The newest Halo game, Spartan Strike, launched a few hours ago, leaving many fans of the series wondering, just where is this leading the franchise?
Spartan Strike is a mobile-based, twin-stick shooting game, and is the second Halo game to be developed for the mobile platform. Though available through the “core” gaming platforms such as Windows 8 and Steam, being developed just as well for Windows 8 Phone, iPhone, and iPad have led to some serious questions about the future of the Halo franchise.
Does 343 Still Care About Their Game?
Between the mobile game output and the remastering of the franchise’s older games, as seen with Halo: CE Anniversary as well as Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the idea is beginning to creep up that the series may be gearing itself in a more casual direction. Taking what’s been a token for Xbox users for well over a decade, 343 is beginning to make their title appeal to just about any level of gamer, really hitting home with the idea that you can pick up the game and play it wherever you’d like from your phone.
Rather than gearing efforts entirely towards releasing entries for its main series of games, one could argue that 343 Industries is taking their front runner from its well-earned pedestal and giving it more of an annualized vibe than it would normally care to have.
Is the Game Any Good?
At the end of the day, what’s going to make or break this installment in any gamer’s eyes is whether or not its good, and after Spartan Assault‘s somewhat lackluster reviews, will this game live up to it’s hype, or fade into obscurity as another failed attempt at branching out? Is what carries this game a legitimately solid foundation, or is it simply the namesake of Halo that is will be remembered for?
So far, the game is heralding an 8/10 from Steam users; a number that most would agree is in the positives, and one that fans of the Halo franchise hopefully aren’t too out place in expecting from the new game.
A Word About the Mobile Industry
For many, the mobile games industry is seen as a platform which many developers use to pour out their uninspired and creatively inept games for a low price, catering to a vast demographic of consumers who will buy the game for said low price based on extremely shallow features. These features usually exist in the range of whether or not the game looks pretty, has a big name behind it, and has easily graspable game-play. Halo: Spartan Strike has all of these features
That being said, however, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Spartan Strike is a bad game, or even that this is a defining moment for the franchise’s history. Simply enough, 343 could be looking to branch out its series in a new and interesting way, attracting players that they’ve never been able to reach before due to the limitation of being locked to the Xbox One.
Where do you think Spartan Strike is taking the series? Do you think 343 is preparing for a more annualized, casual approach to its franchise, or that they’re simply attempting to branch out and grasp a new audience? Give us your two cents in the comments below.
