- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Posted by: Nardigan
Howdy,
Well... I’m not any kind of expert on storylines or video games. Hell I grew up playing with sticks in the woods, and reading on gray winter days. I’m one of those old timers I guess. I watched video games from their early days and never really got into them. That was until a friend got an Xbox almost on a lark. I laughed, but promised him I’d sit down one weekend and play a few games with him. It was supposed to just be a “remember the good ‘ol days” sort of thing. We joked around and popped open a few beers. I even remember looking at the games case and laughing. “ Another first person, shoot ‘em up. “ We put the disk in and I got ready to be bored after the first ten minutes... Well... Halo was not the boring usual first person shooter that my teenage kids played. Oww no... We beat the entire game after several more beers and eight hours of manic fire fights across a varied alien world... Damn good stuff. My now grown kids laughed when they came over and their dad had Halo2 blaring over the stereo and the Halo E3 teaser up on the computer. The Master Chief has earned a honored spot in my heart. I can honestly say that had never happened before. Bungie will never eclipse that original weekends fun I don’t think, but here’s to trying... <wink>
I just had to jump in with my two cents this one time. I could be flat out wrong. There can be a million possible ways this teaser can be looked at and interpreted. I feel silly at times where Halo is concerned. I bought the books at a local bookstore. The clerk said my son would love them. I laughed and told her they were for me.
To me the Master Chief personifies humanity at it’s best. The heroic struggle over even impossible odds, the determination born of knowing full well he cannot fail. Where others might crumble he endures. Not from some bloodlust, but from a terrible knowledge that humanity hangs by a thread. It is a burden he will see to the end even if by sheer will alone.
I think the Covenant has found this out the hard way. They have witnessed the Chief’s ferocity first hand and watched as he silenced an entire Halo ring. They now refer to him as simply “ The Demon “ It must seem to them as if the whole of humanity poured their tenacity into one man and set him lose upon their kindred. Perhaps they pray that they may never see another such as him... One maybe more than they can survive...
When the teaser starts we see the Earth. Scared, barren and torn. Despair floats on the wind and great metal skeletons rest on the horizon. This is a world on the brink of death. From the shadows a dark figure walks slowly into the light.
This is not a Master Chief racing to engage an enemy that he has sworn to wipe from his suffering world. Something is strangely peaceful about the way he walks slowly up to the edge of the immense wound in the Earth.
Cortana talks as he watches hundreds of Covenant vessels dance through the darkening sky. A hint of the Gravemind’s voice seems to overlap hers. Could she now be the voice of this ancient Flood being..? She seems to mirror his feelings. In Gravemind’s thoughts he / it has defied gods, the Forerunner’s, He has defied demons, the Master Chief or even the Covenant... Does she simply mean that while helping the Master Chief she herself has..? Interesting... Could Gravemind somehow have corrupted Cortana..? Could she simply be voicing aloud the trails of our beleaguered Chief..? She claims to be our shield, our source / sword. Hell the only download I can get is a bit garbled I’m afraid. Could Gravemind claim to be a shield, or even a source for life..? Could she just refer to the Chief..? If she says “source” that wouldn’t fit our Chief, so I’m appt to think it’s a Gravemind reference, but will stand corrected if need be. If it is indeed Gravemind talking through her I fear for our Chief... Could our beloved Master Chief now face the woes of a vengeful universe all alone..? Could even his limitless reserves of determination withstand assaults from every corner..? Only our friends at Bungie know for sure... But, he is the Master Chief... <sniff> Come on guys..!
Strangely though, again the Chief seems to be watching the events and not diving headlong into the abyss in a last ditch effort to halt the seemingly coming destruction... Could this mean he approves of this action..? Could this be somehow a hidden salvation for humanity..? For even the Covenant themselves..?
The Covenant are not a wholly focused entity at the moment. Civil war has taken hold in their varied ranks. Could the swirling maelstrom above Earth hold a Covenant armada divided..? Could the Master Chief be watching the lines forming for the enlightened Covenant’s strike at the old guard..? Perhaps the Covenant and humans have found the Flood a common enemy..? Could the enlightened Covenant, Humanity, and the Flood be working against the old guard Covenant..? Or has the Master Chief simply given up and bears mute witness to the end of all he has known..? <cough> Not likely Skippy... No... The Master Chief we all know and love would be firing bullets, slinging grenades, and driving a Covenant Cruiser right through this glowing monstrosities innards... Something is amiss here I fear...
Cortana then pronounces she knows the past and future. Is this in reference to the Master Chief..? Does she make reference to Gravemind and the Flood..? Do they hold a key to our beginning and end..? Our perhaps another future we haven’t yet been shown..? Is it a baleful reminder of how much pain and suffering the Master Chief has endured, and will still have to endure..? Could it be a statement about humanity itself..? The Covenant..? So vague... <frown> The words hold both hope and threat...
Our dear Cortana has the last word as usual. “ This is the way the world ends... “ Does she reference the machines activation..? Could it be Gravemind’s / the Floods end..? Could it just be that “our “ world is ending, but a new one will begin with an alliance of races..? Could it mean Bungie really will destroy Earth as we know it..? <cry> No.......!
This teaser is , just, well, awesome..! I missed the original Halo coming out, I wasn’t terribly impressed with the Halo2 teaser. It was great, but not heart wrenching... This teaser was <cough> somber as well as powerful to watch... We’re all use to seeing the Master Chief tearing hell off it’s hinges, and jumping headlong into places where angels fear to tread... In this teaser we see him slowly walk up to something monumental happening with what amounts to a reserved serenity... I’m dying to put this short snippet into the broader picture... I’m mature and long ago learned the virtues of patience, but dammit Bungie...! <sigh> Now I’ve got to remember to take my blood pressure medicine until 2007... <grumble>
One last thing... You did good kids... You did good...
This was almost poetic, old man! Loved it. I am older too, but I don't have teenage kids I still have some time to get to that point. I just freaking love the halo universe.
Halo is something that was created with more to it than most would deem necessary. Halo is a universe just like many complex and long rpgs are. Halo is a first person shooter that is not just fun to play but its story is very entertaining and well done. It is full or details, and based on how the game goes, the books are very convincing and well written. It is a mix of adventure and sci-fi that got blended very well.
Everything halo related, games, books, plot, is very well done. I salute the creators, writters, bungie folks and believe it or not Microsoft. Microsoft was able to preserve the franchise and make it a multimillion dollar franchise that has not gone down the drain because of profit margins. Boo Yah!!!!! Now where do I get patience to wait until 2007? Is there a chinese seller on eBay selling that?