Editing Cut Halo: Reach ambient life

{{Title|Cut ''Halo: Reach'' ambient life}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{GameFiles}}
[[File:HR CutAmbientLife.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Various cut ambient life in ''Reach''{{'}}s lighting test map.]]
{{Quote|You might be thinking to yourself, “Wait! Ambient life is really important!” but the cold, hard truth of the matter is that adding the correct animations for this little guy might impact other, way more important aspects of the game. It’s gotta go.|[[Eric Osborne]] discussing the porcupine.{{Ref/Reuse|Porky}}}}
{{Series/Cut/HR}}
During the game's [[Development of Halo: Reach|development]], ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' was intended to feature a large variety of '''ambient life''' to populate the wilderness of the [[Reach|titular planet]]. The fauna covered on this page are one of [[List of deleted ambient life in Halo development|many examples]] of cut ambient life in ''Halo'' games.

==Early wildlife revisions==
{{#widget:YouTube|id=pYvnrJkGPnc|thumb|width=300px|caption=A look at some of the ambient life cut from ''Reach'', in motion.}}
===Early Gúta===
{{Main|Gúta}}
Concepted by [[Isaac Hannaford]], the Gúta went through several revisions and rounds of development before reaching the form found in the final game. Early ideas showcased the creature as potentially being ridden by [[Kig-Yar|Jackals]], with later in-game prototyping exploring the ideas of [[Sangheili|Elites]] and [[Unggoy|Grunts]] riding them.{{Ref/Reuse|DevCommentaryGuta}} Later ideas suggested the Gútas were to have fur on their backs and arms - something that was conceived and modeled, though ultimately scrapped.{{Ref/Twitter|___Gal4xy___|1486153159668076546|Galaxy|Quote=Fun Fact: At one point the Guta's (Mule) were going to have fur. It was tested then scrapped.|D=11|M=02|Y=2022}}

Early code for the creature (named "mule" in-development) suggests they were to have an acid spit attack{{Ref/Twitter|zeddikins|1485807846277136387|zeddikins|Quote=apparently the guta were going to spit on you?|D=11|M=02|Y=2022}}, while another similar prototyped mechanic had the Gúta "vomit hot rocks".{{Ref/Reuse|DevCommentaryGuta}} Another possibility tested in development was for the Gúta to have shoulder-mounted cannons.{{Ref/Reuse|DevCommentaryGuta}}

Prior to their downscaled role in the game, the Gúta were intended to be in two other missions alongside [[Nightfall]]. Alongside the ability of the Covenant to ride Gutas, some explorations were done for them to be ride-able by the player - and for the player to be able to [[Boarding (gameplay mechanic)|board]] the Gúta by climbing up its back and kill it by planting a grenade in its mouth.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=DevCommentaryGuta|t_1LxdgGkOg|Ryan's Edits|Halo Reach Developer Commentary (2010)|Time=2054|Detail=34:14}}
<gallery>
File:HR_Guta_Concept_1.jpg|Early designs of the gúta.
File:HR_Guta_Concept_7.jpg|Early designs of the gúta.
File:HR_Guta_Concept_2.jpg|The gúta's near-finalized design.
File:HR_Guta_Concept_3.jpg|Concept art featuring two [[Kig-Yar]] riding a gúta.
File:HR_Guta_Concept_6.jpg|Concept art featuring two [[Kig-Yar]] riding a gúta.
File:HR GutaFur Screenshot 1.jpg|A screenshot of the early model, featuring fur.
File:HR GutaFur Screenshot 2.jpg|A screenshot of the early model, featuring fur.
File:HR GutaFur Screenshot 3.jpg|A screenshot of the early model, featuring fur.
File:HR GutaFur Screenshot 4.jpg|A screenshot of the early model, featuring fur.
</gallery>

===Hawk===
{{Main|List of animals}}
The hawk was a bird included in ''Reach'', where it can be found in the sky during the mission [[Winter Contingency]]. It was modelled and textured by artist [[:Category:Images by Zeke Garcia|Zeke Garcia]].{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/0XkJy|Site=ArtStation|Page=Hawk Halo Reach|D=11|M=02|Y=2022}}{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Bm5rA|Site=ArtStation|Page=Hawk Halo Reach|D=11|M=02|Y=2022}} This bird is presumably the "eagle" mentioned by Bungie during the developer commentary for ''Reach''; the original intent for the game's [[Legendary]] difficulty ending would see the bird fly down and land on [[SPARTAN-B312|Noble Six]]'s helmet, during [[Catherine Halsey|Halsey]]'s narration.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=DevCommentary|t_1LxdgGkOg|Ryan's Edits|Halo Reach Developer Commentary (2010)|Time=6880|Detail=1:54:40}} A number of other similar birds can be found in other levels.

