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Submit Your Comment On Halo: Combat Evolved's Second Half For The Deepest Dive (Patreon)

Published:
2020-08-17 16:00:04
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

It's time to submit your comment on the second half of Halo: Combat Evolved for The Deepest Dive! For the next discussion airing on Wednesday, we're talking about everything in the 2001 game from 343 Guilty Spark through the ending.

Also, because we're continuing to grow, please keep your one comment to around the length of a tweet. We want to get to as many comments as possible so we can't read extensive novels from everybody. We hope you understand.

Please submit a comment below with your specific thoughts on the second half of the game's campaign. Let's talk about your favorite line, gun, art asset, button layout, please get specific. The more specific you are, the higher the odds of us reading your comment during the discussion. We'll finish collecting comments on Tuesday morning. We'll be covering Halo: Combat Evolved's multiplayer next week!

Remember, you can watch us record The Deepest Dive live on Tuesday if you're at the $10 Backstage Pass tier on Patreon. The link will be in the Backstage Pass tier on the Discord. Thanks for your support!

Here's a link to the first discussion in case you missed it, any help sharing The Deepest Dive is appreciated! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHS7fLRvVnQ

Files

Comments

Derin

The Flood were pretty cool for an hour. Then they just never let up for the rest of the game, and I slowly began to hate their existence. A large chunk of my frustration with the second half basically revolves around the Flood, they just eat up bullets and the only good weapon late in the game, for me, was the shotgun and pistol. The final mission in particular is one of my least favorite missions in a game, it has bad checkpoints, and the never ending swarm of enemies while I looked for grenades to blow up the reactor thing, was beyond irritating. I could not imagine doing that mission on any level above normal. I mostly enjoyed the game, but the second half was really frustrating at times.

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Let's play "UNSC Ships or Not" (It's a bad title I know) I'll provide some names, and you guys determine whether these are Halo ships or not. Here is the list (Patreon won't let me make paragraphs, so sorry about this formatting): 1. UNSC Two for Flinching 2. UNSC Weeping Willows 3. Do You Feel Lucky? 4. UNSC Walk of Shame 5. UNSC Wink of an Eye ANSWER: These are all real ship names!

PseudonymousJoe

This might be a little nit-picky, but considering this is a deepest-dive, I think it is important to mention: During last week’s discussion of the original vs the updated graphics, nobody mentioned that the “original” graphics used in the Master Chief collection are not from the original Xbox version, but from the slightly broken Gearbox PC port. This port has a variety of visual issues, most noticeably with bump mapping and shaders. Importantly, these issues often mean that the game looks artistically different than it did on the OG Xbox. Considering how iconic the visuals of Halo are, I think this is a pretty big deal. It’s not just your memory deceiving you, it actually did look a bit better back when you first played it. And not to be too negative (as the game is great and I’ve been having a great time revisiting it), but a lot of us in the community have been encountering technical issues (mostly involving sound) with the Master Chief collection. I know FlamingQueso hasn’t been able to pause his game without the sound completely disappearing. Given how important this game is, I really wish that we had a truly fantastic and polished remaster, like something on par with Bluepoint’s Shadow of the Colossus remake. Halo deserves it. (In case you are curious for a very brief overview of the visual differences I mentioned above, here is a Digital Foundry video that touches on it. I’ve timestamped it to the visual comparison, but the rest of the video also demonstrates some audio issues from launch that haven’t been fully resolved. https://youtu.be/jSjnxJ6HWmw?t=625 )

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I was only 6 or 7 when I originally played Halo. I remember loving the first missions so much, it was so different from anything I had ever played (I was only playing Mario games until then). And then... The Flood appeared. I couldn't continue the game because I was so creeped out by their appearance, it was only when Halo 2 came out (I was 8 at this point) that I overcame my fears and completed the game, but I thought the second half of Combat Evolved was pretty fun playing through it again.

