So, 5 Halo games with another on the way and it's still going strong. But the main reason I still enjoy the games is mainly for the rich and detailed story. It is much deeper than you would think, spanning some 100,000 years of history and backstory. So, when Halo Legends was announced, I nearly jizzed my pants in excitement and awe. I wanted it now.
Halo Legends was the first film project by 343 Industries, an internal-build team under Microsoft whose sole purpose is anything and everything Halo. As some of you should know, Halo: Reach will be the last Halo game that Bungie will develop, Bungie being the masterminds behind the Halo universe. They will be moving on to other projects while 343 Industries will continue where they left off. Their first game was Halo Wars, an RTS Halo game which I haven't played yet and am wondering if I should (its iffy).
If any of you are familiar with The Animatrix, then you should be familiar with the concept of Halo Legends. For those who don't know, The Animatrix were a series of 9 animated short stories that take place within the universe of The Matrix. Some told the story of how the machines rose up against he humans, and others were just philosophical films made to make you think. Halo Legends is exactly this, except with 7 films instead of 9. And done in anime form.
Now, I could blabber on and on about how good this series is, but I want to go a little more in-depth by explaining each of the stories. So let's begin, shall we?
Origins
Origins, quite literally, tells the story of the history of the Halo universe, starting from the Forerunners 100,000 years before the main story, to the Flood, to the activation of Halo, and then to how the war started between the Humans and the Covenant. Separated into two parts, this film should be watched only if you have questions about the history of Halo or are unclear about some parts. However, that shouldn't really be a problem if you played the single-player mode.
That said, Origins actually raises more questions than answers, which is awesome because I'm excited to see where they go with this stuff. It raises the question of whether or not Cortana is finally going Rampant, what is the connection between Humans and the Forerunners and what dark secret is Cortana talking about that should never be revealed?
Stylistically, Part 2 is better than Part 1. Mainly because Part 2 actually uses shading and CGI to enhance the story. Part 1 kind of looks like a children's cartoon. That said, it's an interesting watch.
The Duel
Taking place roughly around the same time when the Elites join the Prophets in the Covenant, it details an Arbiter who defies the Prophets, disbelieving their Great Journey. This further explains how the title of Arbiter, a title once held in great honor among the Elites, became a name fit only for criminals and heretics.
Now, first of all, this story is sad. That said, it is a total Samurai story. Samurai defies emperor, emperor sends hitman to kill samurai's wife, samurai kills hitman and dies in the process. And this is a wonderful thing because it explains this story on such a believable level. Even though you're watching aliens interacting with each other, you can connect with these characters and you believe them and you even come to like some of them.
This is the one that is completely style-heavy as it is done in a way that gives the impression that it has been water-colored. There are no thick lines detailing borders and everything just blends together. And it looks phenomenal. Hands down, my favorite.
Homecoming
The darkest story in the entire collection, which is ironically the most brightly colored. As some of you may know, Spartans were kidnapped when they were five or six and replaced with clones that died when they reached 10 or 11 (the result of flash-cloning being terrible during this time). The story tells of a Spartan who escapes from the facility and unexpectedly meets her clone.
...not really a fan of this one, but it does go into detail some of the Spartan training regime as well as the project itself. But other than that...it doesn't really do anything else. I like the contrast between the dark story and the bright, cute color pallet used, but it doesn't give the same affect that it could have.
Odd One Out
Okay, first of all, this story is non-canonical, meaning it is purely made up and pure satire. It is FLCL meets Dragon Ball Z meets Halo. I know, I didn't think it would happen, or could happen, but it did. It details the journey of Spartan-1337 (yes, that's his call sign) after he slips and falls out of a Pelican and lands on a planet, where he is attacked by a T-Rex. Meanwhile, the Prophets send a prototype, bio-modified Brute-bunny-thing after 1337 and they duke it out in traditional Dragon Ball Z fashion, without the glowing hair.
But underneath all the wacky and loony story, there is a rather touching side-story with the children and their mother, people who don't take part in the war. They're merely bystanders and it really is touching when they sit down for dinner together.
Prototype
If any of you like Mecha anime, you'll like this. Its about a marine with the call sign of Ghost redeeming himself from past sins. In a Mecha-suit.
Story wise, its pretty weak. However, animation wise, it's a lot of fun. And it's interesting because the main character isn't a Spartan, isn't an ODST, he's just a normal marine. Interesting point of view. But I've got nothing more to say about it.
The Babysitter
This short focuses on the rivalry between the ODST (special forces and all around badasses) and the Spartans (who really don't care what the ODST think because they just want to get the job done). In essence, the ODST think the Spartans are getting the most expensive gear, and are basically given a free ride. Same goes for here, when the ODST are sent as backup for a Spartan sniper to assassinate a Minor Prophet.
By the end, however, the ODST realize the value of the Spartans by merely seeing how many times the one Spartan save their lives. They deserve their respect which grips on an emotional level in some ways, I guess. Second favorite one after The Duel.
The Package
No real story here. Master Chief and some other Spartans have to retrieve a package from the Covenant. Lots of flashy CGI and badass fight scenes. Same guys who did Appleseed, so it's very impressive. And trippy. Want to watch it while high. ;)
Okay, that about does it. Done. Finished. Tired. Sleep. Halo Legends is awesome. Watch it if you're a Halo fan. Watch it if you're not. Watch it. You'll like something about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment