Over the January 13-15 holiday weekend, a rumor spread about the cancellation of an untitled and unannounced Halo battle royale, codenamed Project Tatanka. It all started with a few off-hand comments on a January 13 stream of the XboxEra podcast, in which the three hosts (Jon Clarke, Nick Baker, and Jesse Norris) discussed speculation that the project was canceled. The story spread like wildfire, with multiple outlets pointing to Baker as a source, prompting XboxEra to publish an article clarifying the situation and reiterating that this is little more than a rumor.
Take A Tour Through Halo Infinite’s Newest Arena Maps
So what’s actually going on? Is a Halo battle royale in development? Is it canceled? Do we even need such a thing? Let’s get into it.
Is Project Tatanka a Halo battle royale?
The existence and development of this mysterious Halo battle royale is itself a rumor—back in April 2022, Halo support studio Certain Affinity (which has built maps for both the Call of Duty and Halo franchises, among other things) announced it was “deepening” its relationship with Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries. Certain Affinity did not announce exactly what that “deepening” entailed, but did say that the studio was “entrusted with further evolving Halo Infinite in some new and exciting ways.”
In a September 2022 interview with VentureBeat, Certain Affinity’s chief operating officer Paul Sams doubled down on the tease, saying “The biggest thing we’re doing that’s public right now, for more than two years now we’ve been working on Halo Infinite doing something that—they’re very prescriptive about what we can say. But we’re doing something unannounced, and we’re doing lead development on that unannounced thing, from conception and design.”
In January of last year, Bloomberg reported that the unknown project was code-named Tatanka and “started off as a battle royale but may evolve in different directions.”
Despite all of this, there has not been an official announcement regarding what Certain Affinity is working on, and no confirmation that Tatanka is a Halo battle royale. Xbox Era’s Clarke told Kotaku via email that the publication was “stunned it’s a story at all really. Kotaku reached out to Certain Affinity for a comment; they declined to supply one.
Some may wonder: Can you cancel a game that was never announced? But I’m wondering: Does anyone want a Halo battle royale?
Image: 343 Industries
Is a Halo battle royale a good idea?
There are already two Halo Infinite game modes that are reminiscent of a traditional battle royale: the now-defunct Last Spartan Standing, a free-for-all elimination mode featuring 12 players battling it out on Big Team Battle maps; and the latest game’s version of Big Team Battle, which ups the player count from 8v8 to 12v12. Last Spartan Standing gave players five lives before permanently eliminating them from the game, but it always felt too small for the larger Big Team maps, and the playlist was replaced with Team Doubles four months after its debut. It hasn’t been back since. And the Big Team Battle mode isn’t anything like a battle royale save for its size.
The features that make Halo games special are exactly what make them the anti-BR: incredibly strong weapons and subsequently strong player-characters, an impressive, bombastic sandbox with limitless potential, and absurd vehicles that can make or break a match. None of that is poised to translate well into a battle royale mode, which drops a hundred or so players into a massive map (far bigger than anything we’ve ever seen in Halo Infinite), with either their bare hands or a shitty pistol, and demands they scurry about like rats until they find any weapon to sustain them in the warzone. Imagine you drop into a Halo battle royale and immediately find the rocket launcher? It’s game over for everyone else.
So no, I don’t think a Halo battle royale is a good idea. Iterating on what makes Halo so special and consistently updating Halo Infinite is what will keep this franchise alive—not aping whatever is the hot commodity in gaming at the moment. But who am I, anyway? I’m just an adult woman who got hardcore into online gaming with Halo 3and who spends her spare time playing battle royales—how much does my opinion matter, right?
Halle Bailey and DDG’s new bundle of joy has no choice but to be destined for stardom!
Source: Gareth Cattermole / Getty
His delighted dad wasted no time hitting the Golden Triangle of Beverly Hills to lavish their little man with top-notch baby essentials!
TMZ caught up with the rapper outside the whimsical store for the youngest shoppers in L.A., English Rabbit, where the new papa dropped an easy $5k in that one store for his baby boy.
As BOSSIP previously reported, last week, DDG and Halle joyfully introduced their newborn son, Halo, marking the first official confirmation after months of speculation about their pregnancy.
The Youtuber-turned-rapper posted a vlog on his channel that features some snippets of his new life as a dad. DDG let fans have a peek at one of Halle’s 4K ultrasounds, along with some footage of him sweetly rubbing on his girlfriend’s growing bump on their baby moon in Bora Bora.
He revealed why he and his lady decided to keep news of their pregnancy private until the baby was born stating, they never felt like they had to cave to social media pressure and only decided to introduce Halo when they felt comfortable doing so.
“I’m a dad. I’m a dad, y’all. I have a son — I have a baby boy. He’s a newborn — he was actually born last year but we were just waiting on the right time to basically break the news or whatever. It’s a blessing and I love him so much!”
DDG also gave kudos to new mother Halle and shared that he has a “newfound respect” for women after watching Bailey give birth to their son.
Congratulations again to the new parents! We can’t wait to see Halo’s handsome face in due time.
After playing through Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s epilogue I can definitively say I was mostly let down by the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC. Don’t get me wrong, the “Mochi Mayhem” episode is an hour of silly fun alongside some of the best characters to grace the games’ Paldea region, but it is just that—silly, especially when compared to some of the games’ more memorable moments. – Kenneth Shepard Read More
On Saturday night, the Disney princess took to Instagram to reveal news fans have been speculating on for months now: she welcomed a child! And the 23-year-old shared a precious little sneak peek of the little one, a son with her boyfriend DDG! In the photo, she and the rapper both held onto the little one’s tiny hand, which was accessorized with a gold wristband with his name etched on it: Halo! She captioned the post:
“even though we’re a few days into the new year, the greatest thing that 2023 could have done for me, was bring me my son.. welcome to the world my halo”
So sweet! And in a playful jab at curious fans, she concluded the post:
“the world is desperate to know you”
See (below):
In 2023, The Little Mermaid star was the subject of a TON of social media speculation regarding whether or not she had a bun growing in the oven. She never publicly confirmed it, but that didn’t stop fans from constantly badgering her about it. Just in November, she responded to social media users who accused her of having a “pregnancy nose.” She said at the time:
“Listen, if I see one more person say something about my nose one more time, it’s going to be hell to pay. And you know why? Because I am Black. I love my nose. What is you concerned about my nose for? Leave me the hell alone.”
