novel, hah!

very awsome....you rock bungie!!!!!

  • 09.30.2009 11:50 AM PDT

Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want do look more like?

I think someone mentioned this but when youre getting the final audio log you get accompanied by a cop who later turns on you because you "know too much"

  • 09.30.2009 11:55 AM PDT

Get over yourself - drink vodka!

Bungie rules.

  • 09.30.2009 11:57 AM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!
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Seven out of five people are affected by number illiteracy!

Spoiler inc!
Treason, last circle, the cop betrays you before you get the very last audio log. Sorry if its already been said.

Also: I got the feeling some symbolism was up with the fat guy and the crazy lady but never thought it would be this epic.

[Edited on 09.30.2009 12:00 PM PDT]

  • 09.30.2009 11:59 AM PDT
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I need a dropshield dropshield

Posted by: Danves
First off, I'd like to say thank you to Bungie for making an incredible game yet again! And I'd also like to say that Dante's Divine Comedy is one of my favorite pieces of classic literature. More of this in time.

As a note, I am neither for or against any religion mentioned in this post, it is purely from the standpoint of literature. I am discussing a novel, not religion.

----SPOILER WARNING-----

If you haven't beaten the game yet, what are you doing cruising the forums? Go play!

So there was this little novel written a while ago, by this one guy named Dante. It was a political satire, meant to make examples of current members of society and the Church at the time, but it's main influence is that of the views of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. And what does all this have to do with ODST, I can hear you all asking. Well, more than you think.

I haven't analyzed the entire game for references, this is mostly just dealing with the Rookie's story.

----

The Rookie has crash landed into a building, has been knocked unconscious, and has awoken later to find himself alone in the city. The city is now quite literally Hell on Earth. But the Rookie is not truly alone. He has a guide through this hell, the SuperIntendent.

Through the audio logs in the campaign, we come to find that the name of the SI is actually VERGIL. And you may have noticed that audio logs are all labeled "# Circle," all the way up to 9. Interesting.

In the Divine Comedy, specifically the Inferno, Dante is guided through Hell by the Roman poet, Virgil. Hell consists of nine circles, each more horrible and punishing than the last. The circles of Hell spiral down into the Earth, to it's very core.

After you find out the fate of your squad, the Rookie heads underground to locate DARE. You find yourself on the 8th level of VERGIL's data center. You need to locate Dare, who is on the 9th level. Fancy that. After much fighting, you find yourself on the 9th level, which happens to be almost completely frozen...

The 9th circle of Hell, in the Inferno, is actually cold. Ice cold. The punishment here is for that of Treason. The higher the crime, the more encased in ice you shall be. The very center of the 9th circle is where Satan himself resides, encased in ice up to his waist, beating his wings, whose gusts of air cause the 9th circle to be encased in ice. Satan himself has three faces, and each is chewing on the three (at the time) greatest betrayers. Their punishment for betraying their lords and benefactors is to be eternally gnawed on by Satan himself.

The Rookie and DARE finally reach VERGIL's core, and there they find the source of this whole fiasco. The rogue Engineer. He has chosen to betray his benefactors, his lords, the entire whole of the Covenant itself. And they are literally coming to chew him to pieces.

----

There you have it folks. My analysis, and hypothesis, and all other sorts of -sis. I've only played through campaign once, but there may be even further references to the Divine Comedy. There are 9 levels of purgatory before one reaches Paradise(Heaven). If someone could confirm how many sections of freeway there are in the final level, we may have our answer. The escape at the end of the game could very well be the escape from Purgatory.

If anyone else has more references to levels of Hell, or to any of the other campaign character's stories, please let me know, I'd be interested to see how far they have taken this. For further reference, hit up Wikipedia, it's pretty extensive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_comedy

Thanks so much to whoever stuck around and dealt with my massive post. Happy Haloing to you all.

tl;dr: Go read a book =P


-----ADDITIONAL FINDINGS-----

Posted by: Overlord Jebus
Maybe each of the 9 circles of audio logs each represent their circle?

I can already think of gluttony and lust off the top of my head.


