Halo's original story is flawed! Storytelling Rant

If you don't know, I'm a HUGE fan of Halo and I've been following it since Combat Evolved first hit Xbox. So you can imagine how excited I was to finally see the tv show, right?

Well...... things were said and things were done and we all know how the fans reacted to it. "Trash, garbage, disgrace" the show was called just about every insult an angry fan base could think of and I admit: MOST of the complaints are warranted. But there are some points in certain criticisms where I'm just left scratching my head...

The videogame story is vast and is told through multiple forms of media like books and short movies. But are we really willing to believe that it was constructed perfectly in the state it was made? We have a main character named John who happens to be the main character and the face of the player with zero emotions, zero personality and not even a face. This was good for the time because the player would basically fill the shoes of the Chief and it added a much needed sense of immersion to the game. But that doesn't work in a media that focuses its attention on the story and the protagonist. Master Chief needs a face and a deeper backstory and I see the show trying to remedy that. Maybe they got carried away on some aspects but they actually tried to make John feel like a person. I know plenty of critics in favor of the show say this in its defense but I think it *is* true that the effort made still deserves praise in itself.

Then we get to the changes in the story.. The Spartan II's are ripped right from their homes and are forced to become perfect soldiers and save humanity. And in Bungie's version, they're all just ok with that? How do you expect someone to save something they don't know the meaning of or find any value in? The Spartan II's are emotionally broken people and taking away any sort of conflict they could've had in their upbringing just eliminates any sense of humanity in them. This is yet another thing that the Halo show addresses, and John actually fights Dr. Halsey's indoctrination, something the videogame John would never do. Instead, videogame Chief is a perfect character who never questions his orders, never fights his upbringing and plays gopher boy for the UNSC.

"Secure the LZ, Chief!" "Defend this station, Master Chief!" "The Master Chief and I need to see if we can save some soldiers."

Generally speaking, it feels like all of the complaints about the story changes are from folks mindlessly defending a narratively flawed universe. The show is basically everything told in reverse with the biggest plot holes in mind that the writers found that needed to be changed then they just slapped the "alternate timeline" label on it so that the fans wouldn't have to worry about those changes being canon. To be honest, a part of me kinda wishes it was canon because Bungie danced around some events that could've led to some interesting plot and character development.

Maybe it's something I've missed in the other universe (and I *did* miss every book and graphic novel) but I just don't see a reason to defend the original universe with an unbelievably perfect leading character and very little conflict among the main cast. And that kinda hurts because I actually love that universe in itself. If anyone has a more informed viewpoint in defense of the og Halo story, I'd like to hear it. What makes the story good? How could the show have worked if Paramount kept Master Chief's helmet on the entire time? Is it even possible to make a good show about Halo with the Master Chief as the main character?

Its a thread that shoud've been made in 2009. By now, nobody gives a damn about Halo. Even lems are only defending it because its their flagship, but in reality, when you look at the numbers, nobody is playing that mess. By Reach launch, the IP wasn't exciting anymore, and with Halo 4, it died. Everything that came after it was just trolling the franchise.

Of the Halo games I've played, and the couple books I've read, the only cool thing I remember was his training. Something where they were showing off the Spartans progress, and they were running a ctf exercise or something. The Spartans fashioned their own armor, and were operating like super soldier raptors.

That was cool, but beyond that, I don't really care about the story of Halo.

So in the books there's a little more flesh on the bones, Spartan recruitment is a process of breaking down the children and then building them up, there's a certain amount of ego etc. and the children have to be forced effectively to recognise the strengths of the others, references to wolf packs etc.

This arc culminates with John-117 leading the would be spartans on a training exercise where in theory the last candidate to hit a rendezvous will be left behind, the kids work together to group up and recce the extract, finding it guarded they take down the guards (marines actually) and acquire the dropship (using an AI to pilot) and most importantly John-117 boards last, the competence and willingness to take on the responsibility whilst alsu utilising the skills of the other kids cements John as the would be leader of the Spartan 2's.

There's a whole section on certain parts of the UNSC being against the Spartan 2 program, scientists with ethical concerns when they suspect Halsey is engaged in human augmentation, animosity between ODST's and Spartans, worry even from Halsey that at certain points everything she has done to her Spartan's is making them lose their humanity.

I don't think you have to read all the novels but Fall of Reach is good and Ghosts of Onyx is solid.

I can't say much about the Halo show not having watched it, but from the criticism I've read I think it's coming from an audience who have an understanding at least of the expanded storytelling in other mediums. (sorry for wall of text)

I always find it funny when "gamers" talk about stories in games.

Yes. God forbid anybody should expend any kind of analytical effort while engaging in this hobby.

People with brains. Lol.

I think the only time I cared about story in a Halo game was Halo 2, because you got to see it from different perspectives that would meet to face a bigger and more dangerous force. You could see the flaws on both sides. That was cool.

No wonder you play nothing but a very few brainless games and racing titles.

I always thought it was ironic he's humanity's hero yet his closest love interest in the games is an AI.

@hardwenzen: This coming from the guy who LOVES Olden Ring, yeah real great story in that game 🤦‍♂️

100% worth reading the books. They expand on the story as @sonny2dap said. Fall of Reach is well worth the read.

Shows how pathetic your knowledge is when it comes to gaming.

@davillain: I LOVE racing games, name 1 racing game with a great story.....I'll wait.

