For over 20 years, Halo has reigned as one of gaming‘s most iconic and influential franchises. What began life as a real-time strategy before evolving into a revolutionary first-person shooter went on to shape the console multiplayer experience and spawn a media empire spanning comics, books, and even potential television series.
Conception as Sci-Fi RTS and Shift to FPS Legend
Halo‘s development traces back to 1997, when Chicago-based studio Bungie was purchased by Microsoft. Alex Seropian and Jason Jones of Bungie envisioned Halo as a real-time strategy franchise to rival the likes of StarCraft. Early prototypes enabled players to construct bases and control armies from a floating, RTS-style camera. However, the studio struggled with making the controls feel intuitive on gamepads.
According to Martin O’Donnell, Bungie’s former audio director, “The whole reason we went console was partly because there were no good console shooters…So we wanted to focus on that control.”
So in 1999 work began on refashioning Halo as a first-person shooter optimized for Xbox and its signature controller. Ditching resource management, Bungie focused on fast-paced run-and-gun action from the immersed battle perspective that would become the series‘ signature.
"We took a sharp left turn and said okay, we‘re going to Doom this baby up and we‘re going to go full first-person". – Jaime Griesemer, Former Bungie Game Designer
The result of this pivot would lay the groundwork for what many consider the definitive console FPS experience.
Launch of a Legend – Halo: Combat Evolved
When Halo: Combat Evolved hit the newly launched Xbox console in November 2001, it was clear Bungie had struck gold. The game practically sold Xbox‘s – by 2005 over 40% of console owners cited Halo as their reason for purchase.
It revolutionized FPS gameplay on controllers, letting players effortlessly cycle weapons via the D-pad and handle driving and shooting simultaneously. Kicking off the adventures of the stoic supersoldier Master Chief and his AI companion Cortana, Halo thrust players into an epic interstellar war between humanity and the hostile, zealous Covenant alliance.
It wasn‘t just envelope-pushing action that cemented Halo‘s staying power though – it was rich worldbuilding and pioneering multiplayer modes that kept fans hooked. Players battled across the alien ring-world installation Alpha Halo, plunging into lush jungles, icy plains, and hi-tech Covenant bases brought vividly to life. The environments encouraged creative tactics – hijacking hovering Ghost tanks to outmaneuver oncoming Wraith mortars or sniping Jackal marksmen from the clifftops of the iconic Blood Gulch map.
Capped with a cliffhanger ending, fans were primed for a sequel to continue Master Chief’s saga. The stage was set for Halo’s meteoric rise entering its first Xbox trilogy.
Trilogy Concludes and Bungie Passes Torch
With Halo firmly fixed as Microsoft’s flagship Xbox exclusive and console seller, sequels saw massive budgets allowing Bungie to dream bigger. Halo 2 in 2004 delivered John-117’s battle to Earth in bombastic fashion. It added dual-wielding weapons and vehicle hijacking to the sandbox and presented the Covenant side through the eyes of the Arbiter. While the abrupt ending left some fans wanting, Halo 2 established Xbox Live as the premier place for console shooter multiplayer and LAN parties.
Bungie wrapped up their trilogy with Halo 3 in 2007, pulling out all stops on spectacle as the Flood threat returned amidst crumbling alien architecture. The conclusion left Master Chief drifting in space, with Halo credited as an FPS campaign triumph to rival Half-Life.
"It‘s like Bungie created a digital version of the Sistine Chapel and just said, ‘Guys, learn from this.‘" – Vince Zampella, Co-Founder of Infinity Ward
Before departure though, Bungie handed off their universe to caretakers for the next decade – newly formed internal Microsoft studio 343 Industries, headed by Frank O’Connor.
With ensemble spin-off Halo 3: ODST and reach prequel Halo: Reach in 2009-2010, Bungie signed off their console duty and made their next leap to Destiny. The Master Chief would now be upheld entirely by 343.
343 Era – Technical Evolution, Answers on the Mantle
Microsoft now helmed the Halo crown jewel, and focused efforts on upping graphical fidelity and the universe‘s scope. FPS veteran heads honed tight shooting for the Reclaimer Saga moving forward.
Launching on shiny new Xbox One hardware in 2014, Halo 4 employed dramatic lighting with motion/facial capture to portray the most human John-117 yet. His bond with Cortana took center stage to drive personal stakes, and ancient evil The Didact rose as a philosophical foil. Though ambition led to inconsistent pacing and overloaded enemies, Halo 4‘s risks showed narrative caretaking in good hands.
Halo 5: Guardians then opted for squad dynamics, employing Blue Team led by the Chief and Spartan Locke’s Fireteam Osiris. Their intertwined mission to find Cortana brought raging battles spanning human colonies to the Forerunner planet Genesis. While under fire for misleading ads spotlighting Master Chief, 5’s solid shooting and exploration laid the basis for Halo’s largest multiplayer yet with 24-player Warzone mode.
All roads converged though towards the Slipspace-powered Halo Infinite. Here, everything that came before ties into Chief‘s vulnerable crusade to once more save humanity, defeat Atriox’s Banished, and heal divided loyalties. With free-to-play multiplayer ushering in massive seasons of content post-launch, and campaign DLC to come, Infinite shapes up to be the Halo for modern service-based longevity.