At the time, fans pointed out that she didn’t actually deny the pregnancy aspect of the nose criticism… she just wanted the criticism to stop altogether. She later thanked “real supporters” for being respectful of her body.
DDG, whose real name is Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr., posted a similar reveal on his own IG on Saturday night, adding:
“my biggest blessing by far son son.. never been so in love baby halo”
Congrats to the new parents! We’re so happy for these two! Share your reactions in the comments down below.
The original Xbox was a big moment in gaming over 20 years ago, serving as Microsoft’s headfirst dive into the medium.
And while it was a bit rough around the edges — and obviously couldn’t overcome the Goliath that was the PlayStation 2 — it was still an admirable attempt that established Microsoft as a major player in the gaming space. It also introduced some franchises that would stand among the pantheon of gaming’s most iconic names, and it served as a quantum leap forward for online gaming.
With Microsoft’s continued commitment to backward compatibility on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, original Xbox games have not become as rare or expensive as their PlayStation 2 or GameCube counterparts. Still, that doesn’t mean every Xbox game is a walk in the park to find because there are certainly some games that might light your wallet on fire. Here are 10 of the rarest and most expensive Xbox games that are probably far less important than buying groceries this month.
As per usual, all prices are based on numbers provided by PriceCharting. Used prices are based on the “Loose Price” listing, while new prices are based on the “New Price” listing. Entries are ranked from lowest to highest by their respective “new” price.
10. Def Jam: Fight for NY
$349 New | $71 Used
Image Source: EA Games
Let’s ease into the list a bit with a game that’s sure to bring back some memories. Def Jam: Fight for NY is a cult classic among gamers, and its continued popularity has led to many curious players hoping to snag a copy for themselves. Across all consoles, though, it’s pretty expensive, and with the fact that a Platinum Hits version exists on Xbox, this original Black Label release is even more of a premium.
A used copy runs for around $71, which is not too far off from what current games cost today. A new copy, though, will drop you down $349. Would you believe it if you found out that this is actually the cheapest of the three consoles? New copies on the GameCube run for $350, while the PlayStation 2 version will set you back a massive $498. It’s sure to be a great time if you can find an affordable copy…but obviously, that’s a big “if.” One can only hope it gets a reissue on modern consoles at some point.
9. Halo Triple Pack
$350 New | $43 Used
Image Source: Xbox Game Studios
Halo 3 might not have been ready until the release of the Xbox 360, but that didn’t stop Microsoft from going through with the Halo Triple Pack on the original Xbox…which obviously didn’t include the third game. No, this triple pack featured Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack. Being that all three games are in their own individual boxes, it’s probably not obscenely hard to find a used copy, but finding an entirely sealed bundle is a different story.
Grabbing this used only sets you down $43, but if you can find a new copy, you’ll have to throw down $350. It’s a pretty big ask, one that only the staunchest of collectors should truly go for. The good news, though, is that used copies are available at a far more affordable price if you’re truly looking for that authentic experience. If not, Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One should suit you just fine.
8. Silent Hill 2
$375 New | $35 Used
Image Source: Konami
You might not have expected a game like this to end up here, but yes, Silent Hill 2 is a pretty rare find. Even despite its critical acclaim and commercial success, prices for this game have been marked up by quite a bit. It might help that the Xbox version served as an extended version of the original game, and the later release of a Platinum Hits version may have made the original more of a challenge to find.
Used copies are not too bad, landing at around $35. It’s when you get to the new copies, which go for $375, that we start seeing things get wild. This isn’t limited to the Xbox version, either: a new copy on PC will go for $428, while a new copy on the PlayStation 2 lands around $558. Maybe finding a used copy will suit you well if you want the authentic experience, but proceed with caution if you’re looking for a new copy…or hey, maybe wait for the upcoming remake.
7. Teen Titans
$480 New | $119 Used
Image Source: THQ
Licensed games are fodder to end up on a list like this, and we’ve got our first example here with Teen Titans. This is an example of a game that received a massive upcharge largely because of its release timing: compared to the other console versions (which were released in May 2006), Teen Titans was released for team green in October, a full five months later. By that point, the Xbox 360 was almost a year old, which meant a game like this was always gonna be behind the eight ball.
As a result, used copies run for roughly $119, while new copies jump up to $480. This is in stark contrast to the PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions, which still fetch a notable amount but nothing that borders too far into “unaffordable” territory. Thus, your best bet if looking for this game is to find it on another platform, though…it’s little more than an average beat ‘em up, so you might want to redirect your search elsewhere.
6. Yu-Gi-Oh: The Dawn of Destiny [Platinum Hits]
$600 New | $13 Used
Image Source: Konami
Continuing into licensed game territory, we’ve got an interesting one, as Yu-Gi-Oh: The Dawn of Destiny is an Xbox-exclusive Yu-Gi-Oh entry. It’s interesting in that it’s a game based on a popular Japanese franchise, published by the Japanese company Konami…that wasn’t released in Japan. Sure, it’s understandable because the Xbox is not popular in Japan, but…still strange. Either way, this didn’t deter it from selling enough to make it to the Platinum Hits line, but such copies must not have been produced en masse because it’s become quite expensive.
