Halo Infinite, it’s a faith-based decision. 343 ventured to implement the tried-and-true Halo formula—the battle magic golden triangle that its predecessor had perfected—across a simulated open world. It might have taken a terrible turn. Just a year ago, the campaign’s appearance led me to believe it was successful. To my surprise, however, 343 made a perfect landing – much like Master Chief did when he crashed into the new, enigmatic Halo ring that serves as the backdrop for Infinite.
Although I felt Halo 5: Guardians accomplished a lot, it seems like 343 has attempted to move beyond it as it lays out the course of Halo’s future. Set chronologically after the contentious events of Halo 5, Infinite is a spiritual reinvention of the series that draws influence from Bungie’s groundbreaking Halo: Combat Evolved in terms of tone, aesthetics, and location as well as gameplay mechanics.
It’s also first perplexing, and as a fan of Halo who has read one of the novels, I say that. The opening scene of Infinite shows Master Chief drifting in space close to Zeta Halo, one of the galaxy’s oldest and most enigmatic Halo rings. After dusting him off, a pilot pulls him into a Pelican. Master Chief says, “Status report,” in his usual matter-of-fact manner. Before it even tries to provide a response, Infinite procrastinates for the next fifteen or so hours.
It has been six months since the UNSC and the Banished, a faction of the Covenant alien army under the exceptionally stern War Chief Escharum, fought a war on Zeta Halo. Uncertain as to what transpired, why, or to whom, Master Chief manages to battle his way off a banished spacecraft and lands on Zeta Halo in order to incite a counterattack.
This scenario is reminiscent of the famous first few missions of Halo: Combat Evolved, so fans of the game will feel right at home. Halo Infinite is made even better by the presence of one of the best first-person shooter missions ever made: Silent Cartographer.
The Weapon is an AI that was designed to beat Cortana and then erase herself. Master Chief’s first task is to acquire it. This, for whatever reason, did not occur. As Master Chief’s constant companion, The Weapon appears as a chirpy voice in his thoughts and, often, as a holographic projection that emerges from his palm to unlock doors.
Before long, Halo Infinite becomes clear to you as to what type of game it is. You find yourself on the fragmented portion of Zeta Halo, teeming with renegade Banished who are up to no good. Though there are plenty of goals to do on the map, the similarities between Halo Infinite and Ubisoft open-worlds end there. The play area in Halo Infinite is much smaller than that of an Assassin’s Creed or a much Cry. Furthermore, it’s not really an open universe. The several “islands” of the ring are initially disconnected; this is similar to Metroid Prime in that you may unlock additional features and explore new locations as you finish important narrative tasks. The voyage there isn’t exactly Breath of the Wild, but eventually the whole globe is yours to explore anyway you see appropriate.
Considering how much Halo Infinite depends on its amazing combat, I believe this was a wise choice. Oh, the fighting! As fantastic as fighting has become in Halo since Bungie abandoned the series to focus on Destiny, this is it. It’s unquestionably 343’s greatest work, a return to the fundamentals of combating aliens that mostly relies on enjoyable physics systems crashing into one another. Most of the weapons are accurate in feel and sound, and they all have a purpose in the sandbox (including the much-maligned Disrupter). The legendary assault weapon of Master Chief douses adversaries in bullets like to a drummer tapping a trap. Even a couple beloved weaponry from earlier series installments are gladly back in the mix.
Saying that Infinite’s combat gives you the impression of being a super soldier gone crazy is the best way to describe it. Although you may select which combat scenarios to engage in and how to approach them, Halo Infinite excels when Master Chief charges into the melee against overwhelming odds and takes down targets. Halo Infinite masterfully, comfortingly, and gratifyingly manages to make combat work on this bold new planet. In The Watchmen, what did Rorschach say? “You’re locked up in here with me.” That’s that, however instead of a jail, it’s across the shattered remnants of a Halo ring.
I believe that 343 has strategically placed power coils of different strengths across Zeta Halo. You are free to fire, lob, and generally have a fun with these exploding barrels. Watch the sparks fly as you throw one at a bunch of Banished people. There’s plenty of sparkles in Infinite! The reason these coils are here at all is absurd. The first thing I would do if I were the Banished and knew Master Chief was after me would be to conceal anything he may use to inadvertently or intentionally blow me up.
