343 Industries has issued an update on the development of Halo Infinite, and one of the core aspects to be improved upon is Craig, the star of E3 2020.
Craig is the name of the Brute who got meleed into next week by Master Chief during the Xbox Games Showcase in the summer. The overall impression left by the gameplay was unfortunately lacklustre, and this split-second screenshot of the Brute shows an utterly emotionless expression on their face, and flat textures that looked like it had been lifted from an Xbox 360 title. Eesh.
Following this damning feedback from fans, developer 343 Industries spent a lot of time and effort ameliorating the visuals of the game as well as other elements of the project." With Halo Infinite, we're returning to a more 'classic' art style which was a key message going back to the very first reveal that garnered enthusiastic and positive responses," explained 343 Industries. "This translates to a more vibrant palette, 'cleaner' models and objects with less 'noise', though it doesn't mean less detail... we do have work to do to address some of these areas and raise the level of fidelity and overall presentation for the final game."
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Ultimately, Halo Infinite's release was pushed into 2021, and the developer assured transparency in all things moving forward. "We aren't making this game for us. We're making it for you. Starting with this update, we're going to be sharing more about what we're doing and, most importantly, why we're doing it," said writer Joseph Staten in a blog post to 343 Industries official website. The very lengthy post covers art direction, graphics, live elements, and customisation, and you can read it in full here. Yet, with such extensive changes on the horizon, what will become of poor Craig?
Though the team have welcomed him into their lives with open arms, Craig will be "undergoing a significant makeover" and will look very different when we meet him again. The reason for his strange appearance was due to the facial animation on NPCs not being fully implemented in the build that was shown off. Ergo, the model of the Brute was "never intended to be seen in that condition." Sounds like me post-Christmas dinner.
"There's been further work done on the material fidelity and more variety added for Brute faces, we're also working to add some hairdos and beards which was something we hadn't gotten to in July. So, whilst we have come to love our dear old Craig, he's certainly undergoing a significant makeover," continued director of art management Neill Harrison. So, lots to look forward to, it seems, and the fact that fans will be included in every step in its journey is rather heartwarming.
Featured Image Credit: 343 IndustriesTopics: News, Halo Infinite