I sadly realized this truth right away, but after spending another 25+ hours playing the game, I have to say that yet again it is an inauthentic entry in the Halo series. I must say that I have only played the free-to-play multiplayer so far, and have not purchased the Campaign. I don't want to spend $60 on another lackluster storyline. When it goes on sale I'd like to try it out, but still to this day, almost a year after release, there is no campaign co-op which is wild for a Halo game.



For those who have been worried about trying Halo 4, 5, or Infinite, you have every reason to be. This game just stinks compared to Halo: CE-Reach.

Your "AI" sidekick in multiplayer is incredibly annoying and breaks the immersion. I guess 343 was going for lighthearted and funny, but to me it is neither of those things. It reminds me of the one-liners the Specialists from Battlefield 2042 said when it launched, which were thankfully removed. It hurts me to see how the in-game atmosphere has devolved from the Bungie days.



The multiplayer grind unlocks little bits and pieces of armor after completing challenges, like getting 3000 cumulative score in a playlist or killing 5 enemies with melee attacks. Most of them are locked behind a Battle Pass. Each season's Battle Pass goes for $10. It doesn't feel meaningful. You can sometimes pass a few levels before you get your first free unlock.

The music....well, it doesn't feel like Halo at all. Very generic shooter metal-esque music. This has been the case for the last few Halo games. It's kind of cringe when you're sitting in the main menus. My advice would be to lose the drumset in most of the tracks and use other percussive instruments instead, like the bongo, conga, marimba, tabla, etc. Compare the following:




Now, to be fair, there is a separate soundtrack for the campaign, which is essentially all of Marty O'Donnell's music but "touched up" by 343. It definitely sounds better than their multiplayer music, but also feels very low effort.



I probably sound salty about the Halo franchise in general, and to be fair I am. When The Coalition was formed to take over the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games, they did a decent job. I cannot say the same for 343 taking over Halo from Bungie. Nothing will compare it seems.

If you love Halo, then I suppose you're stuck with the latest from 343. The free-to-play multiplayer can be used to pass the time.