With the massive success and conversations around Helldivers 2, it’s natural to wonder if Xbox could see a similar kind of victory. For many, Halo could have been that. Unfortunately, the franchise never saw its true victory days on modern platforms.
Furthermore, the fact that 343 Industries devs pitched the idea for a similar game but never got to work on it only makes it worse. This was recently confirmed by one of the lead designers, and it goes on to show how much of the new game’s success compared to Halo has to do with timing and decisions from the higher-ups.
Could Halo Ever Be as Good as Helldivers 2?
Recently, Kevin Schmitt (the lead designer) stated how the devs at 343 Industries actually proposed multiple ideas that would eventually look like what Helldivers 2 is today. Except that it would be set in Halo’s universe and would probably have Master Chief as the protagonist.
This unnamed project wasn’t the only one that was pitched. There were several ideas that revolved around sci-fi themes and could even have a strong narrative instead of a simple roguelike that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Of course, the possibilities are endless, and a sense of wasted potential still lingers over the Xbox fanbase. And why wouldn’t it? It has been one of the few franchises that truly gave the platform its identity in its early days. Seeing it fall isn’t going to sit well with the majority of people.
Even Without the Comparisons to Helldivers 2, Halo Hasn’t Been in Great Shape
In the last few years, Halo has been in a weird place. To new players, it feels like a casual game they can jump into but not commit in the long run. To fans of the franchise, it feels like a lackluster production that never utilized the true potential of its universe.
There were several stories it could tell. The characters it could introduce. The game modes, the campaigns, and the expansions. Basically, everything the franchise isn’t at the moment. In such times, when a game like Helldivers 2 drops in, passive conversations quickly become active and pave the path for further criticism.
Given how Xbox is slowly shifting away from an exclusives-first approach, there’s a small chance we’ll see a new IP as big as previous games that stay only on one platform. However, there are a lot of lessons to learn from the success of the game, and Xbox fans can always keep their fingers crossed for new projects to exceed their expectations.
Do you think the platform will ever get to have something as good as Helldivers 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
