: Assuming it's official tomorrow, how would you feel if H2A implemented
: differences besides just graphical upgrades? Such as, fixing the dialogue
: in the cutscene before Delta Halo, or having Justis Bolding re record
: Mirandas lines, or (no!) Terrance Stamp do the same for Truth? Essentially
: creating, Halo 2: The Definitive Edition.

I found just the inaccurate/unfaithful art direction of Halo CE:A insulting, so all of these things you mention would probably drive me over the edge into a negative opinion of 343i. Tinkering with art that isn't your own simply isn't right to me. I'd rather see 343i do a ground-up remake and re-interpret Halo, setting it apart from Bungie's Halo to make two distinct visions. Trying to appease the two, entangling their branches, just makes for strange juxtapositions and drives a wedge between what I loved and what I'm told my love has become.

It would also not in any way be a "Definitive Edition" because it wouldn't be the original author in control and the audience has different opinions on what is "right" or "wrong" with Halo 2. For me, I'm quite happy with what it is. Preserve what has been created or make something new entirely, not something in between that compromises both angles.

I already have a hard time reconciling the ongoing Halo with the "Halo" world in my head. Anything more and I think I may be unable to relate to Halo fans at all. The stories and visuals in our different minds will just be too different.

These remakes and anniversaries at times seem to be motivated by a nostalgic need to rekindle our sweet memories of something past by updating it to present trends. But that doesn't preserve our past! That just creates something new that tends to be even less timeless because its motivation is to match current styles instead of creating its own unique visuals that set it apart. Putting the old graphics alongside an anniversary update is simply a gimmick that makes the old graphics look simple and the new graphics impressive to folks wrapped up by the current trends and styles that are prevalent in their minds. If in a few years more subtle art direction becomes popular, these Anniversaries would look harsh and overfilled by comparison and would need another update. So do we just keep tinkering with these games every 5 or 10 years?

It's not the artworks that should change, it should be us. We should teach ourselves to appreciate what has come before. After an hour playing games of an older generation, you can begin to acclimate to those past styles and you'll be able to enjoy it for what it is. There's no need to juxtapose the old and the new, that's just a tool businesses use to make you feel outdated buy their shiny new goods. It's a process that never ends.