Halo Infinite (Single Player Campaign)

Upon returning to the Halo universe, Halo Infinite feels like a welcome return home. 343 Industries was faced with an impossible task: to celebrate a 20-year legacy while laying the groundwork for future endeavours. Fortunately, they were able to do both. There’s a new planet to explore, a new extinction event for humanity to narrowly avoid, and yet another fight for Master Chief to threaten to one day win. As you may recall from previous viewings, Halo Infinite is a completely new take on the Halo franchise.

343 has been in charge of the series for a decade, but it never felt like the studio truly understood what it had in its hands. Halo 4 was too familiar, Halo 5: Guardians was too mechanically expansive, and The Master Chief Collection’s corrosive launch never healed over for many in the community. It’s a deliberate defiance in Halo Infinite’s response to such a long-running attack of criticism.

Pros:
Stellar gameplay
Impressive open world scale
Smart AI leading to fun encounters
Interesting direction for the series

Cons:
Story could be tighter
A few odd facial animations

Score – 9/10

Returning to the fundamentals of Combat Evolved, Halo Infinite reclaims the sense of discovery that has faded over time from Halo’s core gameplay. As a result, Spartan-117 is pushed out of his comfort zone and encouraged to explore the entire playground, a truly expansive experience. Free-to-play multiplayer is the final piece of the puzzle that connects the three platforms and allows players to compete against each other. It’s a bold package, no doubt about it.

After six months of slowly dismantling the UNSC, the Covenant exiles have established themselves on Zeta Halo, where they have been steadily reassembling the shattered remnants of the UNSC and putting them back together again. Get to the planetside and fight back the Banished frontline, clinging to every inch of ground as he searches for the ghosts from his own past.

Aside from a few collectible audio logs detailing life aboard the UNSC Infinity, Infinite isn’t interested in exploring what happened in the 18 months since the devastating conclusion to Halo 5: Guardians. Players who don’t have two decades of Halo’s lore memorised will find that 343 has made a concerted effort to simplify Halo to its essentials. There is a super soldier to control; an alien world to tame; a blue-hued hologram to befriend.

Halo Infinite is held in a suffocating grip by the weight of its own history. Infinite’s overarching narrative may not be appreciated by newcomers to Halo, while long-time fans may be disappointed by the lack of so many supporting characters, many of whom have become intrinsic to the Halo universe’s feel. Even though the road to the end can be a little bumpy at times, those who have been with Chief since the beginning will find the story satisfyingly resolving an arc that has been steadily building since Halo 2. And, of course, you’ll be shedding a few tears by the end of the film.

Breaking with tradition, 343 tells this story in a unique way. Halo Infinite abandons the series’ traditional cinematic structure, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. There are still long, drawn-out battles and tedious monologues, but now Chief has the chance to explore the world around him instead of being confined to a single area for hours at a time.

You can clearly see the influence of Combat Evolved missions like “Arrival” and “The Silent Cartographer” on Halo Infinite’s world, as well as its pace of exploration. With a stunning skybox and an alien superstructure that bends off into the stratosphere dominating the action, it’s hard to believe that this is a sequel. However, while Halo Infinite may not be as polished or visually detailed as some of the best Xbox Series X experiences, Installation 07 is still a beautiful place to spend time..

When it comes to “open worlds,” Zeta Halo doesn’t measure up to Borderlands, Fallout, or even Far Cry in terms of size or noise. As a result, the layout is open and simple, allowing students to progress at their own pace. New areas of the map are unlocked gradually as the plot unfolds, so you’re never left feeling daunted by the enormity of the world or the sheer number of waypoints.

Infinite is the place to go if you’re looking for a true Halo experience. It’s entirely up to you whether or not to continue down the golden path, which is punctuated by short drives in Warthogs and occasional encounters with packs of sharply-written, and surprisingly tough, Elite, Grunts, and Jackals. Imagine what the open world would have looked like if Bungie had the technology and resources back then.

To focus only on the critical path would be to completely miss the point. Because Zeta Halo is a fascinating world, you’ll want to spend some time there. It’s not because it’s overflowing with attractions; rather, it’s a naturally intriguing landscape. Playing around, using the new Grapple Shot to quickly rise to the top of the environment, or driving your favourite vehicle to search for Skulls on mountaintops and other loot cave secrets are all enjoyable ways to spend time. When you’re alone in the wilderness, you never know what you’ll come across or what chances you’ll have to deal with the Banished.