Tommy Carver-Chaplin

I think one of the biggest surprises for me was how charming Cortana was as a character, and I loved the dynamic between her and John. Is Cortana the first example of a consistent voice in your head that not only relays information and direction but is crucial to world and character building? Reminds me a lot of Glados (and obviously 343 and Hal before it all) and Ghost from Destiny.

Robert Garder

Hey Ben and Crew, Man the flood introduction was awesome! Having never beaten this game I loved the lead up to that, even though the level design got repetitive super fast. But just before the flood there was a soldier who started firing on me, spouting crazy things. I sat there taking round after round hoping he would come to his senses, but like a wounded animal I had to put him down. Did anyone else do the same?

Chris H

I love all the creepy little things "343 guilty spark" does to set the mood for the reveal. If you look closely at the beginning of the level you can actually spot the flood jumping through the trees (also showing up on the motion tracker). Then the lack of resistance and dead covenant in the structure are further lend to the mood. As a kid it took me years to even advance last this level, definitely stellar environmental storytelling

Allan

In the first part someone brought up how the original graphics are darker and creepier, and that's especially true in the Flood levels. The updated graphics are way too bright, which removes the atmosphere that's so strong in the original. What stood out to me most though were the little Flood parasite guys. In the updated graphics their coloring is more pronounced so the ends of their tentacles are a bright red that really pops. Every time they attack it looks like they're trying to pummel their target with tiny boxing gloves. Maybe it's just me, but I couldn't unsee that and it was very funny to me.

Tommy Carver-Chaplin

343 Guilty Spark was the mission that changed everything for me. Not only did it first click why this game is quite special, but it also completely changed the way I played the game. I stopped being slow and strategic and found myself panicked, urgent, and would take any opportunity to dodge mobs if possible throughout the rest of the game. How did 343 Guilty Spark change your feelings towards the game and was there a moment for you that sold you the game in general?

Mark Ramirez

I love “everything is going to blow up get out” end sequences. Especially halo, which usually ends with you driving the janky warthog, bouncing and flipping your way to the end. This first one is a little rough around the edges, but it was the start of a trend within the series that would improve. Also co-op trying to crash/mess with your buddies while trying to escape is the best.

Rory Sublett

Is there anything better in shooters than the shotgun? And is there a better shotgun than Halo’s?

Fred Dinovo

Howdy all, I love the "survival horror" feel the game takes once the Flood show up and the slow build up to finding them. -The Covenant in the forest seemingly attacking another entity you can't see -Coming across areas where a battle has taken place -The panicked marine who attacks you on sight. Finding the shotgun at this point adds to that survival horror feel -it's the most effective weapon against them -it's the only gun you can load one bullet at a time and keep the loaded shells when you have to fire part way through reloading -Ammo, at least at first, is hard to come by   The second half of this game is my favorite part for sure. 

Brian W

Here’s why halo 1 is the best: It’s the end of the game and things haven’t gone as planned. You just bashed in your commanders brains after he fell to the enemy and you are flying back to where the game started. The pillar of autumn. The music keys in all the emotion of your journey with sweeping cameras to reveal the ship, and your last hope, teetering on a cliff. Chief flys in, worn from his epic journey. Will this broken down banshee make it? Pull up! Pull up! Cortana shouts just before the ship crashes. It explodes on the side of the Autumn. Much like crash landing on the halo itself the chief grabs hold and pulls himself up. Now framed in familiar circular iconography, chief stands alone once more ready to finish the fight.

Wade Wojcik

Hey Ben and gang! To the question of Why do Elites say “Wort wort wort”? If you listen closely it’s actually “Wohg”, because it’s a pitch shifted sample played backwards of Sergeant Johnson yelling “Go go go!” Who knew such a simple modification of Johnson’s line would become one of the most iconic parts of Halo!

