Master Chief fans have been waiting for months while 343 Industries wraps up production on the launch version ofHalo Infiniteand gets the game out the door. The sequel toHalo 5: Guardianswasoriginally expected during the holiday 2020 season, but after a series of delays, it’s finally launching now, during early December 2021.
Halo Infiniteboasts a larger map than any previous game in the franchise and a long list of side quests and optional activities that can keep players busy in the solo or cooperative multiplayer mode (when it launches next year) for many hours beyond the game’s main campaign (which clocks in at a pretty typical Halo length). The new Halo ring features a map that seemsripe for post-launch contentand it will be very interesting to see how the title evolves in the year to come.
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As for the core campaign experience,Halo Infinitedefinitely manages to breathe some fresh life into the franchise with a unique mix of linear missions andplenty of optional side quests to explore in the semi-open-worldalong the way. Nearly all of the game’s optional quests and objectives can be tackled either in between story missions or after those are all finished. This allows players to power through the main narrative as quickly as they like (probably around eight to ten hours for the average player on Easy or Normal difficulty) or to stretch out the experience and try to get as close to 100% completion before heading into the final story mission. The side missions offer Chief a chance to take back portions of the ring that the Banished control and pave the way for the UNSC to regain ground in a fight they have been losing for months.
Many of theHaloexperience hallmarks are still present and have been updated for the new console (and PC) generation. Chief is accompanied through his mission by a new AI (see thespoilery events ofHalo 4andGuardiansif the need for a Cortana replacement is confusing) and a human companion to ferry him around the new ring. The story ties heavily into the events of previousHalogames and does manage to answer many of the cliffhangers left open at the end ofGuardians, while still offering enough context to make sense to new players.
The story is emotional, personal, and is very likely to end up causing a bit of divisiveness with the fanbase. Specific spoilers will be avoided here, but suffice it to say we found ourselves emotionally invested throughout the tight campaign experience and look forward to replaying it multiple times. After the credits rolled, the game’s worldbuilding also had won us over enough that we immediately jumped back into the Finish the Fight mode to go back and capture remaining FOBs (forward operating bases) and tackle other objectives that were left incomplete during our first run through. The only real frustration with the semi-open-world experience came in the form of navigation around some massive landmarks. The map is pretty large and Chief has access to plenty of vehicles if players successfully capture FOBs throughout the map, but even with those vehicles there are still sometimes frustrating obstacles that hinder access to the next desired location.The grappleshot abilitydoes come in handy here, but even with that technology some obstacles are still far too large to scale.
Throughout the campaign, the ability rotation of grappleshot, thrusters, shield, and radar are a very fun combination of tools to play with. Players need to figure out which ability is most useful for any given encounter and sometimes quickly rotate back and forth between a few different ones as various threats approach later in the game. The only complaint about the system is that toggling between each ability can sometimes feel a bit clunky compared to ability/weapon wheels utilized in many other games. The toggle felt equally clunky on keyboard and mouse.
Although the campaign and semi-open-world experience is where many players may spend the early weeks of gameplay inHalo Infinite, the quality of its multiplayer experience is going to be crucial to the game’s staying power and legacy. Lots of players have already have a chance to experience the multiplayer thanks to the open beta and the already evolving season pass and leveling experience. It’s clear thattheInfinitemultiplayer experienceis going to require some tweaks and adjustments along the way to optimize player incentives and to make cosmetic rewards realistically achievable for players who don’t want to drop a ton of real-world money on the system. There is already a lot of drama in the multiplayer community and it will be very interesting to see how the game continues to evolve based on user feedback on the consmetic and Battle Pass leveling.
That said, outside of season pass debates, the core gameplay does seem to be delivering what Halo fans want.A few crucial game modes were missingat the start of the beta, but those are already on the way. The existing game modes provide the expected fast-paced small and large scale battles that gamers expect from theHalofranchise.
Halo Infiniteis inevitably going to see a ton of play thanks to its day one inclusion on Game Pass and the campaign is well-positioned to impress. There are plenty of mechanical, enemy, weapon, and story throwbacks for longtime fans to smirk at and the game is approachable, exciting, and endearing enough to potentially win over a whole new generation ofHalofans.
Halo Infinitereleases December 8 for PC and Xbox consoles. Game Rant was provided a PC code for this review and played the game 50% on keyboard and mouse and 50% with an Xbox One controller.
Halo Infinite
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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.
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