Rhitankar Nath
‘Halo’ is one of those games that came and changed the face of gaming forever. It is considered to be one of the greatest first person shooters of all time and sold more than 65 million copies worldwide. The original trilogy has one of the best story-arcs in modern gaming, so much so that the more recent titles are having a hard time keeping up. This is one thing about video games that developers really need to focus on some more. It’s one thing to dish out a successful title but a completely different thing to continuously follow it up with equally successful ones. This is a huge issue that developers need to address and we need to understand.
However, since the recent ones were not as good, we decided to make a list for you guys, which has games that are similar in style and tone to ‘Halo’. Keep in mind that these are not exactly the same but do share a lot of gameplay elements; so if you are a fan of ‘Halo’, then you will definitely enjoy playing through these. Here’s the list of video games similar to Halo that are our recommendations. You can play these games like Halo on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, iPhone, Android, mac or even online.
6. Destiny 2 (2017)
If you are looking for stuff like ‘Halo’ to play on modern consoles, then you can’t really go wrong with ‘Destiny 2’, another popular game developed by Bungie studios. The sci-fi setting of both the games is not the only thing that’s similar, IMHO. The fluid combat mechanics and the weapons that you are able to access throughout the course of the game feel like an ode to the ‘Halo’ series. However, ‘Destiny 2’ is multiplayer only and always requires an internet connection to be able to play. But do not let this take anything away from the experience of the game, since the multiplayer only aspect adds to the overall experience.
You play the role of the ‘Guardians’, the last set of heroes of Earth who are putting up their last stand against alien species. When all seem lost, the ‘Guardians’ are able to wield the power of the light, that enables them to take their opponents out swiftly. This ‘light’ is a mysterious force and represents anything right and within order in the universe. However, an alien race called the Cabal infiltrated their city and stole this power, leaving everything in eternal darkness. Now it is your duty as one of the last survivors of our race to go out there and fight against these hordes of demons in order to win back the light and restore balance in the city.
There are various classes within the game, each specializing in a type of combat and you are able to choose any of these before you start a mission. Once you start the mission, you are able to join your friends online in a co-op setting in order to take out enemies and complete quests. These in turn reward you with experience points that you use to level up the characters. We highly recommend this one to people who are looking for something similar to ‘Halo’, mainly because of the setting and the development team.
5. Prey (2017)
‘Prey’ is a sci-fi first person shooter that plays very similar to that of ‘Halo’ and was developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda in the year 2017 for Microsoft Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One devices. It is a proper re-imagining of the 2006 video game of the same name developed by Human Head Studios. Even though both the games are titled the same, it is not to be confused as a sequel to the original ‘Prey’. Even though a proper sequel was planned for the game, it was ultimately scrapped when the franchise passed from 3D Realms to the hands of Bethesda. Bethesda then decided to cancel the sequel and instead reboot the series itself.
Hence, ‘Prey’ does not use any of the content or models developed for the sequel but attempts to build the title from the ground up. In fact, the only things that you will find common between the two games are the setting and the survival horror mechanics that have become a staple in sci-fi shooters by now. Therefore, don’t go into the game expecting similar content but instead look out for a more varied experience. There are role playing mechanics tied in with the survival first person shooter aspects, adding a bit more depth and immersion to the overall experience. You start off on an artificial satellite that is orbiting around the moon conducting various experiments on alien species in the year 2032. However, your base has been infiltrated and aliens are now roaming loose all over the satellite. It is up to you alone to save the sanctity of the ship and the experiment before all is lost.
4. Titanfall 2 (2016)
‘Titanfall 2’ is the direct sequel to the popular Electronic Arts title, ‘Titanfall’, developed by Respawn Entertainment. The original was released in the year 2014 and the sequel was released shortly after in 2016 and is now presently available on Microsoft Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One devices. Unlike the predecessor, this one features a complete single player campaign that allows its players to complete missions in a linear fashion. Once you complete a mission and take down the boss, you are given access to the next mission and the loadout for it. You play as Jack Cooper, a skilled fighter who develops a strong bond with his mentor’s Titan after he is killed in battle. Together, Jack and BT-7274 embark on a sprawling adventure where they come across threats that they couldn’t even imagine in their worst nightmare.
