Friends, is it just me, or have the recent books taken a notable turn for the worse?
I can understand that there’s a lot of positioning being done in a hurry for the new game, but we’re wading through 400-500 pages of nothing really happening except a lot of shooting or planet-hopping.
Am I missing the genuine nuggets of canon gold that I need to pick out? Or am I just reading filler?
I don’t mean this to be a crank post because I love the Halo fiction and have valued at least one of the works of almost all the authors so far. I pre-order the books. But, after the last 3 I’ve had to stop doing that. Is it me??
> 2574155679902465;1:
> Friends, is it just me, or have the recent books taken a notable turn for the worse?
> I can understand that there’s a lot of positioning being done in a hurry for the new game, but we’re wading through 400-500 pages of nothing really happening except a lot of shooting or planet-hopping.
> Am I missing the genuine nuggets of canon gold that I need to pick out? Or am I just reading filler?
> I don’t mean this to be a crank post because I love the Halo fiction and have valued at least one of the works of almost all the authors so far. I pre-order the books. But, after the last 3 I’ve had to stop doing that. Is it me??
What books specifically, I just finished the Kelly Gay books and they weren’t to bad.
It’s largely a result of 343 not really having a clear plan on what to do with the franchise since the end of Halo 4.
When you don’t know when your story is going to end or where it’s ultimately going, it’s very hard to know what to base supporting stories on. This felt much the case in Halo Shadow of Reach.
343 clearly hadn’t decided what they were going to with the Created plot arc in the long run. So as a result their is really nothing for the author to really sink their creative teeth into, so everything that happens feels inconsequential.
It’s a real pity. To Reclaimer saga had a lot of potential, and this really came across in the early Forerunner saga of novels.
My potential Hot Take, is that we’ve been a bit over saturated with books in the recent years.
Starting with Ghosts of Onyx, we were getting 1 book per year, which moved to 2 while the Forerunner and Kilo5 books were coming out, which I felt like was enough, for me personally.
Then in the last 7 years we’ve had 18 books!
I know there are many in the fan base who eat books for breakfast and this is amazing. But the target demographic for these books are gamers first and foremost. Faced with reading 3 or more books a year to keep up with a video game you place can be daunting to a lot of people, and not worth the effort if they have other interests as well.
I’d honestly prefer them to go back to 2 solid books per year, as to not over inflate the lore with too much fluff.
Out of the new books, like 2015+ I’ve only read the Troy Denning books, except Retribution. And Bad Blood, that one too. Those ones were good, and I’d have to guess New Blood is good too. But I’m not gonna lie none of the other books have really interested me all too much. I’ve watched Halo Canon’s videos on them and the stories, while not bad, aren’t too hot either. Though I do want to get Halo Envoy, that one looks good, and it’s nice to see Gray Team back.
Sasquatch1366 I loved the first books by Kelly Gay and Troy Denning particularly, but the most recent ones have really let me down. As you say Astrogenesis, I end up ploughing through hundreds of pages of shoot’em up action, just so that when the next game/book drops, I know what’s going on. Oblivion, Shadows of Reach, Point of Light - these were all stories in which essentially nothing material actually happened.
Aftermath xcvii the Forbeck books aren’t my favourite, but I really liked Envoy - loads of action, but a good, self-contained story within itself, not just a stringer for an ongoing canon that, as you say timh1990, seems to keep rolling because it’s got meat but no bones. Which again is a huge shame because the Created storyline has to have huge potential, yet all we get is people running around the galaxy dodging Guardians.
Glad it’s not just me, but hopefully once we do have a new game out, we can go back to the game producing enough of canon fodder (see what I did there) that we don’t need to read 5 books to find out whether John retrieved a data crystal from a desk drawer.
> 2574155679902465;6:
> Sasquatch1366 I loved the first books by Kelly Gay and Troy Denning particularly, but the most recent ones have really let me down. As you say Astrogenesis, I end up ploughing through hundreds of pages of shoot’em up action, just so that when the next game/book drops, I know what’s going on. Oblivion, Shadows of Reach, Point of Light - these were all stories in which essentially nothing material actually happened.
> AftermaTh XCVII the Forbeck books aren’t my favourite, but I really liked Envoy - loads of action, but a good, self-contained story within itself, not just a stringer for an ongoing canon that, as you say timh1990, seems to keep rolling because it’s got meat but no bones. Which again is a huge shame because the Created storyline has to have huge potential, yet all we get is people running around the galaxy dodging Guardians.