Thanks for bringing this up, we need to just double check to make sure that each "Circle" of audio logs corresponds to the sin of that particular circle of Hell, which I already know it does.

---

Posted by: Brent G
Posted by: Danves
Posted by: Brent G
OP, you mentioned that Satan has 3 heads that chew on the 3 greatest betrayers? And that the brutes were coming to "chew" on Vergil?

How appropriate that there were 3 of them knocking on his door.


Kickass! How sure are you? I've only played the campaign through once.


I'm pretty much 100% sure. There's two at the doorway trying taunting Vergil, and a Chieftain behind them.


Yet another connection, possibly. If anyone can confirm this for sure, that would be amazing. The pieces seem to be falling into place =)

GREAT FIND MEN!!!

  • 09.30.2009 12:02 PM PDT

Danvas just reassured my faith in humanity.I'm gonna go through the audio logs later tonight.

  • 09.30.2009 12:05 PM PDT

Thanks for this. Should be stickied.

  • 09.30.2009 12:07 PM PDT
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Seven out of five people are affected by number illiteracy!

Add the cop thing to the original post.
Also: Bumped for incredible epicness.

[Edited on 09.30.2009 12:13 PM PDT]

  • 09.30.2009 12:12 PM PDT

I love bungies references. They rockzors.

  • 09.30.2009 12:13 PM PDT
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Seven out of five people are affected by number illiteracy!

Forms move fast, do your part and bump this thread.

  • 09.30.2009 12:17 PM PDT

Posted by: T1B3R7uMB0YXVI
Chief vs the scarab? I find that hard to believe to roundhouse boot the scarab's figurative emotion out of the gaming zone.

Kick ass thread. I'm truly impressed.

  • 09.30.2009 12:19 PM PDT
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Seven out of five people are affected by number illiteracy!

Posted by: GrinnialVex
Kick ass thread. I'm truly impressed.

  • 09.30.2009 12:27 PM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through a classic novel, hah!

AMAZING! This thread deserves to be on the TOP FUROM TOPICS, it´s amazing. I read the poem about 2 months ago and the coincidences are just incredible, hope you can find more of this.
*Saves thread*

  • 09.30.2009 12:32 PM PDT

That was a very insightful explanation and it most certainly looks as though you did your research.

I'm definitely saving this thread.

  • 09.30.2009 12:34 PM PDT
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Seven out of five people are affected by number illiteracy!

This should be sticked. Or given recon armor. And a flaming hemlet. And two floppy disks. Possibly some doritos. And a lifetime supply of awsome.

  • 09.30.2009 12:36 PM PDT

iL0RD 0F WAR


The 14th Phangs

Very creative Bungie.

Nice work OP.

  • 09.30.2009 12:55 PM PDT
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I don't believe in magic, but I DO believe in bones.

A million thanks to those who kept the thread alive, and especially to those who went and found all the things that I hadn't. I'm intent on us finding every last bit of the connections to the Inferno, and I'm sure we will! I plan on reading through it again soon, so I can comb through the campaign and make some more discoveries, hopefully.

Also, woot, stickied! =D

  • 09.30.2009 1:07 PM PDT

That is pretty neat.

  • 09.30.2009 1:09 PM PDT

Back in the day I'd write "recon for this man", but now...

  • 09.30.2009 1:12 PM PDT

I speak the truth, and truth speaks itself.
The lies disguise what you despise.
Run. Flee and be, what you've always dreamed.
What happens now won't matter later.
What you see will not be, nor what you imagine will not happen.
The end is close, so take your dose.

Now, I'm sure that in a magazine it said in a little side note that ODST had some relation to that.

  • 09.30.2009 1:12 PM PDT
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Just because it seems impossible
Does not mean it is not right.

I would say you deserve recon but....

  • 09.30.2009 1:12 PM PDT

One more thing about the brutes representing the three heads of satan. During the cutscene the monitor shows three JETPACK brutes landing right above them. Jetpacks could symbolize satan's wings.

  • 09.30.2009 1:14 PM PDT