343 Industries was created in a cauldron of deadlines, transition and stress. Even as the company was being formed, it had to breathe life into its first game: Halo 4. So pressure is a common word for the development studio. Whether they can replicate their success in creating another franchise hit with Halo 5 is up for debate, but no one can deny that the team is trying extremely hard. 343 studios was thrown into the deep end of the pool when the original developers of the Halo franchise, Bungie, left. Due to some legalese, Bungie couldn’t take Halo with them as it is owned by Microsoft. However, some of the Bungie team stayed and formed 343 Industries.
The last year has seen a drip feed of Halo 5 news with E3 announcements, Halo Channel apps info and behind the scenes videos. With the release date of Oct. 27 a few months away, 343 has released a new 12-minute video documentary YouTube about the franchise and its struggles. In the video, the 343 team detail the most enjoyable process of creating their next game: Halo 5. Bonnie Ross corporate Vice President at Microsoft and head of 343 Studios explains, “This is about Master Chief’s journey. His past and his future.” Similar to the games teaser trailers, Master Chief hardly makes an appearance in this documentary as well. It’s all about Blue Team which was made popular in the Halo book series. In a twist from previous games, players will be able to strategically command members of this team, similar to a tactical unit, as they progress through the game.
One member of 343 suggests they have taken at least “15 to 20 risks” with the game. It’s refreshing to see they aren’t just sticking to the same formula. How the risk will pay in gameplay still has yet to be determined. Overall, the video shows they are putting a huge amount of work into revamping the franchise while also leveraging the power of Xbox One. for fans of the Halo, Halo 5 is shaping up to be well deserved sequal to the franchise .