> Glad it’s not just me, but hopefully once we do have a new game out, we can go back to the game producing enough of canon fodder (see what I did there) that we don’t need to read 5 books to find out whether John retrieved a data crystal from a desk drawer.
I think a part of the issue with their approach to the EU, especially books featuring main game characters, is that they feel more like continuations, rather than supplementary material.
Now I’m not in anyway suggesting the EU is lesser than the games, but if you can’t understand the games without reading 1 or 2 books in between, then you have a problem.
Imagine if in the MCU, only the Avengers films were actually movies, and the rest were books you had to read in between the movies.
It would suck, right?
The story presented in the games themselves needs to flow from game to game, and the books should be there to support them. They can still tell stories about the main game characters, just not stories that alter them between games, followed by the games not addressing said change for non-readers.
> 2533274810945725;7:
> > 2574155679902465;6:
> > Sasquatch1366 I loved the first books by Kelly Gay and Troy Denning particularly, but the most recent ones have really let me down. As you say Astrogenesis, I end up ploughing through hundreds of pages of shoot’em up action, just so that when the next game/book drops, I know what’s going on. Oblivion, Shadows of Reach, Point of Light - these were all stories in which essentially nothing material actually happened.
> > AftermaTh XCVII the Forbeck books aren’t my favourite, but I really liked Envoy - loads of action, but a good, self-contained story within itself, not just a stringer for an ongoing canon that, as you say timh1990, seems to keep rolling because it’s got meat but no bones. Which again is a huge shame because the Created storyline has to have huge potential, yet all we get is people running around the galaxy dodging Guardians.
> > Glad it’s not just me, but hopefully once we do have a new game out, we can go back to the game producing enough of canon fodder (see what I did there) that we don’t need to read 5 books to find out whether John retrieved a data crystal from a desk drawer.
>
> I think a part of the issue with their approach to the EU, especially books featuring main game characters, is that they feel more like continuations, rather than supplementary material.
> Now I’m not in anyway suggesting the EU is lesser than the games, but if you can’t understand the games without reading 1 or 2 books in between, then you have a problem.
>
> Imagine if in the MCU, only the Avengers films were actually movies, and the rest were books you had to read in between the movies.
> It would suck, right?
>
> The story presented in the games themselves needs to flow from game to game, and the books should be there to support them. They can still tell stories about the main game characters, just not stories that alter them between games, followed by the games not addressing said change for non-readers.
I don’t personally think that this is the issue. Halo 5 was badly received because 343 changed where they wanted to go with the story after Halo 4, and aborted everything that and Halo 4 already setup. And it looks like they will be doing the same for Halo Infinite.
Then to compound the problem, they didn’t do the necessary groundwork in establishing the setting or the characters. It was like releasing Halo 3 ODST ahead of Halo 2 and Halo 3.
Forget the Master Chief’s story, his return to Earth and the Halo Array. Your following this squad of random ODST’s, and don’t ask why the sane suddenly with the Covenant on Earth.
I don’t think the books contributed or mitigated this issue at all. It’s a case of 343 wanting spectacle in their games, but not being willing to do the necessary groundwork to build towards it. And the sad thing is as much as I hated Halo 5, it could have worked if it had acted as a companion piece to an alternative Halo 5 where you follow Master Chief through 100% of his campaign as he goes rogue.
Halo 5’s should have been Chief’s story, and Guardians should have been the DLC. The advantage the MCU has over 343 is they seem to plan things out well in advance, and probably leave themselves contingency if they can’t get the legal rights to a particular character or storyline.
343 just seem to make up the story as they go along so the books never have anything concrete to work towards, so the authors have no overarching guidance and are loathe to do anything that could dramatically change the status quo. (Or more likely are probably told not to do anything that could break the status quo. Everything by the end of the book has to be like it was cat the beginning in terms of the grand picture)
Having read Hunter’s In the Dark, it did nothing whatsoever to make Vale a more palatable or understanding character in Halo 5.
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> > 2533274810945725;7:
> > > 2574155679902465;6:
> > > Sasquatch1366 I loved the first books by Kelly Gay and Troy Denning particularly, but the most recent ones have really let me down. As you say Astrogenesis, I end up ploughing through hundreds of pages of shoot’em up action, just so that when the next game/book drops, I know what’s going on. Oblivion, Shadows of Reach, Point of Light - these were all stories in which essentially nothing material actually happened.
