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This topic has moved here: Subject: Am i the only one disappointed in Cortana's Halo 4 makeover?
  • Subject: Am i the only one disappointed in Cortana's Halo 4 makeover?
Subject: Am i the only one disappointed in Cortana's Halo 4 makeover?

"May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't."
-- General George S. Patton

I am merely a soldier in the massive army commonly known as the Internet.

Meh.

  • 06.13.2012 9:27 PM PDT
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  • Noble Member

7TH RECON

I reckon if its 343's take on what she should look like leave it too them but i agree with most of your opinions on the matter some things can be taken to far...

  • 06.14.2012 2:51 AM PDT

Halo 3 cortana is best cortana in my opinion

  • 06.14.2012 7:00 AM PDT

I'm just going to point out what others (hopefully) have already said: when was Cortana not designed around sex appeal?

Edit: Good, ajw seems to get it.

[Edited on 06.14.2012 8:00 AM PDT]

  • 06.14.2012 7:56 AM PDT

Many gave their lives so that we could live on. I intend to honor them by remembering them. Remember Cyborg. Remember John. Remember Noble.

Posted by: Sp4rksLT
Really, maybe I'm looking a bit too deep, but this new Cortana seems like she's naked.


I agree with you there, it is a bit odd. I've gotta say for myself, when I saw Halo 4 Cortana for the first time, I was blushing a lot more than ever before (after seeing Cortana, that is).

I would like to ask you a question for you to wonder: Body vs. Mind. Making her more "sexified" and humanly would give her more of Body, while making her skinnier with bigger eyes and no make-up would give her more Mind.
What do you guys think?

[Edited on 06.14.2012 9:58 AM PDT]

  • 06.14.2012 9:55 AM PDT

How does Bungie know just what to do to get my heart racing?

I'll never understand.


Posted by: ajw34307
Some of you guys just... don't seem to get it.

Firstly, if you want to talk about sex appeal in videogames then just look at the Final Fantasy series. Halo has the equivalent of Rugrats in terms of sex appeal in-comparison to that game.

Secondly, WTF OP? You're saying that she's now a bad character because she's not ugly? Why don't you compare Cortana in Halo 2/3/Reach to Halo CE before you start pointing the finger at Halo 4, this attractiveness is NOT a new concept.

Also, do you completely fail to see the point of it all? Cortana is descending into rampancy, it only makes sense that we have a sympathetic figure to reflect that - her younger appearance creates an image of fragility and vulnerability. Just look at the shots of her in the E3 trailer, I can relate to her looks of confusion/terror/sorrow in that a lot more than I could in most of the games.


i don't WANT to look at the FF series. Halo is it's own animal that's done just as well without any sort of sex appeal. Besides, never said anything about not liking her as a character, said she was my favorite. What I don't like about her is the way they made her look.

And We don't need sexy big breasted Cortana to feel bad for her

That image is one of my favorites from the whole series, she doesn't have to look a certain way to seem fragile and vulnerable. If she wants to be human, she can just as well do it with body language.

I mean, if they can explain in-game why she looks like she got breast implants and put on make up and dyed her hair black then MAYBE I'll accept it. But from where I'm sitting, months out from the game, it looks like a sorry attempt at "sex sells" by 343i.

  • 06.14.2012 2:25 PM PDT

By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.


Posted by: bignasty21

You don't WANT to look at it because it proves my point. Halo is absolutely nothing as a series reliant on -blam!- imagery compared to other games out there, Cortana is literally the only character in the games that receives this treatment and has done so since Halo 2 (unless you want to count Miranda Keyes, but her impact on the series is negligible compared to Cortana's).

This is not a case of how they've made her look, this is a case of them following the exact same principle as Bungie did yet for some reason you're choosing to say this NOW instead of 8 years ago. You act as of this whole thing is a new concept, it is not.

Furthermore, body language had to be relied upon back in 2001 because facial animations were almost nonexistent beyond the movement of the mouth and eyes. Technology has advanced, so much attention is paid to visual imagery now (and has been the case since more advanced facial animations were developed) it would be a disservice to dumb down a chance they have to further engage the audience's emotions and sympathy just because you have something against sex appeal.

Ever see a James Bond film? Every time one's released, one of the big questions is "who will the next Bond girl be?". These women are generally -blam!-ly appealing and yet still play a vital role in the film and deliver quality performances, it's frankly foolish to assert that a developer should go out of their way to adhere to some kind of principle to NOT make a female character attractive in some way or other.

Lastly, this younger and more vulnerable appearance can well be seen as a direct reflection of some of our modern day issues - as controversial as it sounds, one can draw certain parallels between the process of rampancy with depression and r@pe. This is also a primary theme in the Alien films with the art style, of which Halo is so HEAVILY derived from.

As for an in-game explanation, you really can't know that much about the Halo universe if you don't know that AIs get to CHOOSE HOW THEY APPEAR. Once again, why weren't you complaining 8 years ago when Bungie changed Cortana for Halo 2 and introduced the sex appeal factor? The leap in sex appeal then is marginally greater than Halo 3-4. Your arguments are shallow to the point where they just seem like finding excuses to complain.

It can't be made plainer: THIS IS NOTHING NEW.

  • 06.14.2012 3:08 PM PDT
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  • Exalted Legendary Member

We've only had a few shots of her and until I play the whole campaign I don't think it would be appropriate to give an opinion.

  • 06.14.2012 3:16 PM PDT

How does Bungie know just what to do to get my heart racing?

I'll never understand.


Posted by: Xalener
It doesn't matter though, as long as Jen Taylor is in the booth, her character will always be awesome.

  • 06.14.2012 3:40 PM PDT

Many gave their lives so that we could live on. I intend to honor them by remembering them. Remember Cyborg. Remember John. Remember Noble.

Posted by: bignasty21

I don't mind how they made her look, I think she looks beautiful, but I agree with you that Halo doesn't need this kind of crap to make their characters interesting. I've got plenty of sexy and interesting heroines in games, why can't I have something different in Halo?

Not to mention some people will play it and have played Halo just for the goddamn multiplayer, so why not make the characters stand out, just for us, those who care?


[Edited on 06.14.2012 3:43 PM PDT]

  • 06.14.2012 3:42 PM PDT

How does Bungie know just what to do to get my heart racing?

I'll never understand.


Posted by: ajw34307


You're digging way too deep into this bro, lol. I'm going based on the way she looked from 1-3, and then the change in 4. I don't care if it's nothing new. I don't care how hot the girls in James Bond or Final Fantasy are or how important to the plot they are. I never downplayed Cortana's involvement in the storyline.

I DO NOT LIKE HER MAKEOVER IN HALO 4.

That, my friend, is my point.

Speaking in terms of the Halo universe, sure Cortana can choose to look however she wants. Like I said, if we get that explanation in Halo 4, I'll accept it. It's part of the story. But you're going off of assumptions of what you think the story is going to be. you don't know for sure why she looks that way.

But my point, speaking in terms of the real world, I don't like what 343i did to Cortana. I don't like what the guy who drew her did to the way she looks. I don't like 343i's take on "what her rampancy is making her do." They could have made her look 6 billion different ways, and I do not agree with the way they chose. Based on my OPINION that she didn't need to be anymore -blam!-ized then she already was. She didn't need it.

This is my opinion, I wanted to know if I was the only one who disliked it. And i'm not. No reason to call my OPINION shallow.

  • 06.14.2012 4:08 PM PDT

How does Bungie know just what to do to get my heart racing?

I'll never understand.


Posted by: George 257
Posted by: bignasty21

I don't mind how they made her look, I think she looks beautiful, but I agree with you that Halo doesn't need this kind of crap to make their characters interesting. I've got plenty of sexy and interesting heroines in games, why can't I have something different in Halo?


This is all I'm saying lol.

  • 06.14.2012 4:09 PM PDT

@accordingto343

Your one stop shop for all of 343's fabulous errors and ridiculous notions in the Halo lore.

Well it is somewhat of a shallow point. To claim that she is now somehow more -blam!-ized than she has been in past games and that 343 is bad for doing this is pretty weak. Personally I see it more like how the new Lara Croft is in Tomb Raider. A bit younger looking sure, but now packed with more emotion and that will come in handy in the actual story.

Not really 343's fault you can't seem to look past "BOOBS BOOBS BOOBS!".

  • 06.14.2012 4:20 PM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.

It might just be me, but I feel like Cortana has slid into the uncanny valley.

  • 06.14.2012 5:06 PM PDT


Posted by: ajw34307

Posted by: bignasty21

Lastly, this younger and more vulnerable appearance can well be seen as a direct reflection of some of our modern day issues - as controversial as it sounds, one can draw certain parallels between the process of rampancy with depression and r@pe. This is also a primary theme in the Alien films with the art style, of which Halo is so HEAVILY derived from.



To that point: look at the Gravemind, mind r@aping her.

