343 Industriesis no more.The first-party Xbox developer will now be known as Halo Studiosas it rebrands itself entirely in pursuit of a more prosperous future. One where all of its games will be built in Unreal Engine 5 instead of the proprietary Slipstream Engine.
Despite a strong start with hundreds of thousands of players and praise from critics across the board,Halo Infinitewas a failure as a live-service game. So,Xboxis shifting the trajectory of its flagship franchise in a major way.
This weekend saw Microsoft announce the freshly minted name, alongside a new look at various iconic locales now rendered entirely in Unreal Engine. It looks gorgeous, and the video presentation - which goes to extreme lengths to justify thatnoneof this will be part of a new game, nor does it represent an official announcement - spends much time touching on the visual history of Halo, and how it has always been considered a graphical showcase.
But has it? When I think of Halo, the first thing that comes to mind definitely isn’t visuals. I think about turning an Elite into a Needler pin cushion, sniping friends from across the map, or epic moments spread across the original trilogy’s three campaigns. The visual design of Bungie’s universe and characters like Master Chief and Cortana are definitely iconic, but the fidelity and quality of these have never been particularly groundbreaking.
In fact, when Halo 3 was first released back in September 2007, one thing I recall critics all agreeing on is how, compared to Gears of War or Viva Pinata, the third entry was shockingly average in the graphical department. It did the job, and still looks excellent today on modern platforms, but Bungie never put photorealism above mechanical enjoyment.
So long as the flow of gameplay was correctly served and players could still execute a killer headshot before hopping about the map, nothing else mattered. There is a reason why many of the legacy playlists in Halo: The Master Chief Collection eclipsed the modern anniversary offerings, because the community was after something warm and nostalgic, and even if they weren’t, Halo depicted with an excessive amount of detail and clarity was never the point.
So the primary focus on this side of things throughout the Halo Studios rebrand feels like a misstep, and something that doesn’t represent what Halo is nor what it should aim to be.
But perhaps in an announcement like this, there was nothing else to talk about. The video is filled with iconic locales recreated using fresh assets in a new engine, with developers telling us that things can now be depicted with more detail than ever before. Master Chief is shinier, The Flood is more grotesque, while colours and details are destined to pop off the screen.
I’m not against any of these announcements, but after the underwhelming reception to Halo Infinite, trying to wow us with graphics is proof that Microsoft has learned none of the correct lessons. TheXbox Wirepost splits Halo’s history into two eras - Bungie and 343 Industries - and the takeaway we’re expected to have is that we are now entering a third era.
This new chapter begins with ‘Foundry’, which is a research project the studio hopes will help them realise what exactly is possible in Unreal Engine 5, and how such efforts could soon be translated into a full game. The results speak for themselves, but despite a lofty promise that it will help usher in a prosperous future, feels awkwardly stuck in the past. Master Chief can be seen wearing his original armour, while many of the key locations depicted are lifted from Combat Evolved. We saw the same song and dance in Halo Infinite, so try something new.
A research project like Foundry should invite experimentation, but thanks to being so loyal to an iconic universe, I’m worried that whatever Halo Studios cooks up next is going to keep on dredging up the past instead of looking toward the future. I would be so much more invested if this video presentation showcased pieces of concept art that looked entirely alien, with just a piece of architecture or familiar character poking out from the periphery to remind us that it is still Halo. But it’s tried-and-tested territory, and no matter how good it might look, I cannot help but feel like we’ve seen it all before.
Say what you will about the Reclaimer Trilogy, but at least Halo 4 and Guardians were never afraid to try something new. It introduced us to new alien races, planets, and dared to picture what an expanded version of this universe might look like. But we rallied against it – for a good reason most of the time – but the reaction to this failure shouldn’t be to return to a status quo in which experimentation is not only discouraged, but seems impossible.
Halo Studios could make some great games in the coming years, but ushering in a new era with gorgeous familiarity and the same old corporate buzzwords doesn’t excite. It serves as a reminder that if this series refuses to take risks, it’ll never reach its once great heights ever again.
Halo 3
WHERE TO PLAY
In Halo 3, Master Chief must again battle the Covenant and the Flood, this time rounding off the trilogy with a battle to end all battles.