A used copy is extremely affordable at $13, but finding a new copy will force you to cough up $600. Beyond potential rarity, it seems all versions of this game (Platinum Hits or otherwise) came with some Limited Edition playing cards, a not-uncommon practice with Yu-Gi-Oh games that’s been discussed here before. Thus, your decision to cut off an arm and a leg might come down to how much you care about those cards. A used copy is plenty affordable, sure, but given that the game doesn’t seem to be all too great, you might just be better off finding a more enjoyable Yu-Gi-Oh experience elsewhere.
5. Halo: Combat Evolved [Not For Resale]
$765 New | $7 Used
Image Source: Xbox Game Studios
The Halo franchise has made the list twice, and it probably won’t be too big a surprise to see a “Not For Resale” disc end up here. While these are typically used for console bundles or in-store promo units, this version of Halo: Combat Evolved seems to have been available specifically for employees at the Microsoft Store. Naturally, this meant that a smaller number of copies were made, thus making this an even more interesting collector’s item.
Interestingly, used copies of this go for only $7. For whatever reason, though, a new copy costs somewhere around $765. Quite frankly, of the many “rare and expensive” game lists this writer has created here, that’s one of the largest discrepancies between “used” and “new” prices to date. It appears Microsoft employees probably weren’t getting their exclusive versions of Halo just to stare at them; it was a pretty huge game, after all. Thankfully, there are about 50 different ways to play the original Halo game at this point, so you don’t need to drop your rent money on something like this.
4. NBA Ballers [Platinum Hits]
$803 New | $60 Used
Image Source: Midway Sports
On its own, NBA Ballers is not an expensive game. You can find it on PlayStation 2 or Xbox for roughly $35 or under, and you’ll be treated to a pretty solid Midway basketball game if you do grab it. The Platinum Hits version, on the other hand? Yeah, good luck catching this one. While the original game was released in 2004, the Platinum Hits version seemed to come along around 2005 after the Xbox 360 had already been out. Thus, Microsoft and Midway probably didn’t bother giving it a large print run and it became a hard find, thus jacking up its price.
A used copy runs at around $60, which isn’t the worst price in the world. The $803 it would cost to get a new copy? Yeah, that’s a totally different beast altogether. This version is most likely only for those who absolutely NEED to have a full Platinum Hits collection. Otherwise, just grab a standard copy of the game and ball out with a few friends. You might even find that the game has aged pretty decently.
3. Futurama
$923 New | $161 Used
Image Source: Vivendi Universal Games
A Futurama game being rare? That can’t be right; surely, this game sold a good amount, right? Well, no. The Futurama game was released after the series had been canceled — the first time, because it’s been canceled more times than Brett Favre has retired — and was essentially seen as a “lost episode,” since it was released after the final episode had aired. By that point, with dwindling audience interest, Vivendi Universal didn’t go through the legwork of producing many copies, and thus, it became a pretty rare collector’s item.
Even just snagging a used copy of the game will set you back $161, while a new copy lands all the way up at $923. A decade ago, you may have been able to find this for something in the $30 range, but now, you’ll have to give up way more than that if you want it. What’s worse is that the game is not all that great to begin with, so a $191 minimum is a steep fine. Maybe you should spend your time and money on a game from creator Matt Groening’s other big series, The Simpsons.
2. Steel Battalion
$1,150 New | $305 Used
Here we have a special example of a rare game. Steel Battalion was an early Xbox game published by Capcom that gained notoriety for its insane controller. As pictured above, this controller had 44 input points/buttons and was meant to simulate the feeling of being inside a mech. Incredibly creative, but it was a large and expensive controller for a game that, mostly, played to a specific niche. Thus, only a few of these were created (somewhere around 2,000 units initially) and the price obviously skyrocketed.
Simply finding a used copy of this will drain $305 from your wallet, while a new copy will brush you back by a whopping $1,150. It’s sad because the game actually seemed to be pretty good and the controller added to the experience in a unique way, but it was always gonna be hard to sell something like this. If you’re able to find it for a decent price, go ahead and grab it, but don’t get your hopes up that those numbers will go down much.
1. Shrek Super Party [Watch Bundle]
$1,500 New | $395 Used
Image Source: TDK Mediactive
Oh dear…it’s returned. As previously noted in Twinfinite’s article discussing the worst GameCube games one could play, Shrek Super Party is a game this writer is all too familiar with. “Big Head Shrek,” as his friends refer to it, has become a source of night terrors, the kind with which I have trouble escaping. Monsieur Hood’s piercing smile can only make me cower in fear, and in spite of his short stature, Lord Farquaad’s equally terrifying expression has made him my sleep-paralysis demon.
It’s like everywhere I look, I see “Big Head Shrek.” And now, the information has come through that this life-altering game had an Xbox-exclusive Special Edition that came with a watch. Perhaps this is the key to purging the infidels that haunt me in my sleep. Surely, acquiring this watch bundle will keep the demons away, like garlic to a vampire. This is what needs to be bought in order to get a good night’s sleep…if it wasn’t so expensive.
Even getting a used copy of this bundle nets you $395, while a new copy will go for a whopping $1,500. There’s simply very little reason to spend four figures on any video game, let alone one this shockingly bad. Sure, the game is far more affordable on other platforms, but without that watch, it appears sleep will continue to be elusive. I’ll conquer you one day, Farquaad.
But until the demons are slain, what are some other rare and expensive Xbox games? Let us know in the comments!
About the author
Matt Anderson
Matt has been a freelance writer at Twinfinite for a year, and he’s been in the games media industry for three years. He typically covers topics related to console news and industry trends for the site, and he has a major interest in first-party console games. Matt also has a Bachelor’s in Screenwriting from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, is an avid content creator on YouTube and TikTok, and legend has it he once asked Super Smash Bros. Melee to be his Prom date.
