10 Awesome Gaming Franchises It Became Cool To Hate

7. Halo

Halo is a franchise whose long-running popularity has generated a significant backlash. You've probably heard that it is overrated; that it doesn't deserve the hype or accolades. Others contend that is it too cartoony and unrealistic, and that the mechanics require no real sense of skill. The continued longevity of the franchise via Microsoft makes hating it even easier. One can simply make the argument that Microsoft has run the series into the ground and many people wouldn't stop for rebuttal. This is a case where popularity colours the emotions of some gamers. Halo was, and continues to be, a mega-blockbuster franchise, and that makes it an easy target. People can claim that the gameplay isn't anything special, but this is wrong. You don't get the immense reaction the first Halo recieved back in 2001 without compelling gameplay. Halo is fun; there is a rhythm and fluidity to the shooting mechanics that others shooters lack. Yes, it's not realistic, and there is othing wrong with that. Not every shooter needs to be realistic or gritty. If Halo's style is not your type of shooter then that's perfectly fine. There are plenty of other shooters to choose from. Clearly Halo strikes a chord with many gamers, and you have to be a pretty big curmudgeon to want to disrupt that emotional response. Maybe an argument can be made about how the series has passed it's prime, but frankly there are far more egregious examples of game franchises that qualify for such a criticism. Considering the fact that an entirely different developer was behind Halo 4, that game turned out fantastic, even improving on its predecessors in many ways. Plus, there is still a chance for future games to further explore the mythology, which is why the franchise shouldn't be given up on just yet.