Halo

[Randomizer]

We got the opening cinematic. Looking good for now, looks like the hype was real ! 

Spoiler

Hope I don't have to watch this every time I start the game. 

[close]

[Corporal Hicks]

Finally watched the intro. Loved it. I love Fillion so much. I wonder how much of the Absolute Record storyline is going to play into this.

[Randomizer]

Honestly, I was surprised. Was expecting a launch trailer in October but then we got this.

Frank O'Connor said this isn't actually the opening intro, as when you'll start the game we'll get another cutscene, then it goes straight into this, then goes straight into gameplay. Instead of the Xbox logo at the end it would be pure gameplay. That makes me thinking we can't jump straight into MP unless we play at least the 1st mission.

So, here it is, another Halo that starts with someone falling from a spaceship. 

I wonder how much of the Absolute Record storyline is going to play into this.

We kinda got spoiled on Escalation, as Palmer is already on the Infinity, and Halsey is with Jul'. Idk about anything else.

[Corporal Hicks]

I wonder how much of the Absolute Record storyline is going to play into this.

We kinda got spoiled on Escalation, as Palmer is already on the Infinity, and Halsey is with Jul'. Idk about anything else.

We know they survive but who got the Record and how did that effect Guardians? Did it reveal the location of the Guardians perhaps?

[Randomizer]

Finished The Thursday War. Most probably the most boring book in the series, not even The Cole Protocol can surpass that.  I'm really really sick of anything Sangheili right now, but then comes this...

   I think it's actually the 1st time we see Half-Jaw into a book, so I hope they don't screw this up ! 
   
   Gonna read the hell out of it when it launches !

   

 

After decades of grim combat against the humans and then the traitorous Covenant Prophets, the Sangheili warrior Rtas 'Vadum—the Half-Jaw—has earned a long rest. But not all of the Prophets perished in their holy city, High Charity, and now one of their fearsome Prelates has sworn his vengeance. This powerful threat has set a cataclysmic plan in motion—a plan to lure the Half-Jaw into a trap that will herald the utter destruction of the entire Sangheili race...

    That's not the Arbiter, by the way. Female Sangheili. Would be too good if it was Arby to be true.

      Cannon Fodder - https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-shadow-of-intense
     

[Corporal Hicks]

Only EU I can think of with Half-Jaw was Graphic Novel where you see him lose that jaw. Looking forward to that - but yeah, it'd be nice for them to expand a bit more.

Finished The Thursday War. Most probably the most boring book in the series, not even The Cole Protocol can surpass that.  I'm really really sick of anything Sangheili right now, but then comes this...

Can't agree with that. Cole Protocol sits just (milimeters) above The Flood for being crap Halo books IMHO. xD

[Randomizer]

I only liked The Flood because of the side stories. Yayap is love, Yayap is life.

Same with The Thursday War, Jul's side story was the only thing that kept me reading. Almost had a burn-out thanks to that. 

[Randomizer]

Here's a Halo 5 ViDoc which appears in theaters. If someone would actually confirm this it would be even better.

Not really anything new but we do get some glimpses of :

   

Spoiler

-Arbiter leading troops on Sangheilios with all his glory
               -Blue Team and Osiris (many details, but not anything concrete yet)
               -Chief fighting Locke in a fist fight
               -longer glimpses of what we saw at E3 (Locke and Arbiter, the "ghost of Cortana" etc...)
               -the Halo classic soundtrack !

[close]

      Sorry for the potato quality ! 

[Randomizer]

Here they are:

5 minutes of "Swords of Sangheilios" gameplay footage, this one is Official, No spoilers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57AD5inbKAs

Things we get to notice (minor stuff, I would not count them as spoilers):

Spoiler

1) Jackals speaking English (it's really amazing to see that, since I'm reading Mortal Dictata right now  )
             2) a Grunt yells "The Arbiter is dead, we won the war !" though I hope that's not true
             3) the video has Osiris fighting their was through some ruins and we hear Vale saying the ruins were considered ancient when the humans built the pyramids
             4) Buck's humor
             5) the second bar under the shield bar is not actually for health, as we see it recharge right before the shields do, and it does not look like a timer

[close]

     There was also a leaked 11 minutes video of Blue Team (2nd mission , the one the B-Roll came from) but I could not find it and did not watched it. Viewer discretion advised. 

[D. Compton Ambrose]

I love Buck. I think he's starting to become my favorite character.

[Mr. Forest]

Finished The Thursday War. Most probably the most boring book in the series, not even The Cole Protocol can surpass that.  I'm really really sick of anything Sangheili right now, but then comes this...

   I think it's actually the 1st time we see Half-Jaw into a book, so I hope they don't screw this up ! 
   
   Gonna read the hell out of it when it launches !

   

 

After decades of grim combat against the humans and then the traitorous Covenant Prophets, the Sangheili warrior Rtas 'Vadum—the Half-Jaw—has earned a long rest. But not all of the Prophets perished in their holy city, High Charity, and now one of their fearsome Prelates has sworn his vengeance. This powerful threat has set a cataclysmic plan in motion—a plan to lure the Half-Jaw into a trap that will herald the utter destruction of the entire Sangheili race...

    That's not the Arbiter, by the way. Female Sangheili. Would be too good if it was Arby to be true.

      Cannon Fodder - https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-shadow-of-intense
   

  I really need to catch up on the Halo books.  The last one I read was Evolutions which came out in 2009 I believe.

[Randomizer]

Quick note: right at the start of the video, I think we're hearing a female Sangheili right there. The one that would appear in Shadow of Intent? The one who designed the Helioskrill armor? Maybe.

I think we're on the edge of seeing 343 pop out a new character. Quite good, actually, since besides Jul' and Arbiter, there's nothing else for the Sangheili.

I love Buck. I think he's starting to become my favorite character.

Were it not for Chief, Buck would take the 1st place. He's definitely getting some love. Also, some other day earlier I loaded "New Alexandria" from Halo Reach. That Buck easter egg was so obvious I could not guess how I missed it. 

[long text]

  I really need to catch up on the Halo books.  The last one I read was Evolutions which came out in 2009 I believe.

I'm behind too, I'm almost halfway through Mortal Dictata, and I've also got like another 8 books to read. It would be hard, but I'd hold the urge to play H5 until I finish New Blood/Saint's Testimony. I'm taking them in release order, so there's that.

  I also hope 343 does not make Halo 5 dependent on the EU, and allow the main story to be understood just by playing the games. I won't like seeing only hardcore Halo fans going for the series anymore...

-------------------------------------------------------

  Another point, am I the only one worried that Halo 5  barely runs on the Xbox One? And I mean barely, like, they had to go for dynamic resolution in order to work. Some people are already shelling out ~400-500$ for one game and seeing it being already on the edge of the system..........damn you Microsoft ! 

 

[JokersWarPig]

I haven't read any of the recent books, but has there been anything regaurding the surviving Spartan III's from Ghosts of Onyx? The only Spartan III we have any closure on is Jun, and I feel like they really wasted that character (and Black Teams) potential.

[Randomizer]

Yes. Glasslands and Last Light.

[D. Compton Ambrose]

I haven't read any of the recent books, but has there been anything regaurding the surviving Spartan III's from Ghosts of Onyx? The only Spartan III we have any closure on is Jun, and I feel like they really wasted that character (and Black Teams) potential.

So much of this.