Wade Wojcik

In an earlier version of the story, when Master Chief returns to Cortana in Halo’s control room she’s mad with power, and wants to take over the galaxy. I’m so thankful Bungie decided otherwise, forever saving the Halo universe from the “evil AI that wants to kill all humans” cliche. (Wink wink)

Andrew Burnes

I think in this portion of the game, the versatility of Halo's weapons really shines. The shotgun absolutely wrecks The Flood, while it's really risky to use against elites as they pelt you with Plasma Rifle fire. The Plasma Pistol meanwhile, while not great against The Flood, can destroy an elite's shield with a single charge shot. The Needler is effective against both, but it's easy to get swarmed when using it. Meanwhile the sniper can crown an elite at a distance no problem, but is completely useless against The Flood. Mixing and matching combinations for each situation becomes a really fun strategic dance in missions like Two Betrayals (one of the best missions in the game) and Keyes (one of the worst) when contending with both groups intermittently. Also, screw this game's checkpoint system.

FlaminQueso

Howdy Hanson and the 'horts, The mission 343 Guilty Spark might be the smartest designed level in Halo: CE. Is there a better introduction to a video game enemy type than the way Halo: CE introduces you to the flood? The creepy environment, tense music and then the cut scene! Then the way the flood comes at you little by little until you’re overwhelmed. Then you find the shotgun for the first time. The fact that you can’t leave the same way you came in adds to a big sense of tension and disorientation. But the biggest sense of horror comes from the lack of Cortana in your ear for the first time. You’re all alone against this new enemy type, struggling to get out. Thanks, Greg "FlaminQueso"

Wade Wojcik

One of the reasons sergeant Johnson survived the flood ambush is because he’s actually immune to the flood infection! This was a result of the experiments done to him during the Spartan I program (previously called Project Orion). In the events immediately after Halo 1, Dr. Halsey learns about his immunity and lets Master Chief decide whether to reveal this secret to the UNSC. If he did, they would kill Johnson, and dissect him looking for a cure. In the end Chief decides to keep the secret. Strikingly similar to The Last of Us! (edit) Turns out this issue is a bit more complicated, stemming from narrative disagreements between Joe Staten/Bungie and Eric Nylund (Halo: First Strike, The Fall of Reach, Ghosts of Onyx). Either way, I think we can all agree Sgt. Johnson is one BA mother f***er!

Travis M.

Hi all! One of the best conversations in the game occurs during the flashback cutscene in "343 Guilty Spark". The group of marines reach the inner sanctum where the Flood have been kept, and one marine notes how hard it will be to get in. Keyes tells him to get to work, at which point the marine puts a block on the door, taps three keys, and it slides open. Gotta love that future tech! Just thought it was funny. Thanks for finally getting me to play this great gane :)

Luke Strain

Did anyone else notice that during the Jenkins helmet video the Marines used that fancy unlock gadget on a door that was already unlocked? (The light was green). I know the Marines AI was bad, but C'mon!

Sutton

This game confirms that master chief can literally rip someone’s f’ing face out of their head. RIP Captain Keyes <3

FlaminQueso

Sorry i'm submitting a second post! don't hate me! My least favorite line in the whole game, that made me mad as a 12 year old and still frustrates me, is in the Library level when Guilty Spark says "Odd. You brought such ineffective weapons to combat the flood..." I'm over here mowing down waves of flood with my shotgun while the little Sentinels fire their worthless laser beams at the flood and Guilty Spark does nothing both float around and hum and talk to himself. This guy....

Kris Calkins

Hello Ben and the Deep Divers, Remember that elite (or multiple if you're playing on harder difficulties) that ambushes you on the elevator right before the big Warthog escape? His name is Zuka 'Zamamee and he has been dogging you the whole game trying to kill you and that was supposed to be his big moment. Which you can read more about in the novelization of Halo: Combat Evolved titled Halo: The Flood by William C. Dietz.

