Not everyone expected that theHaloseries would live on into the 2020s, especially when in 2013, Bungie releasedHalo Reach, which was to be its final Halo game. Since then, 343 Studios has produced a number ofHalogames that have had mixed reception. While fans have praised the visuals and some of the new gameplay concepts from the much-loved franchise, many have been displeased with the overall direction that the series has gone in.
While bothHalo 5: GuardiansandHalo Infiniteperformed well in sales and user base, reaction was quite mixed. EvenHalo 4seemed to have a more unanimous consensus, and a fairly positive one at that. WhileHalo 5andInfiniteboth tried to move the series forward in different ways and had interesting ideas, neither game truly felt good enough, getting various things right and wrong. Even with future updates forHalo Infinitein the pipeline, as well as new titles which could see anewHalocompanion characteradded, it can be argued that a lot of damage has been done to the franchise already.
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Storyline: How Is Halo’s Story Moving Forward?
Storyline is a big aspect of theHalofranchise. While the combat mechanics and visuals were impressive for its time whenHalo: Combat Evolvedreleased, what captivated fans the most was the rich and immersive storyline. With the player tasked with preventing a technological device from wiping out all life in the universe, the collection of high-stakes, well-paced missions were bingeable and all added up to an impressive overall story.Halo 2,Halo 3, andHalo Reachrepeated this, but since Bungie’s exit, the storyline has been one of the most controversial aspects to the fan base. When it comes toranking theHalostories, 343’s titles always seem to fall lower.
Halo 4’s storyline had the tall order of introducing a new villain, reintroducing the Master Chief, and generally moving the franchise on from the Bungie saga. The consensus was that the game achieved this, with the return of a couple Forerunners and a new universe-threatening plot established. It came as a surprise, then, that whenHalo 5: Guardiansreleased, it essentially threw all the previous game’s world building away. Instead, it focused on a plot about Cortana’s descent into madness and the feud between Master Chief and UNSCJohn Locke.Halo Infinitereleased and again threw away everything from the previous game, instead building up the Banished, a group of ex-Covenant Brutes and Grunts who refuse to abide the treaty with the UNSC. It also features a Cortana clone, rendering much ofHalo 5: Guardianspointless from a narrative standpoint.
The storyline throughout Halo’s last three games has flipped around too much and been disconnected from each other. This led to a more fragmented feel to the trilogy compared to the original, ans whileHalo Infinitehad a compact story that felt familiar but progressive, it was fighting a losing battle the minute it brushed overHalo 5: Guardian’s conclusion off-screen. BothHalo 5: GuardiansandHalo Infinitefell short in the storyline department and ultimately got it wrong. It’s a shame to see, especially considering how earlierHalotitles had some of themost iconic story campaigns in gaming.
Mechanics: Is Halo Innovative Enough?
Halohas always been praised for its solid FPS mechanics. While a lot of fans enjoy the familiar mechanics from the originalHalogames, one positive to come out of 343’s era of the franchise is how it has continually experimented with new mechanics while polishing and refining old ones. The armor abilities inHalo Reach, which was introduced by Bungie, proved to be quite popular. They made the game’s pacing a little quicker and more akin to the super-popularCall of Dutyseries.Halo 5: Guardianscontinued the armor abilities trend to great effect. Even though theHalogames became harder in co-op mode, many groups of friends have spent their youth grinding theHalocampaigns together; the impressive mechanics are a big reason behind that.
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While a lot of fans were unhappy withHalo 5’s campaign, the multiplayer was praised for its faster gameplay and versatility in mechanics. The polished mechanics allowedHalo 5to lead a successful couple years ineSports, with many tournaments on the global stage.Halo Infinitesimplified the mechanics again, taking away some armor abilities and dodge/roll mechanics in the previous game. Instead, it has the familiarHalomechanics, a sprint ability, and a fun grappling hook mechanic. BothHalo 5: GuardiansandHalo Infinitegot the mechanics of the series right.
Visuals: Did Guardians And Infinite Look Pretty Enough?
Though the mechanics, characters, and storylines are the main drivers behind the franchise’s popularity,Halofans also care about the visuals of each game. This makes perffect sense sinceHalooffers the opportunity for many beautiful sights due to its sci-fi setting, which Bungie took onboard throughout all of itsHalotitles. Since the 343 era, game design technology and graphics have only improved, and so too have the visuals in the series. And it wasn’t as if the earlier titles weren’t impressive visually, withHalo’s debut title being anXbox game with graphics that have aged the best.
Halo’s visualshave been much crisper and built out sinceHalo 4, with bothGuardiansandInfinitehaving stunning backdrops and ultra-realistic looking characters. Cutscenes in particular show off the impressive graphics which helps to immerse the player more. The more lifelike the characters look, the more drawn to them the player is, and both games succeed on this front.
Characterization: How Good Are The Characters?
Halo’s characters have always been popular. While there could always have been more expansion/development for characters, they were generally distinct and fleshed out.Halo 4introduced a number of great characters, particularly the Didact and Thomas Laskey. SinceHalo 5: GuardiansandHalo Infiniteboth moved the storyline on to different areas, they focused on different characters with little overlap between them.
The characterization has suffered as a result, with characters feeling much less fleshed-out and developed than they did in the early games from the series. The treatment of Cortana, who was once tied to one of thesmartest Xbox stories, has been dross and convoluted, ruining one of the most iconic characters from the franchise for many. Ultimately, though the recent games have been innovative from a gameplay perspective and visually stunning, the stories they tell have been a noticeable step in the wrong direction.
Halo Infiniteis available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox One Series X/S.
