I'd rather have one where I can play as the Covenant (not the Elites).
I can see where they're coming from. The Grunts lightened things up but overall the Covenant could have been more intimidating.

Getting the usual Halo-hype fired up early I see.

Also, I thought Bungie said they weren't making anymore Halo games and it was all being handed over to other stuidos?

I can get what you mean about the enemies missing from previous games, but without variation, everyone would re-rant about the 'same old bloody Halo'

If they actually get the game off as if it were in an actual hardcore war with aliens like its supposed to be I might actually buy another product of Bungie. Its the reason I always thought Halo was a joke, the grunts running around making comments of its upcoming doom and running around like idiots. If they patch it up and make it into a badass alien shooter than I may have to eat my words about hating Halo.

Anyone ever play MDK2:Armageddon? I always thought that Halo was just about as serious as that game was...

Yeah, cause what they were doing before was so unsuccessful. Wonder that they managed to keep thier doors open.

/sarcasm

Yeah, I have to say that Grunts are the absolute antithesis of intimidating or scary, and the Covenant in general never really sold themselves to me as a proper threat in the original, one of the reasons why I never finished it.

John Funk:
Beyond just weaponry, Reach will add new Covenant races like the Skirmisher, a fast and nimble enemy that OXM describes as looking similar to the birdlike Jackals. Of course, the game will likely offer no explanation why said Skirmishers are completely missing from any of the games in the series that take place chronologically after Reach (which, at last count, is all of them). The perils of making a prequel, I guess.

Actually, Bungie have been very good at providing in-universe explanations for discrepencies so far. For example, Sgt. Johnson apparantly died on the first ringworld at the end of the first game, yet still appeared kicking Covenant ass in the sequels. Bungie subsequently explained it by writing a book whereby several characters, including Johnson, escaped and then kicked more Covenant ass by destroyng a fleet that was about to attack Earth (which also explains the other discrepancy that the fleet attacking Earth at the start of Halo 2 was so unexpectedly small). Not to mention the video from Jenkins' helmet in the first game where Johnson is attacked by the Flood. A graphic novel shows him escape, and then he's stated in the backstory to be a Spartan-I, so has enhancements that stop him being affected by the Flood.

This has probably gone over most people's heads, of curse. However, the point I'm trying to make is simply that any plot discrepancies and holes will be sorted by Bungie. They have a very good track record at making sure that everything is completely canon :). As far as the game is concerned though, as a Halo fanboy I'll be playing it regardless of the scariness of the Covenant. All I ask is that Bungie and MGS continue to provide such an awesome series as they have done, and that the game is good. If they meet that request, then I'll be getting it. If I want scary, I'll go out and buy a copy of Clock Tower or Silent Hill...

They'll have to change all the voices, all the weapons, all the armor and costumes, most of the vehicles, rework the color scheme (purple and pink aren't scary), and probably totally remove grunts. Yeah, I can see how this would work if it WASN'T A HALO GAME.

The Covenant are about as scary as the muppets, how can you make them scary? I didn't take them seriously in 1 and certainly less so in 2. Maybe I'm just being bias here but between their pew pew pewing laser guns and their awful lines not to mention the midgets they're teamed up with just make them the worst antagonist species ever.

Borg- scary
Krogan- pretty scary
Reavers(Firefly)- run

I played Halo 1 and 2 beat them on their hardest difficulties with/without a co-op and couldn't think the Covenant as "scary". Annoying, sure, scary? No.

DarkSaber:
Getting the usual Halo-hype fired up early I see.

Also, I thought Bungie said they weren't making anymore Halo games and it was all being handed over to other stuidos?

Bungie said that they would be making no more games after Reach, after that then no more out of them.

They would have to redesign the entire Covenant, theforth removing all canon.

