Halo 3 Brute video: thoughts, impressions
Okay, the Halo 3 Brute documentary is now available on Marketplace. Doubtless, many of you have watched it already, while other poor souls are forced to go to work (if you are stuck at work, check out some off screen images here). You know what time it is? That's right, time to over-analyze!
First thing's first: graphics. The graphics in the video were obviously unfinished -- none of it looked as nice as the Halo 3 debut trailer -- with lots of effects and textures missing, though there was a lot of pretty shininess. We would like to note that rounded objects, like walls and barrels, were definitely round. No jagged, polygonal edges here.
We get a nice look as some of the new Brute weapons, including the Spiker and what looks like a new, elongated plasma rifle (similar in look to a plasma turret). It appears that the gravity hammer will have a bigger role this time, too (usable by the Chief perhaps?). We also get a glimpse at some of the refined human weaponry, most notably the glow-in-the-dark nature of the shotgun (which may or may not have had its range increased).
Brutes are more clearly delineated into classes now. There is the basic soldier, with a helmet and armor (more armor than in Halo 2). The Brute captain has even more armor and a samurai like helmet. Finally, the Brute chieftain has really big armor (shoulder pieces, the whole nine yards) and a big samurai/triceratops helmet (samuraiceratops?).
It seems as though Brutes will be the defacto enemy in Halo 3, and they already seem a sight more threatening than the Elites. First of all, Brutes move in large packs (something Elites rarely do) and have coordinated attacks. The Bungie team informs us that they are making Brutes utilize team tactics. One tactic highlighted by the video was a Brute captain ordering all his soldiers to toss some grenades. This results in a deadly barrage of plasma. Nice. The overall idea is to make Brutes a formidable enemy, and not just because they can take a lot of damage (à la Halo 2).
There are other, non-Brute related things to see in the video, though you'll need a sharp eye and the pause button handy. For instance, there is a brief, brief glimpse of the assault rifle near the end of the video. Also, behind one of the Bungie team is what appears to be the Halo 3 title screen. Overall, the video wasn't anything earth shattering, but it did what it was meant to do: get us more excited for Halo 3.
And now we turn it to you, fanboys. Scour that video. Tell us what we missed. Inquiring minds want to know.
