Why Halo 7 Must Refer to Its Books to Unlock the Full Story

by

Summary

  • Halo games reference books to deepen lore, with early games by Bungie less reliant on novels like “Contact Harvest” and “Fall of Reach.”
  • 343 Industries-era games heavily draw on novels for narratives, with “Halo 4” and “Halo 5” requiring fans to read related books for comprehension.
  • Halo 7 could enhance storytelling by referencing book events, characters, and factions while possibly incorporating an in-game codex for clarity.

Over a span of approximately 25 years, the Xbox game series, known as “Halo,” has been a cherished cornerstone in the world of video games due to its memorable characters, captivating setting, and highly engaging gameplay. Across 16 different titles, developers Bungie and 343 Industries have developed the “Halo” franchise into an unparalleled intellectual property within the gaming industry. However, it’s the 37 novels and 12 comic books published for the series that have truly fleshed out the “Halo” universe. Although games like “Halo Infinite” and several predecessors have touched upon or continued stories from the books, Halo Studios could continue to leverage these books more extensively in future titles such as “Halo 7” and beyond, enhancing the connectedness of the universe and creating more immersive narratives.

The History of Halo Book References in Halo Games

During the time Bungie managed the creation of the Halo games and the entire Halo universe, they held a skeptical view towards Microsoft’s publishing of Halo books. They considered these publications as supplementary content or stories unrelated to their games. As a result, Bungie-created Halo games rarely acknowledged events or characters from the books, although some members of Bungie did contribute to or even write Halo books and comics, like Joseph Staten in 2007’s Halo: Contact Harvest. This book, in particular, was significant for the Halo universe as it delved into the backstory of the Human-Covenant War and provided insights into the past of popular game characters such as Sergeant Avery Johnson, Tartarus, and the Prophets Truth, Mercy, and Regret.

The battles of Harvest, as depicted in the novel “Contact Harvest,” were significantly referenced in the 2008 game “Halo Wars.” This real-time strategy (RTS) game also received a prequel comic titled “Halo Wars: Genesis.” Among all Halo novels, “Halo: The Fall of Reach,” first published in 2001 by Eric Nylund, is one of the most frequently referenced. This novel detailed the origins of Master Chief and the Spartan-2s, with their storyline being briefly mentioned in “Halo 3” and “Halo: Reach,” but more directly referenced in “Halo 4,” “Halo 5: Guardians,” and “Halo Infinite.” The sequel to “The Fall of Reach,” published in 2003 as “Halo: The Flood,” had several of its events adapted and referenced in the updated version of “Halo: Combat Evolved” (Anniversary) and “Halo: Fireteam Raven.

Book References in 343 Industries-era Halo Games

As a devoted Halo fan, I’ve noticed that since Bungie parted ways with Xbox and the Halo franchise, Microsoft, Xbox, and 343 Industries have been working diligently to consolidate the Halo universe’s media canon. To achieve this, many games developed by 343 Industries incorporate or even heavily rely on Halo novels and comics in shaping their narratives. This is evident in Halo 4 with its numerous nods to Greg Bear’s Forerunner Saga trilogy, and in Halo 5: Guardians, where understanding the characters and events requires reading Halo: New Blood, Halo: Escalation, Halo: Hunters in the Dark, and Halo: Last Light. Book references were somewhat reduced in Halo Wars 2, but it still occasionally referred to events from Hunters in the Dark and Halo: Tales from Slipspace.

Eric Nylund’s 2001 book titled “Halo: The Fall of Reach” was, in fact, the initial release within the Halo series, as the novel was published merely 17 days prior to the launch of “Halo: Combat Evolved” on the original Xbox gaming console.

How Book References Could Work in Halo 7

In contrast to how Guardians utilized novels to flesh out character backstories and plot points, Halo Infinite’s campaign effectively incorporated elements from previous books like The Fall of Reach, Halo: Shadows of Reach, and Halo: Bad Blood without relying on external reading for comprehension. Instead, it subtly wove these references into the gameplay through Cortana’s memory visions and data depictions, allowing players to grasp the connections between past events and the current narrative, such as Master Chief’s Spartan-2 training, his introduction to Cortana, and the demise of Laconia Station.

If Halo 7 continues to draw on numerous books for its narrative, it would be beneficial for Halo Studios to create an in-game guide or codex. This resource could provide background information on events, factions, and characters that might cause confusion among players who are not well-versed in the Halo lore. For instance, if War Chief Severan of the Banished appears in Halo 7, some characters might mention his violent exploits without fully explaining his backstory from Halo: Empty Throne. This codex could serve a purpose similar to the Cultural Discovery Codex in Assassin’s Creed Shadows or the terminals found in Halo 2 Anniversary that recount biographies and events.

Potential Book References in Halo 7

In the rich universe of “Halo”, there are numerous novels like “Halo 7” could draw from, incorporating elements such as character mentions, reenactments of book events, or appearances of characters exclusive to the books. Since “Halo 7” is expected to unfold either directly after or soon following “Halo Infinite”, it may reference novels that are set near the events of “Infinite”, such as “Empty Throne”, “Shadows of Reach”, “Halo: The Rubicon Protocol”, and “Halo: Outcasts”. Master Chief might be tasked with reassembling the crew of the UNSC “Infinity” and could eventually cross paths with Spartan-4s Tomas Horvath and Nina Kovan, forming a strong resistance against the Banished. On another front, Severa may appear on Zeta Halo to function as a secondary antagonist alongside Atriox, potentially accompanied by Swords of Sanghelios forces who are dispatched by Arbiter to support UNSC remnants.

Read More

2025-05-04 05:44