530°

Halo Lost It's Magic And It Isn't Coming Back

Halo used to be a juggernaut in the gaming industry. Its success is the reason the Xbox even exists today, with Halo serving as the system-selling launch title for the original Xbox. When the 360 came around, Halo 3 continued to sell Microsoft consoles and became the highest grossing game in the series.

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EatCrow2493d ago (Edited 2493d ago )

Nah. It gained magic for me with Halo 4. Finally a deeper interaction between cortana and cheif.

Halo 6 does need to impress with splitscreen return and same amount of co op and lan multiplayer experiences.
In fact they should add even more. Challenges and time trails etc

Halo 6 needs to be big if it doesnt then this gen could be the weakest gen for MS in terms of heavy hitters.

Granted I enjoyed Gears4 quite a bit. The mechs at the end though...why werent they there more!

ARESWARLORD2493d ago

Halo still fantastic this is just click bait

4Sh0w2492d ago (Edited 2492d ago )

Yeah, whatever opinions are great, he seems like he has an axe to grind with Halo, his criticism doesnt make alot of sense. Halo5 is great, I liked the story, it was a fresh take with the squad based gameplay and it was really well done to me and of course the multiplayer is still rocking hard as part of my gaming rotation. 343 is building on their success each time so Halo6 will no doubt kick azz= 'meh so yeah that's his opinion but millions disagree.

JackStraw2492d ago Show
bennissimo2492d ago (Edited 2492d ago )

JackStraw, 100%. Don't publish online if you can't write.

ULTp0ltergeist2492d ago

Exactly, the game is competitive and fun. At least I know why I died and improve on my game.

Skull5212492d ago

My only problem with 5 is the Spartan Locke crap, which unfortunately is most of the campaign. People want Master Chief. They made the same mistake in Halo 2 with the Arbiter, and apparently forgot about it and repeated it. Halo's main story is Master Chief's story. Do all the offshoots you want.

I'll have the same criticism if Rey isn't a Skywalker lol...

Sono4212492d ago

All milked franchises lose their magic.. because they're being milked.. I think another reason Halo is losing it because it's no longer Bungie. But same goes for Assassins Creed and Call of Duty. Nothing is better than a completely new experience, so the more they try to resell you on the same experience the less and less you're going to feel the initial magic. This isn't hating it's just how it is. Now Nintendo does milking right, every new Mario/Zelda are like an entirely different experience yet similar to the last. They change them up more than enough so that they still feel fresh every time and you really have to applaud Nintendo for doing so. Same actually goes for sonic (For better or worse) most of his games seem distinctively different from each other. Fanboys can get upset by this all the want but it's true and i'm not favoring Sony but they don't exactly have franchises that got milked to death, most haven't even gotten up to 2 sequels and the ones that have either stopped there or maybe went one more. The only one I can think of that really stands out is LBP and that was already entirely burnt out with LBP3, it lost all of it's inital magic to me anyway.

2492d ago
Skull5212492d ago

Or you know you can go the Sony route. Quick Time Fest: Uncharted, God of War, Killzone, Infamous, blah blah blah, every trash game, Spider Man, Until Dawn. Do you want to play games, or do you want to quickly press a button every couple of minutes? I mean Jesus, Sony is more out of touch then democrats these days and that is saying a lot.

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ForeverTheGoat2493d ago

I agree. Halo 5 probably had the best multiplayer out the series.

Concertoine2492d ago

Multiplayer is half the picture when it comes to Halo though. For me, 343 have yet to make a single player that i find worthwhile. Halo 4 was a nice first step and Halo 5 fell flat on its place in the campaign.

GottaBjimmyb2492d ago (Edited 2492d ago )

Multiplayer was fine, but I gotta say, I have moved on from halo since 3, the maps have become just terrible IMO. The big thrill of halo was always the amazing maps and balanced weapons. It is basically the same as most other shooters at this point for me.

On paper halo 5 multiplayer IS way better, but in practice, just wasn't for me.

Irishguy952493d ago

The new games have meh level design and plot

EatCrow2493d ago

The previous games had even less plot and more repeated corridor level design...not sure what games you played.

