Halo: 5 Game Genres Perfect for the Halo Series
- March 06, 2009 10:25 AM PST
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Halo, arguably the biggest first-person shooter series around, has already proven that it can also deliver a compelling experience in the real-time strategy genre (Halo Wars). But what's next for the Halo franchise? GamePro explores five game genres we want Halo games in.
There's no denying that the Halo games defined the current first-person shooter experience on home consoles. From its controls to its exceptional online multiplayer formula, the first Halo game set the bar and reached mass-market appeal, and Bungie has since continued to improve upon the series again and again with Halo 2 and Halo 3.
This year, Microsoft has branched the Halo brand out into a new genre--real-time strategy--with Halo Wars, exclusively for the Xbox 360. Early reviews (read GamePro's Halo Wars review) of Halo Wars are positive enough to prove that the Halo brand has staying power and potential to become a household name like Super Mario Bros. So what's next for Halo and Master Chief? GamePro explores the possibilities of what other genres Microsoft should expand Halo into.
#5: Halo Action Game
Similar game(s): God of War, Devil May Cry
How it plays: Like Kratos' devastating Blades of Chaos he sports in the God of War series, the Energy Sword is the most recognizable melee-combat weapon in the Halo games. That's why in a Halo hack and slash game, players could wield dual Energy Swords to perform a number of vicious combo attacks, ripping adversaries to shreds and getting the most out of that Halo Mature-rating for once.
Playing as the butt-ugly Arbiter, players use their Energy Swords in an open environment teeming with Brutes and UNSC units. Other wieldable weapons could include the Gravity Hammer, Energy Spear, and Beam Rifle. I say, where do I sign up?
#4: Halo Kart Racing
Similar game(s): Super Mario Kart series
How it plays: Don't scoff. We're serious when we say that a kid-friendly Halo kart-racing game could be a huge hit, and maybe just what the Xbox 360 needs to reach that casual market of gamers. The game would have better graphics than anything on the Nintendo Wii because of the graphical power of the Xbox 360, but it could have all of the essential elements of Mario Kart.
Choosing different Halo characters with tiny bodies and over-inflated bobble heads, including Master Chief, Arbiter, and Cortana--you'd race them against others with powerups littering the tracks such as one that allow you to heat-seek Needle the opponent in front of you, another to Spartan Laser fire in a straight line a la Mario Kart's green turtle shells, and Mac Blast the person in first when you really need to catch up. Halo Kart Racer would even make a sweet Xbox Live Arcade game for $20.
#3: Halo MMO
Similar game(s): World of Warcraft, Guild Wars
How it plays: Believe it or not, there actually was a Halo MMO in development by Ensemble Studios, the same studio behind Halo Wars, but was ultimately canceled. Without going into a huge explanation of how a good Halo MMO would play, it should have most of the things you'd find in popular existing MMOs such as a rich assortment character classes, balanced skills and spells, and of course epic loot drops from killing palette-swapped enemies. No matter how the dev team behind a Halo MMO would approach their game, it would certainly be infinitely better than that Auto Assault MMO. Bleh!
#2: Halo Third-Person Shooter
Similar game(s): Star Wars Battlefront, The Lord of the Rings Conquest
How it plays: While a Gears of War-style Halo game would be pretty badass, it probably wouldn't be radically different from its first-person counterpart aside from the addition of a cover system. Instead, the third-person Halo shooter would be more interesting to play if it took a page from the Star Wars Battlefront series, where players fight in teams in an attempt to overwhelm the enemy with ground forces, vehicles, and aircrafts.
For those unfamiliar with the Battlefront games, this Halo game would follow its basic model, where players choose between the UNSC or Covenant, playing as standard classes that range from infantry to snipers to energy caster-type units, until they gain enough points to command hero units. Only instead of Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett, Hero units in this game would include Master Chief, Arbiter, Prophet of Truth, Tartarus, Sergeant Johnson, and Forge from Halo Wars to name a few. Halo Battlefront should also utilize the brand's staple ground and air units, while also including maps that take place on both land and in outer space. Imagine fighting on a space station and then jumping in an available Hornet to take on enemy Banshees.
#1: Halo RPG
Similar game(s): Fallout 3, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
How it plays: A Halo RPG we'd be interested in playing would be more in the vein of the Fallout 3s of the world than traditional role-playing games. Let's be honest, the Chief in a J-RPG would be absurd. In the Halo RPG we'd want, players control a lone Orbital Shock Drop Trooper (featured in the upcoming Halo 3:ODST) who is dropped on a strange planet to save the hide of Earth's Commander in Chief (whose likely been kidnapped)--think Escape from New York. On the alien planet, you discover friendly races that offer you missions and rewards in your quest to save the dude. During your journey, you'd encounter the planet's various alien life forms, both hostile and friendly, as you attempt to carry out your primary mission. Throw in the ability to execute civilians and pilfer their booze for no reason at all and we're there.
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- Mar 05 2009 at 03:28:31:PM PST
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I don't know whether or not to take this article seriously...
Halo Kart would be freaking awesome. An action-based game would be cool. I'd like to see some more spaceship action like in the novels with the MAC guns, plasma, and whatnot.
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wutisupmon wrote:
I don't know whether or not to take this article seriously...
Halo Kart would be freaking awesome. An action-based game would be cool. I'd like to see some more spaceship action like in the novels with the MAC guns, plasma, and whatnot.
Halo Karts sounds strange at first but I'd play it in a heartbeat.
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I like to see a fps but wit different elements other than just shooting stuff
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nice... all are interesting accept maybe the kart one... kart games have been done to death, and the only really good one was mariokart...
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A Halo RPG and TPS would be awesome.
I would play Halo Kart Racing in a second.
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Halo Survival Horror would be cool too fighting against the Flood. Oh wait... that's Dead Space. :P
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i guess being milk till your nipples turn purple would be the best way to go out if your a cow
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microsoft should hold out on halo for a wile it kinda seems like there milking it for everything its worth pretty soon even die hard halo fans might get tired of it
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neji64 wrote:
i guess being milk till your nipples turn purple would be the best way to go out if your a cow
in Oct Halo will have 5 games with it's name being in the title. ur talking about milking, but i see no reference to Mario and the 44 games with his name in it. why is that?
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