Donnie

I was a little excited when I realized some of you didn’t know about the twist with the Flood last time. That was crazy to me as a kid and I’m curious how you found the reveal? The cutscene from the marine’s viewpoint overall gets the job done I think but the voice acting is... eesh”

Dunder

In the opening cutscene of Two Betrayals, Cortana uses some unexpected phrases like “watching you two toady about” and telling Guilty Spark to “sod off”. This is because the original plan was for Cortana to have a slight British accent but the idea was scrapped since the voice actress had recently voiced a British character in another game and the two sounded too similar.

Dizcrowell

I'm new! Hello mcm's (I still don't know what that means) I wanted to point out that I prefer the way the Flood looks in the OG graphics way more. They're more tick like and gross and feel like the updated graphics are over designed.

Colin Perkins

Here's some fun facts about Master Chief from the Halo extended universe: -He was abducted at the age of 6 by the order of Dr. Catherine Halsey and conscripted into the Spartan-II program, along with 149 other children with similar mental and physical prowess. -His first name is John, but his last name is classified. His military designation is John-117 because he was the 117th candidate identified to be in the Spartan-II program. -The Spartan-II program was originally created to combat the human insurrection that manifested from rapid human expansion within the Milky Way Galaxy. -After years of training, his "class" was put through a series of augementations that gave them super strength and hightened cognative abilities while they were 14 years old. Only 33 survived the augmentations without physiological deformities. -He's 6'10" and weighs 286 lbs. While wearing his Mjolnir armor, he's 7'2" and weighs 995 lbs. -His official rank in the UNSC Navy is Master Chief Petty Officer. This is the highest non-officer rank an individual can obtain. -Master Chief is 41 years old during the events of Halo: Combat Evolved.

t00thr0t

I understand why people don’t like The Library but I had a “blast” shooting at all those waves! The little crawlers are fun to shoot at and that balloon popping feeling was so satisfying. Weirdly, they look more like balloons about to burst with the OG graphics. With the new graphics less so but they increased the size of the shreds and pronounced that feeling in a different way. Also one-shotting the combat types with the almost indefinite shotgun ammo just puts a smile on my face!

t00thr0t

And also.. what’s up with that one song?? We’ve heard that one before, the one that plays when you fight the guardians at the end of The Library. It sounds like straight from Beverly Hills Cop 😄

Cade Mead

Disclaimer: I played on normal. The shotgun felt like a mandatory weapon for this last half because of its effectiveness against the humanoid flood. That's fine, but I did feel like I was punished for trying other weapons. Also, it would've been nice to get a heads up that grunts were suddenly packing covenant rockets. I really enjoyed the final mission, with the air vents, and if anyone didn't know, you can crouch jump to skip having to drop and run back up the stairs in that section.

Jordan Holmdahl

Did anyone else find the shotgun invaluable against the Flood in the back half? I sought one out as quickly as possible in every mission because nothing else, as far as I know, would guarantee a one hit kill against the space zombies and it made some frustrating sequences bearable. On that subject, is there any more stress-inducing noise than a shotgun blast from one of those Flood foot soldiers in this game? No other enemy killed me as abruptly as often as those freaking jerks in this whole game.

Andrew vala

I love the increasing sense of isolation the game builds in the second half. The mission 343 Guilty Spark is really the last time you encounter other (living) humans and following mission environments are progressively chaotic and antagonistic. At some points, you’re not even the enemies’ biggest concern as seen in the Flood vs. Covenant battles. This was not what I expected when I first played HCE, and that subversion of expectation is what made Halo so special for me.

Blake Kibby

I gotta be honest: when I first played Halo, I spent a lot of time in the second half running back to the previous checkpoint, trying to get one or two flood to follow me so I could more easily pick them off. It was tedious to say the least. The fact that it was so easy to "cheese" the game might be a negative, but at the time, I thought I was pretty smart for exploiting the game in that way.

Jeorin

I got an achievement for playing on the 15th. I have no idea what this means, but I'm betting one of you Halo fans knows! Anyone bypass the crazed human enemy? I ended up killing him after he shot me a couple of times. It's weird that you only encounter one guy like this. It would've been compelling to have mind controlled or crazed human enemies for a section. I mostly didn't enjoy this game, but man when the Flood first appear and the game finally gives you a shotgun... I was finally having fun for a bit. Setting off a chain of explosions by hitting one of the weird bursters was very satisfying.

