They use fundamentally different systems from us, so some our 3D models had to be converted once they got to Tokyo, and naturally, the animation for fighting simply didn't exist. We had to describe how we felt a Spartan would fight – the weight of the armor, the kind of close-quarters, brutal martial arts that a future military might use.

In that last regard, Team Ninja was on exactly the same page. When we got back approval materials (early, playable versions of the game, in varying stages of completion), they had almost nailed it exactly, first time. When Nicole fights, you believe it. Punches are quick and brutal. Kicks are telegraphed, and pack incredible force.