I’m going to drag that purple coil in my direction like I’m Scorpion executing his signature “Get over here!” motion. Indeed, the grappleshot is a delightful new tool for Master Chief. Master Chief becomes a sturdily built Spider-Man thanks to this masterfully designed toy. Pull yourself toward your adversaries, draw weapons toward you, launch yourself into the air, and then fire rockets at your targets. Better still, grab onto a car, remove the pilot, and wreck havoc in the fighting zone underneath it. Avoid the car blowing up by jumping out and grappling towards a Brute to deliver a melee finisher to the face. Craig deserves this courageous death.
The danger sensor and thruster are two of Master Chief’s other new gadgets that are easy to overlook because of how amazing the grappleshot is. Although I can always access them with a few button click, I seldom use them since I find the grappleshot to be more enjoyable and seems like a more necessary tool. The goal of the game is to have fun.
This is fortunate as well, since the campaign may sometimes seem monotonous and, in the latter third, a little tedious. I believe there are a few factors involved in this. The first is that there is only one biome in which Halo Infinite may exist. You explore Forerunner-built interiors during major quest objectives, which are the only things that break up the typical Halo landscape of the northwest United States with its forests, streams, hills, and cliffs (had to love those Forerunner doors, however!). Customized Banished outposts from 343 provide some variation, but these play areas aren’t really spectacular. You may assume what you would expect from infinite being placed on top of and inside of a Halo ring.
There are also issues with pace. Beyond the thrill of combat, Halo Infinite lacks intrigue and excitement despite having a ton of side objectives, collectibles that unlock weapon types, additional vehicles you may spawn, and more powerful skills (like the ability to upgrade that amazing grappleshot, for example). The extra goals of liberating a Forward Operating Base (FOB), killing a valuable Banished target, and rescuing a group of UNSC hostages seem a little one-note.
The majority of main quest missions are place indoors, although they do provide a more conventional, linear Halo campaign experience with some amazing set pieces. A few of the primary missions also seem like busywork. ‘Go here and do this’ is a common refrain throughout Infinite’s marketing. There comes a moment in the game when you have to do the same task four times within four similar Forerunner constructions scattered around the globe. It’s unfortunate that 343 hasn’t quite succeeded in crafting a very unforgettable Halo mission set in the open world.
Furthermore, the tale is just gibberish. Unfortunately, it is Halo! Master Chief seldom speaks at all, and there are widespread AIs and ancient aliens that mumble in riddles. The main antagonist, Escharum, often appears in enormous holographic form to taunt Master Chief, much to a pro-Wrestling WWE wrestler trash-talking before a match. It’s funny how Master Chief never answers back. One of the main characters opens up to Master Chief in a cutscene. All Master Chief does in this “conversation” is maintain schtum, yet his silence is enough to induce a stunning admission. I’m rather pleased; Master Chief seems like a nice fit for a journalist.
Additionally, Infinite has that feature in some games where the plot requires you to do tasks that are essentially engineering-related. Master Chief brings a ton of weapons to the table, as is his desire, but you do have to go through hours of The Weapon telling you that even if she’s not entirely sure why something is acting a certain way, you should blow it up nevertheless as she tries to figure it out. With no words said, Master Chief invariably concurs, and you go with your mission, carrying a plasma grenade. Things do happen in the plot, for sure, but apart from the challenge it presented, the spectacle of my surroundings, and the excitement of the battle, none of it really disturbed me. The finale, in my opinion, was a pointless exercise that did not adequately address the pressing issues raised by Infinite; instead, it chose to establish the framework for what I believe will be future story-related DLC. Recall that this halo is infinite.
After playing the preview version of Halo Infinite, my main concern was if the game’s campaign had enough substance to support the transition to a somewhat open environment. If there’s nothing intriguing to discover, why explore? Fortunately, I believe that spark can be found in Halo Infinite, however it will take some effort to locate it.
A few times, in the midst of sifting through map icons, I stumbled onto unmarked spots of intrigue, including caverns and Forerunner chambers that were worth exploring more. Some of these places have seen 343 experiment with environmental storytelling, which got me thinking about what more the ring could have to offer. Since the magic is in their discovery, I won’t reveal any of them here. The important thing is that they exist. It’s wonderful that there are also a few secret surprises for Halo lovers.
This is the primary reason I returned to Halo Infinite’s campaign as soon as I completed it. A fascinating mystery lies somewhere in between those map symbols, and isn’t that the whole purpose of Silent Cartographer? being on a foreign planet and not understanding the who, what, or why of it all. settling the dispute and bringing the struggle to a close. At its core, Halo Infinite is all about that.
If nothing else, you can always count on the golden triangle, which consists of Master Chief, his rifle, grenades, and Gravity Hammer. This time, you may have your own terms and it’s going to be the greatest in ten years.