Titles seem to be adopting the "chosen one" trend more and more for their heroes, and one player hates it.
Who says a dud game can't have a video game comeback?
Cyberpunk and No Man's Sky have to be up there. We're lucky and cursed, equally, to have games that can be updated now. For folks old enough to remember the Sega/SNES into PS1 and even 2 eras, if a game came out that was half baked (*cough*Angel of Darkness*cough*) that was it, no redemption. At the same time, having the option for updates shouldn't be an excuse for half assing games.
I remember when the Nintendo Seal of Approval meant something.
All those games had to release without bugs.
Diablo III still works on modern PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and remains hugely playable a decade after initial release.
In Halo 4, 5, and Infinite, Master Chief became a more nuanced, human character.
In spite of the Halo series’ struggles, 343 deserves praise for adding nuance and characterisation to the ever-beating heart of Halo - The Master Chief. Playing through Infinite, it's abundantly clear that the events of the current and previous trilogies have irrevocably changed the iconic hero. He’s no longer the ‘blank slate’ that was previously presented by Bungie. He’s a fatigued, damaged and fallible protagonist, and one who is meandering through currents of grief, while reveling in his newfound agency. Giving the Chief a compelling and meaningful voice was no small feat, and 343 should be proud of that victory.
This article completely misses part of the appeal of the original iteration of character in the original game trilogy. It was the Chief and Cortana vs an entire alien collective. The blank slate Bungie displayed in their games was genius, he was an mysterious hero a wide audience could identify with because he wasn't as clearly defined as most characters.
The books added a lot of lore and backstory but most Halo players just want a fun game with exposition that doesn't get in the way of gameplay, it's why the Cortana level in Halo 3 was derided.
Not every character has to be a damaged soyboy, a soldier has to suck it up and do his duty.
A lot of people give the 343 version of Master Chief a lot of slack.
But Fundamentally he is still the same character, he just has a couple more dialogues. He has not changed in terms of attitude.
"Not every character has to be a damaged soyboy, a soldier has to suck it up and do his duty."
And that's what he has done at the end of the day, he did his duty. Watch his partner die, and was ready to destroy the weapon in Halo infinite....he is still the same soilder that everyone remembers
Halo Infintes one was a nice balance between both.
The 343i Master Chief has is based on the books. However, in Halo 4-Infinite, the Master Chief overtime become. gradually becomes more willing to show some emotion.
"However, in Halo 4-Infinite, the Master Chief overtime become. gradually becomes more willing to show some emotion."
Which is awesome! I love how Master Chief become more John and less soldier.
I tend to appreciate "smaller" games more so these days than titles that force you to save the world.
I'd rather be done with the "douchebag protagonist must die in the end" trope.
Or at the very least let's get rid of the "douchebag protagonist" trope.
Agreed except for on Halo...Master Chief is the boss. Plus, he has Cortana.
I can really appriciate this article because he's right. I think the narrative in a lot of stories is tacked on and an easy go-to is the "savior" bit. I would much rather the main protagonist be and underdog that has to fight and persevere through everthing the game throws at you. It seems more like a challenge and holds you in suspense as you wonder if you can make it through.
The problem is much older than the author even recognizes. It is a form of "messianism" that is a common component of stories especially in Western culture, because of its largely Judeo-Christian origins. This is not to say that such stories are more pleasing to us Christians, but only that the idea of a special individual who plays the primary role in world history is deeply rooted in a Jewish and Christian worldview, and is less relevant to ancient Buddhism, for example. Unfortunately it has been adopted in the most ridiculous form and overused by many books, movies, and video games, especially in the Fantasy genre. Almost every Fantasy story is the same, from Star Wars (which is more Fantasy than Sci-fi) to Harry Potter.