> > > AftermaTh XCVII the Forbeck books aren’t my favourite, but I really liked Envoy - loads of action, but a good, self-contained story within itself, not just a stringer for an ongoing canon that, as you say timh1990, seems to keep rolling because it’s got meat but no bones. Which again is a huge shame because the Created storyline has to have huge potential, yet all we get is people running around the galaxy dodging Guardians.
> > > Glad it’s not just me, but hopefully once we do have a new game out, we can go back to the game producing enough of canon fodder (see what I did there) that we don’t need to read 5 books to find out whether John retrieved a data crystal from a desk drawer.
> >
> > I think a part of the issue with their approach to the EU, especially books featuring main game characters, is that they feel more like continuations, rather than supplementary material.
> > Now I’m not in anyway suggesting the EU is lesser than the games, but if you can’t understand the games without reading 1 or 2 books in between, then you have a problem.
> >
> > Imagine if in the MCU, only the Avengers films were actually movies, and the rest were books you had to read in between the movies.
> > It would suck, right?
> >
> > The story presented in the games themselves needs to flow from game to game, and the books should be there to support them. They can still tell stories about the main game characters, just not stories that alter them between games, followed by the games not addressing said change for non-readers.
>
> I don’t personally think that this is the issue. Halo 5 was badly received because 343 changed where they wanted to go with the story after Halo 4, and aborted everything that and Halo 4 already setup. And it looks like they will be doing the same for Halo Infinite.
You’re right, it’s not the main issue, but what you said does kinda support the idea.
When they decided to scrap Halo 4’s narrative to go with 5’s, the EU was left to kind of plug the gap. So in order to follow the story of the games, you need to consume content outside of the games.
They maybe didn’t intend the EU to be used in such a way, but because of their story choices with the games have left the EU feeling this way.
Not really. Renegades and Last Light are some of my favorites. I could give or take Silent Storm and Oblivion, but I’m fairly sure those are more for new fans or people who want to get into Halo. Everything else from things like Envoy to Fractures to Retribution seemed about your standard Halo books.
Just you maybe? Point of Light was amazing, full of references to previous canon
I have only read the book " First Strike" and it was amazing. I hope the newer books are good too, waiting for “Fall of Reach” to come into the mail now.
They’ve always been mixed in terms of quality. Now we’re just oversaturated.
> 2533274812652989;10:
> Not really. Renegades and Last Light are some of my favorites. I could give or take Silent Storm and Oblivion, but I’m fairly sure those are more for new fans or people who want to get into Halo. Everything else from things like Envoy to Fractures to Retribution seemed about your standard Halo books.
Agreed, those two were excellent. Exactly why I was so disappointed by the latest from those two authors. Maybe you’re right that they offer something for new members of the audience… but again Last Light was simply a quality book, Halo or no. Guess I just didn’t get that vibe from the last few.
I have usually felt like the books and comics of the Halo Extended Universe are a great way to get more Halo after playing the games for a thousand hours. As well as get a chance to see what various characters are doing between games. I still feel like the original trilogy of Halo Novels (Fall of reach, The Flood, and First Strike) are excellent supplemental reads for events leading up to and following the first Halo game. I know people don’t enjoy The Flood as it is mostly a recalling of the game, but I still enjoy that aspect as I can better envision the details because, well, I played it. But It also gives better timeline of events on Halo as well as several human and covenant aide characters to follow which was very cool.
I don’t like to complain about this comic as much as I have, but it’s where I feel like the incorrect steps for taking the mainline games story were made. The Halo: Escalation comic book series. It takes place right after Halo 4 and honestly feels like the direct sequel to the game.
- It reunites Chief with Blue team - It involves all the major characters from Halo 4 and even Spartan ops - The Didact returns - And still includes more extended lore from other books and even Spartan teams such as the awesome (once awesome…) Black team - And even ends on a climatic battle on a Halo ring
The comic itself has various narrative flaws, but no story is perfect. But I will forever feel like Escalation would’ve been better suited as the next Halo game. (Halo 5) instead of guardians.
