Halo Infinite Confirms Covenant Aliens Smell Bad | Screen Rant
A moment of dialogue between Master Chief and the Weapon AI in Halo Infinite confirms that Covenant Aliens smell horrible and that AIs can "smell".
The full campaign for Halo Infinite releases on December 8, but there is already plenty to glean from the limited release of its opening chapters, including that the Covenant's aliens smell bad. Halo fans are currently dissecting what material is available for clues and details that might add to the overall story and ambiance of Master Chief’s mission to save mankind. One small bit of knowledge that has perhaps answered a nagging question for many long-time fans of the franchise: Covenant aliens smell bad.
During the second chapter of the game, Master Chief makes his way through an installation on Halo Zeta. He has already found the Weapon, an AI companion modeled on Cortana in Halo Infinite, but serving a different purpose and mission. Master Chief in now on a mission to find out what stopped The Weapon from deleting itself as it was supposed to and why. As he makes his way through the installation, the AI, much like Cortana once did, provides commentary and information on their surroundings and the events taking place as they move along, though in a more cheerful, upbeat manner compared to her predecessor. At one point as Master Chief fights his way through Covenant aliens who are now a part of the Banished, the Weapon declares, “They smell even worse than I imagined!”
The Halo franchise has long made a habit of slipping in small, seemingly unimportant details into its games. Though these smaller moments of gameplay seem innocuous on their own, when considered as a part of the larger whole that is the Halo extended universe, they reveal a new sense of purpose. What this particular confirmation of the Covenant’s offending odor portrays is 343 Industry’s intention of upholding the long-running tradition of immersing players into the Halo universes through the revelation of its smaller moments of dialog and minor events as much as it does through its larger plot twists and sweeping alien-world settings.
In this moment between the Weapon and Master Chief, the player finds out some other details revealing insightful and interesting information in Halo Infinite, which lends to the atmosphere and background of playing the game. When the Weapon informs Master Chief of the Covenant’s bad smell, the Chief inquires “You can smell them?” The Weapon replies, “Well, an array of sensors in your armor can, and I analyze the input.” This moment of exchange demonstrates the level of integration that takes place between the Weapon and Master Chief in Halo Infinite, which also hints back to the close relationship once shared between he and Cortana.
As the release of the full Halo Infinite campaign draws near, it’s clear this installment of the Halo franchise is already teasing at its intention to not only draw its focus back to Master Chief as the story’s center-of-focus, but also to the smaller details and insights which highlight the complexity and depth of the Halo universe. Beyond confirming what many fans likely already suspected concerning the bad-smelling Covenant aliens, the game likely promises to reveal larger and more consequential events and information regarding Master Chief’s origins and experiences as a Spartan. Whether through small, innocuous details or earth-shattering, cinematic moments, after December 8, players will determine if 343 is continuing to uphold the elements of Halo that has long made it special and unique.