: There was an interview with Halo Wars developers, who said that they made
: Mark IV more intricate and majestic on purpose. Mark IV was the armor made
: early in the war, when the UNSC could afford a little flash. The later
: Marks are streamlined and utilitarian in comparison. The '57 Chevy seemed
: like an apt comparison, though I must admit that I love the style of the
: truck from the 70's and 80's more.

I loved the refined curves of Mark V. Every look is practical and nothing is there for show. It just so happens that it is this very simplicity that makes it gorgeous.

: Nope. Air Assault was my absolute most favorite helmet in Reach. The Halo 4
: version is like seeing the later production run of a beloved car, shortly
: after the workers have been informed that the factory is closing down and
: the CEO has absconded to the Maldives with their pensions. The body work
: is ugly, the panel gaps are horrible, and I can't figure out why someone
: would do that to a perfectly good design.

I can see why you think that. Looking back at the legacy designs they're comparatively like any Mustang from the 1970s to mid-2000s. Air Assault was always on my head too in Reach. I loved the simplicity like a mix of Mark V and ODST that goes well with absolute any look. It really complemented the female player model very well too.

With AA's progression from Reach to Halo 4, I think they did try to go just a little too futuristic. I could definitely appreciate it myself despite the flaws but the basic design was still there and so were all of its defining characteristics I found so appealing. As with all of these designs, they should have looked towards the evolution of Mark V to Mark VI. The latter looks modern and chic, fancy by comparison, yet totally practical.

: Yes. This.

More than anything the wild use of bright colors for armor is just annoying. Early issues of Escalation tried pulling this off where a single team had members with varying colors and patterns, all bright and totally visible. They weren't trying to hide. These Spartans wanted to look flashy. What's wrong with olive drab or black? That's why I'm glad that Blue and Osiris, with the exception of Vale, have very practical colors for their armor. It's either green or on the grayscale.