The Evolution of Halo's Covenant - The Brutes

[@ebr8308]

What is your favorite Brute? I want to know! Follow me on Twitter for more Halo discussions and some funny tweets :) twitter.com/ebr_halo

[@blood3215]

Halo infinite

[@poonyapthegrunt3423]

Halo Infinite will do what we've only seen once before, brutes on a halo ring

[@vacuousloki1648]

The Halo 2 brutes, they are quite a nice challenge as they are very aggressive and only weak to headshots and explosives, which makes them difficult to kill without skill as you need to track their head as you strafe and jump around which is very important fighting them, or a well placed plasma nade, make sure you don’t stick them as they charge!

[@blood3215]

@@poonyapthegrunt3423 halo 2

[@dangr3957]

My favourite brutes are the HaloCE SPV3 brutes!😂☝️

[@s-1348]

Halo 3 ones are chill to fight, but I like the uniqueness of the 2 ones, not to hard to head shot in theory, but when they ran towards you it's frightening, a pain in legendary though.

[@kakyointhemilfhunter4273]

Everything is a pain in Halo 2 legendary

[@Kobobble]

Just find a nice little ledge to stand on "It's over, Brute! I have the high ground"

[@s-1348]

@@Kobobble that got me through gravemind!

[@pickleo2756]

Yeah, 79 hours worth of legendary pain.

[@s-1348]

@Slak Kap lol, at least you get a sound before getting kill, unlike the post dead zap of the beamrifle

[@acey6991]

One of the most underrated halo youtube channels.

[@E-damnn]

For real tho

[@E-damnn]

@Aces Spades lol

[@threadyocean]

Indeed

[@Beregond1861]

Agreed

[@plague1449]

Fax

[@GimmieTheJimmie]

12:11 What I would point out is that from a lore perspective, the fleet that invaded reach was commanded primarily by elites, so it's very likely they greatly discriminated and shamed brutes by making them shave off all their fur to be "orderly", similar to how they did in 3. I always saw this as a bit of subtle visual storytelling, especially when you compare the brutish and slapped together armor of the brutes with the elegant and elaborate armor of the elites in the same game. Their relatively hairless body is supposed to be weird and uncomfortable, as it represents like you said, their slave-like status in the Covenant- meathead fodder that will die in mass. The hair on Brutes can be potentially explained in some ways; The reason we saw Brutes as furry in 2 was because they were under the command of Tartarus, who seemingly had a high rank and station on High Charity, so his Brutes could grow hair as they pleased, In Halo 3, to commemorate their new status as the highest ranking species in the military, they would shave off most hair on their bodies to have some sort of military professionalism, similar to ours. Their gameplay in reach is downright inexcusable though, they're pretty much bigger grunts.

[@calus_bath_water]

If I remember correctly the cannon reason is because the reach brutes are a subspieces like the elites in 4 and 5

[@generaltobias3777]

​@@calus_bath_water Brutes have no subspecies unlike some other species in the covenant.

[@HeeeyTooom]

Halo 2 had the best brutes, had me actually trying to shoot them first before worrying about their squad or even Hunters. I hope these banished brutes are from H2

[@T3nMiDGET5711]

Yeah Halo 2’s brutes were more Ape like

[@JuiceboxCE]

THIS! In the beginning half of H2 when fighting elites, I always picked off the grunts and jackals first because they always moved up while the elites kept their distance. Brutes, though, are insanely threatening if not picked off FIRST. They're more up front and become genuinely challenging when going full offensive combat. Then again, I'm the type of dude who actually loved Halo 2's unbalanced nature, kept the game fun to me!

[@HeeeyTooom]

That added unpredictability makes them an actual challenge. It's the only time u get rushed in the story. Besides Gold/Silver/Spec ops elite. probably why they're throwing grunts now too. Just to make us fight them last 😂

[@andresantonio3339]

I Loved fighting the halo 3 brutes and felt the same way as you, it just left you wanting more. I had allot of fun fighting reach brutes even if they were easier than the ones in other games.

[@klutzspecter3470]

Halo Reach's Brutes reminds me of Craig's other cousin. I would like Halo 2 Brute AI with Halo 3 Appearance. But, I have to say on Heroic the Jump Brutes are a joke on Crow's Nest.

[@Luke-li5gj]

My favourite brutes are the ones from 3. I think they look the best aestheticly and are the most fun to fight. I think theyd be perfect if they had the halo 2 brute's ai.

[@platyhelminthes2877]

I love the look of the Halo 2 Brutes. The flags they carry on their backs make them look like badass samurai.

[@ThatHaloGuy020]

Since brutes were the main enemy in halo 3 they had to be nerfed, imagine fighting halo 2 brutes throughout halo 3.

[@alexanderrobins7497]

I would have been fine with that if the lowest rank brutes had the H2/Reach armor, and only weak shields for majors/captains. Maybe reduce their quantity by a little and replace them with grunts or jackals.

[@SonicBoone56]

Hopefully on legendary. I'm not good enough to have tons of Halo 2 brutes.

