Remember when Halo 2 was gestating in the Bungie incubator, and pre-launch hype was just starting to drop? I can recall eagle-eyed fanboys spotting recognizable architecture in the Future-Earth vistas depicted in the designs.

There is a prime example, right there. That’s the HSBC building in downtown Hong Kong, making an appearance in a poster for Halo 2. As you may recall, it touched off a flood-outbreak of speculation that Earth would never be the same again…

Now that we are preparing to drop in Halo 3 Recon, it would seem that another skyscraper from our world has snuck into the lineup of a cityscape in the Chief’s timeline.

As we have all seen and deconstructed by now, there is the skyline of New Mombasa, as depicted in the ‘Prepare to Drop’ trailer. Notice anything familiar? No? You are probably not from Chicago, then.

Nestled in between the two main towers is a facsimile of what we in the ‘Second City’ call Pru-2. That’s Prudential Tower #2, more officially.

Here’s what Pru-2 looks like in my neighborhood. Don’t let the perspective next to the AON Center fool you. That is one mother of a structure.

On a clear day, you can see Wisconsin from the top of the place. On a cloudy day, you can get lost in the soup if you step out onto one of the balconies of its spired roof. Pru-2 is the fifth tallest building in our horizon. In New Mombosa, it’s just scenery.

Could this be an homage to Bungie’s roots in Chicago? The likelihood is slim, since this animated short was created by CaféFX. Is it an Easter Egg the size of a skyscraper? Or just a design element in the pallete of an animator looking to pastiche an entire city? It shall remain a mystery.

I can see that building from my office window, so I just had to point it out. It’s hard to look at Chicago now without seeing dozens on ODSTs on an inbound vector.

So there. If someone scooped me on this, please move along. There is nothing to see here.

Posted by XerxdeeJ