Though Halo Infinite might be drawing folks back with its expanding map diversity and new customization options, the in-game cosmetics shop is still rubbing fans the wrong way. A recent skin intended to be a tribute to the very first Halo game, 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved, is drawing a bit of attention not for its looks, but because it’s currently twice the cost of the entirety of Halo: Combat Evolved (see on Amazon).
Take A Tour Through Halo Infinite’s Newest Arena Maps
Though The Master Chief Collection played around with free, live-service quirks like seasons and battle passes, Halo Infinite marked the series’ first full shift, with a free-to-play multiplayer augmented by microtransactions and season passes, to a live service title. That shift, among other things, hasn’t been very popular with the community, particularly where it concerns pricing of in-game cosmetics. That discomfort continues with the Mark V Halo: Combat Evolved skin, which feature Master Chief’s original armor design and colors.
“For half of the price of the new bundle” a Reddit thread on r/Halo starts, “you can buy the entirety of [Halo: Combat Evolved], the game it’s from, on Steam.” The bundle costs 2,200 in-game credits. That boils down to about $20. As you can buy Halo: CE for just $10 a la carte on Steam, that’s more than double the cost of Master Chief’s premiere game.
So in theory you could buy two copies of Halo: Combat Evolved on Steam, one for you and another for a friend to play cooperatively in one of the most influential first-person shooters of the 21st century. I assure you, that’ll be a lot more fun than a skin.
But the price isn’t the only thing that’s annoying. Were it so easy.
In Halo Infinite, player skins are divided up into “cores,” each core representing a certain style of armor from the Halo universe; the “Mark V [B],” for example, is based on the design from 2010’s Halo Reach. Each core has its own set of helmets, chest plates, shoulders, armor colors (referred to as armor “coatings” in-game), and more.
Frustratingly, you can’t customize the individual parts across different cores. That changed a little bit with season five; you can now use helmets, visor colors, and some coatings across different cores. The problem is that the Mark V suit isn’t a core, but rather an armor “kit” for the Mark VII core; you’re far more restricted in how you can customize the set. You can’t even stick the helmet on other designs. The gold visor is cross-core compatible though, as well as green coating—though about that…
While the Mark V’s specific armor coating is usable across cores, some players are pointing out that the certain shade of green is almost identical to the free green coating that comes with the game. Yes, the “Cadet Sage” armor is ever so slightly darker, but at the pace of action Halo Infinite usually goes, it’s not like this looks wildly different during gameplay.
So yeah, go play Halo: Combat Evolved if you haven’t. The gameplay is aging a bit, but it’s an essential first-person shooter campaign of the modern era if there ever was one.
We love video games for their interactivity and immersion, and a big part of this is thanks to their settings. Whether it’s the opportunity they present for exploration or deep lore that surrounds how they came to be, these games offer some of the best worlds to get lost in. Strap in and explore our top 10 best settings and worlds in video games.
Night City (Cyberpunk 2077)
Image Source: CD Projekt Red
Cyberpunk 2077’s aesthetic is so rich and drenched in neon-soaked atmosphere that it’s nearly impossible not to add Night City to this list.
CD Projekt Red went overboard with their attention to detail and design when constructing Night City’s streets. Every building has unique patterning and architectural design suited for the particular district it’s cramped in.
Even within the confines of a single district are various themes and styles unique to each sub-district. Northside Watson has a spread-out gritty industrial aesthetic far removed from the absolutely cramped and colorful Kabuki district in Watson. You really do feel like a smushed sardine among the crowds of people and bunched-up apartments in Night City, and it’s glorious.
But it’s not just that each subdistrict differentiates itself; each block feels unique from the next in the way the terrain is diversified. You never feel like you’re walking around a map populated by Speedtree copy-paste techniques. Every single square inch feels hand-crafted to some extent, propelling the player to explore off the beaten rebel path.
Spira (Final Fantasy X)
Image Source: Square Enix
There’s no doubt that living in Spira would be nightmarish. From the constant Sin attacks and the ferocious monsters patrolling the highways, Spira is a literal spiral of death.
It’s a true achievement, then, that Square Soft could create such an absolutely enchanting dreamscape of a setting amid such devastating death. I’d argue that this dichotomy between horrific death and sublime beauty is what really makes Spira so magical, as Spira’s outward beauty contrasts the cycle of death that the whale-like Sin brings.
The simplistic nobility surrounding the almost-subsistence island village of Kilika is beautiful in the kind of hardworking and honest people it fosters. And yet, these people will only live a short time before being wiped out with the village having to restart its development again.
Final Fantasy X is drenched in themes and symbolism too. The religion of Yevon serves as an analogue of real-life cults. And of course, there’s absurdly detailed symbolism permeating through every facet of the game, such as the Al Bhed script and Yevon mandalas. There are many unique symbols on ornately carved temple walls and store signs in Spira; each has deep significance and meaning making the setting rich and immersive.
The Al-Bhed language goes the extra mile in immersing us in Spira’s unique world too. Without hyperbole, Final Fantasy X really does have some of the most unique storytelling elements in gaming.
The Lands Between (Elden Ring)
Image Source: FromSoftware
Elden Ring manages to represent FromSoftware’s entire philosophy in a single game, and it does this with great success.
FromSoft games are known for their rich environmental storytelling and obtuse lore. Like Dark Souls before it, Elden Ring’s main character is its setting.
FromSoft’s lead designer, Hidetaka Miyazaki, has stated that the philosophy behind his storytelling consists of scattered puzzle pieces left for inquisitive players to find and place together. The puzzle pieces themselves are represented by the various characters, landmarks, and item descriptions found throughout the dark fantasy setting. Characters, in particular, carry a mysterious aura begging to be further explored.
I’ve put over 100 hours into Elden Ring and own a hardcover lore book describing the game, and yet I still don’t feel I’ve put together most of the puzzle pieces it’s laid out for players. If you like unfettered exploration amid a profoundly dynamic fantasy world, Elden Ring offers all that and way more than you probably have time for.