[@jasonhawko3775]

I always liked how Halo 2 brutes resembled imposing monsters more than aliens. Maybe should have been less spongey but still stronger than the following games

[@stevejohnson4526]

This is an interesting series you got here, can't wait for more.

[@dewitnow1765]

With this content you will eventually become a recognized Halo KZbinr.

[@gilbertosanchez5896]

Halo 2 Brutes are the best! Halo 2 embodied the savage nature of the Brutes and made them that much more enjoyable. Let's not forget about their dialogue! They had the best lines and sounds. I enjoyed hearing their banter, taunts, and screams when they would get killed. I have so many fond memories of them. They are one of the reasons why I replay Halo 2 even to this day. Best character in the series!

[@MacBamboocha]

I never noticed that Brutes don't reload shotguns!

[@weirdpuzzledude1876]

I think the infinite brutes feel like a mixture of both 3, 2 and reach in were there more should i say tanky than 3 unless you go for head shots, there as slow as 3s brutes, there berserk is more dangerous than 3s and maybe 2s. There alot more aggresive than 3s and little bit more smarter than reach. Hell most of my deaths are from brutes. In a way i have to say that infinites brutes are the best in the series.

[@J_C_CH]

In keeping with Reach's darker and edgier tone, every enemy was redesigned to make them look much more sinister. Even the grunts look malicious instead of pathetic. The brutes I thought looked more evil than ever before, especially with their faces and tattoos, and the fact they can be seen slaughtering civilians.

[@Albino_Basilisk]

I agree, tho they shouldn’t have made their mouths that small and should’ve kept their longer teeth

[@BrenKlettenberg-vm7dc]

*THUNDERSTORM SKULL ENTERED THE CHAT* “Did you forget. About me?”

[@zealotfree501]

Fun fact: halo 3 brute concept art looks almost exactly like halo reach's brutes!

[@newton4010]

10:50 In halo 3, the brutes can pilot ghosts, but is much more hard to see.

[@fighter500mx3]

In Halo Reach to make it a challenge if you want to fight against the brutes just activate a few skulls.

[@somehaloguy9372]

The brutes in Halo 3 were able to drive Ghosts too. However I never noticed until now that they never actually spawn in the ghosts in that game, they only get in if there's 1 nearby unmanned Also the brutes in Halo 2 would look over the hood of the ghost too. Its just cuz they're physically too massive to fit in the ghost properly as they're made for Elites

[@mr.laconte3207]

Being someone who spams the carbine like a fiend, the brutes were never any more challenging than elites when I got headshots

[@SonicBoone56]

The brutes are W I D E and are therefore much easier to destroy with a carbine compared to the slippery fast elites.

[@charlieropesocks5793]

I like your channel, but I think you should say "utilize" less. Sometimes you can just say '"use". Great video though, I agree the halo reach brutes could've been so good.

[@Omegasutoraiki]

Brutes joined the Covenant 60 years before reach and before they joined they had just societally collapsed from a civil war. I feel like they were seen as so lesser at that point that they were used as workers instead of fighters but when the attack on Reach happened they wanted to fight for the Covenant so they were sent out with no training on how to use a weapon and just told to kill the human heretics. I feel like all the higher ranking Brutes were just ones that knew how to fight a little bit better and were trained a tiny bit to be leaders so they didn't really know how to fight either. But as the war against humanity went on the brutes relearned how to fight and started getting better and better at it.

[@woadblue]

Well made video man got the makings of a good future channel!

[@cbeasy1995]

Here's my theory; The Reach Brutes are more like simple troops, meant to be something more than a grunt to keep the Elites involved in more important missions. When Tartarus took over in H2, the Brutes were a specialist group meant to replace the Elites in every facet to prove to the Prophets that they chose the right warriors for the Great Journey As far as H3; the Brutes are more content in their new environment and can lounge and relax without worry- after all, they're the new face of the Covenant. And for ODST; I'm guessing the Brutes there were on clean up duty with the Elites running operations. Essentially, they went from cannon fodder, to hunter killers, to complacent cannon fodder, and back to cannon fodder.

[@seanhendricks2714]

I wouldn't honestly mind the visual changes to the Reach brutes if they had been tougher to fight. The changes to the facial structure probably shouldn't have been so prominent, but I do like how they resemble prehistoric humanoids. If they could have done it more subtly, I think it would have been great.

[@phantomninja01]

Now that Infinite is out, I feel that game has the best Brutes in terms of gameplay behavior without being annoying to fight, plus the Banisher armor designs are a good update on the H3 Brute armor. I do miss the hairier H2 Brute design though.

[@naoaquieopatrickpatrick8565]

IMO They're Fun to fight but the grapple Hook makes the low rank ones a joke, but Once you get Far in the campaign and starts Fighting the ones with shields and thrusters, and especially encounters the highest ranks wielding gravity hammers, they become a real challenge and you cant Just spam the grapple Hook on them anymore, so I like Fighting them, and I like they brought back the Berserk Brute as a different Unity in the Banished instead of an ability for all brutes when There's one left, It creates more Variety for enemies and doesnt make fights predictable and repetitive like in Halo 2, so they got their gameplay behavior Just right.

