Once upon a time, I was a mega "Halo" fan. It was one of the only stories made for my generation that taught young men what sacrifice, honor, and duty looked like (and had some pretty interesting biblical themes to boot).
But Microsoft has had trouble maintaining that legacy after original developer Bungie Studios exited the scene following 2010's "Halo: Reach." Every game that followed has lost a bit of what made "Halo" unique, devolving it into a pretty but otherwise unmemorable sci-fi franchise.
Well, following the lackluster reception of 2021's "Halo: Infinite," which used a proprietary game engine that Microsoft thought could compete with Unreal Engine ... Microsoft is switching to Unreal Engine.
Check out this new in-game footage:
Amazing, right?
343 (named after a robot called 343 Guilty Spark) is also changing its name to Halo Studios (no one can figure out the formula for Microsoft's semi-regular name changes).
There's just one tiny problem.
"Halo" is a series about supersoldiers who are stolen from their parents and endure brutal experimentation to make them into killing machines. The series explores the consequences of such manmade horrors, but also shows how evil things may be ultimately turned for good. These Spartan soldiers are named after the famous Spartan soldiers of old who held off Persia's King Xerxes at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. They wear "Mjolnir" armor, named after the Viking god Thor's lightning hammer.
The fate of humanity was in their hand, but despite their skill, it was only "luck" (another Scandinavian theme) or higher providence (a biblical theme) that allowed the main character to win the day against overwhelming odds. It was part Beowulf, part David vs Goliath.
But there was even deeper meaning in the franchise. In the game, humans are "Reclaimers," inheritors of ancient alien technology that was gifted to them as though they were the children of the gods. Unlike all the other alien species, they alone can control the "Halo" rings because there is something unique about humanity. Humans were protected in an Ark from the Flood, a devouring parasitic army, so that one day they could wisely rule the galaxy as kings and queens of Narnia (as it were).
All of this speaks deeply to our hearts, but particularly to the hearts of young men. The Garden of Eden, the account of Noah, the exploits of warriors of the ancient world - there was deep and ancient lore behind the game that inspired 3 a.m. LAN parties in college dorm rooms the world over.
Now, it's led by an intersectional female with pronouns in her bio.
This doesn't immediately mean future games will be the worst thing ever, but wokeness doesn't create good stories. The abomination that is the "Halo" TV show is proof of that, as is Amazon's "Rings of Power," Disney Star Wars, and too many other franchises to name.
Even this demonstration of "Halo" in Unreal Engine only proves that they are capable of making prettier versions of a 20-year-old story (we've already had a makeover of the original game), not that they can create a compelling story on their own.
And for those who say the Chief of Staff won't affect the actual production team, this isn't only about her:
The rot goes deep.
As a wise man once said:
Still, like the Master Chief's singular struggle against the overwhelming might of alien empires ... there's always hope!
