C3PX said:

I guess I consider badass characters and lots of explosians to be fairly redneck-esque. Style over substance and all that. Just doesn't do it for me. Maybe I am on the wrong track here, but the Spartans in the trailer were just a bit too over the top for me, reminded me of the ridiculously over the top masculinity of the Gears of War characters. I just can't take that sort of bullshit seriously.

Octorox said:

Also, CE was the best, end of story.

Oh, sorry. I didn't realize that. My mistake.

Hmmm...Yeah I'm not a fan of the Gears of War aesthetic either but i really didn't get that impression. Badass characters I'm fine with as long as they aren't one-dimensional and they have some kind of counterbalance. Characters like Jack and Thane in Mass Effect 2 were complete badasses but they also had heartfelt and interesting backstories. I saw some possibilities for interesting backstories behind some of these characters, especially Kat with her robotic arm and Emile, who just looks interesting. Also, Master Chief and the arbiter are pretty badass IMO, and we all love them.

And thanks for correcting yourself on the other issue there ;)