BluCheezDressin

Halo to you all! After Kyle so graciously relinquished to me me the title of “biggest halo fan” I must, regretfully, vacate my title. There are some people in the discord that really know their Halo! I never liked the Flood back when I first played Halo, I don’t think I like them now either. I think now I like the idea of the flood, the tonal shift they provide the game, another enemy faction that also fights your existing enemy, and they add an interesting wrinkle to the story. The problem is that three of them can have rocket launchers in one encounter, and they don’t stay dead half the time. I really hate the flood in the game, but I think I’ve come around to the flood in the story. Cheers

Zach E

Move over pistol; the shotgun is the main gun now! For the level "343 Guilty Spark", I appreciate that they don't introduce the shotgun until halfway through. The player has to deal with the new and horrifying enemy type with ineffective weapons. But then you get that shotgun, and it's a whole different battle. It's great against elites too, so I almost always had a shotgun equiped for the second half of the game.

Jared Duddy

So the original Halo ends with the video game setup of a lifetime. After Master Chief basically says to the player "Find out what happens next in Halo 2," he spends *just* enough time taking off his helmet for the ship to block his face. Ever since, Halo fans have been wondering: What does the green shooty man look like? I think keeping this mystery alive has definitely added some mystique to the character, but I have a question for you all: With Infinite being marketed as the last Halo for a very long time, will Master Chief's face reveal itself by the end of the game? Personally, I don't think 343 would do it, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Shawn Mills

As a follow up to your conversation about the name Truth and Reconciliation I wanted to let you know where that phrase comes from. It refers to judicial bodies that countries will set up to judge political crimes from their past, the most famous example is from South Africa who created this commission after the fall of apartheid. It focuses on uncovering the truth and finding ways to heal victims and repair the country.

Dunder

Last comment, I promise: I really appreciate the dynamic of how the small Flood infection form are harmlessly popped by your charged shields but everything completely changes when your shields are down and they suddenly become a major threat. The screen shakes, the controller rumbles, and your health rapidly declines when a single flood spore digs into you. To this day, the feedback from the game during this scenario is still really impressive.

Zack

I love the things Bungie added in later Halo games to make the campaign more replay-able/customizable, like skulls, scoring, terminals, etc. and I adore that 343i added them to Halo 1 through the anniversary edition. I played through four times for the deepest dive, once on legendary co-op with my buddy, once on heroic solo to take in the story and find all the skulls/terminals/easter eggs, once for all the par times/speedrun achievements, and once for all the par scores. I like how each of these things is a uniquely enjoyable challenge that is completely different from all the rest. My personal favorite was trying to get Pacifist ("complete the Silent Cartographer without shooting, grenades, melee, dying or restarting") and Feet Firmly Planted ("beat any level without jumping") at the same time

Zack

Lore-wise, I appreciate that the Flood are not mindless zombies. They know how to repair and operate the technology of any species they encounter, and their goal in this game is to repair the human and covenant spaceships on Installation 4 so that they can escape and continue spreading. You wouldn't expect one of those waddling Carrier Forms to be a great engineer, but it just goes to show, you can't judge a book by its hideous fleshy cover.

Jacob Haslam

When coming across The Flood and The Covenant battling in the later part of Two Betrayals, I always have that 'wow' moment. Watching tanks, hunters, elites, and the flood battling was something I hadn't seen before.... then you have to fight the remaining enemies! It's rare that we have these large scale battles in new games, let alone Halo that did this 20 years ago. The latter part of the game does reuse assets (The Library being the worst offender!) but the scale and intensity is really taken up to another level. It provides memorable set pieces that stay with you after you finish the game which in my eyes, truly makes it a memorable experience and why it's still thought of fondly today.