[@LAMBO3601]

Halo reach Brutes now make more sense with the Banished looks

[@odinulveson9101]

I see all brute, elite and grunt differences through the games as sub species. Evolved on different parts of their home planets/ moons. Bungie started off with such an explanation for the kig yar: ruuthian jackals and tvoan skirmishers. 343 added a new jackal subspecies in form of the more reptilian ibe shan jackals from h4/h5. Would love to see 343 and lore/ canon guard masters do a similar explanation for elites, brutes, grunts etc too

[@Garvey64LIVE64]

If i remember correctly, the shotguns in halo are similar to the SPAS-12 in that they could be semi automatic or pump action. Definitely just an oversight from bungie that they coverednuo with lore. Im guessing chief just likes racking the action.

[@ichitmyself4126]

Halo Reach’s brute model with ODST’s AI would be quite the sight to see...

[@RareCandyTCG]

Reach brutes were by far the best designs minus the lack of hair. H3s, despite being some of the more developed ones from a gameplay perspective, just feel and look like reskinned Elites. Ideally for Infinite we'd get Reach designs, H2's aggressive and close quarters AI, plus a moveset and sandbox as large as H3s

[@DatBrasss]

I would like the Halo Reach Brute appearance with the Halo 2 brute AI.

[@chromatic6123]

He forgot about the spike grenade when talking about Halo 3

[@stormvortex274]

Brutes I need . Halo wars 2 brutes with AI of Halo 2 and lesser health . It's just perfect

[@Deconstruction_Administrator]

I think the Reach Brutes have less hair because the Forerunner markings are NOT tattoos, but more likely branded onto them, meaning the hair won't grow, and any that does gets shaved to expose the markings, and in turn weakened their natural resilience.

[@christianrobledo2724]

Halo Reach brutes happened before and other halo game canon wise… that’s probably why brutes look so different because they were barely implemented into the covenant…

[@mq1469]

What a video. Elite evolution please!

[@kahnviper2330]

Honestly if the brutes had halo 3 design with halo 2’s tanky ness they would feel like a different over a reskin of the elite

[@sendapez]

Halo 2 definitely had the best Brutes in concept, design, and AI. It added an entirely different enemy capability & mechanic to consider while trying to get through the mission.

[@JJAB91]

With 343i's redesigns for pretty much everything in the series(and mostly for the worse) in Halo 4 and Halo 5 I wonder how they would have tackled Brutes if they were in those games? Infinite is going to have Brutes obviously but that game is seemingly going for a better and more "classic" art design for a lot of things. I wonder, how would a 343i redesign for them akin to the rest of...everything in Halo 4/5 have appeared? Its funny to think how the Elites in 4/5 feel more like Brutes than the Brutes do in Reach.

[@primusvsunicron1]

Someone should mod the Halo 2 Brute AI and attributes into the 3, ODST, Reach and Infinite Brutes

[@homeservice8721]

Love your evolution videos. Could you do one of Cortana?

[@bryannguyen5564]

I like the halo 3 Brutes because I grown up with them as a kid

[@bretdeshotel7598]

Halo 2 Brutes despite the valid criticism are the best in the series. I love their design and their AI.

[@landonboyd9923]

Hello love the channel. Infinite brutes gained more human like lips which is kinda weird. Maybe they also had this feature in halo wars 2 tho

[@toddbata8644]

The way I look at it is they have different looks because they are apart of different fleets or ship masters the ones from reach are ones that aren’t from elite ship master which is why we never see them in CE and the ones from 2 are from tartarus and his clan and 3 have are possibly are from different clans or are more from their home world and I kind of like the look of the reach ones they show they are developed follows of the great journey

[@lebendigesgespenst7669]

It’s sad because the power armor simply ended up making the brutes actually weaker and just played more like elites. Though it’s still a cool concept

[@Jake-mj7cv]

I don’t understand why the halo 2 anniversary cut scenes look so real

[@techelitesareadisease8816]

The way I look at it is that the Halo Reach brutes are some sort of expendable, degenerate branch of the brutes that the Elite command at Reach use for low value missions. New Alexandria isn't a particularly strategically important target and the civilian population is practically a non-factor to the battle, but throwing some "fire and forget" phantoms loaded with nearly slave-tier brutes is a cheap and effective way to further stretch Reach's defense army without sacrificing far more valuable elites.

[@JamesDM4]

Shoot9ng the ahot gun w/o realoading is the true mysterie 😅

[@stephenramirez3449]

Halo 2 are my favorite brutes I also like halo 3 brutes btw I watched your elite video

[@The-Black-Death]

Wait you didn't even feature the Halo 2 Anniversary Brutes, did you purposely just leave those out or did you forget? o-O

[@beedubree2550]

Halo 2 had the best overall creature design but whether they were fun to fight was entirely situational, Halo 3 had the best brute equipment designs but they just felt like elites with a new character model, ODST has the best in my opinion since they're tough, but not too tough, Reach brutes felt even more like remodelled elites than Halo 3's did.

