The next Halo could move the series forward by going back to basics

The last few years have been quite tumultuous for Halo the franchise. Halo InfiniteIts post-release support – and occasional lack thereof – has been a roller coaster of emotions for fans, and Halo The series streaming on Paramount+ has proven to be one of the most controversial video game adaptations in recent history. The development team at 343 Industries has also seen a radical restructuring, with the studio even going so far as to rebrand itself as Halo Studios.

343's transformation into Halo Studios could be Halo the series' best chance at redemption. Not only the future Halo inputs to be built using the popular Unreal Engine, but Halo hopefully it will be able to move forward without the baggage associated with the name 343. Many fans are already excited to see this change in leadership and direction for the popular FPS series. While it's unknown what Halo Studios' next main game will look like, Halo the development team has the opportunity to meet fan demand and address a noticeable change made in Halo Infinite. Specifically, the next game may be a return to form for Firefight.

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Returning to Firefight's roots in the next Halo entry

First introduced in 2009 Halo 3: ODST and then improved in Halo: Tap the following year, Firefight quickly became one of the Halohis most beloved ways. Firefight was a turn-based PVE experience where players had to team up to survive against increasingly deadly waves of enemies. Although simplistic in concept, the mode gained a devoted following as its cooperative gameplay allowed players to test their skills together and experience a Noble Six-esque last stand.

Firefights from Halo Infinite

Fan demand for Firefight to return Halo Infinite was raised, especially since a version of the mod was presented in Halo 5: Guardians. Two years after its initial release, Halo Infinite finally added Firefight last December. while InfiniteHis fight quickly attracted attention from the side Halo fan base, the mod failed to meet the expectations of many players.

InfiniteFirefight was not the traditional version of the mode introduced in Bungie's later entries in the series. Instead, it was a King of the Hill variant of Firefight. Players still have to fend off waves of enemies in this mode, but now they must do so by also capturing objectives scattered across the map. As for why this change was made, 343 stated in a blog post: “Long story short: we like the extra decision-making, the extra co-op elements, and the tension that the hill brings to the classic Firefight formula “.

These additional objectives helped Firefight to enter Halo Infinite to distinguish it from previous game iterations of the mode. However, the break with tradition is precisely why many fans were disappointed Infiniteversion of his mode. Fans begged 343 to add the mode for two years, and when it did make it to the game, it wasn't even the mode they asked for.

Players wanted an experience that allowed them and their friends to fight hordes of Banished in a battle of attrition – not another way to capture the zone. It also didn't help that – even on higher difficulties – Firefight: King of the Hill felt like a walk in the park for experienced players. An abundance of weapons and vehicles combined with AI enemies that were more focused on capturing the objective than attacking players made Firefight much easier than it was in previous games.

How Halo Studios should approach fire in its next game

Taking note of the OG/Classic trend in multiplayer games, the following Halo the game could benefit from going back to basics with Firefight. This is not to say that the next version of Firefight should be devoid of innovation, but players have made it clear what they want to see in this mode. Firefight isn't just appealing because it's a multiplayer mode that lets players battle campaign enemies. It appeals because of its intense, wave-based gameplay that results in strategic co-op and memorable last stands.

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