Well, I always liked that Master Chief as a person was a no go. I had hoped they would seek to develop his character without showing his face.
I thought the original idea was that the player was supposed to imagine themselves in him.
It seems extremely familiar to think of a boot-strap-cut soldier getting used by the military for a secret project, becoming a non-questionable super soldier.
But what nagged me was the shot of his mom yelling on the beach, "john, john". The Pelicans (airships) in the background.. It all seemed to contrived, to forced. The mother (or familiar character yelling on the beach.. It just rubbed me the wrong way).
Besides a few other places of fairly b-movie feel, it seemed pretty good but relativelty pointless. He got captured while fighting some patrolling characters and that was the drama? In the gist of the drama and all the events that happened in the prior games including the near destruction of all life in the universe, him going derp-derp on four glowing spongebob machines seems hummm-humm.
I'm not hating, but why didn't they take this in another direction. Why didnt they want to make more out of master chief without showing him. Like HAL from 2001! They could do things with this emotionless and expressionless mask. Things we havent seen before. So why opt for doing the same thing?
The power of Halo was for me always in the things left unsaid. SOTC-style. I imagined a world of chanting monks and developed my own line of thinking. I think they really sold the mystery. I don't know if it was Halo 3, Reach or the novels or a combination of it all.
I just hope I will be surprised in Halo 4. I want to be surprised when I play these games, but like most hollywood films, chances are you are not. Because the archer-type story mode is portrayed and you will never really get scared or concerned because you know the chief won't die. I hope more writers will soon go for unforgiving writing styles were they are willing to kill off more characters. I would be happy to see Master Chief get the axe. And not heroric, last boss,save-us-all. Lets see him in a selfish or extremeist or just getting pwned by a stronger enemy.
Stop treating the atagonist like a chump!!
I loved this in Witcher 2. The "bad guy" is stronger, smarter and more cunning than the hero. This doesnt mean the hero is not awesome and strong and capable. He is just not the best thing since sliced bread. I loved that. It's more relateable than metal-war-jesus.
Halo is about the chanting monks! Its those tunes, man!