This story has an end and a beginning. I see it in your hands – your path is so bright. – Cortana
Gameplay – What Makes Halo Halo
Across titles and developers, at its core Halo delivers a trademark recipe blending different FPS ingredients:
Iconic Arsenal – Master Chief almost functions as an extension of his USNC kit. From versatile Assault Rifle spray to peerless precision Magnums and skull-skewering Energy Swords, Halo arms players in its kinetic sandbox.
Vehicular Combat – Wheeled Ghosts, soaring Banshees, the Scorpion‘s mounted cannon – vehicles let players experience sweet vehicular mayhem with Halo’s trademark physics and ragdoll effects.
Recharging Shields – Less downtime scrounging for health packs means more uptime to focus on tactical advances. Making mistakes is forgivable, not fatal.
The Dance – Halo is often called a game of chess in how encounters play out – taking ground, leveraging grenades to fluster foes, coordinating with teammates. Mastering the two-step combat flow makes you feel unstoppable.
This formula has seen additions like Armor Abilities in Reach, Ground Pound slam in Halo 5 or Grappleshot in Infinite to keep the action fresh. But at its best, Halo always gives players consistent tools for creative combat scenario solutions.
Competitive Legacy
Beyond its campaigns, the magic behind Halo persisting as one of gaming‘s staples lies in Multiplayer. Couch co-op and split-screen bred nostalgia, but it‘s the competitive battlegrounds that made Masters.
Halo 2 catapulted Xbox Live and online multiplayer to prominence. For years, Halo was MLG‘s flagship console presence with pro players like Tom ‘Tsquared’ Taylor rising to fame. Maps like Guardian, Lockout and Midship have been remade constantly for a reason. Occurring at a pivotal period before COD dominated, Halo represented console shooting skill at its peak.
Custom games cemented community spirit – new modes like cops ‘n robbers in Blood Gulch spawn constant innovation. That social environment keeps players active, while Forge editors enable remarkable fan creations.
343 carries this legacy with seasonal updates. Events like Fractures spill canonical elements like fan-favorite Halo 3 map Narrows into Infinite. Modes like Attrition underscore teamwork. Combined with smart distribution via Game Pass, Halo’s multiplayer player base grows stronger by the month.
Expanded Universe
Beyond gaming, from OG Xbox era Bungie recognized an immersive fictional realm for transmedia potential not limited to core games. That blueprint has expanded under 343’s oversight, weaving TV and literary offshoots into deeper canon.
The earliest EU extensions were tie-in novels diving deeper into UNSC history and side characters lives. By fleshing out thicker continuity, they enabled richer story threads for sequels to pick up.
Authors like Greg Bear, Karen Traviss, Troy Denning and Joseph Staten have now covered 30+ books worth of lore material – from Grey Team’s mission during Combat Evolved or the traumatic early days of Spartan child soldier training programs. Their character perspectives widen the lens beyond game events focused on the Chief. Even side projects like Halo Wars strategy series have received novelizations retelling stories RTS-style.
In tandem are graphic novels adding visual flavor. Halo comics from Marvel and Dark Horse showcase colorful artwork dramatizing iconic game moments from new camera angles. Short stories fill narrative gaps after Halo 5 in leadup to Infinite.
With rich worldbuilding extended out, moves towards show adaptations feel natural evolution. Acclaimed director Ridley Scott is executive producing the upcoming Showtime premium series coordinating with 343. While delays have pushed its release into 2023, initial trailers confirm Silver Timeline separation from core game stories to allow creative freedom. There’s vast territory for the expanded cast and Covenant conflict action promised to cover without conflicting events in players’ memories.
“For the first time, the Halo universe will be opened up to dramatic long-form adaptation…a golden opportunity to Interactive Entertainment by Activision-Blizzard.world-buiild upon on the enduring and sweeping storylines that have enthralled millions of fans for over 20 years.”“For the first time, the Halo universe will be opened up -Kiki Wolfkill, Head of Halo Transmedia
Future Forecast
343 now commands their Sci-Fi juggernaut looking forwards, not backwards. With record-breaking fandom around Halo’s early tenure, their task is perpetual – maintain roots while evolving palette to paint Chief’s portrait for new generations.
Events like viral marketing contests ARG Hunt The Truth audio diaries in Halo 5 show willingness to dive deeper for lore hobbyists. Collaborations with brands like Nerf to bring iconic weapons into backyard battles underline cultural longevity.
Most of all, Infinite’s platform presents branching story DLC with Chief facing moral quandaries on Zeta Halo, while multiplayer facilitates years of themed events beyond seasonal weapon skin refreshes.
Like Master Chief drifting through space, the course ahead remains filled with unknown adventures. But with an ever-expanding media arsenal behind them, 343 Industries ensures Halo stays locked, loaded and aimed directly at pop culture’s heart.
So strap on your MA5B Assault Rifle, prime that Plasma Grenade and dive headfirst next chapter into infinite possibilities… for the Master Chief’s fight is far from finished!
