Unleashing the Undead: Transforming This Classic Halo Mode into an Epic CoD Zombies Experience

Highlights

Halo's multiplayer content has been criticized recently for lacking depth and variety, creating a need for change.

Reviving Firefight mode, which has become obscure, has the potential to breathe life into Halo's online offerings and achieve the same level of success as Call of Duty Zombies.

While Firefight mode and Call of Duty Zombies share similarities, Firefight has not been supported or improved upon, unlike its counterpart which has continuously evolved to remain popular in newer releases. A revitalization of Firefight, backed by consistent support and the introduction of new modes, has the potential to become a cornerstone of the Halo franchise.

The Halo franchise is well-known for its extensive array of multiplayer experiences, boasting a rich history of two decades of releases that have provided players with a plethora of online modes to enjoy. However, recent additions to the franchise have faced criticism for their limited depth and lack of variety in terms of online content, highlighting the necessity for change.

Thankfully, Halo and 343 Industries may not need to search far for a solution to enhance the franchise's online offerings. The franchise's renowned Firefight mode, once a prominent aspect of the Halo multiplayer experience, has unfortunately fallen into obscurity. This mode bears striking similarities to the popular Zombies mode found in the Call of Duty franchise, and it deserves the same level of attention and revitalization in order to achieve the same level of success as its CoD counterpart.

Halo's Firefight and Emulating the Success of Call of Duty Zombies

The introduction of Firefight in Halo in 2009's ODST added an exciting element to the franchise's multiplayer. It continued to be successful in Halo Reach, where teams of up to four players defended a location from waves of AI-controlled Covenant forces. Firefight effectively recreated the chaos of Halo's co-op campaign experiences, with the difficulty increasing with each wave.

Halo Reach's Firefight offered a range of customization options and even included a Versus mode, where one team could control Covenant Elites to challenge the Spartan defenders. Despite its potential for further development, Firefight made limited appearances in subsequent Halo games. It was partially reimagined for Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Wars 2, but never received the attention it deserved to truly thrive as it had before.

Firefight and Call of Duty Zombies are similar in that they both involve four-player PvE matches against increasingly difficult enemies. However, a key difference is that Zombies has received consistent attention and updates over the years, while Firefight has been neglected. Zombies has been incorporated into various Call of Duty games, led by different studios and taking on different forms.

In contrast, Firefight in Halo has been left behind without any support in recent releases. In a recent development, Call of Duty Zombies has adopted the Outbreak Zombies formula, featuring larger-scale experiences with objectives for players to complete in order to progress. While this change has sparked mixed reactions, it demonstrates Activision's willingness to adapt Zombies to fit the evolving identity of the franchise and ensure its continued prominence.

Reviving Firefight would alleviate the content criticism surrounding Halo Infinite, especially since the game has made significant improvements to its game modes in recent months. By reintroducing Firefight with yearly support and a wider range of modes, it has the potential to become a central feature of the Halo franchise moving forward. This integration could also be tied to Halo Infinite's in-game seasons, with periodic releases of new Firefight maps and modes, including seasonal variants for events like Halloween. Taking inspiration from the success of CoD Zombies, Halo's Firefight should adopt a similar approach focused on passion and attention to detail.