Writing this is bringing up all these negative emotions I've forgotten over the years as I distanced myself from Halo and invested into other series instead.Īnyway, Halo 5 was clearly at some point about an AWOL and distraught Chief searching for Halsey in hopes of rebuilding Cortana somehow (evidenced from the original Halo 5 Reveal) Halo 4 had a lot of problems, but it is the best character study we could have asked for of my two favorite characters of all time.
It actually makes me sick to my stomach with a bit of anger to think about it. All the beautiful emotion and growth Chief went through was completely undone then ignored in Halo 5. It proudly and gleefully shits all over the meaning behind Cortana's death.
Then Halo 5 just brings her back as a flavor of the week super villain and completely undermines all the ground work laid in the previous title. He's been so ultra-focused on saving humanity and duty that he's never really had time to question his existence or his own purpose.Īll of this was EXPERTLY explored in Halo 4. So we get this really mature tone of emotional growth and finality of the relationship between the two, and what I think is the beginning of Chief's emotional awakening. "Įdit: the way his voice cracks when he says this line. Which Chief repeats to himself at the very end, after she dies to protect him. " Before this is all over, promise me you'll figure out which one of us is the machine." The line that this whole idea hangs on is from Cortana: Halo 4 brings up the question of humanity, in both Cortana and John. He's willing to sacrifice everything, including going AWOL and defying orders from is superiors (which says a lot if you've read the books) to protect her for as long as he can. Halo 4 shows us a Cortana who's going through rampancy, something that we knew was coming since the release of the first book "Fall of Reach". Hard to talk about Halo 5's wrongdoings without discussing Halo 4 spoilers so. imagine retconning YOUR OWN ENDING in the very next title. I hate thinking about it because 343 absolutely fucking destroyed all the good will we had in their handling of characters. I hate thinking about Halo 4 Cortana because it was a perfect ending to a character I loved.