This is not so much of an opinion as personal preference: I like backtracking! I think there are plenty of games that do it wrong and make for a dull experience, but I’ve also played enough games where I have very much enjoyed travelling back through the areas I’ve already been.
Now, I think the general consensus is that Halo shouldn’t have any major backtracking in it, so I’m here to look at each specific case I can think of from the first trilogy to offer my thoughts, and you can tell me why you agree or disagree.
Halo – There is one area of this level in which the player visits two or three times; the large open valley between rescuing the marines at their outposts. Travelling through such an area offers a sense of freedom and scope that we’ve never truly experienced in Halo since. It doesn’t feel repetitive due to the different directions and approaches you can take. I think Halo CE’s sandbox, really supports such a level design.
Truth and Reconciliation – T&R introduced the idea of traversing back through a level you’ve just fought through. The escape routine in Halo is something I quite like. It’s short and sweet burst of action to get the heart pumping one final time before the level ends. I love it!
The Silent Cartographer – TSC offers a sense of freedom similar to that of the Halo level. The biggest difference here is that the backtracking is completely optional. Do you want to play more of the game and have fun mowing down more enemies? Or would you prefer to end the level as quickly as possible? Make a decision. Choose your path!
343 Guilty Spark – A common complaint about levels such as Guilty Spark and T&R is the ability to get lost… But it’s that same ability that, for me, makes the game feel more free. It’s still linear in a sense, but it feels a lot more like you’re exploring a real location rather than simply running from point A to B. Halo 2’s campaign onwards felt very linear in comparison. What’s more, that sense of getting lost increases the dread you’re intended to feel toward the Flood, which is one reason why I love the classic, dark and moody Library level. Plus, memorising Guilty Spark, speed-running it and trying to beat your own time is an absolute blast! I can’t recommend this level enough! (…As long as it’s played in Classic mode only.)
Two Betrayals – Now this is where people really start to complain. Yes, this level is just AotCR backwards. However, does fighting your way back out of the Control Room hallways feel the same as when you entered it? Does jumping your way down the ziggurat, blowing up a Wraith with a rocket launcher and commandeering a Banshee feel the same as when you assaulted the Control Room? Does dogfighting against other Banshees in the midst of twilight feel the same as rolling through the snow in a Scorpion tank at daybreak? Does running back through open terrain on foot in the middle of a three-way battle with the Covenant, Flood and yourself feel the same as your first encounter with the “Covenant Mortar Tanks”? If this level feels the same to you, then I truly feel sorry for you. For me, AotCR and Two Betrayals offer two completely different experiences, and I love them both!
Keyes – Personally, I love Keyes for the lore. The exterior section is obviously very different from the opening to T&R, but I can see why the purple Covenant hallways may get repetitive for some. While the gameplay of the two levels varies greatly due to the difference between fighting the Covenant and the Flood, I would have welcomed some more visual changes to improve the level.
The Maw – Do I really need to offer thoughts on this one? It’s a very different experience from The Pillar or Autumn, and a terrific “full circle” way of wrapping up the game. The level looks different, it plays differently, and many of the areas are completely new. If you didn’t love the classic Warthog run, then why are you even playing Halo?
Cairo Station – Cairo Station’s backtracking is minimal considering you only return to areas (like the Armory) in which you never actually fought in the first time. However, I’d argue that levels like this one (and the Sacred Icon) actually hurt the game a lot worse than the backtracking events. When you backtracked in Halo CE, the gameplay was often very different. In Cairo Station, fighting waves of Covenant in the hangars and tree rooms the second time feels very much the same as the first.
The Oracle – I’ll admit the backtracking in The Oracle isn’t particularly fun, but that’s due to Halo 2’s limited level design more than anything else. I’m just glad Bungie managed to improve their level design for Halo 3, ODST and Reach. It’s a shame Halo’s 4 and 5 felt even more limited. Fortunately, The Oracle’s backtracking was simply made as a lead-in to the encounter with the Heretic Leader, and therefore didn’t last long.
The Great Journey – The backtracking in TGJ follows the same idea that Two Betrayals utilised. Ground combat and flight combat feel completely different. When I first played through the level as a kid, I didn’t even notice I was flying back through a section of the level I’d already been through. These days, I appreciate it for the same reason as I appreciate Halo, TSC or Guilty Spark. It feels like you’re exploring a real location rather than a straightforward, linear path (even if that’s what it is at a technical level).
Crow’s Nest – I hear a lot of complaints about Crow’s Nest. Consider my last line on TGJ. That applies here. On top of that, consider my main point regarding Two Betrayals. Yes, you run through Crow’s Nest three times, but each time, the gameplay offers a new experience. For me, Crow’s Nest makes the most of its environment in a fun and engaging way.
Floodgate – Okay. Do I really have to explain this one? Floodgate feels nothing like The Storm. It’s the perfect example of just how cool it is to tread back through a previous area but facing the threat of, not the Covenant, but the Flood! My only complaint is that it feels a bit too limited, like Halo 2’s levels.
The Ark – Refer to my comment on TSC.
The Covenant – The backtracking here is minimal. It’s not necessary and doesn’t truly offer anything amazing except for that sense of scope, but that’s enough for me. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to complain about either.
Cortana – I love Cortana! I know how popular it is to hate The Library and Cortana, but I think they’re both truly amazing levels. I love them as a lore and story fan. I love them as a fan of Halo’s art. Most of all, I truly enjoy their gameplay! I think the level is just long enough, and the backtracking isn’t true backtracking. It offers a shortcut back through the level that lasts almost no time at all, and offers an even better example of that burst of action that T&R’s escape routine introduced.
…
So, there you go. Those are my thoughts. I would absolutely love to hear yours! Do you like backtracking in Halo? Do you hate it? Are there any specific points of mine that you’d like to dispute? Please share.