Concertoine2491d ago (Edited 2491d ago )

@EatCrow

You're right, but less plot is not worse. The simplicity was so much better.

Also, maybe Halo 1 and Reach had a lot of corridors but 2 and 3 definitely didnt. Tons of massive open levels.

Princess_Pilfer2492d ago

Yeah, no.

Story wise, Reach is the best it got. The story (not to be confused with the lore) of the series was never brilliant, but at least Reach made a solid effort to address the problems caused by creating a narrative centered around Super Soldier Gary Stew. It's success was hit and miss, but at least it actually tried to tell a story more interesting than "unstoppable spartan genocides way to victory over increasingly powerful and numerous enemies." Halo 4 went right back to the old formulae and it's just as tired and dull as it was 9 years ago.

Also, Bungie are just better at shooters. Say what you want about balance or map design or whatever, I don't care, the guns in Halo 1 through Reach feel better to shoot. As far as I'm concerned, that's the single most important aspect of any shooter and Bungie is (or at least was, haven't played Destiny or DOOM) the best in the industry at that aspect of shooters. (Note: I'm not saying 343 are bad at gunplay, I'm saying they aren't Bungie. )

Given that the story is still mediocre and the quality of the actual gunplay went down, why would I not play something like Borderlands 2 with equally good gunplay but *much* more variety?

EatCrow2492d ago

Given that the story is still mediocre and the quality of the actual gunplay went down, why would I not play something like Borderlands 2 with equally good gunplay but *much* more variety?

This is where I disagree with your opinion. IF you actually feel the borderlands 2 is equal in gunplay then halo I get a better understanding of where youre coming from. Also something tells me you havent played the older ones in a while or havent played halo 5. Gunplay is incredible and feels more heavy like a dude in a mechy suit would.
The added, but limited, maneuverability adds quite a bit to the gunplay as well.

Shadowlee2492d ago (Edited 2492d ago )

Story wise, everyone has opinions but your gun argument!!! WTF ARE YOU SMOKING! Halo 5 hands does has the best balance to date. More weapons, each being unique and useful.No matter the gun youre stuck With good accuracy you have killing spree potential. Halo 2-reach can not say that. Good autos and 5-6sk pistol in a field of 4sk-6sk weapons vs 10sk pistol in a 4sk br fest with weak useless autos. you tellin me the 10sk pistol game did it better? Gtfoh

Princess_Pilfer2492d ago

Equal to halo 1 through reach? No. Equal to Halo 4 and 5? Yeah. (Though its It's obviously a completely different type of shooter.)

In fact I have. I last played Halo Reach and Halo 1 ~ 2 years ago.

Also, no? Dude in mechanical super armor that greatly increases their strength woudln't make weapons feel heavy, it would make weapons feel light. Spartans can flip over tanks, any gun a normal human could use effectively would feel like a squirt gun to a spartan. Besides, I never said anything about them feeling realistic, I said they felt good.

@Shadowlee
Way to not actually absorb anything I said. I specifically disregard balance because balance is the *least* important part of a fun shooter. If the game is balanced but the guns feel bad it's a bad experience. If the guns feel good but the game isn't balanced then playing the game is still fun because the actual gameplay still feels good.

And yeah, the Halo storeis are all mediocre. If you think otherwise, I pity you. Go read The Stand or play Fallout 2, then come back. They're perfectly servicable for an action game (ie they let you solve all your problems by shooting things and give you a reason to feel justified in doing so) but that's about it.

Geoff9002492d ago

I think MS need to focus on longer Single Player Games, Gear 4 was good but it was too short!! Same with Halo 5, it seems they want to always focus on Multiplayer not saying I don't enjoy MP, but they do need to do single player.

I really think this is where Sony/Nintendo differ to MS, MS seem to neglect single player, heck they don't do many Solo SP games as they used to, which is a shame.

samden2492d ago

Halo 4, you mean the game where you run for 30 minutes, shoot 5 aliens, then press a button to open a door, walk 5 minutes, press another button to open a door, turn the corner, press another button to open a door. Repeat. That Halo 4?

