This was a great update.
I'll say this, though: while I understand and somewhat agree with the search for "visual simplicity", it sounds like they went a tad too far with it.
Apart from foliage, everything looks way too similar. Forerunner, Human and Banished structured have similar color tones and feel, judging by these screenshots and the july demo.
Looking at the Banished interior concept art, we're far from what something like High Charity looks like for example. Obviously Banished are different than the Covenant, but I'd guess
not that different. I miss my purple, my "alien"-feeling.
Also, this large focus on the Pacific Northwest environment and the team's wording doesn't really make me think there'll be more, which would be disappointing for a big Halo game. I think they're hard at work on the first expansion which is where things would move to a new place.
I kinda expected this update to at least touch on different biomes.
I'm surprised people and the media didn't understand that aspect
I think it's easy to criticize people, but the reality is that the pillars in themselves were never the problem. From the first time we saw the game's cover, the idea that the ring was broken and being rebuilt was clear. But it's the way that it looks that doesn't sit right. It seems like they're improving the textures, but we don't know yet if they succeed in fully integrating them into the environment.