Thedas (Dragon Age)
Image Source: EA Bioware
On the very tail-end of Bioware’s golden age was Dragon Age, and its setting of Thedas is sublime.
Heavily inspired by Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age was Bioware’s attempt at a fresh homebrewed fantasy setting, and boy, did they succeed. Sure, Thedas is filled with your typical fantasy dwarves and elves, but even these tropes are spiced up with their own religions, factions, and sub-cultures. This gives rise to several memorable locales to explore ranging from bustling cities to vast ancient ruins colored by the people and cultures that once called them home.
What really makes Dragon Age’s world stand out, though, is the complex political intrigue between all the various races and cultures. For example: Mages enjoy remarkable power and ability, yet are abused by factions looking to use them and outright feared by society as a whole — which results in them remaining under strict control and surveillance. After all, it’s mages who are susceptible to the demons of the Fade, which is itself a kind of dream realm comprised of its own political rifts.
This is why Dragon Age fans continue to be vocally excited for Dragon Age 4, and for the changes it could bring to the world they’ve spent so much time in.
Taris (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)
Image Source: Bioware via starwars.fandom
The Old Republic is an era developed by Bioware and set some 4,000 years before the time of the films. The series has tremendous worldbuilding for each planet you visit. Taris, in particular, gets ample treatment in the first Knights of the Old Republic.
The scale is so absolutely perfect during this initial Taris section that it almost feels like a game within a game. You feel like you’re on this alien planet, living among the locals. You don’t have a lightsaber or any force powers yet, and you’re pretty much a nobody to the citizenry of the occupied planet.
While dated by today’s standards, Knights of the Old Republic is filled with these immersive moments that reaffirm our love of the role-playing genre.
Hyrule (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom)
Image Source: Nintendo via Twinfinite
The Zelda series has introduced us to many versions of Hyrule through the years. They all share many elements between them; from races to atmosphere, even shared timelines and characters. It’s difficult to choose any one version of Hyrule over the other, so we went with the largest: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom feature truly magnificent versions of Hyrule. Breath of the Wild in particular set a new standard across the entire industry in a similar way that the original Zelda did back in 1987. It finally realized Shigeru Miyamoto’s original vision for the series with its ability to immerse players and make them feel lost within its giant world.
Tears of the Kingdom shares a similar Hyrule as Breath of the Wild, but adds aerial zones and subterranean nooks and crannies. And trust me, players will want to explore every nook and cranny in these games due to the organic, lived-in environments and the rewards they offer.
Whether you’re a first-time traveler to Hyrule’s longstanding legacy or you’re looking for a fun world to get lost in, these Zelda settings offer some of the best sightseeing in video games.
Zemuria (The Legend of Heroes: Trails series)
Image Source: Nihon Falcom
Ah, the niche JPRG series that has more entries than I do brain cells. Where do I even start? First, the most obvious. Every game in the Trails is connected together with masterfully done internal continuity.
For those out of the loop regarding these lore-intensive JRPGs, The Legend of Heroes comprises a franchise of disconnected, though similar-styled games. The Trails series within broad The Legend of Heroes, however, has some of the best continuity in all of gaming.
What really makes the Trails series immersive is the interconnected socio-political machinations going on between each nation. Set during a time of political upheaval at the dawn of Zemuria’s industrial and technological boom, there’s a metric ton of really good internal continuity going on between each Trails game.
The plot twists are usually well-earned too. Since the games are 50 hours minimum each, there’s a ton of build-up leading to the inciting incident at the tail-end of each story. You really get to know the various characters and explore the world they live in; almost too well, considering the vast swaths of dialogue and heaps of side content present in these games.
Halo Universe (Halo Series)
Image Source Bungie
Halo is a blending of sci-fi space opera, militaristic fiction, and horror. Dealing with the alien threat to humanity sets the first Halo game in motion, which also gives players a glimpse into alien cultures and religions.
But because Halo is largely played from the perspective of a super-soldier, the player often finds themselves on the front lines of militaristic campaigns across the galaxy. Halo’s wonderful scene direction draws attention to its clever nods to classic films such as Apocalypse Now and its epic set piece moments reminiscent of 1997’s Starship Troopers.
And then, there’s the parasitic Flood, destroyer of worlds and species. The Flood permeates Halo’s setting in such a way to expound on the history behind the Forerunner precursor race. There’s always a history lesson when the Flood are involved, and Halo Rings and alien cultist Prophets are usually wrapped up somewhere in the mess too. Halo is great at using horror and military heroics to tell a grand saga that we just can’t get enough of.
Tamriel (The Elder Scrolls)
Image Source: Bethesda
Whether it’s Morrowind, Oblivion, or Skyrim, the world of Tamriel is teeming with things to do and see. For this list, however, Morrowind still takes the crown as the most atmospheric and organic province we’ve ever seen of Tamriel.
One of my favorite aspects of Morrowind is the unique vibe you get exploring the cities and countryside. I still have dreams every now and then of Balmora, the first major hub town players call home in the game. The unique stone architecture holding up the numerous guild factions among a progressively cultish populace is still so wonderfully presented today. So was the water, which looks way, WAY too good for a 2001 game.
The bizarre species and fauna native to Morrowind are more inspiring and unique than anything Cyrodil or Skyrim have to offer. The way some of these creatures are incorporated into the infrastructure of Morrowind is cool too: Tall shelled creatures called Stilt Striders serve as the transit system between towns, and giant mushrooms house some of the more magically inclined residents.
The lore and world of The Elder Scrolls is vast, beautiful, and often violent in a very gritty way. Morrowind in particular highlights the most otherworldly aspects of the series, and stands among the best video game settings of all time as a result.
