I am going to start off with my deeply woven proclamation of love for the Halo franchise. It’s been a great sum of years following the lengthy ride that it has been: with and without.
Halo has always been my most beloved game franchises, with easily over 20,000 hours (being generous on the light number) of gameplay all throughout. I played through sickness and through health, even when I have been at odds within my interpersonal life, and the deepest precipice of time itself. I’ve lulled, and I have exploited many adventures. I have cried, and I have sung praises. And just like many, I venerated this franchise, believing–hoping–wishing that Halo would never rue the day, conquering none, not even its own heart.
The trilogy has such a solid place in my heart, along with ODST and Reach. There is no replacing or replicating those dearest, most profound moments. But. As Bungie said goodbye and opened the floodgates to 343i, I was instilled with a hope that even younger me didn’t even think about having, with what new technology was produced and boasted; consequently, Halo 4 was such a bittersweet story to me, proclaiming that indeed soldiers aren’t machines, that they have their darkest hours, that they have some semblance of humanity. Halo 4 arose in me a vested hope for the future of Halo. The Forge was maddeningly brilliant. So many new interactables, so much new technology to toy with. It fulfilled my palette of sweets. And to see what they’re doing for The Master Chief Collection… I feel like I’m six againe, but it wasn’t always such an amazing adventure with the title, nor Halo 5.
The game, “Halo 5: Guardians” was not a bad game in the least, but that’s only reserved in the multiplayer. The campaign made me angry. They took was Halo 4 left with and just crumbled and spat on the deepest sentiments. I felt betrayed, because despite what was said about Halo 4, I think it was so incredibly beautiful and awe-inspiring. And for the first official game to tout in their collection… The campaign was wonderful. The multiplayer? I thought it was so particularly quirky. It had such a brilliant charm to it. I don’t care what so many people have to say about it. It honoured the lore and the weakness of our intellect, or that’s at least what I took out of it, as a soi-disant philosopher and prior service member candidate. But Halo 5 just felt like it was packing its suitcase, ready to say goodbye, and the feeling was heart-wrenching. I didn’t want my childhood to run away from me, so I clung on. Halo 5’s multiplayer has its quirks, but the concept and execution at least feels like a bygone customer’s lagniappe. I screamed, hailing ever clearly a puissant bravado, crashing mighty a mountain. I was donned with the pelage of lions, soaring ever higher with my brothers in battle armours and tech onto the most crimson crucible. It kinda feels like Ark: Survival Evolved, y’know? The Island is the most beautiful, and frequently cherished, Scorched Earth is barren but always felt with joy and scavenge. So on and so forth. The adventures await, donning new baubles and wreaths. Now we’re slated to ream upon the most recent title, “Halo Infinite”.
The next installment of the gaming franchise has the sum of man in quite the tizzy, would you not agree? With quite the slipshod reveal, to rather, plentifully disliked explanations on new arrangements and dealings with microtransactions and whatnot. Between the stalwart anticipation of the fans to the reveals of a seven tiered preset colour palette, a possible limited emblem system, a microtransaction kiosk (like believed steadily akin to Destiny’s), to a free multiplayer, and to top it all off, we’re mostly learning of this information from toys and candies to contracts in the fine print. I am easily fretted about this game, and was disgruntled by the newer information, including but not limited to, removing the original, iconic Halo weapon and possible vehicle models and or just the entities from the game entirely. I know my voice doesn’t particularly matter alone, nor probably at all. I’m just one fish in a very big pond. But that won’t stop me from attempting to deliver one final message to 343i: please generate content the fans have asked for, this new pathway closes so many doors, omitting entrances and exits that so many have striven to heave open. A good game will sell itself generously, but a bad game will never sell anything at all. In the words of Escharum, Live well, Die hard.