Summary
Halo Infinitebelieved it was taking a big swing with an open-world design on the Halo ring and, while that approach could still be fleshed out and made profound in a sequel, there are many directions the franchise could head in or reliable routes it could fall back on and inexplicably hasn’t. Drifting further from whyHalowas actually praised as an IP back when it was developed by Bungie, there hasn’t been a unique stamp that 343 has put on it that’s been received as well as the original games. The worry is thatHaloas a franchise may be creatively bankrupt, but the validity of that can only be determined by what direction future games take.
Halo is Only as Unimaginative and Stunted as It Believes It is
It was learned recently thatHalopitches sounding eerily similar toHelldivers 2were declined and knowing how popular Arrowhead’s live-service PvE game is now that seems like an oversight on 343’s part. Indeed, there’s always been a wealth of neat lore forHaloto indulge in from previous games and almost nobody would be unhappy seeingHalofall back onwhat made the original trilogy,ODST, andReachso beloved.
All that said,Halo Infiniteis thriving in 2024despite how it’s been panned on the level of storytelling in its campaign or how the open-world design it implemented arguably wasn’t the kind of pivot the franchise needed.
It also hasn’t helped thatParamount’sHaloadaptationsoured purist fans and, whether or not it’s finally finding itself on the right track, is another reminder of how passionate the community is about the IP from before 343. Fortunately,Haloseems like the kind of FPS franchise that’ll stick around and while it could continue to kick its feet up and pump out games that don’t exceed recent expectations, it’d be wonderful to see a shift that players can get excited about.
That doesn’t meanHaloneeds to abandon its staple features with blends of PvE and PvP. In fact, it simply means that 343 needs to listen to its faithful playerbase more attentively.
It’s Not too Late for Halo to Course-Correct
Declining even one pitch foranODSTgame that would’ve played likeHelldivers 2seems like the largest travesty, for example, since that would easily meet the demands of many players. If such a game was to be greenlit now, it could be incredibly popular withODSTas a returningHalolabel and with gameplay that could be exhilarating if it had its own community-run storyline to follow like inHelldivers 2.
If there’s an actual reason why such games wouldn’t be feasible or why 343 hasn’t chosen to take the easy way out and go back to Bungie’s formula then that might put perspective into place, though at the moment it seems like 343 has its own agenda. PerhapsPvP is too important forHaloto be rid of entirely, giving a fully PvEODSTgame a low likelihood of happening any time soon.
But whileInfinite’s multiplayer is highly popular it would be great to see PvE releases that can accompany the multiplayer-centered releases so thatHalois hitting every corner of the market it can. IfHelldivers 2has proven how lucrative such a title can be, there’s hopefully a chance thatHalotakes similar strides in the future because as it stands it’s sitting on a valuable IP and not doing the most it can with it, especially with clear ideas on how to satisfy its dedicated playerbase.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
WHERE TO PLAY
The series that changed console gaming forever is on PC with six blockbuster games in one epic experience.Featuring Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST Campaign, and Halo 4, The Master Chief Collection offers players their own exciting journey through the epic saga. Starting with the incredible bravery of Noble Six in Halo: Reach and ending with the rise of a new enemy in Halo 4, the Master Chief’s saga totals 67 campaign missions over six critically-acclaimed titles.Each of the six games in The Master Chief Collection brings its own multiplayer maps, modes and game types. With more than 120 multiplayer maps and countless ways to play with community-created Forge content the Collection has the most diverse and expansive Halo multiplayer experience to date.Halo’s iconic map editor is improved, refreshed and better than ever. Build new maps with expanded functionality, increased budget, new objects and create new ways to play with custom game modes.