So yes I meant every word of it. I play for fun, not to get to the next cutscene for a story to play out.

@nod_calypse: Look who it is the emotional one, yeah no doubt you love a good sob story, play the game to get to the next cutscene, put the controller down pick up a box of tissues and watch the night away 🤣

I’ve really enjoyed the storylines in the Halo games. Haven’t read the books or watched the show yet. Still kind of watch the show sometime despite some of the reviews it’s received.

@nepu7supastar7: I really enjoyed season 1, and so far enjoying season 2. Though I just got started with season 2, it kicks off with a bang.

I never really read any of the original halo books, or ever understood the halo story line in the games, so the fans nonsense doesn't bother me.

That's very true and I think the show just shows how dated even the story is told in the games. It needs a complete remake from the ground up because people need to find a reason to care again. Those who do are mostly stuck in the past where they truly believe older and slower was better. No sprint, no extra abilities, etc. If we're going to get it back to where it was: we need to let go of the past.

I figured I missed out on a lot from the books. Though, frankly, I kinda have my own head canon where everything that happens in Halo exists in the games and the books are sorta disconnected. I mean, either way - the games aren't going to honor some of the aspects the books mention like the ridiculous speed, jumps, strength and reflexes because they would kill the fun of the gameplay. Lore Spartans are super OP.

As for the show, you're not missing out on much. The action is fun to watch but if lore accuracy is your taboo then you'd probably hate it. I've seen season one but not season two yet. From the reviews on the first episodes, they stupidly backpedaled on what they were going to do from end of season one. That was a big turnoff for me. If you're going to poop on a story -- at least have the decency to stand by the poop you created. I think whatever redeeming factor the show could've had is basically dead now.

@nepu7supastar7: As someone who's been a Halo fan for decades, I would say the story is decent on the video games mainly from Bungie's original vision. The books however do go into more details such as The Fall of Reach and Contact Harvest are better at telling the storyline in the Halo universe.

Other Halo media stuff are a hit or a miss. The Halo series on Paramount+ is a total miss and shouldn't be taken seriously as it's the Silver line for Halo and the games is the golden line.

Edit: There is a Halo Encyclopedia if you want more dive details.

Woh woh woh...you're telling me a generic sci-fi video game story is flawed?

I...I need to lie down. This is most upsetting.

And above all else, I am concerned.

@hardwenzen: Typical wenzen, quick look up a YT video that has positive things to say about a game I like because I can't form/articulate my own opinion.

You didn't play ER for 800hrs (allegedly) for its story 🤣🤣🤣

Its a game with lore and backstories. You thought i was gonna waste my time explaining it to you, someone who is AFRAID of playing a video game with a melee combat system? You got rolled yet again, just accept it, and move on🤭

@hardwenzen: Excuses again from you wenzen, it's all you ever do.

Stop lying, you're not playing it for its story, simple as that. The only person you played is yourself like usual.

May as well call yourself YTwenzen at this point.

That's all I have to say on the matter, go ahead and waste your time responding, I won't be reading it 🤣

You were wrong about it having no story. Every Souls game has an amazing story, its just that its simply too complex for you. And since you live under a rock, i am pretty certain this is the first time you hear of this🤣

The Halo man and his hot robot smurf that is a ripoff from Andromeda shoot Pokemon on a big ring but Xenomorphs. Bigger baddie.

Something something ancient artifact.

I've never considered the story of Halo something to care about. Motocross helmet man is very boring. Planet rings are kinda neat. Aliens to shoot is fun.

Not sure why some are so invested in that. People who don't read much sci-fi, I guess.

Metro series have incredible and deep story. with deep atmosphere. sadly this series getting disliked here.

Halo story? nah. its sci fi lore is good. story? not so much.

Nuff said!! lol :P

I read the Metro books. They're much better than the games.

To Halo's credit, it's not really as generic as you'd think on the outside. On the outside, Halo looks like Starshiptroopers and it probably would be if Spartans didn't exist but they add a very addictive dynamic. Fully powered super soldiers covered in body armor, what sci-fi nut wouldn't think that's awesome?! You can customize them, switch armor pieces around and everyone's multiplayer Spartan looks different. (in the newer Halo games) I'd actually go as far as to say that Spartans are probably Halo's biggest redeeming factor and saves it from being a generic fps game.

I think I'd actually agree with Ghostie on this: Halo has great lore but the game stories are kinda bleh... That's why I avoided the books. I don't doubt that they go into better detail but that's the whole point of books. If I wanted to read a book, I'd pick a book that was born to be a book. Halo is a videogame series that was designed to be a videogame and that's where the story *should* be the thickest and the purest. The biggest points of the plotline take place throughout the Halo games. If a videogame needs books to tell its story in more detail then that proves that it failed to provide a compelling narrative. At least, that's how I see it.

I get that because it's an fps, they had limited time to give you that narrative because it needed to push the adventure along without flooding the player with too much exposition. But it was Bungie's choice to make it an fps and there's not a lot you can do in terms of storytelling when it comes to making a shooting gallery like Halo CE in the time it was made. But they wanted Halo to be huge with a universe so deep that they would've needed a bunch of rpgs to tell every single part of that universe. I think they SHOULD HAVE done that! Imagine how cool it would have been to play through Fall of Reach and Ghosts of Onyx! And I'm pretty sure the rest of the Halo community would've been thankful to have more Halo games to play.

Halo is a good story - buy the books it gets the awards for the story and explain all your questions.