It’s impossible to talk about a new Xbox game without also talking about the state of Xbox. Microsoft’s gaming division is in freefall: Recent headlines are dominated by extensive layoffs, decimated studios, and confusing strategies, most of which stem from years of bad decisions and expensive acquisitions. But it wasn’t always that way. Through its first two generations of existence, Xbox held its own against its more established rivals Nintendo and Sony, and a big reason for that was Halo. Bungie’s shooter coupled a grand sci-fi story with nearly pitch-perfect action and single-handedly created a reason to buy an Xbox. Now, the game has go …

Read the full story at The Verge.