There’s absolutely no denying the fact that Halo is one of the most influential gaming franchises of all time. Ever since the release of Combat Evolved back in 2011, the series has completely transformed the first-person shooters and online multiplayer.
Sure, some can argue that Halo has lost its former luster, but it shouldn’t take away from its amazing gameplay and storylines. While Bungie was in charge of the series, it managed to set apart the game from the competition, all thanks to the AI model that reacted to players’ movements in the game.
Bungie brought a unique AI system in Halo
While chatting with Engadget, ex-Halo game designer Jamie Grisemer opened up about Bungie’s approach to the franchise and how it managed to create one of the most legendary experiences ever. Grisemer was one of the key figures who helped design combat design, vehicle designs, and, most crucially, AI.
Grisemer explained what made Halo a unique title compared to other shooters. According to him, one of the best parts about the title is that it adjusted difficulty based on player actions. Bungie didn’t use any kind of artificial difficulty scaling, which meant that the game didn’t become easier if you struggled.
It doesn’t do any magical dynamic difficulty; it doesn’t make itself easier if you suck. But just naturally, how it is tuned, it waits to see what you will do, how hard you will push, and then it pushes back at just the right resistance.
In the original Halo trilogy, AI reacted to everything organically. This meant that if players were cautious while picking off enemies, the challenge would be manageable. However, if they behaved recklessly, the game decided to go aggressive as well in terms of difficulty in order to punish players.
That’s not all; Bungie’s unique AI model allowed for better pacing in the game. It meant that if shields were down and you retreated, enemies wouldn’t hunt you down like other shooters; you could recover in peace. This allowed the studio to craft a unique combat experience that felt player-driven instead of the pre-scripted slop the hero-shooter genre suffers from.
Halo 1 remake is on its way according to leaks
When 343 Industries confirmed that it’s rebranding to Halo Studios, it also revealed that it was moving to Unreal Engine 5 and shared several renders that featured iconography from Halo: Combat Evolved. Gamers felt like a remake of the title was coming, but Microsoft didn’t confirm anything.
However, according to leaker Rebs Gaming, the Halo: Combat Evolved remake is real, and it started its pre-production back in 2024. He states that the remake is in full production, with the proof being that the studio is increasing its hiring processes as it leaps further into the development cycle.
Alongside Halo: Combat Evolved remake rumors, Rebs Gaming also revealed details about a project rumored to be developed by Certain Affinity called Ekur. He believes that Ekur has been in the development stage since 2022, and there are full-blown testing servers for the project that went online in June 2024.
Rebs Gaming thinks that Ekur will be the next Halo game, as opposed to a remake. However, it’s crucial to take everything with a pinch of salt, as everything is still a rumor, and nothing has been stated officially
With that said, do you believe Halo‘s AI is significantly better than its rivals? Let us know in the comments below.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