  • 06.14.2012 5:13 PM PDT

Well said. Wait and see how it all goes, maybe Cortana was, um, in disguise or something... ?

Oh and hey, Halo 4! Yes!

  • 06.14.2012 5:33 PM PDT

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Halo: Tactical

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Posted by: bignasty21
IF I get that explanation in-game, the "trying to achieve humanity," I'll accept it.


As will I, but the size of 'em this game is crazy.

  • 06.14.2012 5:33 PM PDT

By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

Posted by: bignasty21
Posted by: ajw34307


You're digging way too deep into this bro, lol. I'm going based on the way she looked from 1-3, and then the change in 4. I don't care if it's nothing new. I don't care how hot the girls in James Bond or Final Fantasy are or how important to the plot they are. I never downplayed Cortana's involvement in the storyline.

I DO NOT LIKE HER MAKEOVER IN HALO 4.

That, my friend, is my point.


But I don't care if it's the point, your reasoning for your dislike just doesn't make sense.

Speaking in terms of the Halo universe, sure Cortana can choose to look however she wants. Like I said, if we get that explanation in Halo 4, I'll accept it. It's part of the story. But you're going off of assumptions of what you think the story is going to be. you don't know for sure why she looks that way.

We know for a fact that Frankie has said that Cortana's impending rampancy is a primary theme in Halo 4 and the way they remodelled her was their way of wanting to create a more sympathetic and realistic figure for the audience to relate to. Perfectly reasonable and intelligent choices...

But my point, speaking in terms of the real world, I don't like what 343i did to Cortana. I don't like what the guy who drew her did to the way she looks. I don't like 343i's take on "what her rampancy is making her do." They could have made her look 6 billion different ways, and I do not agree with the way they chose. Based on my OPINION that she didn't need to be anymore -blam!-ized then she already was. She didn't need it.

Once again, she's no more -blam!-ised than she has been in the previous games. The -blam!-isation factor became a MASSIVE thing about her in Halo 2 and, as I said before, her new appearance is only marginally more -blam!-ised than it was in Halo 3.

This is my opinion, I wanted to know if I was the only one who disliked it. And i'm not. No reason to call my OPINION shallow.

Oh, you're definitely not the only person who disliked it. But you must be within a minority of people with completely ludicrous reasons as to why you don't seem to like it. As my dear friend DeceptionCobra put it, YOU seem to be the only one here incapable of looking past the physucal appearance and drawing some kind of significant meaning from it. The fact you cannot see past this portrays you as a tad more immature than the rest of us here...

  • 06.15.2012 2:08 PM PDT


Posted by: TGI Skuldier

Halo 4 Cortana



You realize Halo 4's Cortana doesn't look like that? It's a concept piece, which I'm not even positive was provided by 343.

She looks similar, but the in game one looks more real, imo.

  • 06.15.2012 3:19 PM PDT

|\|||\|J4 5P4r74|\| 2

To me, I have mixed feelings about the change.Cortana from Halo CE was sorta creepy, I thought the Halo 2 one was perfect, if not to update graphics a bit, and the Halo 3 one was, well... weird. She looked too unnatural, but it wasnt bad. I think the halo 4 one as of now is a huge change, not idealistic to Cortana's character, but im fine with her being, ahem, super hot (for an AI). I guess i'll get used to it, since at least Jen Taylor's still her voice. Also, she looks a lot more like a younger Halsey, except with a haircut, based on Halsey's illustration from the journal in Halo Reach's special editions, as seen here:

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100930114456/halo/ima ges/e/e5/Halsey_self_portrait.jpg
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/halo/images/c/c1/Cortana_Ha lo_4.jpg

[Edited on 06.15.2012 10:08 PM PDT]

  • 06.15.2012 9:54 PM PDT

I like turtles oh and Screenshots

Posted by: Scaifey
Halo 3 cortana is best cortana in my opinion


I definitely agree with you 100%

  • 06.15.2012 10:22 PM PDT

4/30- Never forget!!!!! Reach Beta "Friends and families" code fail.

E3 2006 cortana was hands down my favorite... it was a next gen version of halo 2's cortana.

  • 06.15.2012 11:57 PM PDT

just relax and have some fun

i cant remember where i read it but somewhere it said she likes to appear naked it puts people off abit gving her the edge and halo 2 or 4 has he best cortana halo 3 had the most drastic changes


[Edited on 06.16.2012 12:09 AM PDT]

  • 06.16.2012 12:09 AM PDT