[@corknakovastein]

Wish infinite had halo 3 style burtes when it comes to their face

[@chuchulainn9275]

I prefer the Halo 2 and Banished Brutes. Halo 2 Brutes were unique and challenging and were more lore accurate. They could tear apart Hunters and one nearly killed Chief. People who complain about their toughness, all I can say is they are called BRUTES for a reason! My only gripe is the inconsistency of the lore but Halo was a bit like Star Wars was at the beginning. A lot thought it would flop.

[@CHIEFLUKE101]

I'm interested in what you think of the Halo wars 2 brute design and Halo 2 remastered look?

[@ebr8308]

Not a fan of H2A Brutes, their faces are a little to flat. Its kinda like looking at a hairy pug. I'm a huge fan of the look of Atriox, but not really of the standard HW2 brute. I think Pavium and Voridus look horrible, like an Mordor orc instead of a brute.

[@CHIEFLUKE101]

@@ebr8308 I agree with you there. Atriox looks good but I think it's the hair that really makes the look. So when they completely shave a brute down they look kind of like orcs. From what it looks like from infinite the new brute antagonist looks a little better since he has a goatee. Seems like they really don't know what to do with the brutes honestly. You had the original concept Halo 2 then that got upgraded in three then completely changed in Reach and then completely changed again in H2A And now we have the banished look. when they're fully armored I think they look great though.

[@thedodofarmer1butnotmaking167]

Tje easiest way to kill brutes is with a needler. It works really good

[@OrdinatorSeldro]

Reject Split Lit, Return to Monke.

[@notyoutubeno6349]

All this hard evolution then infinite comes around with craig

[@86Fallowcp]

Which was perfect

[@F26_RAIDER]

I like the Halo 3 armor, but the Halo Reach physical appearance better. They look more alien and less monke.

[@niks660097]

Halo 2 legendary difficulty brutes can only be killed via accurate grenades or gravity hammer..

[@Chicho1993]

Halo 2 brutes are the best designs

[@anonymoususer208]

Brutes have too many changes in the past, but I much prefer the halo 2 designs overall than the ones after them. I do like the designs of the brutes from halo wars 2 not gonna lie. I don’t need to have shaved Gorilla trolls running around being Nerfed to death most of the time :p

[@icephoenix452]

Anyone else think that after 4 we don’t see the brutes I don’t really remember seeing them that much after it but I don’t know if that just because I ran head first and killed everything before running

[@anakinraliere5637]

Hope Elite one comes next~

[@Boukansha]

Bro, I was looking at the stats for Brute Jumpers in ODST, and they all seem to have the exact same stats. They seem to have the same stats as a Brute Major. I could be wrong, though. Maybe I'm illiterate.

[@eddietheunggoyslayer3904]

I believe the Halo 3 brutes are the best imo. They're smarter, and do a good job of replacing the elites. The Halo 2 brutes are to spongy, and when they go berserk you die in 2 hits, which is bad design.

[@eduardoharoproductions3065]

The only mob that can kill brutes easily in halo 2 were the flood

[@balmtaegan7215]

Ngl their Reach design was the coolest and truest to their species. Not including HW2 or Infinite

[@TequalHC]

Reach brutes look like pugs.

[@paragonrobbie9270]

I don't feel like I completely enjoy any of them, only liking certain aspects of each. My ideal Brute would be the body and AI from 2, armor and health pool from Reach and the weapons/vehicles from 3 and Infinite.

[@darkbean45]

I hate it when a brute armor locks by one dmr bullet on heroic

[@smallshooter2296]

I think h2 brutes are too tanky by h3 brutes are too easy. Their head is completely different color than their body, and breaking the shields exposes their head. H3 would have the best brutes if these were fixed

[@jangojj9338]

I think it’s only fair that the halo 3 brutes are weaker because I can’t imaging the unplayability if they were as strong as halo 2

[@alexanderlehigh]

I read a theory that the Brutes in Halo 2 are so aggressive and tough to kill because all the ones you fight are part of Tartarus' personal force. Therefore they'd be among the most savage Brutes the Covenant can offer.

[@wastelandlegocheem]

Makes sense.

[@blessedxxiii5583]

I love that theory i love the halo 2 brutes

[@manakzar7148]

Halo 2 look weird imo. But atleast they have good combat abilities

[@scorpionchief8420]

the real reason is bc brutes are confirmed to rely on their touch skin.

[@rubenlopez3364]

And the ones on Reach are part of a Savage War Clan that shaved themselves and they have Full Body Tats if you look closely

[@RogueSith501]

I always got a Penal legion vibe from the Reach Brutes. That they were hairless due to some crime they had committed and shamed. To be thrown at the enemy without proper gear as a form of penance and the Forerunner tattoos as a way to display their faith and eagerness to find redemption in the eyes of the Prophets. Im probably hillariously wrong but thats how i always viewed them when i played it.

