Still considered "the face of Xbox" over a decade after it first debuted, the Halo series has always been a sure bet for Microsoft to shift consoles. Under the helm of Bungie the series was cemented as a classic, with the Master Chief trilogy as well as Reach providing players with some of the most epic sci-shooters on the market. And, to be fair, 343 Studios did a pretty decent job of reviving the series after series creator Bungie left. By conjuring up a new story and setting the Master Chief on a new adventure with a new set of enemies, the development studio pulled off the impossible to stir up interest for the long-standing franchise. Unfortunately, although Halo 4 was solid in its own right, it didn't really bring anything new to the table. The new enemies, while interesting, were mostly underused, the new weapons didn't provide much variation from the guns players already knew and love, and the once-open levels were more linear than they ever were. It was still a rather enjoyable first person shooter, but with 4 and its upcoming sequel, it's clear the Halo franchise isn't quite the innovator it used to be. Which major trailblazing franchise is a total damp squib in 2015? Let us know in the comments!
Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.
