The Terminals
A lot of people had problems with Halo 3’s story…
Some thought the dialogue was corny and exaggerated, others found that the plot involving Cortana’s fate was unrewarding and there were even those who felt the story’s pacing was uncomfortable. Reasonably speaking, there were some complaints to be had by dedicated fans. They had been expecting a final act to the trilogy which was somewhat different than the one which they received.
I was once in that number – critical, cynical and disenfranchised after having invested so much time and effort into the community – specifically covering this particular game. And while I still think there are problems with the campaign itself, I’ve since reconciled with what we were given and now I fully enjoy it every time I play. It’s a grand story and one I believe which, when everything is said and done, fits incredibly well within the Halo fiction.
That being said, the one part of Halo 3’s story which I’ve loved from the very beginning was the terminals. For those who are unaware, they are a historically detailed account of the fate of the Forerunners only accessible throughout various hidden locations in the game’s campaign. The individual plots through which this story is told are not only refreshing and authentic, but they are also surprisingly human. To be quite frank, they’re the best segment of Halo fiction we’ve been offered yet. Period.
The unfortunate side effect of their elusive and hidden nature is that the many concepts, events and characters, which were discussed in the terminals, are subsequently lost or ignored by players who don’t pursue them. These players, faced with experiencing a story through unconventional methods, shied away from this opportunity. My goal with the following series of articles is tell the story of the terminals in a way which everyone and anyone can sit down and enjoy.
This first piece is called A Voice from the Tomb and it is the backbone of the series, a complete disclosure of the events found within the terminals in chronological and systematic order. In the coming weeks, these articles will drill down deep into the fiction and the characters of the terminals – allowing fans to see the trilogy through completely new eyes. If you’ve invested any time at all into the fiction of the Halo universe, you owe it to yourself to read these portions of the canon, portions which I firmly believe drive the entire saga at its very core.
Click here to reach our page specifically created for The Terminals and thanks for taking this time to enjoy this part of the Halo universe!
/ vociferous
read it all! HUGE fan of it. I might be interested in putting your content as a news item and possibly incorporating it into a section of our site (giving you credit of course? A fellow Halo fan’s obsession should be widely recognized across the community! Check out my website and let me know!
Comment by Maj Williams — March 19, 2008 @ 12:50 pm
*jaw drops* That is probably the best summary and description of the end of the Forerunner civilization. I am amazed. I will make sure many people read this. It was AMAZING!
Comment by Ilan Amadeus — March 21, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
ok that was an epic piece of writeingness. f-n amazing man. i think im gonna go recomend it to my friend.
Comment by dan dalton — May 2, 2008 @ 9:58 pm
I’m a fan of the fiction and this helped me appreciate it more thanks. I skipped reading the terminals but did them for the achievement because the terminals were so long and it wasn’t really handy reading it like that. more cinematics explaining it would have helped but I guess Bungie or MS wanted the story to be understandable to a 12 year old or some casual player. Too bad because a story so grand that could have been explained through the game and made it so much more was left only to the fans who dug deeper, reading the fiction and books. Thumbs up to article.
Comment by imd one — May 3, 2008 @ 8:11 am
awesome. read all of it! everything makes so much more sense now. thanks for the articles!
Comment by aj — May 5, 2008 @ 9:33 am
Absolutely fantastic. You really helped clear things up for me and shed light on things I wasn’t aware of. Thanks for the hard work you put into it.
Comment by Jake — May 5, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
Is it at all possible that the forerunners planned on not keeping MB informed nor order it to attack knowing that this AI would in turn lead the gravemind to the Forerunners as per their original plan.
They seemed to be to well prepared for his return, everything ready to fire, ships in the correct formation, another AI capable of destroying Medicant.
It seems that the best way to destroy your enemy is to lure them out into the open where you are in control and they are prone to error. Since medicant was blind with rage he was too focused on the destruction of his enemys and assimilation of their ships to just downright destroy them.
Comment by CCottle — May 22, 2008 @ 10:38 pm
Goes to show you that Bungie has had a crack team of ninjas making the plot way deeper than it first seemed… Smart idea, really – make it understandable for the 10 year olds (HEY GAIZ IS WE GONNA BLOW UP TEH ALIENS NOW???!!!111one1) but rich for those who won’t be satisfied until we know Chief’s great-great-great grandfather’s middle name.
And dear God, Vociferous, I shiver when I think of how much time and effort even one of these posts takes…
Comment by KDawg ATL — May 25, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
My thanks Vociferous-very interesting no doubt.
Comment by Awoken — June 4, 2008 @ 12:20 pm