EatCrow2492d ago

What Halo 4 where you playing???

-Foxtrot2492d ago

" Finally a deeper interaction between cortana and cheif "

Only to throw that away in Halo 5

They decided to turn it into a generic squad based co-op game which ironically dosen't support split screen and got rid of that Cortana/Chief dynamic. Adding in co-op and making it a story feature aswell as a gameplay one is asking for trouble, people were fine with drop in/drop out co-op where you play as a random Spartan because they didn't have to waste their time thinking about the other players when telling the story. All of a sudden with Halo 5 you have this new guy, Locke nobody gives a shit about, his team mates who again we don't care about then for Chief you bring in his old Squad Blue Team despite the fact the games have never went into his relationship with them...yes the novels have but not the games, suddenly after all the shit he's been through by himself it's like "Oh sorry we're late Chief, buddy old pal, we're here now to help you". Sorry but you don't do that 5 games in.

Halo 6, and I don't care how, need to put Cortana and Chief back together but being against each other it might be tricky. He needs to become a lone wolf again.

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PhoenixUp2493d ago

"Their first big project in the series was a remaster of Combat Evolved and, despite positive reviews, it wasn’t anything new."

Well no shit it wasn't new, it's a remaster 😑

EatCrow2493d ago

Actually it felt pretty new to me.
The massive graphics and cinematic updates definitely turned it into a new experience.
Me and my bro played it co op heroic through the whole thing. It was great.

Shadowlee2492d ago

I played h2a with the updates graphics but halocea i stay with the original. It had the Best elite models imo plus memory lane. I also prefer the classic captain keys

BumpFrankie2492d ago (Edited 2492d ago )

It also was one, if not the first, to run the remaster simultaneously with the original that you can switch to instantaneously on the fly with a push of the button. It's not groundbreaking but still pretty cool

Geoff9002492d ago (Edited 2492d ago )

Seems that Sony can get away with doing remaster after remaster but MS not so much... lol

Sam Fisher2492d ago (Edited 2492d ago )

@geoff900

Almost everyone here is just talking about ms or halo, why must you bring in a comment like that knowing you going to create another console war? Mind you i am a sony fan and i think your comment is plainly distasteful. Ive played from halo 1 to 4, best ones were 3 and reach. I stopped at 4 bc thats when i felt that halo was going the cod direction, which is one series i hated

remixx1162492d ago

@geoff

Why even say this? Who said MS can't do remasters.....literally no one said this.

Geoff9002492d ago

@Sam Fisher @Remixx116 I was referring to @PhoenixUp comment which was "Their first big project in the series was a remaster of Combat Evolved and, despite positive reviews, it wasn’t anything new."....

Dark_Knightmare22492d ago

Why be a fanboy dude nobody and I mean nobody brought up Sony or any of their games yet you felt the need to bring up Sony.

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Bnet3432492d ago

That Halo 1 campaign never gets old and that remaster was solid how you can change graphics on the fly. As for this article, IT WISHES HALO was dead. It might of lost a step but still puts up numbers. FACTS.

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EddieNX 2492d ago

Halo 5 multiplayer is 10/10. the campaign, not so much... Halo 5 is by far the best if u play for multiplayer. Warzone. nuff said

Allsystemgamer2492d ago

I strongly disagree. So does a large portion of the community. A lot of original halo fans have stopped playing.

It's the movement system. Grenades? Useless. Shields popped? Just dodge and dip. Enemy? Spartan charge.

The new movement changed the game in such a way that it's far less skill based than it ever was. If you're losing a gun fight you can just zip away. In the old games if you were losing a gun fight you'd have to pull some magic out of your ass and somehow manage to outplay the other guy.

ULTp0ltergeist2492d ago

"original halo fans" lol! Campaign sucks! I still haven't beat it. Mutliplayer? Still playing it. So much content and fun modes.

Bigpappy2492d ago

Halo far from dead. I just needs a great single player mode. A good open campaign with new imaginative alien life forms and discoveries of wonder.