I see the hype train is pulling out of the station.

add race
make extinct via game's plot.

easy way to deal with prequel additions.

i dunno, i liked halo, the games are fun.
i'll play this new one.
probably, unless BC2 consumes even more of my gaming than i think.
which is plenty possible

Eh as much as I like Halo, you don't make a race in a prequel and have it just not there anymore. That's poor writing.

hopefully its as good as the first 2

Grunts? It's hard to make a species that breathes butt-gasses scary. In fact, I'm sure they could find a way to peacefully co-exist with such a flatulent species as humanity.

Sound interesting.

I'll probaby play it at a friends house before I buy it though(If I want it by the time it comes out)

Sounds good to me.. and the covenant really are, or should be, quite frightening. The Elites look like some sort of bastard offspring of Predators and Aliens, and the Covenant at large are known for not just wiping out populations but also turning their planets to glass. That sounds rather scary to me. Hopefully Bungie can deliver on this promise.

My favourite part of the entire Halo trilogy was in Halo 1 where you were in the jungle at night and had the Flood ambushing you. There's no question Bungie can do scary if they make the effort.

Trivun:
-snip-

Wow... someone who actually appreciates the storyline from Halo. Heck, someone who actually realize it has a storyline! And you are right, of course. What I have heard is that the Skirmishers is very close to the Jackal race, being from the same planet. All of the Skirmisher race got sent to Reach to fight Humans, and they where all left on the planet when it got glassed. The Prophets did this on purpose, since they would most likely side with the Elites when the Schism happened. The Prophets had of course already planned what would happen regarding that. So they used the Skirmishers to fight Humans, since they were a lot more warlike than the Jackals, while killing of their race.

At least that is what I have gleaned from other forums and stuff.

Yeah, I actually like the story and the gameplay of Halo. So I am looking forward to this game a lot :D

I am actually getting more and more excited for this game. As long as its not at all like Recon then it should be awesome.

I loved the halo game before it got all ridiculous story on us. Point me in the direction of the genocidal aliens and Ill happily take my power armoured ass over there and kill them

Uh did anyone ever find the Covenant scary to begin with? Or do I just have balls of steel?

On a serious note, as with anything they could pull it off well, I just don't know if they will.

Adzma:
Uh did anyone ever find the Covenant scary to begin with? Or do I just have balls of steel?

On a serious note, as with anything they could pull it off well, I just don't know if they will.

Well, yeah, I find it scary they even give grunts guns to begin with. It's like giving Caboose a gun ...

Yeah, they look like they're actually doing some work on the covenant... However, I'm more impressed by the actual spartans. Two words: Skull. Helmet.
http://www.creativeuncut.com/art_halo-reach_a.html

*Takes deep breath*

I will not be a Halo Fanboy

I will not be a Halo Fanboy

I will not be a Halo Fanboy

I will not be a Halo Fanboy

Ohh who cares, Can't wait!

I'd hate to get excited over this game, but I can feel the excitement flowing through me.
Darn you Halo, you'd better not let me down.

waiting for flame war... it has yet to arrive. I give you a hand escapist. anyway, this came out a few weeks ago here in America, so I already knew.

Everyone is going to deride it for being more of the same anyway, so it doesn't really matter, but I think this is a good idea. With ODST, they did (I think) a nice job of making the covenant scarier than they had been in Halo 3, where they were nearly cartoonish; but those damn Grunts were still pulling the whole thing down.

If they can fix that problem, maybe just stop them from talking or make them really dangerous in a pack, then the covenant as a whole will man up quite nicely.

Heres a suggestion how bout removing the "run away" speak when the elites die

Zillawoof:
Heres a suggestion how bout removing the "run away" speak when the elites die

Just goes to show where their loyalties really lie.

Sev:

Adzma:
Uh did anyone ever find the Covenant scary to begin with? Or do I just have balls of steel?

On a serious note, as with anything they could pull it off well, I just don't know if they will.

Well, yeah, I find it scary they even give grunts guns to begin with. It's like giving Caboose a gun ...

Hahaha nice. I see your point. :P