TheHalofranchise is a longstanding and prestigious one, arguably being one of the most defining and revolutionary first-person shooter experiences of all time. Over the years and its many installments, the series has prided itself on larger-than-life protagonists, high-octane gameplay, and explosive and memorable linear set pieces.
With that being said, it is clear that the contemporary state ofHalois one of uncertainty, with recent installments to the IP going against the grain of the tried and true gameplay formula of its more historic releases. As many of these newer changes are considered somewhat controversial by manyHalofans, the future of the franchise would do well to curate a new spin-off experience that pays homage to previous titles of a similar nature. Providing a more intimate and narratively driven experience away from the buffed-up combat dominance of Spartan super-soldiers, a spin-off of this nature would clearly appeal to many fans.
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Recent Changes To the Halo Franchise
The most recent installment to theHalofranchise is 2021’sHalo Infinite, which many fans felt did not live up to the huge amounts of hype and expectation surrounding the release.Infiniteappealed to many fans primarily in its commitment toreturning Master Chief to the forefront ofHaloas the game’s protagonist, although the release made sure to make serious changes to how its experience was delivered in order to curate its own standalone identity.
Crucially,Halo Infinitetakes place within an open world, allowing the player to tackle certain mainline missions and side content at their own pace and in a somewhat loose chronological order. This is a huge departure from the usual linear experience of the wider IP, but significant changes had already occurred to the franchise’s identity prior to this. For example,Halo 5featured Jameson Locke as a core protagonist alongside Master Chief and focused massively on cooperative squad-based gameplay that almost juxtaposed the gameplay of originalHalotitles.
A Return To Halo: ODST
While thechanges that came withHalo 5andHalo Infinitewere somewhat controversial, many are of the opinion that the franchise does need to shake its reliance on its earlier identity in order to move on to its next state of existence. Although the aforementioned recent changes to the IP did not quite settle well, there are already some great pre-existing examples of what kind of changes would be better received by fans.
It could be time for theHalofranchise to release another spin-off title, and there are some fantastic past examples to take inspiration from. For example,2010’sHalo Reachtold a fantastic storythat resonated well with many fans, but 343 Industries would perhaps be better off curating a new spin-off experience more akin to 2009’sHalo: ODST.
Halo: ODSTprovides the most unique narrative of all theHalogames, crucially telling a tale completely devoid of the usual Spartan super-soldiers that the franchise focuses on. The eponymous Orbital Drop Shock Troopers that feature in the story ofODSTare regular humans engaging in tense and highly dangerous operations, despite being less equipped and less effective than their genetically modified Spartan teammates.
Consequently, many felt thatHalo: ODSTtold an unprecedentedly intimate, human, and relatable story within the rich world of the IP, with the actions and feelings of its involved characters thriving outside of the almost robotic confines of Spartan soldiers.ODSTis very fondly looked back upon by fans, and a future installment to theHalofranchise would do well to present a similar Spartan-less experience.
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