Forget everything. This is Halo's future.

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

I want to start this off by saying that this is all just my own opinion.

Multiplayer, as we all know, is what keeps people playing your game for hours on end. Campaign by itself just doesn’t have the staying power and endless entertainment that multiplayer provides. When I say success, in this context, I mean large population numbers.

Halo is falling behind in the grand scheme of multiplayer shooters (along with Gears of War). It sucks right? But I feel like it’s true. Why should the average shooter fan play a match of Slayer instead of a match of Conquest in Battlefield? Of course those are two completely different experiences and shouldn’t be compared but the problem is that they ARE being compared by the masses. Multiplayer games of today offer way more customization, unlocks, deeper gameplay (Overwatch is a great example) and just “larger than life” experiences that are very hard to rival in a multiplayer setting (Battlefield, Destiny, The Division). Halo’s customization has nothing on games like Overwatch and Call of Duty. Halo’s multiplayer depth is completely reliant on basic shooter skills as opposed to having things like “classes” and powerful abilities. That’s not to say that’s bad, it definitely has its place. But it’s ultimately being put aside by gamers in favor of other types of shooter experiences.

So what am I trying to say? You’re probably thinking at this point that I’m about to suggest that Halo should start copying these other games and more or less turn against it’s own unique identity in an effort to follow shooter trends just to get more players. What I’m about to say is quite the opposite though.

Has anyone else noticed that every game nowadays has absolutely no soul or good story/campaign whatsoever? People have been begging for a great campaign in a shooter for a long time now. What was the last really good one? Was it a Halo game? Gears of War 3? Mass Effect? The Last of Us? I don’t know but I can tell you what it hasn’t been. It hasn’t been Destiny. It wasn’t any Battlefield or Call of Duty game and it wasn’t Overwatch, Titanfall or The Division. Halo has a soul and one of the deepest most-interesting universes in video game history. Period. The Master Chief is a gaming icon that sits right up there with Mario and Pac-Man. 343 needs to take full advantage of that.

Now I don’t find myself a very avid player of Halo 5 but I do see the potential in a mode like Warzone. The CONCEPT of Warzone is completely genius and while the mode we got in Halo 5 isn’t perfect or even close to what it should be, this concept should never be forgotten. A mix of what everyone loves about Halo: Multiplayer, PVE Campaign style combat and beautiful awe-inspiring locales. I think that Story and Music are the next elements that needs to be added. No more simulations. 343, take us on adventures not just in your Campaign experiences but in Multiplayer too. Like how badass would it be to be playing a massive multiplayer match that involved huge game changing events like Scarabs showing up or a huge Forerunner construct emerging from underground “Guardians style” and then both teams are forced to change up their tactics? All the while you are playing with both classic and new Halo weapons and vehicles. Imagine bosses that could operate like the ones in Destiny’s strike missions (not the ones that are just bullet sponges) just showing up during multiplayer? I don’t know what the specifics about the rules of these modes would be such as player count and objectives so don’t ask me or try to put words in my mouth because these are just examples. 343 are the developers not me and they should be able to come up with something creative and jaw-dropping. I’m simply imagining what Halo could be like and what would make it trump most other shooters out there.

Just don’t forget to appease the hardcore fans with a smaller Arena experience like what you’ve done with Halo 5 as well. You should never take that away because I believe it is also very important to what Halo means to old school fans of multiplayer.

Halo has an opportunity right now to fulfill a LOT of gamer’s wet dreams and 343 have all the tools required to do it. You’ve got the universe and background lore. You’ve got the weapons and vehicles. You’ve got all the different types of aliens. You’ve got the characters. You’ve got the massive following of the Halo brand and the legacy of Halo multiplayer that will guarantee that your game won’t fly under the radar. Just build it, 343. Obviously it’s easier said than done but Halo once changed the entire shooter genre and I believe it can do it again with something like this. Take everything that Halo is and crank it up to 11. Take no prisoners!

If you’ve read this far then thank you so much for sticking through the whole thing! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!

2

Just gonna leave this here. Too tired to go real in-depth about anything atm.

I haven’t really played a shooter with an outstanding story ever (I think the genre as a whole needs to do some serious catching up to other more story driven genres like RPG’s and Adventure Games**), but that’s fine. I’ve come to expect it, and I’m far more concerned about atmosphere, level design, and gameplay design when playing a shooter.

CMT really shows how to design a good Campaign in some ways. They rework the levels so the terrain is way less linear. They add a ton of new tactical options and enemies to engage. They combine elements from all the classic games and deliver something that feels like Halo. 343i should be taking notes.