Long short of my point, I feel when it comes to the games, the story told in them should just be direct continuations off of the previous game. Books like First strike which simply tells how Masterchief grouped up with Johnson, other marines, and Linda to get back to Reach and then Earth in time for Halo 2, yeah, would’ve made for interesting side content or DLC. But I feel works best as just a novel. We didn’t need to play the game “Halo 2: How Chief got to Earth” but for fans of the game, it was great supporting work that fills in the details while also expanding the universe more.
> 2574155679902465;1:
> Friends, is it just me, or have the recent books taken a notable turn for the worse?
> I can understand that there’s a lot of positioning being done in a hurry for the new game, but we’re wading through 400-500 pages of nothing really happening except a lot of shooting or planet-hopping.
> Am I missing the genuine nuggets of canon gold that I need to pick out? Or am I just reading filler?
> I don’t mean this to be a crank post because I love the Halo fiction and have valued at least one of the works of almost all the authors so far. I pre-order the books. But, after the last 3 I’ve had to stop doing that. Is it me??
It might just be personal taste, because the new books are my favorites
> 2533274810318294;15:
> I have usually felt like the books and comics of the Halo Extended Universe are a great way to get more Halo after playing the games for a thousand hours. As well as get a chance to see what various characters are doing between games. I still feel like the original trilogy of Halo Novels (Fall of reach, The Flood, and First Strike) are excellent supplemental reads for events leading up to and following the first Halo game. I know people don’t enjoy The Flood as it is mostly a recalling of the game, but I still enjoy that aspect as I can better envision the details because, well, I played it. But It also gives better timeline of events on Halo as well as several human and covenant aide characters to follow which was very cool.
>
> I don’t like to complain about this comic as much as I have, but it’s where I feel like the incorrect steps for taking the mainline games story were made. The Halo: Escalation comic book series. It takes place right after Halo 4 and honestly feels like the direct sequel to the game.
>
>
> - It reunites Chief with Blue team - It involves all the major characters from Halo 4 and even Spartan ops - The Didact returns - And still includes more extended lore from other books and even Spartan teams such as the awesome (once awesome…) Black team - And even ends on a climatic battle on a Halo ringThe comic itself has various narrative flaws, but no story is perfect. But I will forever feel like Escalation would’ve been better suited as the next Halo game. (Halo 5) instead of guardians.
>
> Long short of my point, I feel when it comes to the games, the story told in them should just be direct continuations off of the previous game. Books like First strike which simply tells how Masterchief grouped up with Johnson, other marines, and Linda to get back to Reach and then Earth in time for Halo 2, yeah, would’ve made for interesting side content or DLC. But I feel works best as just a novel. We didn’t need to play the game “Halo 2: How Chief got to Earth” but for fans of the game, it was great supporting work that fills in the details while also expanding the universe more.
If I recall correctly, the Escalation comics following Infinity finding the Absolute Record, was supposed to be seasons of Spartan Ops, which makes sense.
However, I think they scrapped it after Season 1 wasn’t received all that well, but still needed to wrap up the story they started, hence the comic.
(A shame really, Sp-Ops was kinda ahead of its time, given that most games these days feature seasonal content)
I imagine its a similar story for Poncho Chief.
That trailer came out in 2013, potentially before Halo 5’s ‘rumored’ story shake up. Then in 2014, Escalations gave us Chief visiting a desert landscape on Gamma Halo…
Maybe the original outline for Halo 5 got reworked and turned into 72 Hours, because plot points like ‘the Didact being composed’ and ‘Gamma Halo being taken away’ were already taken into consideration with future lore they had planned, and so they needed to establish these events elsewhere.
> 2533274810945725;17:
> > 2533274810318294;15:
> > I have usually felt like the books and comics of the Halo Extended Universe are a great way to get more Halo after playing the games for a thousand hours. As well as get a chance to see what various characters are doing between games. I still feel like the original trilogy of Halo Novels (Fall of reach, The Flood, and First Strike) are excellent supplemental reads for events leading up to and following the first Halo game. I know people don’t enjoy The Flood as it is mostly a recalling of the game, but I still enjoy that aspect as I can better envision the details because, well, I played it. But It also gives better timeline of events on Halo as well as several human and covenant aide characters to follow which was very cool.
> >
> > I don’t like to complain about this comic as much as I have, but it’s where I feel like the incorrect steps for taking the mainline games story were made. The Halo: Escalation comic book series. It takes place right after Halo 4 and honestly feels like the direct sequel to the game.
