Since the franchise’s birth in 2001,Halohas brought over 20 years of gaming to the masses. As one of the first major Xbox exclusives,Halobrought a compelling story to gamers with an intriguing protagonist in the form of Master Chief and his AI companion Cortana. Tasked with fighting a war against various alien species, the franchise has always focused on hardcore shooting when it comes to combat.
However, when it comes to the future of potential newHalogames, reworking the focus of the game’s combat may serve a new title better, offering some freshness to the long-running franchise. The incredibly rocky launch of the franchise’s most recent entryHalo Infinitehas put a lot ofpressure on the shoulders of the nextHalogame, but bringing aDoom-inspired fighting style to future combat mechanics could be just what the franchise needs to take it to the next level.
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What the Next Halo Game Can Learn From Doom
Halogames have always involved incredibly unique and well-craftedweapons that serve as major staples inHalo’sworld. Whether it’s a more modern-inspired weapon like an assault rifle or something completely otherworldly and alien, like the Covenant’s piercing Type-33 Needler, every weapon inHalois a well throughout inclusion into the game’s combat that feels natural in the world, no matter how alien it appears. However, ifHalowants to evolve even further, giving melee just as important of a place as weaponry could give the franchise a new action-packed chapter.
When it comes to sci-fi action titles that do melee and weapon combat right, 2016’sDoomand the following entryDoomEternalreign supreme. There is an extensivelist ofDoomgamesthat do combat right, butDoomandDoom Eternalreally upped the ante by putting a lot of focus on Glory Kills. These Glory Kills are specialized finishing moves that kill enemies in grisly and jaw-dropping ways, turning the entertainment meter up to eleven. Putting Master Chief in the similar position of bashing the heads of enemies would serve as a great way to add a fresh and shocking twist toHalo’scombat.
Of course, weapons wouldn’t be put on the back burner. The weapons ofHaloare as much a part of the game as the characters who leadHalo’sstory, but adding a new ingredient into the mix could really spice things up. If the nextHalowants toimprove uponHalo Infinite’smistakes, reworking the combat would be a great start. The next game inHalo’s story could keep the basic essence and foundation of the game’s fighting mechanics, but it would also benefit from the inclusion of making fights feel even more intense with a feature inspired byDoom’s Glory Kills. This would make many players feel completely invincible, bringing a fun, fast-paced energy to whatever battles players are faced with.
AlthoughHalo Infinitewas seen by some as a misstep in the franchise, bothHaloandDoomare hailed as some of the best first-person shootersin gaming history. While both games are first-person sci-fi shooters, the most recentDoomentries took a chance on enhancing the game’s combat, giving birth to the Glory Kills that so many gamers have had a blast with.Halohas withstood years of evolving gameplay and trends, and seeing the combat of the game get stuck in a rut would be a true shame. As one of the most iconic franchises in gaming,Halodeserves to have a major comeback, and one of the best ways to do that would be through taking the combat thatHalois so well-known for and cranking it up to the next level.
Halo Infiniteis available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
