Summary
- The Flood, a zombie-like Halo faction, should return in Halo 7 or a horror spin-off.
- Flood outbreaks have occurred post-Covenant War, with Spartan 4 Mjölnir armor developed to combat them.
- A potential Halo horror game could focus on a Flood outbreak at an ONI research base, featuring ODSTs as vulnerable playable characters.
For over 10 years now, most new Halo installments have featured the Forerunners and their artificial soldiers or other new alien factions as the primary antagonists. From the Didact and his Promethean Knights to the Harbinger and her floating Skimmers, these new foes brought a treasure trove of lore to the Halo franchise along with some interesting gameplay mechanics. However, one classic faction has remained out of the spotlight for nearly 17 years and could be used to bring back more horror-centric elements in Halo 7 or be the backbone of a Halo horror spinoff. This faction is the all-consuming, zombie-like Flood.
The Flood in 343 Industries’ Halo
With the early activation and subsequent destruction of Halo Installation 08 at the end of Halo 3, the Flood’s threat was considered extinguished for most life in the galaxy. The dominating Gravemind was perceived to be destroyed, and most species were now well aware of the threat the Flood could cause on an ill-prepared galaxy. However, this was not the end of the Flood’s story. During the events of Halo 3 and well after the end of the Covenant War, a fleet of Covenant Separatists were stationed near Installation 05 seen in Halo 2 to wipe out the massive Flood outbreak on the ring.
Several Halo and other Forerunner installations contained Flood spore samples and even Flood pure form specimens in stasis to be experimented on in hope that a cure could be developed. As more and more of these installations were discovered post-war, several small Flood outbreaks would appear, ensuring the Flood threat continued in an albeit uncoordinated state. To combat these outbreaks, several sets of Spartan 4 Mjölnir power armor would be developed to combat Flood outbreaks and prevent the continued existence of Flood-infected Spartans, such as the Skarbnik and Steelheart armor. By 2559, the Banished caused the largest Flood outbreak seen since Halo 3 in Halo Wars 2 with the awakening of a Proto-Gravemind in the remnants of High Charity on the Ark.
Flood-infected Spartans have appeared in the multiplayer of Halo 4, Halo 2: Anniversary, and Halo Infinite.
The Potential of the Flood’s Return
Hints to the Flood’s return have appeared throughout mainline Halo games recently, such as the appearance of a Flood cylix in Halo Infinite. The Flood could make their grand return to the spotlight in Halo 7 as the awakening of the Xalanyn could herald the return of the Flood. It’s hinted that the Xalanyn are potentially immune to the Flood, so perhaps the Xalanyn could use the Flood as a tool for revenge against the Forerunner’s reclaimers, humanity. 343 Industries's rumored usage of Unreal Engine for Halo 7 could truly make the Flood the absolutely horrifying and disgusting, zombifying infections they are, similar to the Necromorphs appearance in the Dead Space remake.
If the Flood aren’t featured in Halo 7, 343 should develop a Halo horror game focused around a Flood outbreak. It could possibly be centered around a classified ONI research base that began testing on Flood spores but inevitably leads to a Flood outbreak, perhaps causing the infection of a nearby UNSC colony. People could play as ODSTs instead of Spartan 4s to make the player feel more vulnerable, as ODSTs can’t just punch Flood spores to smithereens. The ODST could witness first hand the facility succumbing to a Flood outbreak and witness grotesque transformations into Flood combat and carrier forms.
The Horrors of a Flood Halo Game
One intense scene could have the ODST interact with a character in the beginning of the game normally, but toward the end of the game, witness them as a horrifying carrier form and explode into dozens of infection forms. Throughout the game, as the colony turns into a Flood hive, the player could increasingly hear louder Flood shrills or voices from an emerging Proto-Gravemind to cause unease. An infected Spartan 4 could even serve as an unstoppable boss for the ODST to avoid, similar to Nemesis in Resident Evil 3, making this hypothetical spin-off a truly terrifying Halo game.
Halo Infinite
- Released
- December 8, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic open-world adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring.
With Network Campaign Co-Op and Mission Replay, you can relive your favorite moments, rediscover collectibles and explore the wonders of Zeta Halo on your own or with up to three other fireteam members.
Experience Halo’s celebrated multiplayer reimagined and free-to-play! With over 70 maps in matchmaking, billions of customization configurations, and countless community Forge creations to experience, Halo Infinite is the franchise’s most expansive multiplayer offering to date.
Enjoy an unprecedented variety of gameplay experiences, ranging from fast-paced intense ranked modes to whimsical mayhem in Custom Games, or even co-operative coordination in the wave-based survival mode Firefight: King of the Hill. Assemble your Fireteam and conquer every mode – Halo offers endless opportunities for teamwork, strategy, and unforgettable victories.
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