[@battenburg6089]

I thought that too - as they are, theoretically, part of the Arbiters fleet, who, like his brothers, didn't really appreciate the Brutes at all. And in the book Contact Harvest, it's made clear the Elites will take every oppurtunity to sabotage, disrupt and generally make Brute's ships, weapons, and lives as difficult as possible. So it wouldn't surrpise me if the Brutes here were essentially just treated like Grunts, given some crappy armour, their primitve weaponry, and told "do this for the prophets".

[@JustinTK416]

That lines up a lot with how their relationship with the Elites was described in Contact Harvest. Even if they weren’t a penal group, they were probably a weaker one that could be easier managed by Elites. And by managed, I basically mean kicked around and made to take broadly neglectful treatment in terms of their equipment and care. Humans were probably the best meal they’d had since assignment.

[@masterchief-6333]

@@battenburg6089 , And some still wonder the hatred of the Brutes for the Elites, there are....reasons....

[@unolimpico6451]

​@@masterchief-6333Pretty much. I like the Elites, but since the introduction of the Brute species, things have been pretty wrong.

[@highlordlaughterofcanada8685]

I like this idea

[@jacklovell3181]

One thing that has constantly annoyed me about the halo series was that they kept changing the design of the brutes instead of keeping a design throughout all the games. Still an enjoyable enemy to fight against though. Thanks for the video

[@jacklovell3181]

@Chad Marmalade That's exactly how I look at it with halo 2 and 3. As little as I enjoyed fighting the brutes on reach they were still a fun edition to the game and their power armour is very sleek and unique for the cheiftans which is the only aspect that makes them stand out. With the banished brutes I look at them as updated halo 2 brutes and they have great armour abilities and are more than capable of taking a Spartan on. I'm just glad there back I missed their appearances in the last couple of games

[@jacklovell3181]

@Chad Marmalade I think you've got that sorted it's a great way to tie the series together through the diffrent brute types and styles all made up in the banished which seems like a legit idea for halo 5.

[@bingisboy]

The Brutes in Halo 3 are the same as those in Halo 2. The difference is that they now take the place of the Elites. This results in them having to shave off their primitive hair and wearing much more regal armor like that of the Elites.

[@blizzardgaming7070]

I prefer the halo 2 brute itself but prefer halo 3s armour for them

[@Vermilllion178]

@Chad Marmalade okay no the banished look perfectly fine as brutes if u look at halo wars 2 the gameplay they showed of infinite wasn't there finished look

[@Lee_Everett660]

In the jungle the mighty jungle The jackals feasts tonight Singer - The Brutes

[@producemumu]

Author - The Brutes

[@chips4582]

The national anthem of the brutes.

[@captaintristan1176]

Oh they also apparently love singing that song but in their own remix. Lol

[@DishonoredGOD]

Directed by the Prophet of Truth

[@kripidir]

Now we know the brute Craig has a band

[@RubyofBlue]

The Brutes are such a mixed bag throughout the series. I like Halo 2's abilities and behaviors, but their amount of health, and fact that the lowest ranking Brutes has the highest amount of health makes them a slog to fight with anything other than a Carbine or Needler. Halo 3's are really fun to fight and tear through one by one, but they're not what I want out of the Brutes exactly. ODST's Brutes are a bit more intimidating because of bullet's nerf vs energy shields, but the fact that a regular human can smack them to death is pretty laughable. Reach's Brutes are super dull behavior-wise, but I like their combat loop, and what I'd consider cleaning up Halo 2's Brute's baggage; headshot weapons and needle supercombines are still the best solution for them, but with a reasonable amount of health that doesn't completely shut down every other weapon combo. So in the end, I suppose the ideal Brute would have Halo 2's behaviors, Halo 3's aesthetics, and Reach's weapon interactions.

[@Seraphim227]

Agreed, especially on the H3 aesthetic. Halo 2 made them look like sentient furballs on claymation, and Reach turned them into rhino babies. Halo 3 had the best look of vampire skinhead gorillas from hell.

[@milkmonstrosity]

I like that in your mods they consistently remain very durable against basic melee and small arms. Ideally they should be a major threat in close quarters, less effective at range than Elites or Jackals, and tough enough to encourage the use of hard pings or weapons like the Shotgun.

[@rstriker21]

Seraphim227 I like h2a brutes, banished is nice but infinite continued the trend of flatter faces and tbh I think I’d prefer reach brutes to Craig ngl, I hope they change it lol

[@simonbelmont9847]

i somewhat agree but i feel like the brutes looked visually more interesting in 2 even if they're wookies. the shaved dog look in shitty elite armor isn't very interesting

[@TargetFinder72]

The best weapon interaction for brutes was ODST. They're best at melee and close quarters so it's stupid anytime they stick to range, they should be using their gun to put pressure on you as they move up to try and kill you with their hands. They should be strong like in 2 but their weakness should be that they're dumb and predictable with not much strategy other than smashing things

[@pancake_crab4457]

The Halo 3 Brutes are pretty good as a replacement for the Elites, but so-so as their own group. It would have been more interesting if lower ranking Brutes were more likely to be reckless and go berserk, while higher ranking ones were more reserved and tactical. The presence of a leader then coordinating and keeping their group together. But if you killed a leader it would cause their troops to freak out and break rank. Some going berserk. Others trying to regroup. I think that would have been more fun, and provide interesting gameplay: do you kill the leader first and risk berserk Brutes? Or leave the leader and their stronger weapons for last? But then, what if the leader goes berserk?

