Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re in the know-how of how badly 343 Industries gutted the Halo Franchise with its abysmal Halo Infinite release. Loads of game modes are missing from the title. And we had to wait a good while before getting our hands on the campaign, which was mediocre at best.
Formerly a cultural juggernaut, Halo Infinite barely lives up to the expectations of many owing to its subpar matchmaking system that rarely works. And the slightly enjoyable campaign, being the silver lining(Forge is finally back). Halo 5 was alright. Nothing special. But Halo Infinite hammered the final nail in the coffin as many veterans are done with the game.
The best-case scenario would be to wait it out till the next iteration of Halo decides to do service to the franchise, but 343 Industries seems to have other plans. Till then, you could check out a few other games like Halo and maybe move on.
Shadow Warrior 2
Release Date: October 13, 2016
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Linux
Not quite Halo, Shadow Warrior 2 is one of the more fun FPS Shooters out there, incorporating Hack n Slash elements effortlessly. Though the story and writing are a bit mediocre at best, with loads of quips and humor included in the mix, Shadow Warrior 2 is a pretty fun casual game to get into.
It offers a lot in terms of fluidity, fast-paced action, firefights, and weapon upgrades and it’s visually stunning. Overall, Shadow Warrior 2. But the lighting effects are overdone at times. Compared to Halo which is relatively slower-paced and more difficult at times, Shadow Warrior 2 is a single-player game that focuses on balls-to-the-wall action.
If you can get past the Wang jokes and meta humor, Shadow Warrior 2 offers an immersive experience. It shows a certain level of polish but facing off against the same enemies again and again and the copy-paste character models do dull down the experience a tad bit.
Cyberpunk 2077
Release Date: December 10, 2020
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X
Another FPS RPG-inspired shooter, Cyberpunk 2077 sta off with an abysmal launch. The game was pulled from the shelves for last-generation consoles. And CDProjektRed did a subpar job at fixing bugs. The game fell off for the first year.
But things changed and CDProjektRed fans and the gaming community are seeing a turn of fate for Cyberpunk 2077. Major bugs have been fixed, performance has been optimized across all platforms and it offers a solid 60 FPS experience on even the Xbox Series Potato(which still could’ve been done better).
Compared to most entries in the Halo Franchise (excluding Halo Infinite) which feature linear stages and missions, Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world RPG set in the dystopian Night City. The game offers fleshed-out side quests and a rich open world, something we didn’t get with the emptier open world of Halo Infinite.
Cyberpunk 2077 currently has a lot going for it. The story while not being all that game-changing, still managed to keep me hooked. And with the Phantom Liberty Expansion right around the corner, Cyberpunk 2077 proves to be a solid experience with more cooking up in the pot after a seemingly long-drawn redemption arc.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
Release Date: October 27, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Back in 2017, Wolfenstein 2 was praised by critics and players alike. The game featured a lot in terms of its ever-so-polished gunplay and fast-paced movement that made the overall experience all the more enjoyable. But it did suffer a bit in terms of story design and the difficulty options.
The gameplay is a homage or throwback to powerful shooters back in the day, including the Halo series at that. The visual fidelity seems to hold ground even in 2023, as the game takes advantage of the new powerful hardware of the current generation of consoles.
Wolfenstein 2 shares a lot of DNA with several entries in the Halo Franchise, featuring linear campaign levels, collectibles to find, multiple weapons to dual-wield, and armor to boost your defenses.
Overall Wolfenstein 2 is more light-hearted than its predecessors when it comes to the dialogue, consisting of sarcasm, dark humor, and some funny moments, but it’s pretty much balls to the walls, insane in terms of violence and gameplay. The cutscenes could’ve been a bit shorter. Something, that’s a personal gripe when it comes to Wolfenstein 2.
Prey
Release Date: May 6, 2017
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Indeed, Prey suffered a lot in terms of sales in comparison to Arkane Studios’ previous titles. We might never get to see a Prey 2 due to the low sales. But it was criminally underrated and less talked about in conversation than it deserved to be.
There’s a lot of replayability offered in play as we’re teased with loads of locked safes and multiple hidden paths that can only be accessed later in the game. While not a lot of NPC interaction, Prey offered characters with compelling backgrounds and stories to indulge in.
While a bit slower paced than what you’d experience from Halo games, players embark in the isolated open world of the Talos I space station(and outside of it in space). Enemies are rarer to come across, but if you do, you’re in for some trouble.
