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[rrc1594]

pls don't tell me she's a physical being

343 pls

She's blue

I'll admit, I actually really dig that look. The suit looks really, really good.

But I'm wary that if those leaks are true, then whatever aesthetic goodness they gave the suit might be undermined by the plot shenanigans.

I'm hoping that it isn't "Her"

 

[greenleafcm]

I need some context for this.

Also, seriously, we're on freaking page 20. Stop using spoiler tags. It's damn annoying now.

We already know the context. At some point Blue Team encounters Cortana on Genesis. She explains her evil plan, they fight some Wardens when she won't change her mind, then she locks Chief in a Cryptum and bugs off on a Guardian. Osiris comes in later to save Chief, but it's too late to do much else.

 

[PetulantChild]

They gave Cortana clothes? Seriously? They just can't leave shit alone can they?

This is just....so bad. Oh my god I can't believe this is actually in the game....

What the hell is even happening to this franchise...

Star Wars fanboys got a hold of it and misinterpreted what the universe was the same way the Dark Souls 2 team misinterpreted Dark Souls. Instead of reading up on hard sci-fi like Heinlein or Banks they just decided to put space magic into it and make Cortana a fan-fiction waifu.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

I like this angle. The Human-Ancilla War era begins with ol Tana leading the way.

 

[wuruochong]

I like this angle. The Human-Ancilla War era begins with ol Tana leading the way.

I don't know. I just can't imagine Cortana turning into someone who wants to be the totalitarian dictator of the universe.

But then again, gaining enough power to basically become a forerunner god would probably change someone's personality drastically.

Either way I'm not digging this story. If you gave me this summary of the plot under different circumstances I would legitimately believe this is some fan fiction written by a hormone addled high schooler.

 

[LegalEagleMike]

I don't know. I just can't imagine Cortana turning into someone who wants to be the totalitarian dictator of the universe.

But then again, gaining enough power to basically become a forerunner god would probably change someone's personality drastically.

Is it possible that Cortana has been corrupted by the Domain? Someone who has read the books with more focus than I might be able to shed some light but I remember something about the Domain being capable of expressing its desires. Maybe it does so more directly now through Cortana.

I should probably go to bed.

 

[wuruochong]

Is it possible that Cortana has been corrupted by the Domain? Someone who has read the books with more focus than I might be able to shed some light but I remember something about the Domain being capable of expressing its desires. Maybe it does so more directly now through Cortana.

I should probably go to bed.

I have a bad feeling about this story turning into the Raynor Kerrigan romance in StarCraft now. I mean... what we know so far fits the mold pretty well...

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

I don't know. I just can't imagine Cortana turning into someone who wants to be the totalitarian dictator of the universe.

But then again, gaining enough power to basically become a forerunner god would probably change someone's personality drastically.

As long as she holds the key to mankind's next step in technological evolution the threat of war will always be there. Also senator Del Rio is gonna come back from that vacation he took for wrongly accusing Chief of killing humans on Biko real quick once he finds out that rampant AI he wanted confiscated is now using giant Forerunner war ships that have already killed thousands to threaten humans with.

 

[GringoSuave89]

As long as she holds the key to mankind's next step in technological evolution the threat of war will always be there. Also senator Del Rio is gonna come back from that vacation he took for wrongly accusing Chief of killing humans on Biko real quick once he finds out that rampant AI he wanted confiscated is now using giant Forerunner war ships that have already killed thousands to threaten humans with.

Yeah, honestly the implications of all this is insane. Halo 6 and post-Halo 5 stories will be nuts.

 

[rrc1594]

As long as she holds the key to mankind's next step in technological evolution the threat of war will always be there. Also senator Del Rio is gonna come back from that vacation he took for wrongly accusing Chief of killing humans on Biko real quick once he finds out that rampant AI he wanted confiscated is now using giant Forerunner war ships that have already killed thousands to threaten humans with.

Damn didn't even think about that oh shit

 

[orthodoxy1095]

I'm hoping that it isn't "Her"

I guess that's the only thing that could save this. But even that sounds lame as hell.

 

[Olengie]

Didnt really like Cortana's look in Halo 4. I could get behind her new Halo 5 look

 

[sleverfunk]

New look is okay. Something wrong with her hair/face. Or just the angle of the pic.

 

[greenleafcm]

Choice comments from peeps on the other forum:

Somehow Brian Reed has managed to surpass his previous works in sheer ridiculousness. The more I see of this leak, the more mind-bogglingly stupid it gets. The signs were there from the start, they should've sent Reed back to Marvel where he belongs after Initiation. I know it's not just him that's responsible, but I don't doubt that he had a big part in how it's executed. This is the equivalent of them letting some random kid from Fanfiction.net write their scripts. 343i is supposed to be an AAA studio, they're better than this. It's just weird that the franchise writing team doesn't apparently have any problem with his work.

