While Halo Infinite has most fans excited about the latest iteration in the franchise, one fan has gone the opposite direction and created a clip showing what Halo would have looked like in the '90s. YouTuber Arrrash tv's brief, 27-second clip shows Halo as a tournament shooter replete with clunky, outdated graphics and competitive gameplay.
Clearly, the video draws inspiration from the older 3D shooters like Quake, which all but pioneered the online multiplayer shooting experience. The graphics in the clip are rough, with unfinished, squared edges abound, just as they often were in the late '90s. The video also features a distinct lack of hit markers or indicators that are nearly ubiquitous in modern shooters, hilariously illustrating just how difficult it used to be to discern where shots were coming from or exactly when players had hit an enemy.
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As franchises like Halo continue to evolve, this clip provides a fond look back at just how far games have come. While the earliest competitive shooters were mind-blowing at the time, they lack many of the features that fans have come to rely on. Perhaps most accurately, the clip is completely devoid of competent audio cues. The footsteps are generic and repetitive and give very little indication of enemy players' location relative to the player. In the first fight of the clip, the player stumbles upon an enemy player who had been running towards them the entire time. Among the most accurate details is the sporadic FPS which oscillates wildly during the clip, dropping to its lowest levels during combat.
The video's title "Master Chief Heads Back to 1990," was met with scrutiny as fans pointed out that the 3D graphics and look of the game were clearly more reminiscent of the late '90s. In fact, the game is most graphically similar to Goldeneye 007 which was released in 1997. Another commenter praised the player's behavior, noting the conspicuous lack of teabagging, quick switching of weapons, and bunny-hopping. While these mechanics are found in nearly all shooters now, the earliest days of competitive FPS play rarely saw anything of the sort.
While the clip can serve fans a quick dose of nostalgia, it's also a refreshing reminder of just how far games have come. With the impending release of Halo Infinite, however, fans can once again look forward to a new iteration in the franchise, and all the luxuries found in modern Halo games.
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