The main aim of the campaign is to stop the huge cannon from firing and destroying an entire planet. Now, for those who are wondering what Titans are, they are these huge metal robots that you can attach yourself with and enhance your abilities. Throughout the course of the campaign, the focus shifts from the pilot to the Titan, depending on the situation. When you are not ‘bonded’ with your Titan, you are able to move freely and traverse across the game world quite quickly using parkour mechanics. However, when you decide to combine, your strength is increased massively and you gain access to the abilities of the Titan. There are 7 different types of Titans that you will encounter throughout the course of the game, each having their own special abilities as well as weaknesses. We highly recommend this one to fans of ‘Halo’, mainly due to the incredible similarity in the setting.
3. Metro Exodus (2019)
‘Metro’ is a critically acclaimed video game series developed by 4A Games and published by DeepSilver that is based on the novels of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky. It is considered to be one of the best modern game series titles that have managed to pump out three major instalments over a span of 9 years due to its massive popularity. It is set in a dystopian future where the third world war has ravaged most of the population on the planet and the survivors are slowly rotting from the resulting fallout. This has rendered most homeless and without any personal possessions. It has also forced them to remain mostly underground in order to shield them from the radiation and the threats within the environment.
The radiation has transformed the natural wildlife into mindless beasts hunting anyone at their mercy. Some of these creatures are extremely mutated and have the ability to take you down with one killing blow if you are not careful. The creatures are not the only threat in the world, with bands of humans forming hostile groups in order to scavenge the last remaining resources. ‘Metro: Exodus’ is the third major instalment and follows the events of the previous two titles, ‘Metro 2033’ and ‘Metro: Exodus’. Here, the humans are trying to make a last ditch effort to send a convoy in search of habitable land and escape the cold grips of death in Russia. The last train is about to leave for more civilized land and you must fight your way through the rubble in order to ensure your place on it. This is your last hope for both you and your wife, and a lot depends on the events over the horizon.
2. Cyberpunk 2077 (TBA)
This is one game we are waiting for with bated breath. It is currently in the last phase of development and we expect to find the game in our hands by the end of the year. However, since the developers are really trying to spruce up the gameplay and are leaving no stones unturned, the release might get further delayed but we are not complaining. We always prefer it to be properly optimized and exactly reflect the intentions of the developers instead of being a rushed commercial affair like a lot of games on the market today. Hence, we are not putting up a debate on the release date and instead want to pace ourselves accordingly for the experience.
Now you must be wondering what all the hype is about. Well, to be honest, the hype for this game is completely justified as it has the potential to change the face of gaming as we know it today. Going by the trailers and the one hour long gameplay footage that was released last year, it seems like this is holding up to be quite true. The game is set in a dystopian future where mankind is divided on the use and dependency of technology. We are able to implant ourselves with various augments that enhance our everyday capabilities but this is looked down upon by some purists out there.
While the whole city is maintained by AI robots that do bulk of the muscle-work, unemployment is constantly on the rise. Poverty levels are also extremely high, leading to frequent brawls in the alleyways. Due to this reason, citizens are allowed to carry and openly wield firearms for their own protection. Whether you are a fan of ‘Halo’ or not, you should definitely try this one out as soon as it comes out, since we already know the potential of CD Projekt Red and their ability to dish out groundbreaking titles.
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1. Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2017)
‘Star Wars: Battlefront 2’ is an action shooter video game developed by EA Dice and published by Electronic Arts in the year 2017 for Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One devices. As the title suggests, it is set in the ‘Star Wars’ universe, a franchise 40 years in the making. Therefore, you can expect quite a few full servers on this one. It seems anything that is remotely connected to the ‘Star Wars’ universe is an instant hit and ‘Battlefront 2’ is no different. Even though the release of the game was plagued with widespread criticism, mainly due to the microtransactions and the lootboxes which gave players unfair advantage if they decide to spend money on it.
However, since the title itself is an AAA release, fans were not willing to pay the extra money just to play the game. In addition, the lootboxes never guaranteed a drop for a player and was instead a luck based mechanics. Due to massive revolt from players online, EA decided to remove the whole mechanic in order to perfect it some more. What we received a few months later was much better. All the player upgrades and gear were now removed from the lootboxes, and they only generated purely cosmetic content. Balance was again restored and players with actual skills could again win, and the internet could rest in peace.
But if you manage to look past the rigged microtransactions within the title, this is actually a pretty polished and fun experience. Combat takes place over huge battlefields and you are able to strategically capture points on the map in order to provide your team with an advantage. We highly recommend fans of the ‘Halo’ universe to try this game out and also to look past the wonky release in order to fully immerse themselves within the fight for the Empire.
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