How the Halo games dodged the same controversial bullet as Metal Gear

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THE Halo the franchise has undergone many changes in its core identity and expected content over the years, with the IP perhaps, unsurprisingly, struggling to maintain the huge success and industry presence it originally carved out through its early releases main. Many of these changes stem solely from a desire to innovate and improve certain aspects of the franchise's core structure, while other changes stem from massive changes such as the move of the IP from Bungie to 343 Industries in 2012.




The Age of Industry 343 Halo has been divisive to say the least, although some recently released details about it Halo 4 suggest that the controversy over the studio's acquisition of the franchise could have been significantly worse. Other long-running franchises have made waves through bold creative decisions over the years, such as Metallic gear the franchise's decision to recast Snake's voice, and this same fate was narrowly avoided for Steve Downes' iconic portrayal The one from Halo Chief Master.

Halo 2 Demo at E3 Steam mod

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A vocal replacement for Master Chief Almost written disaster for 343 industries

Like the undeniable face of the Halo franchise, it's clear why so many gamers rank Master Chief among the most iconic video game protagonists of all time. The Spartan super soldier has been the focus of the vast majority of games Halo releases, being a stoic one-man army in the human race's battle against the Covenant and beyond. Often acting as the main protagonist of most Halo titles, fans have become intimately familiar with Chief since his first appearance in 2001 Halo: Advanced Combat.


Aside from his massive physical size and combat prowess, much of Master Chief's charm and longevity can be attributed to his voice, which is used sparingly to offer captivating insights into the Spartan's state of mind. Master Chief was voiced by Steve Downes throughout the character's main line Halo appearances, with the character now fully tied to the unforgettable performances Downes delivered Halo franchising over the years.

The recasting of any main character is always a point of extreme controversy and division for any fanbase, with the Metallic gear IP famously chose to move away from David Hayter as the voice of Snake in 2015. Given that Hayter has been the voice of Snake since 1998, this predictably caused huge controversy within the industry. Metal gear community, with scrutiny that will inevitably fall on any future interpretation of Snake due to how inseparable Hayter was with the character in the eyes of many fans.


Halo wouldn't be the same without the iconic voices of Master Chief and Cortana

News recently surfaced that 343 Industries has almost begun custody of the Halo franchise with what would have been a groundbreaking decision, with the studio almost recasting Steve Downes as Master Chief and Jen Taylor as Cortana. Jen Taylor also first appeared on the series in 2001 as Master Chief's wisecracking AI sidekick, and the recasting of Taylor, as well as Downes, would have been an extremely controversial double whammy for the Halo community.

Reportedly, early builds of Halo 4 included recast performances for Master Chief and Cortana, with these roles returned to their original voice actors only after significant feedback and confusion from playtesters. The development shift from Bungie to 343 was always marked as a divisive change for the game Halo franchise, and this controversy would have been greatly amplified if it had accompanied the recasts of Master Chief and Cortana as originally intended. Thankfully, the series narrowly avoided the same drama and negative sentiment as the likes of Metallic gear received thanks to his high-profile recasts.


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