: I don't think 343i's artists have any self-awareness when it comes to
: analyzing flaws in their aesthetics. They just keep throwing what they've
: got at the designs and are at best wondering why some people won't like
: them (quite possibly having shuttered themselves entirely from criticism,
: insisting that the critics just don't like change or something to that
: effect).

Maybe this is all they can do. But that can't be the whole story because they could remove the tube, could give them actual joints. And they could drop the floaty parts that don't seem to do anything for the overall design. they don't seem to have a function, don't compliment or enhance the parts they float near, don't create interesting spaces or interesting empty spaces. They are just there and naff.

: I mean, I love most of what 343i is doing with the game. I love that they're
: including Blue Team, I love that Buck's back, I love the idea of Republic
: Commando-esque squad mechanics. I even love the environments we've seen
: aside from the Soviet sub-like UNSC ship interior. But their character
: design department needs to make an U-turn.

I agree but it is too late, that ship has sailed.

I like much of the Spartan designs. The red Spartan is too Manga, she doesn't look like a Spartan.

I like Japanese art style but it isn't Halo, it is too much it's own thing. It's like putting the pyramids of Giza on a base of Doric columns. Or maybe if the red Spartan was dressed up as one of the guards from Stargate. That would look cool but would be jarring in a Halo setting - as if one of the Spartans was a cosplay from another IP.

Is her armour supposed to be Sangheili inspired? Can you do that? Do you get to sit down with your UNSC armour designers and play around with colour swatches and say, "could you do something with a Sangheili esthetic?" I imagine you would sit down with them, have a nice pot of tea, bring your magazine clippings, your textile samples, a pebble and a piece of dry seaweed and say, "I'm thinking of calling it Driftwood or Smokey Water. What do you think?".