Oh dear god, what am I looking at?  A wannabe Forerunner Cortana, or something?

MAKE IT STOPPPPPP

Fuck. There better be some amazing dialogue in this scene to make up for what I'm seeing right now.

 

[whipihguh]

Made a crappy rotate and warp job in order to see the screen a bit better:

It's definitely...interesting. I'm really not sure what to make of it. On first impressions, it seems kind of crappy that 343i would cheapen Cortana's sacrifice and death by bringing her back the very next game, but I was a cynical bastard and expected them to do as much after Halo 4 came out, so congrats on that I guess.

But beyond that impression, I'm not gonna freak out or anything and just wait and see what the context is in-game. I feel that the somewhat sparse leaks likely don't encapsulate what's actually happening in the story completely. Perhaps she's been corrupted by the Domain, perhaps the Domain has given her info that has caused her to take the actions in the leaks. Still a really strange choice, though, especially if they gave her a physical body (though I don't think that's quite the case).

I honestly would have wanted her to go completely rampant and take possession of Requiem like some fan theories suggested way back before Halo 4 released, since with current info, that seems like it would have been far more straightforward and less convoluted than to just bring her back and have her be the big bad after all (Didact who?).

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

is that the Forerunner glyph for the Mantle?


edit: yes it is



Cortana is picking up where the Forerunners left off. The Didact would be proud

Theory time. The Cortana we know and love is dead but an anger stage fragment of Cortana managed to survive and that's who has taken up residence in the domain. This fragment is "cured" but being Cortana's anger in its purest form, she may be cured from thinking herself to death but she still holds onto her grudges. Found this quote from a post on Halowaypoint

Halo Evolutions Page 390
"Your human creators imprisoned you in a machine and enslaved you to inferior mortal flesh so that you could never exceed them... so that you would always know your place..." - Gravemind to Cortana

This sets her out to free her fellow AI from their imprisonment.

The Domain comes to Chief on Argent Moon to set him on the path to stop Cortana once it knows her plans. Since Cortana is no longer tied to serving humans she wants The Mantle for herself and her "people" so she uses the Guardans which she finds through the domain to stonewall humankind. She locks Chief away in the Crypt because she knows he's the only one that could stand in her way.

 

[Random17]

Was it explained anywhere why Knights are still in the game? Didn't we get rid of the composer and all that should be left is AI Prometheans?

That's left to Spartan Ops, which explained how the data from the Knights made its way back to Requiem (and probably other locations, too).

The actual story is in Escalation, but anyone should be up to speed with Spartan Ops.

And holy shit that leak, wow. That's incredibly risky, especially with the "ratio" everyone tells me not to worry about. 343i aren't holding back.

Spoiler

I guess the Assembly makes a return?

Edit: Lmao, I just realized that this is literally Bungie's original plot for Cortana ala CE, where she plans to take over the universe after being put into Halo's core.

 

[SmartWaffles]

Theory time. The Cortana we know and love is dead but an anger stage fragment of Cortana managed to survive and that's who has taken up residence in the domain. This fragment is "cured" but being Cortana's anger in its purest form, she may be cured from thinking herself to death but she still holds onto her grudges. Found this quote from a post on Halowaypoint

Halo Evolutions Page 390
"Your human creators imprisoned you in a machine and enslaved you to inferior mortal flesh so that you could never exceed them... so that you would always know your place..." - Gravemind to Cortana

This sets her out to free her fellow AI from their imprisonment.

The Domain comes to Chief on Argent Moon to set him on the path to stop Cortana once it knows her plans. Since Cortana is no longer tied to serving humans she wants The Mantle for herself and her "people" so she uses the Guardans which she finds through the domain to stonewall humankind. She locks Chief away in the Crypt because she knows he's the only one that could stand in her way.

I... like this idea. Way better than the actual Cortana going rogue.

 

[maximrace]

I'm going to say it again, wait until you have played the game before you start complaining. I have completed it, can't really say more.

 

[Random17]

I'm going to say it again, wait until you have played the game before you start complaining. I have completed it, can't really say more.

I consider this defacto admittance that the leak is real.... it'll be interesting to see how it is done in game. (I'll feel very silly if the leak is fake)

Reviewers have been hinting at something big, and the story definitely leaves insanity open for future titles. That might be the reason why. We already know everything about the multiplayer and gameplay in general, so the "interesting review" hints are likely in reference to the plot.

 

[Chinner]

I have heard that if you complete the game on legendary there is a sex scene Cortana and Chief.

Spoiler

You want to know what the spoiler is? They show EVERYTHING. Full penetration.

 

[T-0800]

I'm going to say it again, wait until you have played the game before you start complaining. I have completed it, can't really say more.

It's a spoiler thread. Why can't you say more?

