It's no secret that Halo Infinite didn't quite go as well as 343 Industries may have planned. Though it isn't without its good qualities, Halo Infinite's lackluster approach to the live-service model, a weak customization system, and the removal of some staple Halo game modes left it being yet another disappointment in 343 Industries' time with the once-beloved Sci-Fi franchise. And with Halo Infinite not quite hitting the mark, the future of the franchise is in jeopardy once again.
On one hand, 343 Industries could have yet another go at a mainline Halo sequel, after all, Halo Infinite's campaign wasn't all bad, and with a little refinement it could end up being a genuinely great entry in the series. But on the other hand, it might be best to give the Halo franchise a bit of time to breathe. In the meantime, if Microsoft still wanted a new Halo game, it could always take a page out of Call of Duty's playbook.
It's Time for More Halo Campaign Remasters
Back in 2016, Activision released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered. As the name suggests, this title was a full remaster of the original 2007 classic, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, complete with its iconic campaign, and beloved multiplayer mode. Though it drew a lot of criticism at the time due to it being locked behind an incredibly expensive special edition of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the actual remaster was highly praised by critics and fans alike, with all of its subtle tweaks modernizing the game perfectly while retaining the essence of the original. In 2020, Activision tried to repeat the same formula for success, this time with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, though only its campaign mode was included.
Generally speaking, these Call of Duty remasters performed extremely well, with Modern Warfare Remastered certainly contributing heavily to the overall sales of Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 Remastered selling over three million copies within its first few weeks. These remasters likely didn't take too much effort on the developer's part - at least when compared to developing a new Call of Duty from the ground up - and the payoff for Activision was high. But not only did Activision benefit, fans did as well, with a Modern Warfare remaster being something fans directly petitioned for just a few years prior. It might be a smart move for the Halo franchise to borrow a similar play.
If there's one surefire way to get Halo fans back on 343 Industries' side after Halo Infinite, it's to give them something nostalgic. There's no better way to achieve that than by simply remastering the original Halo games for modern hardware. However, the Halo franchise has already seen a fair few remasters in its time. Back in 2011, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary released for Xbox 360. This remaster was met with a mixed reception, with some praising the game's technical features but criticizing some of the sound and art choices in the game, stating that they didn't really live up to the original designs. Halo 2 received its own remastered anniversary edition in 2014, being one of the main selling points of the Master Chief Collection. Though the MCC had some infamous issues, Halo 2 Anniversary was actually a really excellent remaster, giving the game and its iconic cinematics a complete overhaul while retaining the feel of the original.
Though Halo and Halo 2 have already been remastered, there's still a few classic Halo games that could use the remaster, or even the full remake treatment. The obvious pick is Halo 3, the only entry in the original trilogy that didn't receive an anniversary remaster. Though Halo 3 still holds up today remarkably well, certain technical elements of the game are starting to show their age, and when playing through the trilogy on The Master Chief Collection, it does feel a little odd to go from Halo 2 Anniversary's impressive visuals and framerate to Halo 3's 2007-era gameplay. A full remaster of Halo 3 would be an easy way to get fans back on board with 343 Industries.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.