Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 11 hours ago
Compared to the Covenant's plasma technology, the UNSC's weaponry seems almost archaic. This video delves into the lore justifications and gameplay mechanics that explain why humanity sticks to ballistics.
Transcript
00:00Have you ever been playing any Halo game and wondered, humanity's weaponry? What's up with that?
00:06With the Halo universe set in the 26th century, you'd be well within your rights to question why humanity's arsenal
00:12looks more akin to Call of Duty than other sci-fi properties like Mass Effect or even Star Trek.
00:19Even the weaponry of humanity's main antagonists, the Covenant, includes superheated plasma and energy bolts, making the home team's projectile
00:27weaponry seem rather old-fashioned.
00:30So why? Why do humanity's armaments in Halo look shockingly similar to those of today?
00:36Well, there's a few different reasons.
00:38From a game design perspective, it makes them easily distinguishable from those of other factions, and also adds to the
00:43rock-paper-scissors meta of Halo's sandbox.
00:46Energy weapons are good against shields, ballistics against armor, and the squishiness underneath.
00:52But there are lore justifications too.
00:54Before the Coveys showed up, humans were in a prolonged state of peace after a series of civil wars.
01:00There really wasn't much of a call to advance weaponry before the great war we see in the games.
01:05And even though humanity has dabbled in things like high-power lasers and weaponized EMPs,
01:10Ballistic weaponry is cheaper to produce, easier to maintain, and far more reliable than anything that requires a power source.
01:17Besides, people have always been about throwing something hard or sharp that either pierces or explodes as fast and or
01:25as far as possible.
01:26So basically, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
01:29So then, please do, don't fix it.
Comments

Recommended