Zack

Quick reference guide to the Flood forms in this game, so that we don't end up with another "Kyle calling the Hunters 'Brutes' situation" :P Infection Form: those tiny bug-like creatures that swarm about and turn sentient beings into Flood Carrier Form: the slow-moving, bulbous creatures that explode and release Infection Forms upon death Combat Form: the result of when an Infection Form attaches to a host, such as a Marine or an Elite, and assumes control of their flesh. Some Combat Forms attack you by running up to you and lunging at you, while others carry the weapons from their previous life. These all fall under the same category, despite being quite different in appearance and tactics.

BeatenDownBrian

It’s probably a pretty well known easter egg as it’s tied to an achievement, but after you find Captain Keyes and the cutscene plays, if you follow one of the tentacles just to the right of him you can find his pipe hanging from the end of it. It’s a small unnecessary detail that they didn’t really need to add, but it makes me happy they did. Also, pistol/shotgun combo is god tier.

Sandshrewd

Second half highlights: I love the transition into a horror game in 343 Guilty Spark. The horrified marine shooting at you, the mystery of what happened, Jenkin's video, so well done. I also love how the flood makes you change your tactics, now you have an enemy that relentlessly charges at you in contrast to the Covenant. Also, since you have only two weapon slots, you have to balance out what to use vs the Flood or the Covenant. Finding Keyes and literally ripping the chip out of his head was also awesome. And of course, the second half of the Warthog escape when Echo 419 goes down and the music kicks in was the part I remember the most from playing this game, epic moment.

Sandshrewd

Second half lowlights: The Library, I mean c'mon. Perhaps the epitome of repetitive hallwayish (Kyle's word, not mine) levels. The only thing enjoyable were Guilty Sparks's quips. I don't know how when playtesting this level they thought "Oh yeah, this is fun". Two Betrayels had epic outdoor moments but like Assault on the Control Room felt a little too long. The reused environments in the second half were also a letdown, but expected with a perhaps rushed launch game. Also speaking of lowlights, did anyone else play this with the giant xbox launch controller? Worst console controller ever?

Danny Yorkus

Hello Ben I thought of something more specific this time around! Many of the grunts in the final level The Maw were carrying Fusion Rod Canons, those huge guns usually used by the Hunters. I thought it was a great way for the game designers to portray the covenant's desperation as they gave the most powerful weapons to those little annoying guys. Also the Grunts wear those respirators which are filled with Methane so they pretty much live on farts. -Danny

G-Max Thoeren

Hey CLCs, Nintendo Switch controller guy writing in again. Still liked the game, but boy was a lot of this second half rough, especially that final level. I hoped Halo wouldn't fall into the "changing up the gameplay for the climax" trap because we'd spent so much time with the Warthog previously, but nope - this was basically a glorified racing section that went on for way too long (and forced you to restart from the very beginning if you failed).

Mark Garcia

Hey CLCs, I remember the final level being the bane of my existence in college, largely due to how finicky the warthog could be if you accidentally hit an enemy or didn’t land a jump, just right. I love the concept of escaping an exploding ship with a ticking clock, but between the driving controls, explosions, enemies, and the topography, this was easily one of the most frustrating moments in the game for me (with the library being the most frustrating of course). And while it may be somewhat manageable on a single player run, it is elevated to a whole different level of challenging when playing co-op and trying to get both people to the end.

Austin Taylor

I had to write in about your impressions on The Maw. This is to me the quintessential Halo 1 mission, and playing it today brings me right back to my buddy's living room carpet and his Dad talking about Pepsi-Cola with his Chicago accent. The opening is fantastic, with the sweeping camera and the 2nd best subtitle in the game, '...And The Horse You Rode In On' (after 'I Would Have Been Your Daddy' of course). The final escape sequence is so memorable and if you know the correct path, an exhilarating ride to the end. I just can't believe over half of MinnMax has no nostalgia for the Halo escape sequence!