Do you yearn for simpler days? Namely, the early 2000s. You’re on your OG Xbox, choosing whether to load up Halo: Combat Evolved or Halo 2.
That sentence alone has welcomed a calming sense of bliss to wash over me.
It’s been a rocky ride being a Halo fan in recent years, but there was once a time period where the franchise reigned supreme.
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Worry not, my friends. I’m sure the glory days will come again.
Halo: Infinite is in a far better state than it was upon release, and season two of Paramount Plus’ Halo TV show was a marked improvement on the first.
Until a next mainline entry arrives though, you may find yourself returning to those early releases via Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Alongside that, you can have a look at could’ve been as Halo 1.5 has been unearthed, bringing to light assets created between 2002 and 2003 that never quite came to be.
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ICYMI: Gears of War is set to return with Gears of War: E-Day. Take a look at the trailer below.
These assets have been shared via the official Halo Waypoint blog, allowing fans of the franchise to peruse through various maps, assets, and design notes.
Yes, you heard me correctly. Maps. There are Halo 2-era unreleased maps that you can now feast your eyes on.
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‘Why would they waste maps?’ is a question you might be asking.
Well some of these were designed for press demos specifically to show off certain combat features.
You see exactly what feature they were designed to highlight via their titles. There’s ‘M1 - Defensive’, ‘M1 - Exploration’, and ‘M1 - Assault’.
Accompanying these maps are notes from the designers explaining exactly what combat encounters press would’ve faced, given that these experiences were more meticulously designed so as to function as a demo.
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Halo fans also have the opportunity to look at other lesser used assets including the broken ring seen in early franchise entries. In fact, modders can play around with some of these assets which is incredibly exciting.
Just think of the creations we might see pop up soon. The full post is available on Halo Waypoint.