Azeroth (World of Warcraft)
Image Source: Activision Blizzard
The Warcraft setting easily takes the crown as having the most overwhelmingly vast lore on this list. Azeroth was first introduced in 1994 with Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. It’s a setting older than many gamers reading this and has enough history to fill several libraries. The lore in Warcraft isn’t just large, though, it’s also surprisingly well-thought-out and complex.
The scope of Warcraft’s cosmology has a quasi-biblical weight to it. With each planet and lifeform consisting of some greater history and purpose laid for it, there’s a cool deep-rooted mythological feel to the Warcraft setting that sets it apart as one of the very best in gaming.
Besides the lore and mythology, World of Warcraft also set itself apart with its boundary-breaking MMO mechanics. Players felt a freedom of exploration and camaraderie with others that was simply unheard of when it was released back in 2003, setting the standard for MMOs to come.
That’s our list of top 10 best settings and worlds in video games. For more interesting features and game guides, check out our other content here on Twinfinite!
About the author
Matthew Carmosino
Matthew Carmosino is a freelance writer for Twinfinite. He started gaming in the mid-90s where his love for SquareSoft RPGs like Chrono Trigger changed him forever. Matthew has been working in the game industry for two years covering everything from story-rich RPGs to puzzle-platformers.
Listening to piano music on a rainy day is his idea of a really good time, which probably explains his unnatural tolerance for level-grinding.
Ever since John Wick and The Wire actor Lance Reddick suddenly and unexpectedly passed away earlier this year, Destiny 2 fans have been wondering what would become of his iconic character, Commander Zavala. Today, Bungie announced that veteran actor Keith David, beloved for his video game work in Halo and Mass Effect, will take over in 2024’s The Final Shape expansion.
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“Lance’s iconic voice led us through the most intense moments in Destiny’s history and his impact on our Guardians, our community, and Bungie as a whole will never be forgotten,” Bungie announced on August 10. “Keith David, a prolific actor on the stage and in television, film, and games, will assume the English language voice of Zavala in The Final Shape and beyond. Separately, Lance’s existing lines in-game will remain untouched for the upcoming release.”
David’s appeared in a ton of movies, including The Thing, Platoon, and Nope. But he also has a long history of voice acting in games where he’s best known for his performances as the Arbiter in Halo 2, and Captain David Anderson in Mass Effect. “I am honored to continue the great work of Lance Reddick as Zavala. Lance captured the character’s sense of integrity so wonderfully,” he said in a press release. “It is my intention to continue that work.”
“One of the great qualities of Zavala that really attracts me is his integrity…and his sense of family,” said David. “And I thought Lance [Reddick] captured that wonderfully. And it is my intention to continue that work and continue to bring that kind of integrity to the role.”
Reddick was beloved within the Destiny 2 community not only as a great talent but also a massive fan of the game himself. He was found to have been playing shortly before his untimely death, and players flocked to the sci-fi MMO’s main social hub to pay their respects in the days that followed. Bungie has promised that The Final Shape, where David will first make his debut as the new voice of Zavala, will be the climactic expansion campaign and raid players have been waiting for as the live-service loot shooter finishes up its first big story arc, a conclusion 10 years in the making.
Update 08/10/2023 6:29 p.m. ET: Added video commentary from David.
Whether in seriousness or jest, best to just leave all vaguely unorthodox Halo opinions at the door. Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign is an all-time classic. We shall never gaze upon the likes of Halo 3’smultiplayer community again. Do not say you loved being able to sprint in Halo 5, let alone that you thought the first Halo without Bungie was the GOAT. Master Chief himself, space hockey pads and all, would not survive the psychic damage.
Rarely do I watch a trailer for a video game more than once. Yet with Bungie’s Marathon reboot/sequel/whatever, I’ve found myself looping its slick and stylish announcement trailer. It’s not just because the trailer slaps, but because Bungie is teasing looks to be one of the coolest shooters released in years.
On March 24, shortly before a Spider-Man 2 trailer would set off a whole new “puddlegate,” Bungie (Halo, Destiny) revealed its next big first-person shooter: Marathon. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because this is actually Bungie returning to one of its oldest franchises, the Mac-only shooter trilogy, Marathon. You can read more about those old games, their beloved lore, and how it connects to Halo and modern extraction shooters in this piece from our very own Claire Jackson.
However, I’m not here to talk about Marathon’s lore, history, fandom, or anything involving the Bungie mythos. No, instead, I want to just gush for a few paragraphs about how damn refreshing and awesome this game’s look and announcement trailer are compared to most other shooters and games out there today. And I don’t seem to be alone in loving this trailer as it has hit 18 million views on YouTube already.
PlayStation / Bungie
Marathon has one of the best game trailers of 2023
Anyway, the running character breaks out of the darker tunnels and enters an incredibly bright world where we see that they are also rocking vibrant colors, including a bright, neon-pink helmet. The music builds as the camera zooms in closer and closer to the runner. Things feel tense as the music builds into a digital mess and then BAM! That’s all she wrote for this runner as they are sniped from afar by a slick-looking and white-as-paper android. Our runner, now dead, is seen collapsing in slow motion into what appears to be a milk-like substance, their blue-inky blood mixing and swirling into the water around their corpse. As the robot sniper rips out something from the dead runner the music builds again, glitches out, and BAM! Bungie reveals that this vibrant trailer was for a new Marathon.
“Vibrant” is really the keyword here. Everything in this trailer pops in a way that I’ve not seen in most other shooters released in recent years. A lot of modern shooters seem focused on realism, which can look lovely, but also a bit drab. The popular color scheme we typically see on shooters also starts to make shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield blend together. Or they all look a bit too much like Fortnite, which while colorful, isn’t visually distinct anymore. I enjoy a lot of these modern shooters regardless. But with Marathon, things are different.
Actually, it’s beyond colorful. It’s almost garish with all of its pinks, yellows, greens, and blues clashing in nearly every frame. Yet it’s all balanced by hyper-realistic lighting, materials, textures, and models. The color palettes are incredible to look at and a few of us at Kotaku couldn’t stop gawking at the trailer.