While there’s no sign of life in the game, Prey is still full of so much life that immerses you with beautiful environments, logs, and emails to go through to see what became of the residents of Talos I.
Doom Eternal
Release Date: March 20, 2020
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One
While being reviewed as “Too Difficult” by Jean Takahashi, Doom Eternal hit the sweet spot when it came to character buildup, gameplay, and of course yes, difficulty settings. I had a blast learning hot-swapping to instantly take out spongy bosses which gave me a difficult time during the earlier sections of the story.
It does suffer in the soundtrack department a little, because the Orginal Soundtrack for Doom Eternal wasn’t done justice by the developers despite Mick Gordon’s best efforts. But staying away from the nitty-gritty, Doom Eternal offers fast-paced, action-packed gut-wrenching gameplay, solidifying itself as the successor to the cult-classic Doom. It uses a gameplay inspiration from the classic, works upon it, and manages to reinvent the wheel in its own gory fashion.
Doom Eternal’s Doom Guy looks pretty much identical to Halo’s Master Chief. Superhuman space marine?Check. Access to loads of weapons? Check. Going up against aliens and demonic entities? The DoomGuy and Master Chief are parallels and it wouldn’t be surprising if Master Chief was modeled after the DoomGuy in the first place.
Time Splitters 2
Release Date: October 9, 2002
Platforms: PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox Series S|X
After departing from Rare Studios, the developers of GoldenEye and Perfect Dark came out with TimeSplitters, with the second installment being fondly remembered. Time Splitters 2 even today, is a good amalgamation of solid gameplay, movement mechanics, and a small but enjoyable 4-hour story.
Though it was pretty difficult and is even today. Due to the camera and crosshair movement scheme that presented us with a wonky reticle. Aside from the jaggies which were quite common at the time, Time Splitters 2 still looks incredible and has amazing animations for a game released back in 2002.
It’s an outlet of nostalgia and we wouldn’t shy away from putting Time Splitters 2 up there with Halo 1 and Halo 2. The linear action levels and dual-wielding weapon system share a stark contrast with what we enjoyed in Halo 1 and 2, games that come out in the same era. Though, with a more complicated aiming system, something that made Time Splitters 2 pretty difficult.
Destiny 2
Release Date: September 6, 2017
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Google Stadia
Without a doubt, Destiny 2 is all the hype right now with the LightFall Expansion right around the corner but taking off the rose-colored glasses, does it go up against Halo or serve as a better Halo alternative? Well, why not? Bungie did create the Halo Franchise but soon split from their cherished game after the acquisition by Microsoft.
While 343 Industries started messing up Halo, Bungie started the eighth generation of consoles with Destiny. While it suffered a lot in terms of content locked behind paywalls after a 60-dollar price tag, it salvaged its fanbase with a free-to-play Destiny 2.
Destiny 2, akin to Destiny 1 offers solid gameplay, but builds upon it with the inclusion of loads and loads of in-game content, making up for their shortfalls with the first entry into the series. It does share a lot of DNA with the Halo franchise. Roaming around outer space in a spaceship and fighting against aliens rings a bell right? If you’re looking for a solid Halo replacement, Destiny 2 goes right up the alley.
TitanFall 2
Release Date: October 28, 2016
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X
TitanFall 2 is regarded by many as the best FPS shooter of all time due to the insane movement mechanics that had a bit of a skill curve to get a hang of. Not many remember it due to the game being released right between the Infinite Warfare and Battlefield One release. But those that did get a hold of Titanfall 2 still play it to this day.
The game was pretty alright in terms of the campaign introducing some stellar vistas to behold and amazing map design. And don’t get me wrong, Titanfall 2 had some ridiculous map design that pushed the industry forward in more ways than you can imagine.
Newer entries in the Halo franchise suffered from mediocre map design. While the game was enjoyable a few years ago, the current match-making system makes multiplayer cumbersome. Titanfall 2 still features a smaller but active player base. But dying and respawning is a lot more commonplace in contrast to Halo which offers players with armor and shields.
Multiplayer is where the game actually shined. We got tight gunplay paired with movement mechanics that made moving in and out of tight hallways and closed spaces a breeze. If you’re still yearning for a solid Halo replacement, Titanfall 2 will wow you proving itself as a masterpiece in its own category.
Conclusion
While Halo Infinite is a shell of its former glory days, these eight titles can serve as a worthy replacement. These games stand right up there with the Halo Franchise and don’t disappoint. So, go ahead. Check them out and tell us what you think of them in the comments below!
