Will we see a Halo reveal at E3 2016?

Microsoft’s E3 conference kicks off on Monday at 5:30pm UK Time and so, while thinking about what we can expect to see during their showcase I asked myself, are we likely to see any Halo reveals?

With Halo 5: Guardians being released late last year, at the moment the only game Halo fans have to look forward to is Creative Assembly’s Halo Wars 2. As a big fan of the original game, I have no doubt that it will be a great game that allows us to experience the Halo universe in a different way than we usually do. But what about those looking for something more traditional?

Based on the development time between Halo 4 and Halo 5, we can predict that Halo 6 won’t be released until late 2018 and while Microsoft like building up hype early with years of trailers, Halo fans are going to be looking for something a bit more substantial. I will be the first to admit that in the last few years, Halo fans have been spoilt; in the last seven years we have had ten games, including numbered sequels, mobile games and the fantastic Master Chief Collection. Based on these figures, I would say that the increase in releases has all been part of an attempt, on Microsoft’s behalf, to annualise the Halo franchise.

With that said, I strongly doubt that 2017 will remain as a Halo-less year and that means that I am about to make a fairly bold prediction. I believe that 2017 will be the year that we see the release of Halo 5: ODST.

Back in 2007, Halo 3 was released on the Xbox 360 as the closing of the Halo trilogy. Bungie, seeing their time with Halo coming to an end agreed to release one more major Halo title before they separated and went on to their current project Destiny. Reach, however, did not release until 2010 and so, in order to keep fans happy during the wait between the two games, they decided to release a spinoff title.

Halo 3 ODST was a standalone title developed by ateam of around 75 people, over a 14-month period. While the game was set within the Halo universe, it focused on a member of the ODST (Orbital drop shock troopers), the standardised military, during the events of Halo 2. While the game maintained the general feel of a Halo game, it made some changes that made the game feel unique when compared to previous entries. The game took place in an open-world rather than the set levels of the main series and required players to find health pickups as they could not recharge their health in the same way that Master Chief could. The story had you investigating a city, trying to regroup with his comrades following an attack, offering a more personal and grounded story than the Heroics of Master Chief’s saga.  

The game felt unique, offering minor tweaks to how you play that made it feel different enough to the main games so that you didn’t feel like you were just getting a reskin of Halo 3, while the story was interesting giving players a new insight to the universe.

ODST was a very well received game, getting high review scores across the board and so, when we are faced with a similar wait to the one we faced a few years ago, it makes sense that Microsoft might try and take this approach again.

Personally I would love it if Halo 5: ODST was announced at E3 as, over the past few years, I have become a huge Halo fan. I am always interested whenever they announce a new way for me to experience more of the universe whether it be through the games or even things like the Nightfall series. While multiplayer Halo fans can be kept busy until Halo 6 through continued support via maps and updates, a single player Halo fan like myself has a long wait ahead and so, as well as Halo  Wars 2, Halo 5: ODST would be the perfect way for me to pass some of the time.