Never taken much notice of MC's armor, but I don't like it :/

This is... interesting. You'll notice how the lower torso has the heaviest amount of armor on it; this is probably because the necessary range of movement for the legs is relatively limited except for around the hips - where the armor is naturally lighter.

What they've done with this armor is trade off the image of being a walking tank for the sake of increased mobility, so it's a little bit like actual armor, just more exaggerated in some ways. This armor would allow Chief to contort his torso in a lot of ways without his movement being impeded, even though it offers a lower threshhold of protection.

They say that this will reflect in the gameplay of Halo 4. If I had to take a guess, and I do, this will probably translate into more movement options. Master Chief still weighs a thousand pounds in this armor, but the freedom of movement afforded his body by the reduced coverage should allow for more varied and more detailed movement options. A sprint button, maybe? A carefully crafted cover system? Recharging shields but no recharging health? The ability to leap to the side as a standard ability instead of just something Elites can do?

It's a bit shocking the first time you see it, but the gameplay options it suggests are potentially very interesting.

If you read up on the Spartan Armor, you'll find that the most importants part of the armor aren't the heavy metal plates, but the body suit beneath it.

Also, I would hope the armor is more realistic and less cartoonish. In Reach, the Spartan's weren't Hulks, they were normal looking human beings. The armor shouldn't suddenly make them look like bulky, masses of muscle.

That would be like what Hasbro did with the Star Wars figures in 1996. Every figure became an exaggeration of the human form. So much so the that the figures Hasbro produced would,'t even fit in or on vehicles unless special versions were produced. No one liked them because they weren't realistic and they were useless.

The book series allows for armor that can alter itself or improve its capabilities. I think what we're seeing is a progression of that unlike we've seen in the past. I don't have a problem with the changes, but I do hope they offer a good reason for it happening in the game.