Marathon’s new art style is fresh and bold
Bungie calls Marathon’sart style “graphic realism,” as mentioned in a recent behind-the-scenes video about the rebooted shooter. Bungie dev Emily Katske further elaborates on the game’s art, saying it’s “bold, colorful [and] stylized.”
The game’s director, Christopher Barret, in the same video, also says that the team wanted the art to be “beautiful” and “vibrant”, “mysterious” and “familiar,” “but also, strange.”
Bungie
Normally, I’d roll my eyes a bit at this kind of talk, but after seeing the trailer and concept art of this new take on Marathon, yeah, I get it. Balance is key, though. Bungie has to carefully balance when and where to “dial [things] up to 11” and when to pull back a bit so folks don’t get overwhelmed while trying to play.
It’s a risky option, taking a beloved franchise and reworking it into something bold. It’s also quite a departure from the original Marathon games, which featured more subdued or grimy textures and Doom-like sprites. I’ve already spotted some longtime Marathon fans upset about this new, more colorful, and stylized direction. And until we actually play the final game, we won’t know if any of this will actually work out. Was this a big, expensive mistake? Or a huge gamble that lands perfectly? No idea!
But Marathon’s trailer, concept art, and overall style has me more excited than I expected to play this upcoming extraction shooter. I’m not even a fan of that genre of online FPS, but I want to see more of Marathon so badly that I’ll give it a shot. As long as I can waddle around Bungie’s new incredible-looking world for a few minutes before getting killed, I’ll be happy to play and explore Marathon whenever it comes out.
Things haven’t been going great for Xbox recently. Microsoft is facing stiff resistance in its attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard. It released hardly any big exclusive blockbusters last year. And it just cut over 10,000 jobs last week, including many senior developers at Halo Infinite studio 343 Industries. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer tried to remain upbeat and do damage control on each of these points and more in a new interview with IGN.
“Every year is critical,” he said. “I don’t find this year to be more or less critical. I feel good about our momentum. Obviously, we’re going through some adjustments right now that are painful, but I think necessary, but it’s really to set us up and the teams for long-term success.”
This week captured both the peril and promise facing Xbox right now. On Tuesday, Microsoft announced a drop in net-income of 12 percent for the most recent fiscal quarter compared to the prior year. Xbox gaming hardware and software were down by similar percentages, and Microsoft said nothing about how many new subscribers its Game Pass service had gained since it crossed the 25 million mark exactly a year ago.
Then on Wednesday Microsoft provided a sleek and streamlined look at its upcoming games in a Developer Direct livestream copied right from the Nintendo playbook. Forza Motorsport was seemingly quietly delayed to the second half of the year, but looked like a beautiful and impressive racing sim showpiece. Arkane’s co-op sandbox vampire shooter Redfall got a May 2 release date. Real-time strategy spin-off Minecraft Legends will hit in April. And to cap things off Tango Gameworks, maker of The Evil Within, shadow-dropped Hi-Fi Rush on Game Pass, a colorful rhythm-action game from left field that’s already become the first undisputed gaming hit of 2023.
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“2022 was too light on games,” Spencer confessed in his IGN interview. 2023 shouldn’t be thanks to Redfall and Starfield, Bethesda’s much-anticipated answer to the question, “What if Skyrim but space?” But both of those games were technically supposed to come out last year. Meanwhile, Hi-Fi Rush, like Obsidian’s Pentiment before it, is shaping up to be a critically acclaimed Game Pass release that still might be too small to move the needle on Xbox’s larger fortunes.
Spencer remained vague when asked how successful these games were or their impact on Game Pass, whose growth has reportedly stalled on console. “I think that the creative diversity expands for us when we have different ways for people to kind of pay for the games that they’re playing, and the subscription definitely helps there,” he said.
Hi-Fi Rush, Redfall, Starfield, and a new The Elder Scrolls Online expansion due out in June are also all from Bethesda, which Microsoft finished acquiring in 2021. The older Microsoft first-party game studios have either remained relatively quiet in recent years while working on their next big projects, or, in the case of 343 Industries, were recently hit with a surprising number of layoffs.
Following news of the cuts last week, rumors and speculation began to swirl that 343 Industries—which shipped a well-received Halo Infinite single-player campaign in 2021, but struggled with seasonal updates for the multiplayer component in the months since—was being benched. The studio put out a brief statement over the weekend saying Halo was here to stay and that it would continue developing it.
Image: Bethesda / Microsoft
Spencer doubled down on that in his interview with IGN, but provided little insight into the reasoning behind the layoffs or what its plans were for the franchise moving forward. “What we’re doing now is we want to make sure that leadership team is set up with the flexibility to build the plan that they need to go build,” he said. “And Halo will remain critically important to what Xbox is doing, and 343 is critically important to the success of Halo.”
Where Halo Infinite’s previously touted “10-year” plan fits into that, however, remains unclear. “They’ve got some other things, some rumored, some announced, that they’ll be working on,” Spencer said. And on the future of the series as a whole he simply said, “I expect that we’ll be continuing to support and grow Halo for as long as the Xbox is a platform for people to play.” It’s hard to imagine Nintendo talking about Mario with a similar-sounding lack of conviction.
It’s possible Microsoft’s continued struggles with some of its internal projects is partly why it’s so focused on looking outside the company for help. Currently that means trying to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion and fighting off an antitrust lawsuit by the Federal trade Commission in the process. Microsoft had originally promised the deal to get Call of Duty, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush would be wrapped up before the end of summer 2023. That deadline’s coming up quickly, even as the company continues offering compromises, like reportedly giving Sony the option to continue paying to have Activision’s games on its rival Game Pass subscription service, PS Plus.
