written by Janica Macapagal
With the confirmation of the Xbox Series X release window of November 2020 comes the excitement from fans of the Halo franchise for the much-awaited game installment, Halo Infinite. However, as many of you now understand, the exhilaration for 343 Industries’ Halo Infinite was cut short after the announcement that the release date of the next-gen game will be delayed until next year.
Gamers around the world have been kept in suspense for the last few months as speculations on the release date of the two biggest gaming consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, circulate online.
With both consoles equally promoting their individual enhancements, it’s no wonder that the gaming community has a split-decision on which gaming platform should they get their hands into. The anticipation became even more intense after each company revealed new features of their respective consoles, as well as their exclusive games.
When Xbox announced that Halo Infinite would be delayed until 2021, we couldn’t help but wonder why? Some started to speculate that due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 based on Microsoft’s announcement, and thus considerations were made on how the sales would manifest. However, the announcement was also quite baffling since Xbox already revealed the gameplay demo just a few weeks prior. So, what is really going on? Will this decision of Xbox and 343 Industries work to their advantage? Or will it result in irreparable damage?
As claimed by 343 Industries, Halo Infinite is “the most ambitious Halo game ever”. However, after releasing the gameplay demo in July 2020, it received mixed reactions from fans. Some commented that the new installment has the same elements that made the game very nostalgic while others remark that the graphics were flat and lacks the “next-gen quality”. Perhaps the developers have taken these reactions as positive criticisms that eventually lead the decision to postpone its release. This is the most plausible reason since they have also stated on their announcement that, “more time to finish the critical work” is required.
Considering the threat that PlayStation 5 has been projecting, Sony doesn’t seem to feel intimidated by the Xbox Series X at all. Adding the uncertainty of Xbox’s success is the decision to delay Halo Infinite’s release to 2021. Now, every decision that Xbox will be making will be very crucial to the success of the Halo franchise and the Xbox Series X.
While we mourn for the “loss” of Halo Infinite release this coming November, we can somehow still be excited for the release of the Xbox Series X while patiently waiting for the Chief’s return. And though we are cringing for next year to come, not just because of Halo Infinite’s release but practically due to the massive negativity experienced in 2020 thanks to COVID-19, we can dwell and amuse ourselves with some of the features that the new console will bring this November 2020. Below are just some of the features that the Xbox Series X boasts.
- There are more than 50 new games planned for this year across console generations and optimized for Xbox Series X including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Dirt 5, Gears Tactics, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Watch Dogs: Legion.
- There are new games developed for Xbox Series X and launching with Xbox Game Pass, including console exclusives such as The Medium, Scorn, Tetris Effect: Connected, and more.
- There are more than 40 popular games newly optimized to take full advantage of Xbox Series X such as Destiny 2, Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Madden NFL 21, and more.
With the decision to delay the release of Halo Infinite, Xbox and 343 Industries will definitely need to deliver huge improvement not only on the games’ graphic but the overall quality of the gaming experience. The anticipation from the Halo franchise fans certainly adds more pressure for the game developers to deliver the best version of the game’s latest installment, and we believe this is definitely worth waiting for.