How Halo Games Dodged The Same Controversial Bullet That Metal Gear Bit

The Halo franchise has experienced a lot of changes to its core identity and expected content over the years, with the IP perhaps predictably struggling to maintain the huge success and industry presence that it originally carved out through its first few mainline releases. Many of these changes came purely from a desire to innovate and improve on aspects of the franchise’s core framework, with other alterations coming from huge shake-ups like the IP’s transfer from Bungie to 343 Industries in 2012.

The 343 Industry era of Halo has been divisive to say the least, although some recently released details regarding Halo 4 suggest that the controversy surrounding the studio’s takeover of the franchise could have been significantly worse. Other longstanding franchises have caused uproar through bold creative decisions over the years, such as the Metal Gear franchise’s decision to recast the voice of Snake, and this same fate was narrowly avoided for Steve Downes’ iconic portrayal of Halo’s Master Chief.

Halo 2 E3 2003 Demo Recreated in Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Halo 2 fans finally have the opportunity to replay the classic E3 2003 demo for the game, thanks to a recreation in The Halo Master Chief Collection.

A Voice Replacement For Master Chief Almost Spelled Disaster For 343 Industries

As the undeniable face of the Halo franchise, it is clear to see why so many players rank Master Chief among the most iconic video game protagonists of all time. The Spartan super-soldier has been at the core of the vast majority of Halo releases, being a stoic one-man army in the human race’s battle against the Covenant and beyond. Often acting as the major protagonist of most Halo titles, fans have become deeply familiar with the Chief since his first appearance in 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved.

Aside from his massive physical size and combat proficiency, a huge part of Master Chief’s appeal and longevity can be attributed to his voice, which is used sparingly to offer captivating insights into the Spartan’s frame of mind. Master Chief has been voiced by Steve Downes throughout all the character’s mainline Halo appearances, with the character now being completely tied to the unforgettable performances that Downes has provided the Halo franchise over the years.

The recasting of any major character is always a point of extreme controversy and division for any fanbase, with the Metal Gear IP infamously choosing to move away from David Hayter as the voice of Snake in 2015. With Hayter having been the voice of Snake since 1998, this predictably caused huge amounts of uproar within the Metal Gear community, with scrutiny inevitably falling on any future Snake performances due to how inseparable Hayter was with the character in the eyes of many fans.

Halo Would Not Feel the Same Without Master Chief and Cortana’s Iconic Voices

News recently surfaced that 343 Industries almost began its custody of the Halo franchise with what would have been a ground-breaking decision, with the studio very nearly recasting Steve Downes as Master Chief as well as Jen Taylor as Cortana. Jen Taylor also first appeared in the series in 2001 as Master Chief’s witty AI companion, and the recasting of Taylor, as well as Downes, would have been an extremely controversial double whammy for the Halo community.

Reportedly, the earliest builds of Halo 4 included recast performances for Master Chief and Cortana, with these roles only being reverted to their original voice actors after significant feedback and confusion from playtesters. The development shift from Bungie to 343 has always been marked as a divisive change for the Halo franchise, and this controversy would have been significantly amplified if it came alongside recasts for Master Chief and Cortana as originally intended. Thankfully, the series narrowly avoided the same drama and negative sentiment that the likes of Metal Gear received due to its own high-profile recasts.

Witness the Master Chief’s triumphant return to battle an ancient evil bent on vengeance and annihilation. Shipwrecked on a mysterious world, faced with new enemies and deadly technology, the universe will never be the same.

Campaign: An ancient evil awakens and a new saga begins. Shipwrecked on a mysterious world, the Master Chief must unravel the sinister secrets of an ancient alien race to find a way home. But in his search for the truth, the Master Chief discovers that some secrets are better left buried.

Multiplayer: Continue your Halo adventure with 25 multiplayer maps from the revered Halo 4, featuring an updated armor customization system that allows players to change more armor pieces than ever before, as well as countless ways to play with Forge and Theater

Spartan Ops: Enlist aboard the UNSC Infinity to experience innovative episodic fiction-based co-op missions that pick up the story where Halo 4’s campaign left-off.

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