**Even still, we’ve come a long way since the cheesy one-liner spewing protagonists of the early 2000’s.

> Halo’s multiplayer depth is completely reliant on basic shooter skills as opposed to having things like “classes” and powerful abilities

Maybe people should stop opposing efforts to increase it’s competitive value then? >_<

Traditional Halo actually has a decent amount of depth, some of which can’t be found in modern shooters. Weapon nading, manipulating team spawns, manipulating enemy spawns, timing weapons, glitches like backpack reloading and double melee, so on. The actual level of depth isn’t much different, the key distinction is in games like Overwatch it’s made obvious, while in Halo it’s mostly behind-the-scenes stuff.

> Warzone has tons of potential and we should make it even larger,

But at what cost to the rest of the game? I’m frankly unwilling to sacrifice swathes of the arena aspect to accommodate all of this.

Egh. Maybe that was insightful, maybe not. I’m tired as -Yoink-.

3

what feel would be great if they reverted back to the halo reach style of earning cR but just as exp for campaign and multiplayer and make it easier to get armour instead of the cash grabbing req system where you aren’t even guaranteed the stuff you want which ruined halo 5 completely for me

4

Man I personally agree, 343 should really step up their game I know they can do it and maybe make a halo that pleases everyone story and multiplayer wise for hardcore and new fans. Also

You used the word future…

5

> 2533274833600810;1:
> Has anyone else noticed that every game nowadays has absolutely no soul or good story/campaign whatsoever? People have been begging for a great campaign in a shooter for a long time now. What was the last really good one?

Doom, the campaign remake of Doom is exceptional, and it’s not the 5 hour run through either. I posted this in a related thread, Halo was inspired by the likes of Doom, maybe it’s time for the old grandad of shooters to inspire once more.

6

TL;DR
But i think one reason why the population is low, halo 5 is too competitive and as soon as you join a game when you first start out, you’re versing extremely sweaty players in fireteams, not making it any fun.

7

> 2533274819302824;2:
> Just gonna leave this here. Too tired to go real in-depth about anything atm.
>
> I haven’t really played a shooter with an outstanding story ever (I think the genre as a whole needs to do some serious catching up to other more story driven genres like RPG’s and Adventure Games**), but that’s fine. I’ve come to expect it, and I’m far more concerned about atmosphere, level design, and gameplay design when playing a shooter.
>
> CMT really shows how to design a good Campaign in some ways. They rework the levels so the terrain is way less linear. They add a ton of new tactical options and enemies to engage. They combine elements from all the classic games and deliver something that feels like Halo. 343i should be taking notes.
>
> **Even still, we’ve come a long way since the cheesy one-liner spewing protagonists of the early 2000’s.
>
>
> > Halo’s multiplayer depth is completely reliant on basic shooter skills as opposed to having things like “classes” and powerful abilities
>
>
> Maybe people should stop opposing efforts to increase it’s competitive value then? >_<
>
> Traditional Halo actually has a decent amount of depth, some of which can’t be found in modern shooters. Weapon nading, manipulating team spawns, manipulating enemy spawns, timing weapons, glitches like backpack reloading and double melee, so on. The actual level of depth isn’t much different, the key distinction is in games like Overwatch it’s made obvious, while in Halo it’s mostly behind-the-scenes stuff.
>
>
> > Warzone has tons of potential and we should make it even larger,
>
>
> But at what cost to the rest of the game? I’m frankly unwilling to sacrifice swathes of the arena aspect to accommodate all of this.
>
> Egh. Maybe that was insightful, maybe not. I’m tired as -Yoink-.

CMT is but an empty shell and SPV3 isn’t that great. If you want to show us en example show off TSC:E.

8

343 ruined halo, halo isnt halo anymore.

9

> 2533274980957355;3:
> what feel would be great if they reverted back to the halo reach style of earning cR but just as exp for campaign and multiplayer and make it easier to get armour instead of the cash grabbing req system where you aren’t even guaranteed the stuff you want which ruined halo 5 completely for me

everything 343 did for halo ruined it for me, it looks like a cheaper kiddish version of it…

10

> 2535463925503180;8:
> 343 ruined halo, halo isnt halo anymore.

they’re doing their best they can to please us, give them some slack, they’re doing better than a lot of other companies

11

I think part of the problem is that they are not trying please us. They seem more concerned with the competitive crowd. Honestly it seems like they’re trying to remove us casual players all together by either forcing us to join the ranks of competitive or leave the game due to lack of content/gamemode/all casual features found in every other halo game.

I honestly feel like 343 doesn’t want me in their game.

12

I play Halo’s multiplayer and not Destiny’s because Halo emphasizes the shooter mechanics and balance over omfg-super-powerz!

Halo has it’s place. Don’t try and ruin that.