BWTrail2493d ago

I know it's nostalgia, but the first was the best.

Shadowlee2492d ago

Campaign wise it was. Thats not just nostalgia talking.

ARESWARLORD2493d ago

I don't know what idiots keep on trying to stir crap up on this site Halo lost it's magic that's like saying God of War lost its magic give me a break. To the author you need to get a life.

andrewsquall2493d ago

What an amazing argument. I guess Halo really still is the juggernaut it was 7 years ago when Bungie still made them. Your points were so stellar and concise lol.

x_xavier_x2493d ago

@ andrewsquall

"Your points were so stellar and concise lol."

As are yours.

2492d ago
SkippyPaccino2493d ago

God of war had lost its magic... A little time off and a new spin brought the magic back.

343 could do the same thing, if they let it simmer for a few more years and comeback fresh

KickSpinFilter2492d ago (Edited 2492d ago )

In all fairness were not sure yet about God of War not losing it's magic, but it is one of the games I'm really looking forward to. Long breaks are all ways good for an IP, to often and people start to get fatigued.

Princess_Pilfer2492d ago

God of War never had magic. It was always DMC or Onimusha but for dudebros, edgelords, and people who can't handle a game being even mildly difficult. (or people really into greek mythology, and if that's the case then fair enough I guess.)

When I can beat the whole game oh higher difficulties with 1 combo on repeat (iirc it was square, triangle, triangle) while keeping everything stunned forever, the game has no magic.

Dark_Knightmare22492d ago

You're a troll who is full of shit.

Princess_Pilfer2492d ago

I troll by being silly. This is not me trolling.

God of War is not and was never special except in the setting and over the top brutality.

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60°

The importance of audio: How music makes games better

How do composers make the iconic music tracks from games that we love? And just what makes them so memorable?

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130°

Ex-343 dev says there were “20-30” pitched Halo games we’ll never see

A former 343 developer has revealed that mountains of Halo pitches failed to be approved, including a return to ODSTs and a push for more intimate, dark themes.

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Kaii67d ago

Well, 4-Infinite dropped the ball massively so don't worry.

Sgt_Slaughter67d ago (Edited 67d ago )

Not really. 4, 5, MCC, and Infinite are only remembered for their shortcomings and failures when the franchise was purely known for being a system seller and an all-time great. There's a reason 1, 2, 3, and Reach are looked back on fondly, and it's not because of nostalgia.

FinalFantasyFanatic67d ago

I don't know of anyone that speaks fondly of the later Halo games, I would like to play 5, but I know it's not good, and I'm just waiting on Infinite to hit my strike price. I played MCC a lot later after it came out, so must of those bugs/issues were gone by the time I played it.

66d ago
PhillyDonJawn66d ago (Edited 66d ago )

To say it dropped the massively is just not true. Many in the community hold H5 as the best mp mechanics in the entire series and say its what 4 should've been. Its campaign was trash but the MP is Fantastic and many faces of the community still play today and it only made 500mill in the matter of months but sure it dropped the ball massively. 4 was hated due to all the changes at once. And CoD like feature and rightful get hate but it's campaign story was liked by a majority of ppl. 343 hasn't nailed ot 100% but they get 1 thing perfect but F up in other places. Infinite had a good campaign and design but the story was a mess. The MP improves upon what Halo 3 was and is what many ppl wanted to go back to but it lacked content severely. So massively aint the word. Dropping the ball massively is when it's pure trash and unplay/unenjoyable. Most ppl blind by nostalgia so soon as 1 thing aint the same its hated cause Halo set the bar so high
FYI reach was not that good.

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Vengeance113867d ago

Dead IP, time to invent something new.

kaos8967d ago

Maybe they can have ID or one of the COD studios help 343 with this series.

jznrpg67d ago

Halo-Pop like Gears Pop. Halo bowling. Halo Cooking Mama. There’s a reason why you won’t hear about them

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80°

Why 343’s next Halo Xbox game needs to be a return to ODST

With its smooth jazz and iconic New Mombasa streets, we need Xbox's next Halo game to return to the remarkable world of Halo 3: ODST.

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