 

[maximrace]

I consider this defacto admittance that the leak is real.... it'll be interesting to see how it is done in game. (I'll feel very silly if the leak is fake)

I'm not saying anything about the leak. What I'm saying is that you shouldn't base your opinion of a 10h long story on 10 lines of text. You can make every good story look bad that way. The only way to experience a story the right way is by yourself.

 

[maximrace]

It's a spoiler thread. Why can't you say more?

Review embargo, the 26th I will gladly detail what i think about the story

 

[PetulantChild]

I'm not saying anything about the leak. What I'm saying is that you shouldn't base your opinion of a 10h long story on 10 lines of text. You can make every good story look bad that way. The only way to experience a story the right way is by yourself.

I just want to know what your opinion of Halo 4s story was.

 

[rrc1594]

I have heard that if you complete the game on legendary there is a sex scene Cortana and Chief.

Spoiler

You want to know what the spoiler is? They show EVERYTHING. Full penetration.

 

[Flying Toaster]

I have heard that if you complete the game on legendary there is a sex scene Cortana and Chief.

Spoiler

You want to know what the spoiler is? They show EVERYTHING. Full penetration.

Chinner NeoGAF's sage proves pegging in HALO 5!

 

[maximrace]

I just want to know what your opinion of Halo 4s story was.

I really didn't like it and I'm a huge lore nut

 

[XAL]

People saying that Cortana "died" at the end of Halo 4... What draws you to that conclusion? Doesn't she say;

"I'm not coming with you this time"

And, more importantly...

"Most of me is down there"

Where is there exactly? Personally I always felt like that was left open to allow Cortana return.

Most of her was down in the wreckage in the Didact's sphere ship/composer. She split herself and make copies and shit like she did in one of the earlier Halo novels.

Most - but not all. And yes you could say that the light-form that she constructed to say goodbye to John was the rest of her, but she doesn't explicitly say so.

I had no doubt in my mind that she was going to return - escaping into some kind of Forerunner network - or a piece of her coming out of the wreckage.

343 Guilty Spark survived getting almost annihilated by a spartan laser, was recovered and essentially hijacked a UNSC ship and all of her crew after regaining lost memories of his past life. And he was toasted and mostly destroyed.

 

[greenleafcm]

...

What probably annoys me the most, aside from 343i flat-out lying to us, is how they've been giving us the false impression that the universe is moving on to an exciting new direction after the transitory episode that was Halo 4. Especially after we learned that Blue Team's going to accompany the Chief now. Killing off Cortana was a bold move, to be sure, but since they did it anyway they should've stood behind that decision instead of this horribly obvious backpedaling we're getting now. The story they said we'd be getting -- Chief back with his team, questioning things, coping with loss and growing as a character -- sounded like a great setup and a good way to open up the universe. Unfortunately, if even half the spoilers are true, this isn't that story. The very fact Cortana is alive in any shape or form ruins it all.

And let me be clear, I'm not even a Cortana hater. I liked her for what she was, which is why I'd have preferred that she stay dead because that would've been the respectful thing to do for both the character and the audience. But somewhere along the line the writers apparently got the idea that she isn't just a particularly clever software infiltrator, she's an über special Sue ex machina who's part of some grand genetic destiny. It's as if 343i was afraid to follow through with the idea of Cortana being dead just because she's an iconic character, and so she must continue to be massively important in the story too. Granted, it's a pretty common problem with fictional universes - characters' fame in the real world starts bleeding into the narrative until they've become bloated parodies of themselves.

 

[Random17]

I disagree on that Cortana point, I think the game makes it quite clear that Cortana as we know it is not back.

Similar situation with Halo 3, where Cortana moments indicated her presence, but she wasn't actually there and it was notable during the ingame moments just by her sheer absence.

 

[greenleafcm]

-del-

 

[Spades]

Did the leaker mention who was the new ally Osiris encounters?

In case you're still wondering, it's the Arbiter and co.

 

[greenleafcm]

In case you're still wondering, it's the Arbiter and co.

I was told it was Genesis' Monitor.

 

[tuna_love]

So you say to wait until competing the game before complaining...but also say that as a huge lore nerd you really didn't like it?

...well then that doesn't inspire much confidence does it? Because as a fellow huge lore nerd even the undetailed version of the plot we have now offends me. Do you mean it actually doesn't improve with full context?

My source tells me they are talking about halo 4

 

[greenleafcm]

My source tells me they are talking about halo 4

Lol. Thanks for the correction. XD

 

[Random17]

So you say to wait until competing the game before complaining...but also say that as a huge lore nerd you really didn't like it?

...well then that doesn't inspire much confidence does it? Because as a fellow huge lore nerd even the undetailed version of the plot we have now offends me. Do you mean it actually doesn't improve with full context?