[@JuiceboxCE]

Holy crap, this is such a phenomenal concept! I loved Halo 2's insanely overpowered and threatening brute berserk! H3's attempt to nerf and balance that feature is a genuine reason I consider an imbalance to be important for gameplay. Halo 3 brute berserk felt like a brute handicap, made em easy to kill. Halo 2 brute berserk felt like two appropriate things: 1) Appropriate lore characteristic, very threatening, represents their strength 2) Gameplay way of saying the player should take out the brute FIRST, or face them as an even bigger threat LAST. Almost entirely different than elites (great gameplay swap, too, but this comment is long enough lol)

[@SonicBoone56]

In Halo 3, the chieftain starts going bezerk once you're down to the second to last brute.

[@AC-fg5po]

I had a similar thought. I always thought the chieftains were also easy especially when they go berserk since they're no longer using the hammer, I'd prefer H2 brutes to take their place so they'd be a bigger threat

[@JW-zx5dr]

That’s actually a really good idea

[@notting2640]

Halo 3 should’ve introduced combat Sanshuyuums (Prophets) to replace Elites. Maybe make them sleeker and more agile.

[@angaeverett515]

Female Marine: "He was one of ours!" EBR: Sorry, shooting a video!

[@onlysems]

The flood shoot the shotgun with one hand also, im still trying to figure out how they evolved to that point

[@bernardcornellisvanmeijere4375]

Clearly they learned from the assimilated Brutes.

[@altvertue347]

Wouldn't it be awesome if the shotgun flood appear in infinite, they have tendrils that reach out from their hand and pump the shotgun

[@kainepeterson6638]

It actually wouldn’t be that hard for a 9 foot tall 1000lb beast of an alien to rack a pump shotgun by simply flicking their wrist. It would probably take some practice but they could definitely lock and unlock the action with a flick of the wrist

[@chips4582]

The Flood manipulate the shotgun to tell him to reload itself : 0

[@sorrenblitz805]

The flood no longer have the muscular inhibition their living counterparts have. In real life, you potentially could fire an 8 gauge shotgun one handed, of course you'll potentially break every bone in your arm, and thus your brain is hardwired not to let you use 100% of what your muscles could output. The Flood being what is essentially dead, and having another entity control the flesh gives the flood the ability to use that 100% with zero hardwired limitations, it's all biomass who cares if the arm falls off after the shotgun fires

[@poonyapthegrunt3423]

In the begining of Composer we see a jackal jump on someone and kill him, I'd like to see that from brutes in Infinite

[@roflzwafflez117]

I remember that I loved that little encounter, especially since you can save the marine before he dies. I feel like jackals have also been neglected throughout the games never driving vehicles or using much equipment outside their shields and snipers. Halo 4's jump pack jackals were a step in the right direction but it didn't go very far.

[@PackHunter117]

@@roflzwafflez117 In the lore Jackals did drive Dropships on occasion.

[@decimation9780]

@@roflzwafflez117 We don’t need another Halo 2 Jackal situation! Those bastards were already bad enough on Legendary with their fucking aimbot and one shot capabilities. I don’t need a Jackal coming at me in a fucking car trying to splatter me across the damn windshield!

[@somehaloguy9372]

Its odd because the snipers in Halo 4 have scopes that literally cover their entire head so it physically shouldn't have been able to bite the marine...

[@somehaloguy9372]

@joseaca on the mission Composer or whatever, the last mission where you fight Covenant, the jackal that jumps the security guard is always a jackal marksman with a carbine and no shield. In Halo 4 the marksman always have full helmets with a singular red eye in the middle

[@dreadthelight3936]

Wow i can't believe i never noticed how ugly reach's brutes are 😮

[@T3nMiDGET5711]

You’re right looking closely at them they are kinda ugly

[@dajhier1]

Since 2010 Reach's brutes have been butt ugly to me and nobody else ever seemed to talk about it I was so lost they look like orcs lol

[@dreadthelight3936]

@@dajhier1 lol i never noticed lmao I guess i never looked that closely at them and i used to play so much fire fight

[@BioGoji-zm5ph]

@@dajhier1 Most of us are too polite to discuss them in public. And don't refer to them as ugly. Call them... aesthetically challenged.

[@CptKharn]

@@dajhier1 I agree, they only look good in H2A and HW2 cinematics

[@awesome117unsc]

Evolution? More like a downgrade. They got uglier, and weaker in the later games. Halo 2 they were the strongest, ideal Brutes, and closer to the lore.

[@vampirs888]

Yeah, and I liked how the Brutes looked like apes in H2/H2A. 3 was okay but I still wasn’t a fan. Reach, let’s just not talk about them. Halo Infinite’s Brutes look like hairless apes.

