I actually thought 343 struck a delicate balance between 'Chief becoming a more human character, and yet still maintaining that mysterious, powerful, warrior we know and love; and who's revered by so many within the universe. I thought the emotions that came through were subtle, and he never spoke unnecessarily, imo. The humanization came from more meaningful interaction between Cortana and 'Chief. She wasn't her comedic, witty, self, but she was dealing with the fact she was on the verge of dying. She would say something that 'Chief wouldn't really know how to answer, but would simply reassure her. It was interesting to see him face something that he was powerless against. That never stopped him being the formidable character of past games, though. His confrontation with Del Rio showed him disobeying orders to keep Cortana safe, but he did it in a firm way. He was powerful in that scene. When Cortana's rampancy took over and hindered the mission he was never angered by it, neither did he try to baby her; he simply tried his best to deal with the situation. He'd even come off as a bit cold to her, not responding to her distress and apologies whilst he tried to rectify the damage she caused. As much as he wants to help Cortana, he understands that stopping the Didact is his primary goal. He reminded me of his portrayal in the novels, which I always thought would be cool to see make that the transition to the games.