You need to relax, yes other die hard lore fans are on edge because of the leaked plot and ratio. I am one of those people, but holy shit at least wait for the game to come out lol.

The leak sounds trite and insane (in a good way) at the same time. It's going to come down to execution.

 

[Spades]

I was told it was Genesis' Monitor.

Oh, that too. Arbiter first and then you meet up with the monitor when you go after Chief and co. I can't remember her name. It'll come to me later today. (Think it was something like "Enlightened Witness").

 

[Spades]

My leaker came through this time. There is no way they're not legit.

Osiris' "new ally" at the end of the game is:
"The ally is a monitor of Genisis I think it's female. She helps you light bridges and even spawns you a tank."

Yep, all true. The tank bit was pretty funny, actually.

 

[greenleafcm]

I'm not saying anything about the leak. What I'm saying is that you shouldn't base your opinion of a 10h long story on 10 lines of text. You can make every good story look bad that way. The only way to experience a story the right way is by yourself.

I don't think the problem is with the the plot summary...I think the problem is mostly with the premise of the plot itself.

Frankly I don't see how "Cortana is alive, is in control of the Domian, and is using it to "free" other AIs and kill a ton of people to enforce martial law via Forerunner death machines" will be any less stupid when stretched out over 10 hours. A ridiculous concept is still a ridiculous concept regardless of length.

 

[Spades]

I don't think the problem is with the the plot summary...I think the problem is mostly with the premise of the plot itself.

Frankly I don't see how "Cortana is alive, is in control of the Domian, and is using it to "free" other AIs and kill a ton of people to enforce martial law via Forerunner death machines" will be any less stupid when stretched out over 10 hours. A ridiculous concept is still a ridiculous concept regardless of length.

She has a cure for rampancy. Other AI's want in. They join her. She feels she is doing it for the greater good.

 

[greenleafcm]

She has a cure for rampancy. Other AI's want in. They join her. She feels she is doing it for the greater good.

Yeah. So like I said, it's just a stupid concept regardless.

 

[Spades]

Yeah. So like I said, it's just a stupid concept regardless.

I thought it was okay to be honest. Quite enjoyed the storyline but it did feel a lot like a setup for Halo 6.

 

[XAL]

I thought it was okay to be honest. Quite enjoyed the storyline but it did feel a lot like a setup for Halo 6.

As long as it's not anywhere near Amazing Spider-Man 2 where it felt like they rushed through the first half of the movie as fast as fucking possible throwing everything by the wayside so they could introduce the Sinister Six. Whole thing felt like a fucking ad for a movie that's never going to happen.

Yeah. So like I said, it's just a stupid concept regardless.

How thought provoking of you.

There is plenty of context for where the story is going. Her talks with Gravemind, the AI conclave from Reach, the entirety of Marathon, etc.

 

[Spades]

As long as it's not anywhere near Amazing Spider-Man 2 where it felt like they rushed through the first half of the movie as fast as fucking possible throwing everything by the wayside so they could introduce the Sinister Six. Whole thing felt like a fucking ad for a movie that's never going to happen.

Not at all. The pace of the campaign was actually a major strong point, I thought.

 

[greenleafcm]

How thought provoking of you.

There is plenty of context for where the story is going. Her talks with Gravemind, the AI conclave from Reach, the entirety of Marathon, etc.

The thing is though, did we really NEED to go this direction? Immediately bringing back a "dead" character, making them a new major villian (and thus negating all development and closure they got in the last game), and then completely dropping all the current set ups we had in regards to ONI corruption, Flood still existing within known space, and the Didact still being at large? The issue about AIs in the Halo Universe was something we knew about yes, but putting it at the forefront like this still feels totally out of left field.

 

[DATABASE DATABASE]

She has a cure for rampancy. Other AI's want in. They join her. She feels she is doing it for the greater good.

But why is a seemingly "sane" Cortana going so far for peace? The "play nice or die" approach is something a rampant AI would do

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

I wonder if this "cure" is simply access to the near unlimited information dump that is The Domain. If rampancy is an AI thinking itself to death then something like The Domain should provide enough information for an AI to eventually reach what it believes is stability. In Halo 4 when she was accessing The Domain she was only doing so to find information pertinent to the mission but a rampant fragment stuck in the Domain for a year and some change might come away as what we see in Halo 5. I need to play this game.

 

[rrc1594]

But why is a seemingly "sane" Cortana going so far for peace? The "play nice or die" approach is something a rampant AI would do

A rampant AI would also lie about not being rampant. You know what I'm actually hyped to see how this all plays out

 

[NippleViking]

Not at all. The pace of the campaign was actually a major strong point, I thought.

Would you mind terribly just giving a few basic impressions? Would be very interested in hearing whether you think it will repeat the problems of Halo 4's campaign - or introduce a whole new set of issues - and if you felt the encounters and gameplay holds up to the prior entries.