The hawk showcased in the early development images below displays some subtle changes from the one featured in the final game, having no legs and a more reddish hue.
<gallery>
File:HR_ReachHawk_HiPoly.jpg|The high-poly model for the hawk.
File:HR_ReachHawk_Screenshot.jpg|The hawk in-game in an early build.
File:HReach-Eagle.jpg|The hawk in the final release.
</gallery>

==Cut wildlife==
[[File:HR ForgeWorld AmbientLife.jpg|thumb|250px|More various cut ambient life on [[Forge World]].]]
===Porcupine===
The porcupine was a creature intended to inhabit Reach. It was ultimately cut due to animations issues in which the creature would only float above the ground, with little time to fix prior to [[Zero-bug release]].{{Ref/Site|Id=Porky|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_061110|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Bungie Weekly Update: 06.11.10|D=25|M=07|Y=2019}}
<gallery>
File:HR Porky.jpg|Porky the porcupine, as posted in the [[Bungie Weekly Update]].{{Ref/Reuse|Porky}}
File:HR_Porcupine_Screenshot_1.png|The porcupine in-game.
File:HR_Porcupine_Screenshot_2.png|The porcupine in-game.
File:HR_Porcupine_Screenshot_3.png|The porcupine in-game.
File:HR_Porcupine_Screenshot_4.png|The porcupine in-game.
File:HR_Porcupine_Screenshot_5.png|The porcupine in-game.
</gallery>

===Fish===
Several fish species were present in early builds.
<gallery>
HR_Fish_Screenshot_1.png
HR_Fish_Screenshot_2.png
HR_Fish_Screenshot_3.png
HR_Fish_Screenshot_4.png
HR_Fish_Screenshot_5.png
</gallery>

===Goat-like creature===
A creature resembling a goat was present in the tags build, though ultimately cut. Little else is known of it.{{Ref/Twitter|___Gal4xy___|1486147740379795460|Galaxy|Detail=Images of the goat|D=11|M=02|Y=2022}}
<gallery>
File:HR_ReachGoat_Screenshot_1.jpg|The goat-like creature.
File:HR_ReachGoat_Screenshot_2.png|The goat-like creature.
File:HR_ReachGoat_Screenshot_3.png|The goat-like creature.
File:HR_ReachGoat_Screenshot_4.png|The goat-like creature.
</gallery>