[@JohnSmith-fq3rg]

@@vampirs888 Halo 3 was understandable with the lack of elites to fight, if elites were still enemies they definately would've been different.

[@amazingbro6723]

@@vampirs888 though the armor does look amazing in infinite

[@vampirs888]

@@amazingbro6723 Yeah, hopefully they improve on the armor ranking of Brutes as well because Halo 3 did it terribly.

[@amazingbro6723]

@@vampirs888 not exactly, like some aren't terrible and I did also hear that 343 is improving the brute's faces too

[@nstar674]

The halo 2 brutes are my favorite because they feel the most unique when compared to the elites. I like the idea of them having huge health pools and no shield, and the berserking actually feels like a threat and something to watch out for whereas I can't remember a time I felt threatened by a berserking brute in 3.

[@madgavin7568]

Halo 2 Brutes were low-key hilarious as well with the sound affects they made when going berserk and trying to punch you 😂

[@knickknackpattywack]

​@@madgavin7568"AUWRAGH! OOM"

[@madgavin7568]

@@knickknackpattywack Halo 2 Brutes; "YAHYAH!"

[@_Gongola]

Completely agree with the Reach brutes looking like orcs. Annoyingly they seem to have run with this in halo wars 2 and infinite

[@somehaloguy9372]

The Brutes in Halo Wars looked distinctly furrier than Reach still. I think Reach is just how a Brute looks fully shaved and if you removed the fur from H2A brutes they'd probably look a little more similar to Reach in appearance

[@Serocco]

I mean that's what they're based off. They're just space orcs.

[@clarted5613]

They look like Lycans off underworld

[@InjusticeJosh]

@@Serocco They look like evil Wookies to me at least the furry ones from Halo 2

[@imapleb4956]

@@somehaloguy9372 I think the face shape is still radically different in terms of reach, but it seems like they’ve sort of found a middle ground between the two designes

[@jacoblyman9441]

"Everybody's favorite space gorillas, the Brutes!" CHEWBACCA WANTS TO KNOW YOUR LOCATION

[@mLj0011]

Wookiees look more like Shih Tzu dogs rather then apes if you compare them side by side.

[@jacoblyman9441]

@@mLj0011 As owner of Shih Tzu's they're more Ewok than they are Wookie.

[@mLj0011]

@@jacoblyman9441 Yeah lol, love them little lads

[@bobdmz6437]

I think the reason the brutes are more aggressive in ODST, than in halo 3, is possibly because they don’t view the ODSTs as threats on the level of Spartans, and thus underestimate them and rush into battle without thinking.

[@bloodrune329]

I think most of your points are fair but the Reach brutes probably represent their rank in the covenant pretty well. Sure, they do have their natural strength that is toned down quite a bit, but they were extremely minor members of the covenant at that point. They’re thrown down in drop pods like grunts to go act as expendable infantry. It’s a totally different time in the covenant than any of the games you compare them to. So, in a lore way, I think the brutes of Reach are pretty accurate. But, they don’t look right and they are definitely some of the weakest enemies. But, I think the Reach ELITES do a good enough job of balancing THAT scale. Strongest elites IMO.

[@justchilling704]

I disagree about the look I like it, it’s nothing more than a clean shaven brute but it has an interesting look and design someone said like slave soldiers and I like the at idea.

[@justchilling704]

@@EggEnjoyer That’s really cool, I didn’t even know about Halo CE cancelled Brutes.

[@fellout2555]

The brutes are slowly getting more civilized in appearance

[@Swindle1984]

Civilized, or domesticated? Perhaps they're like the Kzinti, where the most aggressive members of the species get killed in war after war, leaving only those capable of restraint to survive to reproduce, eventually changing them from a race of berserkers whose only interaction with other species is killing them, eating them, or enslaving them (and probably also eating them later), to a proud warrior race capable of peacably interacting with other species (even if it galls them and their term for their ambassadors to other species is speaker-to-animals), even engaging in trade with them (being particularly fond of vanilla ice cream with tuna and bourbon). Perhaps the same thing is happening with the Brutes. We know the Brutes have achieved space travel multiple times in their history, only to end up nuking themselves into oblivion every time, because they just can't stop fighting, even with each other (whereas the Kzinti were smart enough to turn their aggression outward, and used war with other species as a means of keeping the peace at home; too many young, hotblooded males who are frustrated by a lack of upward mobility and access to females? Send 'em to conquer that newly discovered alien race, they'll either work out their frustration on the enemy and earn females and status in combat, or die. Either way, they won't be disrupting the status quo at home.). While their own wars at home were unlikely to breed the aggression out of them (since destroying civilization repeatedly involves nuking civilian populations rather than just soldiers), their wars for the Covenant likely did, since their warriors would, naturally, be the most aggressive members of their species, and they're getting sent away from home to fight. If that just leaves the non-combatant Brutes as the majority of survivors in their species, that means the least aggressive ones are passing their genes on and the most aggressive aren't, gradually modifying the behavior of their species. We know for a fact it works in domesticating silver foxes, why wouldn't it work for another species? The scary part is, just because the most aggressive Brutes are dying off in interstellar wars and not reproducing, that doesn't mean the Brutes won't remain warlike as a whole, it just means the ones who constantly charge in without thinking die, and the ones smart enough to hang back and fight intelligently survive. Which we see signs of in the Halo games, with Halo 2 Brutes constantly in your face, and Halo 3 and Reach Brutes hanging back and shooting from cover more often. And yes, Reach takes place before Halo 2, but the difference in appearance and equipment indicates the possibility that we're dealing with a different tribe/subspecies of Brute with different genes and culture/behavior.

