Halo is having a resurgence, but it won't last forever

Halo is currently having a pretty big comeback. It took almost two years, but recent updates to Halo Infinite have revived the game and made it worth returning to. Yet, as a longtime Halo fan, I feel like I’ve been here before… and I’m not convinced things will remain as hopeful as they are right now.

I'd like to take you on a trip down memory lane, through the history of 343 Industries and the games the team has released since taking over from Bungie as head of the Halo franchise. In part to highlight some things you might not know about certain Halo games at launch, but also to show how 343's track record doesn't inspire much confidence for whatever comes after this momentary resurgence.

Return of the Chief

When Halo 4 dropped, fans had mixed opinions. The hype surrounding Master Chief’s return was immense, and it led Halo 4 to be a huge seller for Microsoft, but it soon became apparent that this game was taking the series in a new direction. It was 343 Industries’ debut title, and it wanted to make its own mark on the franchise.

Click to enlarge

The multiplayer was closer to its competitors than ever before, with earnable weapon drops and a scoring system rather than the basic weapon spawns of Halo’s past. The campaign’s story was praised by many for showing the Chief’s humanity and Cortana’s descent into rampancy, but the new enemies were divisive and open-ended level design became a thing of the past.

Forge and custom games were weak as hell compared to Reach. The tiny Forge canvas maps provided little to no space for good maps, and the lack of options left Custom Games in a terrible place. Spartan Ops missions were also disappointing, providing repetitive, weekly co-op activities that didn’t really feel very necessary or fun to play. 

343 managed to resolve this later on with more varied mission structures and environments, and they even added new maps like Forge Island to satiate creators. It wasn’t enough - Halo 4, despite its sales numbers, didn’t capture Halo fans the way it should have.

Jack of all trades, Master Chief of none

Click to enlarge

We could’ve had the perfect solution to Halo 4’s change of direction. The Master Chief Collection, released in 2014 to align with Halo 2’s anniversary, offered the chance to relive the Halo saga in one package. All the main games (ODST and Reach excluded for now) were playable on one disc. The MCC should’ve been the ideal tonic for hardcore Halo fans.

It was a disaster. On launch day, the game failed to run properly, matchmaking had constant errors and it was clear the product was unfinished. A revamped Halo 2 campaign wasn’t enough to save it, as the disappointment for the failed multiplayer component overshadowed the excellent package MCC provided.

It was only years later when MCC came to PC in 2019 that things turned around. The game remained broken for five whole years, but when 343 got things in order, fans were ecstatic. All that mattered was that the whole Halo franchise was on PC and in working order, and it still lives on today through the custom games community, modders, and online multiplayer.

Guardian Games

We can’t forget Halo 5: Guardians, the only main game currently absent from PC. The marketing for this game was magnificent, with the immersive Hunt the Truth podcast providing intricate storytelling and lore to build up Master Chief’s supposed disappearance. A reveal trailer with Master Chief cloaked in a poncho confronting an enormous robot was the perfect surprise too. The hype was through the roof.

The game drops. People get their hands on the campaign, only to find out it’s nothing like the marketing at all. The story focuses on Spartan Locke and his fireteam of misfits, casting Master Chief and the fan-favourites Blue Team aside.

343 had a home run in their hands and they fumbled it. This game has the in-game debut of Master Chief’s team from the books, the return of the Arbiter, a crazy villain twist no one saw coming and the perfect sandbox for a wild and varied campaign. Instead, the gameplay was linear and unambitious, and the story missed the mark entirely.

Click to enlarge

Even the PvPvE multiplayer mode Warzone didn’t quite make an impact. Fans were concerned about the microtransactions (purchase-able “REQ packs” that gave paying players an advantage with more weapons and vehicles to use in Warzone), and rightly so. Pay-to-win isn't welcome in any modern video game release, and should be criticised heavily whenever it rears its ugly head.

In my opinion, the bigger issue was the lack of multiplayer content. The game launched without many of the staple modes Halo fans love, like Big Team Battle or Infection. It didn’t even come with Forge mode, a vital component of Halo games - without Forge, the creative side of the Halo community simply ceases to be. Custom games are the backbone of casual Halo gameplay, and Forge is essential for creating good custom games.

But once again, 343 managed to pull things together. Free updates gave players a reason to return week after week, with more maps, modes, weapons and unlocks. 

Forge and Big Team Battle arrived pretty soon after launch. These updates were rapid and managed to earn back some goodwill from players. Not everyone was a fan of Halo 5’s enhanced Spartan abilities, but it can’t be denied that the free content kept the game alive for a long time despite a lower player-base overall.

Infinite Resurgence

Are you noticing a trend yet? With each new game, some controversy has to be resolved. Whether it’s Halo 4’s Forge or Spartan Ops modes, MCC’s broken launch or Halo 5’s lack of key modes, 343’s games have always launched in an incomplete state. The latest title is just another example of that.

This is why, despite the current Halo Infinite resurgence, I simply can’t get excited for Halo’s future. The current team at 343 has turned Infinite into a respectable Halo title again, but how long will it be before a new title is on the horizon and it fails to meet series expectations?

Click to enlarge

We can’t forget that this game launched without Slayer, a core game mode since 2001. We can’t forget the lack of Forge, the restrictive, overpriced customisation or the barren content drops. These should’ve never been problems in the first place - Microsoft has had far too much time, and has way too much money, to be making these kinds of mistakes in the most iconic Xbox franchise of all time.

I love what 343 has done with Infinite’s Forge mode, Squad Battle is an excellent addition to matchmaking, and we finally have fun, casual modes like Infection and the new Husky Raid playlist. Yet I’m worried that what we’re experiencing is merely a stopgap, another peak before the inevitable trough that comes later.

I’d love to be wrong, but there’s nothing in 343’s track record that suggests anything other than inconsistency. A steady inconsistency, and predictable rises and falls with each new release as the company fails to learn from previous mistakes. As games get bigger and more complex, it’s only going to get harder to launch a game with all the features fans expect from a Halo title.

Infinite shattered my hopes for the Halo franchise with its excruciatingly slow content drops and gameplay problems. I’m still not a fan of the new Big Team Battle sandbox, the campaign left a lot to be desired, and both theatre mode and the custom games browser have been dysfunctional for way too long. The game is fun again, and 2024 might have more good things in store, but 343 has a long road to walk before earning back my faith. 

I’ll always be a Halo fan, and I’ll always remember the good times even when the franchise is in a sorry state - I just can’t let myself get too excited anymore. Hopefully, the Halo Infinite resurgence lasts - I’m not sure I’m ready for what comes after.