How Mendicant Bias has shaped the Halo universe to finish the fight (and failed)

“I am Mendicant Bias. This is what I have done.”

Some of the greatest, most enduring mysteries of the Halo universe are instantly called to mind and summed up by that strange name. Beggar after knowledge. Mendicant Bias.

Where their (co-)creator, the Didact, sought vengeance for 100,000 years, Mendicant Bias has single-mindedly sought atonement.

This quest for redemption has made them a pivotal character behind the scenes, to the point where their actions set into motion all the major events of the Halo story (because they couldn’t find the brakes).

With Halo 3 now on PC, this is the perfect time to examine the full extent of Mendicant Bias’s involvement in the past, present, and what potential lies ahead for them in the future of Halo in their ongoing efforts to finish the fight.

Read More How Mendicant Bias has shaped the Halo universe to finish the fight (and failed)

The Last of Us Part 2 – Let’s talk about violence, queer narratives, and revenge

The year is 2020. The era of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is coming to an end, the next generation is just months away…

Can Naughty Dog deliver a sequel to one of their most beloved games with a story worth telling, that challenges us, and pushes storytelling in the medium of video games forward?

Can lightning strike twice with The Last of Us Part 2?

Read More The Last of Us Part 2 – Let’s talk about violence, queer narratives, and revenge

Why the Librarian is Halo’s greatest antagonist

“She is stubborn, brilliant as a nova, dark as a singularity.”

The forces of antagonism in the Halo universe are among some of the most memorable (and quotable) in gaming.

From the soft-spoken machinations of the Prophet of Truth in Halo 2, to Atriox crushing some of the most powerful symbols of the series in his fist – these are characters you don’t soon forget.

Halo 4, however, rather spectacularly buries the lede here. It has become clear that the greatest threat faced not only by humanity, but the galaxy itself, is not an all-consuming parasite, or an army of warmongering mercenaries, or even the Didact himself…

It’s the Librarian.

Read More Why the Librarian is Halo’s greatest antagonist

Why I’m excited for the Halo TV show

After seven long years, the Halo TV show is finally within sight.

Over the last year, we’ve been slowly seeing more and more tidbits of news about the show trickle out, following what feels like millennia of “It’s coming, stay tuned!”

Last November, it was announced that the cast had assembled, the table reads completed, and production was ready to begin – and nothing, not even the Flood could stop it! (How naive we were about all things 2020…)

Given all this additional free time that it’s now our civic duty to observe, I thought I’d share some of my own thoughts on the potential of this series and why I’m excited for it.

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About the mysterious ship in Halo 1 Anniversary, and why Halo NEEDS Terminals

(Or, ‘Why Sequence’s Terminals are one of the best things in Halo.’)

During 343 Guilty Spark’s millennia of isolation on Installation 04, a strange alien vessel crashed on the ring. The community hasn’t stopped wondering about it since.

So, if we’re not meant to get any answers about what it is, let us instead explore why 343 Industries decided to tell this story, and what Sequence’s Terminals represent as an integral aspect of storytelling in modern Halo.

Read More About the mysterious ship in Halo 1 Anniversary, and why Halo NEEDS Terminals

Neil Davidge & Kazuma Jinnouchi – The Unsung Heroes of Halo 4

Often, I describe Halo 4 as “a confluence of talent,” but one area I’ve not talked about as much is the music and how it compliments and drives Halo 4’s worldbuilding, characterisation, and how it uniquely honours the past scores.

Neil Davidge, Kazuma Jinnouchi, and everybody involved in the creation of this game’s soundtrack are unsung heroes of the series – today, I want to give them their due.

Read More Neil Davidge & Kazuma Jinnouchi – The Unsung Heroes of Halo 4