Chief’s struggle is reflected in the world’s structure and pace. At the same time that he’s racing against time to disable the Installation, he’s also attempting to gain an advantage over the Banished and rally the UNSC’s shattered remnants to his cause. Due to the overrun FOBs and Banished Strongholds, each section of the map has its own unique set of challenges.

The FOBs effectively serve as a starting point for further exploration. ” Your immediate surroundings will be revealed as soon as you retake a base. Weapon Lockers and Spartan Cores can be collected and used to upgrade your equipment (such as your Shields or Grapple Shot) in multiplayer, as well as unique cosmetics for use in single-player. Marines can be rescued (and later recruited for combat-ops). I had a great time playing for 18 hours, and the cycle of moving into an area, capturing a FOB, clearing the space of waypoints, and then moving on to the next was enjoyable.

Unlocked weapons and vehicles can also be obtained through FOBs, as can additional ammo. When Halo’s dynamic shifts to face Infinite’s more difficult enemy strongholds, packed to the rafters with devilishly sharp Banished forces, it’s here that you begin to equip yourself to push against them. Historically, Halo games have been open and reactive, but what you could accomplish in any of its sandbox arenas was ultimately governed by whatever weapons or vehicles 343 (and Bungie) made available to you.. Halo Infinite, on the other hand, makes every combat situation interpretable.

It’s mind-boggling how many options you have in Halo Infinite. Using a S7 Sniper Rifle, you can snipe Jackals at range outside a Banished facility before descending into the mayhem you’ve created. There are a number of ways to get over the defensive perimeter and rain down M41 SPNKR rockets on the Brutes. You could call in a Warthog, load it up with Marines, and drive right up to the base’s front gates with the horn blaring. The enemy AI will always respond in kind, no matter what you do. It’s demanding, kinetic, and exhilarating all at the same time.

It’s remarkable how quickly Infinite returns to its Halo roots once combat begins. Your peripheral vision is filled with swarms of enemies at varying distances and heights, as you move slowly and methodically through a frantic rush of gunfire, grenades, and melee strikes. In spite of the fact that combat is more open-ended than ever before, players will still have an entirely unique experience thanks to the game’s crafted feel. The lack of co-op at launch is even more jarring when you realise how massive Halo Infinite’s combat is.

343 decided to tone down some of the more controversial aspects of Halo 5: Guardians. The Spartan abilities have been removed from Master Chief, but he can still sprint, mantle, and aim down sights on every weapon. With this update, you can no longer shoulder-charge or use the stabiliser to hover in mid-air. The sound of your recharging energy shield dominates the landscape as you strafe in and out of fire and build momentum. Even as you use the Grapple Shot to reel yourself toward aggressors or away from danger, your movement remains grounded and tactile.

The return of Halo 3’s equipment is welcomed, but much of it is a waste of time. Only the Grapple Shot is useful, and it’s difficult to switch between your unlocks with the D-Pad in the middle of a frantic combat encounter. For the most part, the Drop Wall, Thrusters, and Threat Sensor don’t do much for you, and they’re only useful if two Hunters appear at once. Even if you’ve upgraded the lot with Spartan Cores, it’s still not enough. The Grapple Shot is a game-changing addition that makes it nearly impossible to play without it. It enhances gameplay both in and out of combat.

Infinite is a fantastic game. Retaining the grounded feel that is inherent to all good Halo games without sacrificing any of your agility and mobility is achieved through the use of weight and tactile movement. In combat, the enemy AI constantly urges you to use all of the resources at your disposal, including your own body and even the environment itself. In the long run, moving Halo’s long-standing traditions to a vast open-ended sandbox will only benefit the game’s overall scope of play.

Master Chief’s two decades of adventures have been celebrated in Halo Infinite, but the game also serves as a foundation for the game’s future. The best Halo campaign in a long time has been delivered by 343 Industries, which has taken the spirit of Combat Evolved and modernised it. Whether you’re a veteran of the Halo series or a newcomer to the series, this is one adventure that you should jump right into.