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As the old saying goes, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” which bodes well for Microsoft and Master Chief. Over the years, many other video game mascots have attempted to take the best of what makes Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 such an iconic character, some, more successfully than others.
9 Crysis
If Master Chief’s armor is part of the reason why he is the ultimate super-solider, then surely the nanosuit worn in the Crysis series must come a close second? With a plot that revolves around alien technology and extraterrestrial enemies, the similarities to the Halo story are hard to ignore.
Various characters have worn the nanosuit, including U.S. Army Delta Force soldier Jake Dunn AKA “Nomad,” in the original Crysis, and Delta Force Major Laurence Barnes AKA “Prophet” who featured in Crysis 2 & 3. Some of the suit’s abilities gave the wearer super strength and speed, as well as increased armor, meaning more damage could be taken during intense firefights.
8 Crackdown
Another Xbox exclusive, Crackdown places players in the shoes of The Agent. Armed with superhuman powers, The Agent could leap to the tops of tall buildings in a single bound, pick up cars and run at super speeds. One of the most addictive features of Crackdown was collecting orbs, which were used to upgrade The Agent. These made him even stronger and faster than normal.
Ironically, Crackdown also included a beta code for Halo 3, which no doubt contributed to the overall success of the game. There were 2 Crackdown sequels, but they never seemed to match the original in terms of quality or fun.
7 Destiny
When Bungie left Microsoft (and the Halo franchise) in 2010 with arguably their best Halo game, Halo: Reach, work quickly started on their next franchise, Destiny. Released in 2014, it’s fair to say Destiny has gone through many changes including the infamous removal of Peter Dinklage as Ghost in favor of Nolan North.
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There are different classes available for players to choose from in Destiny, but Titans are the closest to the Master Chief. Titan’s skills favor strength and power, and their armor resembles the famous MJOLNIR armor worn by the Spartan super soldiers from the Halo series.
6 Army of Two
Released in 2008 by EA, Army Of Two is a Co-Op 3rd person shooter featuring two loud brash characters. They are the polar opposite of the no-nonsense Master Chief, but the armor that they wear in Army of Two bears more than a passing resemblance to the armor worn by Master Chief in the Halo series.
Army Of Two spawned two sequels as well as several comics and there was even talk of a movie involving Michael Mann at one point. This sadly all came to nothing, but, for a brief period, Army Of Two was the next big thing in video games.
5 Killzone
Killzone was touted by many as the “Halo killer” before its release in 2004. Whether Killzone has ever achieved this is debatable, but the series has spawned multiple sequels across several PlayStation consoles.
The antagonist in the Killzone series is the Helghast. The soldier’s outfits, and, in particular, their helmets, are often featured on the box art. Special mention has to be made to the Killzone 3 Special Edition, which featured a collectible helmet worn by the Helghast soldiers. Maybe this was a response to the Halo 3 Legendary Edition, which also featured a replica helmet of the Master Chief.
4 Doom
Type Doom Guy and Master Chief into a search engine and there will be countless responses, such as, who would win in a fight, could Master Chief survive in Doom, and who has the best outfit? There is good reason for this, as the 2016 reboot of Doom’s lead character bears an uncanny resemblance to Master Chief.
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Despite the physical resemblance and both games being first-person shooters, Doom and Halo couldn’t be more different. Doom is a fast-paced bloody and violent adventure where special emphasis is placed on execution-style glory kills. These are integral to the players’ success as they provide additional health and ammunition.
3 Vanquish
PlatinumGames has a history of making original fast-paced games that test players’ reactions whilst providing a lot of fun. Games like Bayonetta and Nier: Automata have thrilled players and Vanquish from 2010 also falls into this camp. The campaign follows DARPA agent Sam Gideon, who wears an Augmented Reality Suit. The suit allows him to slow down time, as well as providing more agility and speed, which allows him to slide around levels.
Directed by legendary gaming developer Shinji Mikami, Vanquish is an excellent game that sadly didn’t reach a wider audience, and the initial sales figures reflected this with poor numbers. Thankfully, a tenth-anniversary edition was released in 2020 which had updated visuals and smoother gameplay.
2 Haze
PlayStation exclusive Haze has an interesting concept for its story. Set in the future, soldiers use a drug called Nectar which enhances their abilities on the battleground. Unfortunately, there are side effects including hallucinations which distort what the soldiers see on the battlefield.
Anyone who has seen the Black Mirror episode “Men Against Fire” will see the similarities in the story. Haze was hyped as a potential Halo beater, but, unfortunately, poor reviews and negative word of mouth meant the game suffered from poor sales.
1 Matt Hazard: Eat Lead The Return Of Matt Hazard
Although this entry is a character who appeared in a game, rather than technically being a mascot, it’s worth mentioning Eat Lead: The Return Of Matt Hazard from 2009. Eat Lead is a 3rd person shooter featuring the vocal talents of Will Arnett and Neil Patrick Harris.
It is also a parody of numerous video game clichés and characters, including Master Chef, which is an obvious pun of Master Chief. Although Eat Lead had mixed reviews upon its release, players may find some amusement trying to identify the many ways it pokes fun at other video games and their characters.
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