It is no secret that theHaloseries has had a bit of a rough time since Bungie handed the IP off to 343 Industries. The three games since have not reached the level of their predecessors, and although it has gotten better,Halo Infinitefelt pretty lacking at launch. On top of that, Paramount’sHaloTV show has not had the critical reception that the studio may have wanted. But 343 Industries may be able to fix it, and all it might take is a simple reboot.
One ofthe biggest criticisms of theHaloshowis that it resembles Xbox’s flagship series in name only. The characters do not act like their game counterparts, the story seems to be completely original, and much of the lore has been changed. While it seems to have been successful enough to get two seasons, it has fallen flat with many fans of the franchise. If 343 chose to reboot the entire series, then those problems may be a thing of the past.
A Halo Reboot May Be Exactly What the TV Show Needs
The Case for a Halo Reboot
RebootingHalowould be a daunting task, as the series has been a major force on Xbox since 2001. Bungie took players on a riveting journey through the galaxy in a trilogy that is often regarded as one of the best that the FPS genre has. After Bungie bid farewell with the acclaimedHalo: Reach,343 Industries carried it on with even more exciting sci-fi adventures. That has not only helped build a pretty loyal fanbase, but it has also created certain expectations that are hard to match. However, now feels like the best time to hit the reset button.
Under 343 Industries, theHaloseries has yet to match the quality of those original games. The stories have not been as interesting, and the content has felt rather lackluster. WhileHalo 4felt like a decent continuation,Halo 5: Guardiansproved extremely controversial. Luckily,Halo Infiniteended up being a stronger game, yet it also suffered from the fact it was missing many features that had become staples of the series. The studio has been slowly fixing it, but it has taken many years, which has seemingly put a stain on the entire experience for many.
It is great that 343 Industries is trying new things with the brand. However, it does kind of feel like the series needs a reset. This would allow the studio to forge ahead with its own sci-fi tale, as the studio would no longer be tied down by what came before. Additionally, if it was good, it could inject some much-needed life into this iconic franchise with exciting new stories. And because of these new stories, some fans may findtheHaloshow’s bending of the lorea bit more acceptable.
A Well-Done Halo Reboot Could Put the Show on Firmer Footing
A reboot would likely alter major story bits andthe entire lore of theHalofranchiseto suit whatever new story 343 wants to tell. That is exactly what the TV show has done, and while it has not gone over well, some fans may look at it better if the games were also doing that same thing. Plus, it might actually be pretty interesting to see three different versions of the same galaxy.
This would all be contingent on whether aHaloreboot actually succeeds, because if players do not like a new direction, then it may go the way of the newSaints Rowreboot. Reboots are hard to get fans on board with, to begin with, and sinceHalois such an iconic franchise, it seems like an impossible task. But if 343 committed and made something worthy of the name, then it might be the best thing to happen to the franchise in a while, especially if it puts more eyes on Paramount’s iteration.
Halo
Based on the immensely popular video game franchise, Paramount+’s Halo series follows the journey of Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and his fellow humans in the future war against the Covenant.