[@NelsenBrocks]

Wow

[@HeckaLives]

No doubt, Halo 2's Brutes are broken af. But that's what makes them awesome. The fact that you feel like they are a space gorilla that can pull your arms from your sockets Wookie style is amazing. However, Halo Reach's armor lock was a great addition to the brutes. Perhaps having slightly less health, while being able to berserk like Halo 2 and armor lock like Reach might be the best combination of them all.

[@justiceforjoggers2897]

I fully disagree, nothing angered me than sticking a brute and watching as he and four other brutes simultaneously armor locked

[@HeckaLives]

@@justiceforjoggers2897 But that's great, because a well placed plasma grenade is the solution for Elites. It shouldn't be the exact same solution to deal with Brutes. Honestly, incendiary Grenades should be the solution to armor lock. By creating a fire that burns just long enough to get past the armor lock.

[@justiceforjoggers2897]

@@HeckaLives But there wasn't a fire grenade in Reach. I certainly wouldn't mind more varied tools to fight brutes but I still detest armor lock with extreme passion and disdain. They gave it to the AI with no way of dealing with it besides shrugging and waiting, on top of that it would happen so frequently as to make grenades useless to serve their utility role in combat. I just really didn't enjoy that kind of a wrench in the gameplay loop. I'd prefer to be rewarded for managing a sticky instead of being unreasonably punished.

[@Spark412]

@fantasticmoose Halo 2 Brutes are great, you're just bad at games lmao. Go play some easy shit like 5 if you want to just win without thinking all the time.

[@dannymiller4942]

Halo 2 Brutes are the best enemies in the games

[@SonicBoone56]

"343 Brutes are the ugliest" Halo Reach Brute: Allow me to introduce myself

[@davidcabreonmunoz6258]

But cool.

[@goo_dragon]

Nah 343's are still worse

[@SonicBoone56]

@@goo_dragon not even close

[@SonicBoone56]

@@davidcabreonmunoz6258 they're not cool tho

[@masoclevine836]

@@goo_dragon doubt

[@Meh-el1ej]

I enjoy brutes from Halo 2 they gave me a Challenge . Can't wait to fight CRAIG from Halo infinite.

[@SonicBoone56]

Craig should be an easter egg character that's actually a friendly ally brute or something. I don't wanna kill my boi Craig now.

[@SonicBoone56]

@Cave Spider agreed

[@z3tto_]

@@SonicBoone56 It should be like B.O.B from Halo Reach.

[@logan_jp3]

I'm an elite lover through and through but these guys are damn close to being favorites if we could play as them

[@WhyTho525]

We might get them for Infinite, due to how a major part of the game they're going to be

[@thetrickster9885]

You can play as criag the god tho

[@MisterJohnDoe]

They’re strong enough to carry detached turrets and can pretty much just do about anything that elites and spartans can, playing as a brute really doesn’t seem that far fetched.

[@randomyoutubename4488]

@@thetrickster9885 Craig is beautiful

[@thetrickster9885]

@@randomyoutubename4488 Hello Fellow Citizen of Criagland, May I ask you how do you Criag?

[@srikrishnasrivatsan199]

Loved this video. Could you talk about Elites as well? I'd love to see more people talking about the substantial downgrades that Halo Elites (and enemy AI in general) have received with each game.

[@Paddy656]

Elites peaked in CE. we haven't seen Elites as fun to fight or as tough since then.

[@Eggsecuter]

@@Paddy656 I rly liked halo reach elites

[@Paddy656]

@@Eggsecuter they were pretty good but they lacked that sense of being your equal. Red and blue elites are incredibly dumb. They only ranks that are tough would be those above ultra. They also have their annoying undodgabele one-hit-kill melee attacks. They're also too aggressive imo. CE elites were tough because the had good aim, aggressive firing patterns and were good at avoiding damage. They took cover to let their shields recharge and always kept their distance. Reach elites tread too close to brute territory by being super fast and aggressive and not much else besides having good reflexes, maybe. This also isn't helped by them berserking all the time.

[@zjmstrash7181]

@@Paddy656 if I had too rank elite AI it probably go like: 1.CE 2.Reach 3.Halo 2 4.Halo 3 5.halo 5 6.Halo 4 Not sure where Halo INF ranks on this list but it's defintly better than 4 and 5.

[@LightningZetton]

Halo 2 brutes are funny to me. They'll go monke on ur behind and I was punching a beserking brute to death and it took so many punches lol