> >
> >
> > - It reunites Chief with Blue team - It involves all the major characters from Halo 4 and even Spartan ops - The Didact returns - And still includes more extended lore from other books and even Spartan teams such as the awesome (once awesome…) Black team - And even ends on a climatic battle on a Halo ringThe comic itself has various narrative flaws, but no story is perfect. But I will forever feel like Escalation would’ve been better suited as the next Halo game. (Halo 5) instead of guardians.
> >
> > Long short of my point, I feel when it comes to the games, the story told in them should just be direct continuations off of the previous game. Books like First strike which simply tells how Masterchief grouped up with Johnson, other marines, and Linda to get back to Reach and then Earth in time for Halo 2, yeah, would’ve made for interesting side content or DLC. But I feel works best as just a novel. We didn’t need to play the game “Halo 2: How Chief got to Earth” but for fans of the game, it was great supporting work that fills in the details while also expanding the universe more.
>
> If I recall correctly, the Escalation comics following Infinity finding the Absolute Record, was supposed to be seasons of Spartan Ops, which makes sense.
> However, I think they scrapped it after Season 1 wasn’t received all that well, but still needed to wrap up the story they started, hence the comic.
> (A shame really, Sp-Ops was kinda ahead of its time, given that most games these days feature seasonal content)
>
> I imagine its a similar story for Poncho Chief.
> That trailer came out in 2013, potentially before Halo 5’s ‘rumored’ story shake up. Then in 2014, Escalations gave us Chief visiting a desert landscape on Gamma Halo…
> Maybe the original outline for Halo 5 got reworked and turned into 72 Hours, because plot points like ‘the Didact being composed’ and ‘Gamma Halo being taken away’ were already taken into consideration with future lore they had planned, and so they needed to establish these events elsewhere.
Wow that you for that reminder! (I’m serious, not sarcasm) I forgot that the comic was meant to be the next season of Spartan Ops. Overall it seems like a thought up plan half executed(from what they hoped to do) and completed what they had through a cheaper means and then focused on Halo 5.
I agree with you in that Spartan Ops was ahead of it’s time. Personally, I really liked it. Especially the highly developed short movies each chapter had. I know it would’ve taken a lot more work and hours to do so, but I feel if the missions given felt balanced closer to the campaign, we’re given in game scenes, even short ones, showing of your spartan and your teammate at various points, it would’ve overall been a fuller experience over the “Go here, kill enemy, push button, voice over from character at the start and end of each mission” which I know grew very dull with people.
> 2533274810318294;18:
> > 2533274810945725;17:
> > > 2533274810318294;15:
> > >
>
> Wow that you for that reminder! (I’m serious, not sarcasm) I forgot that the comic was meant to be the next season of Spartan Ops. Overall it seems like a thought up plan half executed(from what they hoped to do) and completed what they had through a cheaper means and then focused on Halo 5.
>
> I agree with you in that Spartan Ops was ahead of it’s time. Personally, I really liked it. Especially the highly developed short movies each chapter had. I know it would’ve taken a lot more work and hours to do so, but I feel if the missions given felt balanced closer to the campaign, we’re given in game scenes, even short ones, showing of your spartan and your teammate at various points, it would’ve overall been a fuller experience over the “Go here, kill enemy, push button, voice over from character at the start and end of each mission” which I know grew very dull with people.
I imagine that Escalation would have been covering various different stories, until the decision was made to axe Spartan Ops and have the story told through the comic instead.
Personally, I would have preferred it if they brought back Eric Nylund to write a novel that encapsulated the Janus Key and Absolute Record arcs from the comic, and also touch on Season 1 events in greater detail. Halsey was also his baby, and given her standing in the fanbase after Kilo 5, it would have been nice for him to ‘address’ that above anyone else. A juicy 400-500 page book would have been a real treat.
The second half of Season 1 was by far a massive improvement over the first. The missions were more continuous and felt like they had more to do with the cutscenes, rather than 5 individual firefight matches that rarely had much to do with the episode. But by then I think the damage was done.
> 2533274810945725;19:
> > 2533274810318294;18:
> > > 2533274810945725;17:
> > > > 2533274810318294;15:
> > > >
> >
> > Wow that you for that reminder! (I’m serious, not sarcasm) I forgot that the comic was meant to be the next season of Spartan Ops. Overall it seems like a thought up plan half executed(from what they hoped to do) and completed what they had through a cheaper means and then focused on Halo 5.