Spencer told IGN he remains bullish on closing the deal, despite claiming to have known nothing about the logistics of doing so when he started a year ago. “Given a year ago, for me, I didn’t know anything about the process of doing an acquisition like this,” he said. “The fact that I have more insight, more knowledge about what it means to work with the different regulatory boards, I’m more confident now than I was a year ago, simply based on the information I have and the discussions that we’ve been having.”
Image: The Pokemon Company / 343 Industries / Kotaku
Halo has a long tradition of community-made maps and game modes that range everywhere from serious to silly. Recently, one map and mode combo that’s more on the playful and fun side of things caught the attention of 343 Industries as an opportunity to fix long-standing shooting issues. Named after a certain Pokémon notorious for digging and jumping out of holes, this community creation is now being used to pinpoint and fix aiming and shot registration woes, as they’ve plagued Halo Infinite since it launched just over a year ago.
Halo Infinite, the latest entry in the long-running and often critically acclaimed first person shooter series, only recently received an update that included a beta version of its in-game map creator: Forge. First premiering in Halo 3, Forge has been a staple of the series ever since 2007, allowing anyone to create a map of their own design with the tools necessary to create custom games for it, be those party and minigames or more traditional takes on the franchise’s well-known modes, like Slayer or Capture the Flag. One such community-created game, that takes its name from the Diglett Pokémon, seems to have caught 343’s eye as an opportunity to test drive fixes to the game’s core mechanics.
With community Forge maps popping up on a regular basis these days, 343 Industries’ senior community manager John Junyszek put out a tweet asking for the community’s favorite Forge minigames so far. When competitive Halo player Linz shouted out Digletts, a game where players pop out of holes to take sniper shots at one another, Junyszek followed up with an interesting bit of behind-the-scenes trivia:
Kotaku has reached out to 343 Industries for more information.
As many Halo fans have known, while Infinite’s core mechanics are solid and work well, there have been issues around aiming, with many players suspecting that the game seems particularly off when trying to line up precision shots with a sniper rifle, either descoped or while aiming down sights. Whether this is due to the game’s auto-aim function that eases controller aim (and exists on most modern shooters that take controller inputs), bullet magnetism, or the notorious desync issues many players have had with Infinite isn’t totally certain. Since Diglet is a game that only features aiming and shooting, it’s a pretty perfect test environment for studying aiming behavior. Junyszek said that the “minigame has recently helped our team further test and investigate various shot registration situations, especially in regards to latency and networking. Since it’s a curated environment without many variables, it’s helped us investigate specific scenarios.”
Check out the the Diglett game mode in action here:
343 Industries / iSpiteful
Who knew RPing as a Diglet armed with a legendary anti-materiel rifle could be so productive?
If you’re reading this ahead of buying someone a new Xbox, or you already have and are getting ready to wrap it, stop! I highly recommend setting it up ahead of time, completing most of the above suggestions before you give the shiny new console to its intended recipient—especially if that recipient is a kid who will likely want to play games, not wade through menus and wait for updates to install. So at the very least, update the console and install a few games, so they can open it up, plug it in, and start playing right away!
A new console is a great gift, but an even better gift is a new console filled with games that are already set up and ready to play.
Once you’ve got your Xbox all hooked up, installed some fun new games, got your controller updated, and your TV settings sorted, it’s time to stop reading this article and go play some video games. Well, unless you wanna dig around the comments first, as I assume a few readers might have some extra tips and tricks of their own. Either way, enjoy your new Xbox!
The last few years have been fairly bursting with TV shows and movies adapted from popular games. And even more are coming down the pipeline. If you ask some fans, many of these shows have strayed too far away from their original source material, so it might be nice to hear that the producers of Amazon’s God of War TV show aim to stay “incredibly true” to its original source material: the games.
While it had been reported early this year, it wasn’t until last week that Amazon officially confirmed it was developing a TV show based on the popular and long-running God of War franchise. The PlayStation series features Kratos, a god-like Spartan warrior, running around the world killing everything. Recent games have aged him up and given him a son, changing the tone of the series and helping make it more popular than ever. And now, in an interview with Collider, Amazon Studios Head of TV Vernon Sanders explained that the upcoming streaming show will be “incredibly true to the source material” which he says has a “real emotional core.”
“We know that there’s such a passionate fanbase for God of War,” Sanders told Collider. “But the thing that we’re always looking for is whether there is a real emotional core, if there’s a real narrative story, and I think [that’s] part of what makes God of War so special.”
The Amazon TV boss continued, explaining that the newer games, while being “giant epic” adventures are still focused on telling a story about “fathers and sons, and families.” He thinks this will appeal to everyone, even people who haven’t played the games.
“So what [showrunners] Rafe Judkins and Mark Fergus and [writer] Hawk Ostby have come up with for the first season, and for the series, I think, is both incredibly true to the source material, and also compelling on its own,” explained Sanders. “So we think it’s going to be huge.”
Paramount / Xbox
Recent video game adaptations, like Resident Evil on Netflix and Halo on Paramount+, have been heavily criticized online by fans for veering too far from the original source material the shows are supposedly inspired by. And while I do hesitate to agree with angry fans online and I think adaptations should be allowed to make changes, it’s hard not to get a bit annoyed by how often the Master Chief takes off his helmet in the new Halo show. And as Sanders points out, Amazon has a good track record with adaptations that fans like, listing The Boys and Invincible as examples of how to do adaptations correctly.
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Of course, talk is cheap, and making TV shows is hard. It’s always nice to say you’ll stay true to a video game’s storyline and narrative, but it’s much harder to do when so many of the games being adapted into TV shows are mainly 20 hours of combat with about four hours of cutscenes and script. But hey, maybe God of War on Amazon Prime and The Last of Us on HBO Max will be fantastic and true to their source material. Apparently, The Last of Us is actually the greatest story ever told in a video game. Seems like that should make for a few good episodes of prestige TV?