13

> 2533274891802271;7:
> > 2533274819302824;2:
> > Just gonna leave this here. Too tired to go real in-depth about anything atm.
> >
> > I haven’t really played a shooter with an outstanding story ever (I think the genre as a whole needs to do some serious catching up to other more story driven genres like RPG’s and Adventure Games**), but that’s fine. I’ve come to expect it, and I’m far more concerned about atmosphere, level design, and gameplay design when playing a shooter.
> >
> > CMT really shows how to design a good Campaign in some ways. They rework the levels so the terrain is way less linear. They add a ton of new tactical options and enemies to engage. They combine elements from all the classic games and deliver something that feels like Halo. 343i should be taking notes.
> >
> > **Even still, we’ve come a long way since the cheesy one-liner spewing protagonists of the early 2000’s.
> >
> >
> > > Halo’s multiplayer depth is completely reliant on basic shooter skills as opposed to having things like “classes” and powerful abilities
> >
> >
> > Maybe people should stop opposing efforts to increase it’s competitive value then? >_<
> >
> > Traditional Halo actually has a decent amount of depth, some of which can’t be found in modern shooters. Weapon nading, manipulating team spawns, manipulating enemy spawns, timing weapons, glitches like backpack reloading and double melee, so on. The actual level of depth isn’t much different, the key distinction is in games like Overwatch it’s made obvious, while in Halo it’s mostly behind-the-scenes stuff.
> >
> >
> > > Warzone has tons of potential and we should make it even larger,
> >
> >
> > But at what cost to the rest of the game? I’m frankly unwilling to sacrifice swathes of the arena aspect to accommodate all of this.
> >
> > Egh. Maybe that was insightful, maybe not. I’m tired as -Yoink-.
>
>
> CMT is but an empty shell and SPV3 isn’t that great. If you want to show us en example show off TSC:E.

TSC:E (The Silent Cartographer : Evolved) is a fantastic example of how a Halo game should play. They really went above and beyond with it, giving us so many non-linear options and choices in but a single campaign level. Every time I played through it, I always found a different way to approach things.

I feel honoured to have been able to test it out from the beginning, and see it evolve. I wish CMT would keep on working on these things, but with the other levels as well.

Playthrough of The Silent Cartographer : Evolved

14

> 2533274942042829;6:
> TL;DR
> But i think one reason why the population is low, halo 5 is too competitive and as soon as you join a game when you first start out, you’re versing extremely sweaty players in fireteams, not making it any fun.

makes sense, but can halo get any better?

15

They have executed in a gameplay perspective with H5… It has some of the smoothest, most fun mechanics of any game I’ve played! They just need to hone in on presentation, the way they go about content-development, and have everything to go at release next time around.

Give people everything they want and expect about a Halo game, but move it forward and modernize in the proper ways (H5’s back-to-roots arena-shooter philosophy, yet with evolved CORE gameplay).

If they do this with H6, and leave customers with a great first-impression, I think the community will thrive even more.

16

> I feel honoured to have been able to test it out from the beginning, and see it evolve. I wish CMT would keep on working on these things, but with the other levels as well.

I mean that’s exactly what SPV3 is supposed to be, and it’s not even out yet. Watch the full video, you’ll notice significant changes to the level. He must be thinking of SPV2, which I agree is mediocre.

CMT are also the guys who made TSC:E so…yeah…

17

> 2592250499819446;5:
> > 2533274833600810;1:
> > Has anyone else noticed that every game nowadays has absolutely no soul or good story/campaign whatsoever? People have been begging for a great campaign in a shooter for a long time now. What was the last really good one?
>
>
> Doom, the campaign remake of Doom is exceptional, and it’s not the 5 hour run through either. I posted this in a related thread, Halo was inspired by the likes of Doom, maybe it’s time for the old grandad of shooters to inspire once more.

Doom did have a great campaign but I’m talking about story too and just how much you actually care about what’s going on.

18

> 2533274942042829;6:
> TL;DR
> But i think one reason why the population is low, halo 5 is too competitive and as soon as you join a game when you first start out, you’re versing extremely sweaty players in fireteams, not making it any fun.

Took the words right out of my visor! Was it not supposed to be fun?

19

> 2533274799030734;11:
> I think part of the problem is that they are not trying please us. They seem more concerned with the competitive crowd. Honestly it seems like they’re trying to remove us casual players all together by either forcing us to join the ranks of competitive or leave the game due to lack of content/gamemode/all casual features found in every other halo game.
>
> I honestly feel like 343 doesn’t want me in their game.

I don’t understand this argument when Warzone exists, the only modes more casual and ‘focussed on the fun’ are Fiesta and Infection which have been steadily releasing since launch. I think a social arena playlist is pretty much required though at this point and would have helped Arena stay relevant if it was released MUCH earlier. Not everyone wants to worry about their ranks just to play slayer. Keeping that core of 4v4 slayer Halo relevant is just as important as all the extra auxiliary modes, I believe.

20

Preach it OP