As the HBO show continues to set new records, Xbox exec Phil Spencer addresses Halo and The Last of Us show comparisons. The former marked an adaptation of 343 Industries’ action video game franchise revolving around engineered supersoldier Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 as he and other Spartan soldiers in the United Nations Space Command take the fight to the alien alliance known as the Covenant seeking to wipe out humanity. The Last of Us, meanwhile, is an adaptation of Naughty Dog’s game of the same name following smuggler Joel and teenager Ellie as they venture through a post-apocalyptic United States with the potential cure for the zombie-like pandemic that ruined the world.
In a recent interview with IGN to discuss his company’s 2023 plans, Phil Spencer was asked about recent Halo and The Last of Us show comparisons.
The Xbox executive confirmed he had heard the discussions of audiences comparing the adaptation of his console’s beloved franchise and that of Sony’s, feeling that while he wants the best for everyone and that The Last of Us is “fantastic“, there are enough differences to make the discussion pointless. See what Spencer said in the video above and quote below:
I want the best for everything that we work on, Halo television series included. I think there’s some differences there, but I don’t think that the point of the question of, ‘Hey, Last of Us is out there, setting an incredibly high bar. Should we all aspire to reach that same bar with the work that we do in television?’ Absolutely. I could say the same thing in video games.
Why Halo Fans Were Let Down By Paramount+ Show
Where HBO’s The Last of Us has garnered widespread acclaim for its faithfulness to its source material and its cast, Paramount+’s Halo was met with largely mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. One of the biggest points of criticism for the latter has been its diverting from the Halo games, namely with its depiction of Pablo Schreiber’s Master Chief. Unlike the games, the Halo show came under fire right out the gate with the pilot episode for Master Chief removing his helmet by the end of the episode, something that never occurs in the source titles.
Can Halo Season 2 Fix Its Issues?
Despite the backlash, Halo earned itself a season 2 renewal ahead of season 1’s premiere, leaving the hope for the next chapter of the show to fix its issues. Having previously cited the show as existing within the “Silver Timeline” separate from the games, 343 Industries exec Kiki Wolfkill has assured that the creative team behind the show will be listening to both the good and positive feedback of Halo season 1 as they headed into the writing process for season 2. Additionally, with the series already landing a new showrunner in the form of Fear the Walking Dead alum David Wiener, it could easily see a shift towards a more authentic adaptation of the games.
The one sign holding the show’s future back, however, is that Halo season 2 is confirmed to see the return of Charlie Murphy’s Makee, the Covenant-indoctrinated human who became a love interest for Master Chief as they both became the key to unlocking Forerunner technology. Considering much of the Halo season 1 backlash stemmed from their relationship in the show, both for its morally bankrupt nature of a prisoner of war sleeping with a soldier and its going against the games for Master Chief’s lack of relationships, her return could be a sign that the show may be doomed to repeat the mistakes of its past. With filming currently underway, audiences will have to keep their eyes peeled for further updates on Halo season 2.
Source: IGN