written by Rhett Quiban
The fans of the Halo franchise were divided on how they received Halo 4 and Halo 5. This mixed reception comes mostly from both of the game’s campaign and story. A handful of people say they enjoyed them, while others, not so much. Before both games, Halo titles were pretty much received with critical acclaim, with most of the criticisms drawing only from the length, or lack thereof, of the games’ campaign.
And then, in 2018, Halo: Infinite was announced.
When Microsoft and 343 Industries showcased the announcement trailer for Halo: Infinite at E3 in 2018, it was received with overwhelming praise, followed by palpable excitement. Three years after the previous game’s release, fans were finally able to get a taste of more of Halo, and that trailer was a scrumptious appetizer.
Other than being a visual pleaser, the trailer made the hearts of the fans race due to its particular feel. Somehow, this is the kind of Halo fans have been waiting for. The trailer is very reminiscent of the first Halo games—and they were right.
Halo: Infinite gathers heavy inspiration from the game that started it all—Halo: Combat Evolved. The emotional beats, story flow, putting our beloved Master Chief right in the front and center, even his armor closely resembles that of the early Halo games. This next installment will seem to take what went wrong with the previous two titles and replace it with what went right with the first ones.
What Halo: Infinite Is Going To Be About
According to everything we’ve gathered from Halo: Infinity’s marketing materials so far, it seems that the game’s story will revolve heavily around Master Chief, a departure from Halo 5’s gameplay of shuffling between playing as Master Chief and Spartan Locke. Microsoft said that Master Chief’s journey in Halo: Infinite will be his “greatest adventure yet to save humanity.”
It will be a direct continuation of Halo 5. What that means for the overall story of the game is still yet to be seen, but it’s fair to say unanswered questions from Halo 5: Guardian will most certainly be addressed here. It may take place on Installation 07, we may see the Chief face off against Cortana, we’ll most certainly encounter and learn more about the Banished, and we’ll learn what the future holds for the Infinity and her crew. And while it is a sequel and a forwarding chapter to a bigger story, Halo: Infinite is said to be a “spiritual reboot.” This game is meant to take the franchise into an entirely different and bigger direction.
343 Industries Have Listened To The Fans
343 Industries is taking the voices of the fans into account with Halo: Infinite. Regarding the gameplay shift into focusing solely on Master Chief, Studio Head of FPS Chris Lee wrote “The team also heard feedback loud and clear on the amount of time spent playing as the Master Chief in Halo 5. In Halo Infinite, the game will focus on the Master Chief and continue his saga after the events of Halo 5.”
He also noted, “The goal of the entire 343 Industries team is to make a great Halo game for our fans that also invites new players into our franchise. We will have some new and unexpected directions to take folks in and I believe the way we achieve that is to build alongside our community, iterating and improving as we go.”
It’s good to know that the studio and the development team are listening to calls of the fans. After all, it’s them this game is for. If it weren’t for the fans, Halo wouldn’t be the multi-billion dollar franchise it is today. It’s always a positive thing when a company acknowledges that and listens to what their fans have to say.
Why Halo: Infinite Is Going To Be A Big Deal For The Xbox Series X
Halo: Infinite is slated to be a launch title for the Xbox Series X come this year’s holiday season. It will also be available on PC and Xbox One, and those who purchase it for the Xbox One console will be able to experience the game on the Series X for free by using Microsoft’s Smart Delivery system. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will also be able to get their hands on the game on day one.
Considering the impressive, almost-two decade long run of the Halo franchise, it is without a shadow of a doubt that Halo: Infinite will bring massive sales numbers for Xbox’s upcoming new console. The game isn’t only aimed at long-time dedicated fans but is also marketed to target newcomers to the franchise.
Halo’s compelling world, coupled with Microsoft’s new powerful console is sure to attract the attention of the masses. Microsoft has always been dedicated to their fans, especially with their first-party games, and it looks like Halo: Infinite is going to be one of those games that not only elevates an already established franchise but also the console that it’s on.