Ever since it was officially announced, many fans of the Halo series have been eagerly anticipating the upcoming TV show. Given how much special effects have evolved in the past decade, especially when it comes to "prestige" science fiction television, it seemed likely that the show would do the video game franchise justice. As the release date comes closer, however, it's increasingly evident that fans should be skeptical.
Not only were the games themselves overlooked in the show's production, but several other changes have been made that make the TV series less than accurate to its source material. Given the show's budget and hype, this is certain to disappoint fans who have been looking forward to it. Here's why Halo fans should be more than concerned with the show's development.
The Halo TV Show Doesn't Take The Game Into Account
Halo, known mainly as a hit Xbox video game series, has been adapted into various other mediums. Most notable of these are the many Halo novels that have been written to expand upon the story and mythology of the games, showcasing the concepts in a way that video games at the time could not. In fact, it was this expansive canon that attracted the upcoming TV series' showrunners to the franchise. The showrunner of Season 1, Steven Kane, even noted this in what might spell doom for the series as a whole.
In an interview, Kane said, "We didn’t look at the game. We didn’t talk about the game. We talked about the characters and the world. So I never felt limited by it being a game." This statement itself isn't necessarily an issue, and it actually does make sense. After all, the story of Halo has been told in the aforementioned novels, which actually do a better job of developing the franchise's lore and even characters such as Master Chief. Still, it deservedly dispels confidence in the finished product, especially given some of the other controversial changes made so far for the series.
The TV Show's Changes Have Angered Halo Fans
With any adaptation, blatantly stating that the chief form of the source material was ignored is sure to ignite fan indignation. With something like Halo, which was essentially the game for a generation of Xbox fans, it's an even bigger deal. Fans have quickly pointed out that avoiding the source material -- in this case, the games -- makes it questionable as to why they would even choose an established intellectual property anyway, outside of the instant recognition.
The Halo games were already fairly cinematic, something that started back on the original Xbox when video game graphics weren't nearly as sophisticated as they are now. A better idea would have been to just adapt the storyline of the original game for the show's first season, expanding on it with additional characters. This way, it draws from the source material without contradicting it in any way, all while offering something new for longtime fans. A justification often made for adaptations that shirk their source material is that fans wouldn't want to see one-to-one adaptations that feel the exact same, anyway. While this may be true, moving a story from video game to television format is a huge change in its own right. Many fans would likely prefer even a "boring" one-to-one adaptation over what's being done with the Halo show.
The TV adaptation also reeks of elitism in that the showrunners feel as if they can throw away the source material because it's merely a video game. Such treatment is hardly ever given to novels when they are the source material, even if they happen to be the most lowbrow Young Adult books out there on the market. To see one of the biggest video game franchises ever used simply as a vehicle for whatever story the showrunners would rather tell can feel like a slap in the face to gamers who've been waiting so long for a Halo adaptation.
Other previously announced changes have also stirred up controversy, such as Cortana's redesign and the decision to remove Master Chief's helmet in the series. Cortana's design update completely flies in the face of the AI being played by the actress that voices her in the games, turning what should be fan service into an unnecessary change. Likewise, removing Master Chief's helmet again feels like a discarding of one of the games' biggest elements. Sadly, this seems to only be the tip of the iceberg for the Halo show, with more disappointment likely on the way for fans.