- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Unfortunately, the Arbiter feels "fake" to me, both in terms of game play and story. He doesn't feel alien, he doesn't move like the other elites, doesn't mantle objects, doesn't have the ability to scream or taunt like elites love to. His HUD looks almost identical to a Spartan's which is odd for a centuries old armour don't you think? Further, too readily does he pick up the weapons of the filthy human creatures. Elites don't do that! If he can't act like an elite, why have a playable elite?
I would also have him more expressive of his hatred. This would make his eventual grudging acceptance of Sgt. Johnson that much more powerful. As it stands, he doesn't feel like the zealot, the fervent fantatic he's supposed to be and accepts his "mission" to stop the key from turning a fair bit too readily.
I also would have appreciated the character more if he was more villainous in the beginning of Halo 2. This would have been well accomplished by actually working to thwart the Human forces and perhaps even disrupt the Master Chief's campaign to some extent. He doesn't have to combat the Chief, nor even see him but it would have been much better if the Master Chief came across the carnage that you, as the Arbiter, had inflicted on a squad of marines in an earlier level or was thwarted by a blocked passageway etc etc. This would have made his eventual heroic actions, saving the sentient beings of the universe, including humanity all the more epic.
I really must feel that Bungie dropped the ball on the Arbiter cinematically and I'm eager to see how they move to correct this in the next installment.