Commentary / Bungie and the Heroic Epic

(or Epics aren't a Dime a Dozen) - A Draft of a Draft of an Idea

Gilgamesh to Glamdring, Joyeuse to Jjaro, Durandal to Dienekes: The taut weave of Bungie games has only ever been strengthened and coloured by the sheer depth of the tales they involve. Allusions and sources of inspiration may be gleaned at every turn, as classic and contemporary stories provide fuel to the machine. A rather hefty "something like..." folder within the often confusing depths of the Halo Story Page mailbox (if not the entire existence of the Story Page entity) attests to the abundance of these links.

And so it is that while we bask in creativity and ground breaking ingenuities, we are also privy to a dependency, to vintage ideas, and to a drawing on of sources both internal (that is, from past Bungie titles) and external. But in contrast to other contemporary titles and media, these references do not cheapen, but fortify, both the software they appear in as well as the community based upon them. Indeed, how much of Bungie community dialogue (and pop culture as a whole) is composed of allusive commentary and the back patting, nostalgic waxing of the group in its wake.

However, as a detail too small may be overlooked, also may one too large, too intrinsic. And while nothing new to a long time Bungie follower, the plethora of equally invaluable new recruits in the Bungie ranks may not realize that past the guise of active storytelling and cunning plot twists... no wait, back up. What these greenhorns may fail to grasp is that beyond the masterpiece of action, tacit game play, and headshots lies a story of substance and foundation. A tale that, though intricate on its own, is yet only the most recent manifestation of a churning amalgamation of ideas with the mind of Jones and Co. Ideas based on, and forever seeking to redefine, the Epic. The Heroic Epic.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. Dust off your English books and turn with me to line 1569. Todays readings will focus on the particularity and consistency of moncynnes weard throughout the Bungiverse. The Heroic Epic contains several traits, perhaps not all at once, that distinguish it from other stories of adversity and conflict. Now in our context, there are exceptions. Titles such as Oni, Abuse, and Operation Desert Storm, while dealing with antagonism and opposing forces, possess neither the implied history and ambient world, nor the references so often sown throughout their brethren. (Gnop, on the other hand is a stunning foray into Arthurian legend, and handles the struggle of virtue and vice exceptionally). ¹

In the beginning, there was Minotaur; though not a truly story driven tale, the first buds did bloom in its care, primarily through name-dropping (items such as Durandal), atmosphere, and arguably, the occupational character classes. More importantly, Action is introduced; a core aspect of the Epic genre, and a foundational part of all other titles that are to follow.

In addition to shifting genres, Pathways Into Darkness takes things up a notch. As an adventure/FPS/RPG, the story is multifaceted and winding. But of the elements introduced, the most pronounced happens to be the most central to our theme. You play the Hero, a fact that may not seem initially profound or exclusive, but becomes ever more important in retrospect.

Unfortunately things don't go quite as planned. During the jump from the C-151 your primary parachute fails...

Marathon. Through its unique medium of text terminals, the games of the Marathon trilogy provide ample space and opportunity for historic excerpts, poetry, dialogues of mysterious origin, and the rants of questionably stable personality constructs. The continuing theme of the main player as Hero is plain, both in the infamous, seemingly autobiographical Kill Your Television terminal (...I have been called a hundred names and will be called a thousand more...) and in the closing revelations of Marathon Infinity (You are Hero). The Hero as a character of unusual importance and stature is essential. As we see in Marathon, the security officer's skills in battle, and eventually the unpredictability of his very being, are a marvel to Durandal, displaying further the Heroic characteristics of strength, cosmic importance, and furthermore, thanks to his Jjaro underpants, his almost 'divine' place in the processes of this universe. And while Durandal may aspire to surpass, or rise above his demi-godhood, the Jjaro, first introduced in PID, is the enigmatic alien race that fills the Epic aspect of a godhood within this somewhat deistic reality. Setting is also an invaluable portion of any Epic, and Marathon serves up plenty, as over it's course we are cast, often rather haphazardly, into landscapes both strange and familiar; corridors both awesome and dismal.

I dropped you and some humans into the hole where you await the second part of the plan. Up the stairs from your current location is a ventilation shaft that leads to the underground geothermal station...

It stands then, continuing the evolution, that the spiritual sequel to such a dynasty should contain all aforementioned aspects and more. Halo is a title of such similar ilk as Marathon to verge on being pronounced a remake, and yet drives forward and expands uniquely on its own. Here the elements of the archetype in question are most defined and numerous. Action permeates. We are reintroduced to our Hero, the timeless, though newly named, entity embodying might, temperance, and Humanity's salvation². The deistic niche of the Jjaro is retained, inhabited this time by the equally absent, yet ever present, Forerunner. Our setting, though local in the sense that the first installment takes place solely on and above a ring world, is varied and immense, and sure to expand exponentially in the near future.

These three remain: ordinance, romance, and elegiac formality. The weapons and cladding of the warrior are dwelt upon at length in the verse of the epic. The Mjolnir armour is spoken of with the same reverence, "an ancient heirloom from the days of the giants, an ideal weapon, one that any warrior would envy"³. Whether it be rune scribed blades or 12mm explosive, semi-armour piercing rounds, all such means are elaborated on with a pride and fascination which befit the weapons of a hero.

Often exploited in modern cinema, romance and a feminine interest play special roles in the historic, and this modern, epic. Quite simply, they play these roles by not playing at all. We may see what can be described as tension between our protagonists and their respective counterparts (Leela, and to a far greater degree, Cortana/Dr. Halsey), but nothing that should be thought of as love much beyond the boundaries of storge. Such a greater love would not be innately wrong but, especially contrasted with the other elements and their intrinsic intensity, the subtle character developments necessary would be lost, and in the futility of sifting them out, would only detract from the tale. For the record, epics aren't romances.

As Beowulf both commences and concludes with a funeral, so does Halo open and fade to the contemplative sights and subtle sounds of deep space. A final key of the Heroic Epic evident in Halo, is the style in which it is delivered: elevated, formal, and elegiac. While we have loosened our speech patterns and tolerances for comedic relief over the centuries, the gravity of the plot is delivered unhampered, due in no small part to the added element of the musical score. Bards would scoff at our bland, analytical readings of passages, for we have omitted a large chunk of a story's dynamic. Lulls and climaxes would shiver in isolation without the aural comforts to bind them, and without the mystical memories of Marty's mullet to console them.

"It's passing below your position ma'am. Proximity zero."
"What if you miss...?"
"I won't."

Roland to Reach, Marathon to Membosa, Grendel to Grunts: Something familiar, as if from an old dream; Old forms reborn and shaped anew. But to what end? Why?

Because only you would survive the fall...

1 It would be presumptuous of the author to proceed without admitting that although Myth no doubt contains a wide assortment of fodder for this topic, the game has, as of yet, only been dabbled in, and analyzing it as such would merely further demonstrate his regrettable ignorance of the subject.

2 A great deal of space could be dedicated solely to extrapolation on the unusual fact that though John is the primary character and hero, he is not necessarily the strongest, fastest, smartest, etc. of his comrades.

3 Beowulf, lines 1558-1560