Master Chief Won't Unmask in Halo 4

Marshall Honorof

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Feb 16, 2011
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Master Chief Won't Unmask in Halo 4


Halo 4's protagonist won't show his face, but he may die.

Nothing spoils a good mystery like finally unraveling it. If you want some instant gravitas for a character, all you have to do is add a mask. Conversely, if you want to bring him or her right back down to Earth, remove it. Primers on how to create instant drama aside, 343 Industries wants to keep the tension high and plant Master Chief's helmet firmly on his head in the upcoming Halo 4. That said, it's not averse to killing him off at some point.

"It's funny we don't then show his face," says Frank O'Connor, the franchise development director for Halo. "But that's a device to keep the player invested in the character and keep the player from constantly being reminded that they're not a hero [in real life]." O'Connor explains that while Master Chief's appearance is actually well-known to fans of the Halo novels, he doesn't feel that his face should make the jump to videogames. In movies and books, O'Connor argues, the consumer does not have to feel like he or she is actually experiencing the protagonist's adventure, but keeping a videogame's main character somewhat muted can help draw gamers further into the action.

The only problem is that Master Chief may die without ever showing his face, as O'Connor remains vague on Master Chief's continued survival in the next title. "That's a conversation I can't get into. I'll say that in Halo 4, things happen ... [Interesting] stories have things that happen in them that are not comfortable and that are meaningful and that are permanent." This could just be O'Connor's way of remaining coy about the game's plot details, but with a number of games, books, and movies that don't involve him, the Halo franchise can probably survive without its most recognizable character.

If you're still curious about Master Chief's appearance, author Eric Nylund details it in the tie-in novel The Fall of Reach. Of course, you may find the character less compelling once the allure of the unknown is gone, but some mysteries must be solved.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-08-why-343-isnt-ready-to-show-master-chiefs-face]

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Apr 28, 2008
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I feel this is somewhat related:


Personally, I'm good with either leaving it on or taking it off. Just hope the game's good.
 

GiglameshSoulEater

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DVS BSTrD said:
He's Gordon Freeman isn't he?
Nah. Chief talks too much.

I may remember wrong, but didn't they say Chief may die about Halo 3 as well?I may be getting confused withthe advertising for Reach, but they can't pull the same thing twice.
 

Fappy

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Jan 4, 2010
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Why are they just throwing spoilers around like, "Yeah, he's probably going to blow up or some shit."

If I still cared about the story of this franchise this would piss me off.
 

ZeroMachine

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Oct 11, 2008
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He isn't going to die in Halo 4. It's a new trilogy.

But if he doesn't die in Halo 6, I'll be shocked.
 

Korten12

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Aug 26, 2009
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He won't die in Halo 4, Spartan Ops takes place after Halo 4 and they say you run into Master Chief from time to time in it.
 

DugMachine

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I'm glad they won't show his face. I like the mystery but he won't die. I smell a new trilogy and killing him off this quick won't happen. Maybe a big explosion where it's assumed he's dead kind of like the end of Halo 3 but even then I highly doubt it.
 

Shoggoth2588

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Irridium said:
I feel this is somewhat related:


Personally, I'm good with either leaving it on or taking it off. Just hope the game's good.
I fell like this video is a great representation of Halo 4 more than anything. Or at least it was until they started showing off the guns in that game though I still think I'd rather have a Needler circa Halo 3 than the Liefeldian blasters you seem to get in 4.

I lost interest in what Chief looks like when I finished the fight however many years ago. I bet that if he does take his mask off though he'll look something like this:

 

Torrasque

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I remember each game has had people trolling and saying, "If you beat the game with all the skulls on legendary, you see him take off his helmet at the end" or some other such nonsense. Over the years, I have seen and been a part of the "Chief should take his helmet off!" vs "No he shouldn't!" discussion, so many times...

I seriously doubt we'll be seeing his ugly mug anytime soon, and I hope it stays like that.
I also doubt they'll be killing him anytime soon, but I've seen quite a lot of death in the Halo series. Chief dying wouldn't surprise me that much.
 

Thyunda

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Shoggoth2588 said:
Irridium said:
I feel this is somewhat related:


Personally, I'm good with either leaving it on or taking it off. Just hope the game's good.
I fell like this video is a great representation of Halo 4 more than anything. Or at least it was until they started showing off the guns in that game though I still think I'd rather have a Needler circa Halo 3 than the Liefeldian blasters you seem to get in 4.

I lost interest in what Chief looks like when I finished the fight however many years ago. I bet that if he does take his mask off though he'll look something like this:

Last I heard of his appearance it was when he was a wee ginger kid with a gap in his teeth.


OT: "But that's a device to keep the player invested in the character and keep the player from constantly being reminded that they're not a hero [in real life]."

Never. Ever let this man speak again. Do you think I put myself in the armour? That I've been picturing me in my trademark aviators running about shooting aliens?

In real life I fight my battles through wit and charm. In games with that option, I like to do the same. My RPG characters always have speech skills maxed out. I put myself in games with customisable play and ONLY those. Halo is the story of Master Chief. I KNEW 343 would fuck this up, and he's qualified my prediction beyond all doubt with one phrase.

Forget well-written stories and character arcs, YOU'RE the hero, little Timmy.
 

Scorpid

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Jul 24, 2011
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Chief is pretty boring already, they don't need to worry about adding character by just showing his face.
 

SilverUchiha

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Dec 25, 2008
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"But that's a device to keep the player invested in the character and keep the player from constantly being reminded that they're not a hero [in real life]."

This doesn't make sense to me. I argue I'm more invested in a character when I can see their face and see they are vulnerable and human... or humanoid. I'm less invested when they hide behind a mask all the time and I know fuck-all about them. Batman, Spiderman, and Iron Man would all be less compelling and fun if we didn't see the non-heroic side of their lives. (especially with Mr. Stark.)
 

Slycne

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Feb 19, 2006
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Well considering cloning [http://www.halopedia.org/Flash_cloning] is already established in the lore, if they've advance the timeline enough to work out the biological and technological issues of the flash clones not lasting very long they could kill "Chief" over and over. And I seem to remembering seeing about about how Halo 4 was going to delve more into the Spartan program, which would likely include the flash cloning that went on.
 

ARCTIC_EAGLE

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Dec 31, 2011
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MC shouldn't be unmasked, look at the Halo 3 ending he just goes back into cryo saying, "wake me if you need me" the point is he has no name, no face, no hero's welcome. Once you put a face on him its ruined.
 

fix-the-spade

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Feb 25, 2008
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So they're going to kill him off, like Bungie killed him in Halo 3? Or Core killed Lara Croft in Tomb Raider 4? Or Konami killed Snake at beginning of MGS2? Or Crytek killed Prophet a...

DVS BSTrD said:
He's Gordon Freeman isn't he?
No, we can already prove he's not the Freeman, for one thing he's too tall, for another he can... y'know... the thing with the noise.
 

Jandau

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Dec 19, 2008
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Honestly, by this point it either has to be something mind-blowing (like Master Chief being Cthulhu or something), or it'll be a letdown. Personally, I say the same thing I said to that firefighter chick I dated: Leave the helmet on...