> >
> > I agree with you in that Spartan Ops was ahead of it’s time. Personally, I really liked it. Especially the highly developed short movies each chapter had. I know it would’ve taken a lot more work and hours to do so, but I feel if the missions given felt balanced closer to the campaign, we’re given in game scenes, even short ones, showing of your spartan and your teammate at various points, it would’ve overall been a fuller experience over the “Go here, kill enemy, push button, voice over from character at the start and end of each mission” which I know grew very dull with people.
>
> I imagine that Escalation would have been covering various different stories, until the decision was made to axe Spartan Ops and have the story told through the comic instead.
> Personally, I would have preferred it if they brought back Eric Nylund to write a novel that encapsulated the Janus Key and Absolute Record arcs from the comic, and also touch on Season 1 events in greater detail. Halsey was also his baby, and given her standing in the fanbase after Kilo 5, it would have been nice for him to ‘address’ that above anyone else. A juicy 400-500 page book would have been a real treat.
>
> The second half of Season 1 was by far a massive improvement over the first. The missions were more continuous and felt like they had more to do with the cutscenes, rather than 5 individual firefight matches that rarely had much to do with the episode. But by then I think the damage was done.
Spartan Ops was originally envisaged by 343 as a way of bringing together people who just played Halo for the story and campaign and people who just played it for the multiplayer.
Good intentions and all, but as I understand it both sides of the consumer base felt Spartan Ops was a disappointment. Proponents of the story and campaign didn’t like the cooperative experience of having to play at the pace of others, and proponents of multiplayer didn’t like having their daily slugging matches broken up by objectives and cutscenes they didn’t really care about.
I think in the end the former felt the resources, time and money put into the single-player campaign had been slashed to accommodate an inferior DLC not really tailored to them. I can’t vouch for the proponents of the multiplayer, but I’d imagine they were similarly annoyed that resources had been take from the non-linear and non-story multiplayer experience to accommodate a story driven co-op mode they didn’t ask for and had no interest in following.
From my own perspective, I personally found Spartan Ops a disappointment. I never got past the first 2 co-op missions because I just found the rinse-and-repeat set out of the missions so mind numbingly boring. Though I watched the story over the cutscenes, overall compared to Halo 4’s campaign I found the plot of Spartan Ops to be…meh.
I liked the basic concept of the Janus Key, but for such a supposedly wise character the Librarian was a complete idiot in this story for thinking 26th century humanity was ready to inherit all the power the Janus Key would have given them. Just to reinforce that point pretty much all the human characters in Spartan Ops ranged from bland to just plain unlikable and unpleasant people in my opinion. I actually liked Jul’Mdama as a character in Spartan Ops, and my appreciation for him only increased during Escalation. (He was certainly more intelligent then any of humanity’s supposedly ‘best of the best’ boneheads aboard Infinity)
Even with that in mind though, I’ll be the first admit that Jul never had the antagonistic potential Didact did, for what little we saw of him during Halo 4’s campaign. Jul would have made a better ‘dragon’ type character in my opinion to the overlord like persona of the Didact.
Overall I still think Halo 4 would have been so much better if they’d have scrapped Spartan Ops and reallocated its characters, events and content into the main campaign. That way we could have got more of the backstory between the Didact and Librarian that was essential to understanding the motivations of both. All the main characters would also have gotten more screen time, as so more time to develop. Then maybe have Spartan Ops begin around the time the first Escalation comic starts as paid DLC for those who want it.
I think this is 343’s fatal flaw. With every game they develop they seem to correctly identify what the players want, but then come up with a stupidly over ambitious plan to deliver more that they then inevitably run late on, then cut corners on the basic stuff.
Halo 4’s campaign and multi-player would have been fine without Spartan Ops, but that wasn’t good enough for them. They could have continued the story of Spartan Ops in Halo 5, but then that story wasn’t good enough for them.
And if the latest story driven multiplayer trailer is anything to go by in Halo 6…I think there going to make the mistaken again.
343 really need to understand that resources are finite, and plan long term and realistically what they can actually deliver.
Bethseda has given us to very well received Doom games and a DLC pack in the time it’s taken 343 to sort out the mess that is Halo 6’s development. Which means they probably starved any interest people had to a sequel who played Halo 5 back in 2015.