When it comes to certain characters in games and other popular media, sometimes it is best to leave some things to the imagination. That is the case with the stoic hero of the Halo series, Master Chief. Master Chief is being prepped for the fourth official game in the series where he is set to be the main hero yet again. Part of what has made Master Chief the cultural icon in gaming like he is has been the fact that there is a certain level of mystique surrounding Master Chief. Who is Master Chief? What, really, is his background? What the hell does he even look like? Those are the questions that many fans of the series have asked, and there have been some further questions of if Master Chief in the hands of a new developer will be substantially different, or if more about him will be revealed.
It looks like 343 Industries understands some of the basics of what makes Master Chief such an interesting character, and aren’t ready to show off his face or unveil too much about him, at least not in the upcoming Halo 4. There are some characters that less is more with, and Master Chief is definitely one of those characters. Part of what helps with the Halo series and the immersion that it provides is that the player has a connection with Master Chief and while playing as him, there are no distractions. The player essentially can play with Master Chief how they want to, and fill in some of the details about the main character for themselves.
I’ve always been a fan of this kind of character, with the “guy” from GTA III being one of my favorite modern video game characters for just that fact. He wasn’t voiced by a big name actor, he didn’t have character traits that turned me off from him, he was just there and did what I wanted him to do. Master Chief has this same appeal; he is dark, mysterious, and he is whatever you want him to be. So I applaud this decision from 343 Industries, and it looks like the Halo series is in capable hands for the time being.