===Spadehorn===
{{Main|Spadehorn}}
The Spadehorn was originally to appear in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' as ambient wildlife. {{Ref/Book|AoBW|Page=171}} Concept sketches were created for eight different varieties of the creature; the ''Highlands Spadehorn'', ''Prairie Spadehorn'', ''Angelhorn'', ''Ringhorn'', ''Hammerhorn'', ''Pryhorn'', ''Devilhorn'', and ''Godhorn'', each with different shaped horns. Spadehorns were intended to have an unusual genetic adaptation - horns that are flat and tough rather than brittle and pointy like those of their Earthbound cousins. The shovel-like horns were intended to dig through the rocky or frozen soil in Reach's boreal regions, though some variations were used instead to carve moss or lichen from sheer rock, or strip the bark from Reach's indigenous trees.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.instagram.com/p/B3VXyrUDQF-/|Site=Instagram|Page=Halo Reach - Spadehorn exploration (2008)|Quote=Animals in the Bovid family on Reach have an unusual genetic adaptation - their horns become flat and rough rather than point and brittle, like those of their Earthbound cousins. These shovel-like surfaces are used to dig through the rocky (and often frozen) soil in Reach's boreal regions. Other variations allow these goat-like creatures to carve moss or lichens from sheer rock, or strip the fibrous bark from Reach's indigenous trees.|D=17|M=1|Y=2022}} Spadehorns did keep their place in ''Halo'' canon, serving as the in-universe namesake for the [[Spade]] truck drivable in-game, and later being recreated in ''[[Halo Mash-Up: Minecraft Evolved]]''.
<gallery>
File:HR SpadehornSkull HiPoly.jpg|A high-poly model of the Spadehorn's skull.
File:HR_Spadehorn_Exploration_Concept_3.jpg|Concept sketches of different Spadehorns
File:HR_Spadehorn_Exploration_Concept_4.jpg|Early exploration concepts for the Spadehorn
File:HR Spadehorn Exploration Concept 2.jpg|Exploration concepts for the Highlands Spadehorn and Prairie Spadehorn
File:HR_Spadehorn_Exploration_Concept.jpg|Exploration concept for the Highland Spadehorn
File:HR CutAmbientLife.jpg|A model of the Spadehorn (back, far-right) in-game.
File:HR Spadehorn Screenshot 1.png|A model of the Spadehorn in-game.
File:HR Spadehorn Screenshot 2.png|A model of the Spadehorn in-game.
File:HR Spadehorn Screenshot 3.png|A model of the Spadehorn in-game.
File:HR Spadehorn Screenshot 4.png|A model of the Spadehorn in-game.
File:HR Spadehorn Screenshot 5.png|A model of the Spadehorn in-game.
File:HR Spadehorn Screenshot 6.png|A model of the Spadehorn in-game.
File:HR Spadehorn Screenshot 7.png|A model of the Spadehorn in-game.
</gallery>

===Squirrel===
{{Quote|Marcus, we cut the porcupine, but we saved the squirrel.|[[Bungie]] developers reporting the squirrel's survival of early bugtesting to [[Marcus Lehto]].{{Ref/Reuse|Porky}}}}
The squirrel was a creature intended to inhabit Reach, and exists in the [[Halo: Reach DLC tags build|tags build]] complete with textures and idle animations.{{Ref/Twitter|___Gal4xy___|1485837049584398337|Galaxy|Quote=Sad to see all this cut wildlife from Reach.|D=11|M=02|Y=2022}} At some point, the porcupine was cut from the game so the squirrel could live, though the squirrel ultimately never made it to the final release, having been cut several weeks later.{{Ref/Reuse|Porky}}{{Ref/Site|Id=SpaceSquirrel|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_062510|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Bungie Weekly Update: 06.25.10|D=25|M=07|Y=2019}}
<gallery>
File:HR Squirrel.png|The squirrel.
File:HR RIPSpaceSquirrel.jpg|An image of the space squirrel, posted in the Bungie Weekly Update.
File:HR Squirrel Screenshot 1.png|The squirrel in-game.
File:HR Squirrel Screenshot 2.png|The squirrel in-game.
File:HR Squirrel Screenshot 3.png|The squirrel in-game.
File:HR Squirrel Screenshot 4.png|The squirrel in-game.
File:HR Squirrel Screenshot 5.png|The squirrel in-game.
File:HR Squirrel Screenshot 6.png|The squirrel in-game.
File:HR Squirrel Screenshot 7.png|The squirrel in-game.
</gallery>

===Slug===
The slug was another creature intended to inhabit Reach. The creature was modelled by artist [[:Category:Images by Zeke Garcia|Zeke Garcia]], and was fully textured and animated before it was cut.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/8lnKO|Site=ArtStation|Page=Slug Halo Reach|D=11|M=02|Y=2022}} The slug was (possibly jokingly) mentioned by Bungie as intended to be used in the game's Legendary ending.{{Ref/Reuse|DevCommentary}}
<gallery>
File:HR ReachSlug HiPoly.jpg|The Reach slug high-poly model.
File:HR ReachSlug Bottom.jpg|The underside of the slug.
File:HR_ReachSlug.jpg|Reach slug.
File:HR_Slug_Screenshot_1.png|The slug in-game.
File:HR_Slug_Screenshot_2.png|The slug in-game.
File:HR_Slug_Screenshot_3.png|The slug in-game.
File:HR_Slug_Screenshot_4.png|The slug in-game.
File:HR_Slug_Screenshot_5.png|The slug in-game.
File:HR_Slug_Screenshot_6.png|The slug in-game.
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Deleted Material}}
[[Category:Halo: Reach deleted material]]