TheHalofranchise is in a bit of a tough spot right now. After the release ofHalo Infinite, 343 Industries has stumbled at every hurdle on the live-service track, failing to add any significant multiplayer content, taking too long with the co-op and Forge modes and failing to address customization complaints in any real way. ThoughHalo Infinitelanded with a bang, it’s been left to whither away in the proceeding year, and fans aren’t sure iftheHalofranchisecan ever be revived again. But a brand-newHalo Warsgame might do just that.
Debuting in 2009, theHalo Warsspin-off series has just two entries right now, but they both offer some of the most engaging gameplay theHalofranchise has to offer, and they deliver a level of variety that the franchise desperately needs right now. A newHalo Warsgame could not only save the entireHalofranchise from dormancy, but also get fans back on board with 343 Industries as the leaders of this brand.
RELATED:A New Bungie FPS Series May Be Exactly What PlayStation Needs Right Now
Halo Wars 3 Could Save the Halo Franchise
It’s no secret that 343 Industries has not handled theHalofranchise as well as it could have. Thrown in at the deep end,343 Industries did a surprisingly solid job withHalo 4, a sequel that certainly wasn’t needed, but one that managed to deliver a lot of what fans loved about the original trilogy.Halo 5: Guardians, on the other hand, felt like a big step back, with one-note characters, a deceptive marketing campaign, and a disappointing story that made some very divisive decisions. But whenHalo Infinitefirst launched, fans thought that 343 had finally nailed the assignment, with a multiplayer mode that hearkened back to the glory days ofHaloonline and a story campaign that had a wonderfully retro feel while trying out some new experimental mechanics. But it wasn’t destined to last forever.
Rather than just release a complete online mode,343 Industries decided to makeHalo Infinitea live-service game, something which filled the community with an immediate sense of dread. When a live-service game is good, it can keep its player-base invested for years, butHalo Infinitewasn’t a good live-service game. Though its gameplay was good,Halo Infiniteseverely lacked content on launch and featured a highly controversial customization system that heavily encouraged players to drop real-world cash. Over the course of a year, 343 barely touchedHalo Infinite, leading to this once-promising game to fall from grace.
Right now, the general consensus among many fans is that 343 Industries simply can’t handle the pressure of heading up theHalofranchise, and that another developer should take over. And while this may be true, anotherHalo Warstitle could persuade fans to lower their pitchforks for just a little while longer. Though they aren’tthe most complex strategy games,Halo WarsandHalo Wars 2have both been critical and commercial successes for theHalofranchise, with their highly accessible gameplay and presence on consoles managing to bring in new audiences to the strategy genre. A newHalo Warsgame could be exactly what the franchise needs right now, offering something that’s different from the standardHaloexperience while still giving fans more of their favorite universe.
The first twoHalo Warsgames weren’t perfect, and a hypotheticalHalo Wars 3will need to improve on them to really stand out from the crowd and keep theHalofranchise going. For a start,Halo Wars3’s campaignneeds to tell a compelling story, and one that directly affects the core characters and plot of the main series. The biggest issue withHalo Wars 2was that a lot of its story beats didn’t really affect the widerHalonarrative, thoughHalo Infinitedoes use The Banished as its main antagonist.Halo Wars 3also needs to increase the scale of its matches. While staying accessible is pivotal toHalo Wars' success, limiting the troop count to just 80 units makes each battle last only a minute or two, and it severely hampers the player’s ability to experiment with different combinations of unit types.
MORE:Giving Master Chief’s Story A Rest May Be the Best Way to Get Halo Back On Track
