Halo Infinite Review

Everything was pointing towards Halo Infinite being a disappointment.

The awful first showing in July 2020 hit like a Spartan elbow to the gut. The delay a month later felt like the series’ dog tags were being scraped out of the sand. Developer 343 Industries, perhaps rightfully, was questioned over whether it would elevate Halo back to the days of old, a thought that has lingered ever since Bungie moved on a decade ago.

Like Master Chief stepping back to avoid a volley of fire, the developer’s decision to regroup was a vital one. The shields have regenerated and any signs of defeat have dissipated. Halo Infinite is a stunning return to form that manages to combine fan-favorite elements of the series’ biggest successes while thrusting the franchise into new territory.

That new territory, specifically, is the Zeta Halo ring that acts as your open-world playground for much of the campaign. The influence of classic Halo: Combat Evolved mission ‘The Silent Cartographer’ is everywhere here; a level so good it’s worth hunting down to play 20 years on if you’ve not experienced it before.

You’ll drop into Zeta after a couple of hours spent establishing the scene with some linear, corridor-confined gameplay. Here, you’ll get to grips with the new grapple hook accessory, an ability that almost feels like a series staple. It naturally fits in and opens up many new possibilities for ridiculous combat moments.

It’s always been possible to do some truly heroic stuff in Halo and the grappling look just dials up that Hollywood stunt feeling even more. You will squeal when you latch onto a vehicle and launch the pilot into the abyss for the first time.

The opening section also introduces The Banished, an aggressive mercenary faction that disbanded from the Covenant in search of power. Get ready to meet the group’s high command often, mostly in hologram form, as Brute Escharum’s propaganda stretches from the first ship deck to main island pathways, his gruff voice rallying the troops everywhere you go.

“Like Master Chief stepping back to avoid a volley of fire, the developer’s decision to regroup was a vital one. The shields have regenerated and any signs of defeat have dissipated.”

While the opening sets the scene perfectly from a gameplay standpoint, there’s also hints that the narrative isn’t going to hit the Halo 2 standards of storytelling. This actually feels down to 343 Industries trying to re-establish a viable way forward after the much maligned events of Halo 5: Guardians.

Infinite applies the disinfectant and once you touch ground on Zeta, it feels like something of a reboot. Although the campaign has some memorable story moments and nice interactions between Chief and a new AI character named ‘The Weapon’, there’s a definite act of wiping the slate clean with the aim of producing a more impressive narrative arc in the future.

While the opening sets the scene perfectly from a gameplay standpoint, there’s also hints that the narrative isn’t going to hit the Halo 2 standards of storytelling. This actually feels down to 343 Industries trying to re-establish a viable way forward after the much maligned events of Halo 5: Guardians.

Infinite applies the disinfectant and once you touch ground on Zeta, it feels like something of a reboot. Although the campaign has some memorable story moments and nice interactions between Chief and a new AI character named ‘The Weapon’, there’s a definite act of wiping the slate clean with the aim of producing a more impressive narrative arc in the future.

One of the great aspects of the open-world environment is that you can get the jump on The Banished if you’re smart. You can catch the fearsome group off guard if you storm a Forward Operating Base before they react. There’s the opportunity for unique moments to occur, especially when taking into account the physics of explosive canisters that are littered around each base.

In one moment of glory, I accidentally flung my Warthog over the side of a giant hill and into a base while grunts chatted among themselves. They were disorganised and unbothered until the first bullet hit, which sprung the camp into life with explosives whizzing by.

Grunts are still hilariously crazy and will shout adrenaline-fuelled trash talk your way before cowardly running off with their tiny arms flailing about. Elites remain smart and calculated, understanding of Master Chief’s power and unwilling to commit until an opportunity shows itself.

Brutes stride forward, unnerving and unafraid, to crush the UNSC with their sheer heft. AI is smart, particularly on higher difficulties, even though there is a sense The Banished aren’t a well-drilled army.

Taking over bases and completing missions will unlock weapons and vehicles for you to experiment with. Eliminating specific targets will send special weapon variants into your arsenal for deployment. It opens up quickly. Before long you’ll be traversing Zeta’s planes with all manner of vehicles and with marines in tow, ready to cause havoc.

Zeta itself is a beautiful yet barren host. The lack of variation is disappointing and what you see early on––a combo of bright blue sky, trees, and darkened corridors––is what you will see for the majority. While Infinite is a good-looking game, it’s hard to be too impressed after we were spoiled with Forza Horizon 5 just last month. The soundtrack still rips though, especially when it kicks in as you launch an assault.

“The tight, crunchy gunplay that requires a little tactical nous is extremely refreshing in an era of twitch-and-you’re-dead shooters.”

Of course, a large portion of players will have already spent many hours playing Infinite’s multiplayer after it’s surprise launch. The tight, crunchy gunplay that requires a little tactical nous is extremely refreshing in an era of twitch-and-you’re-dead shooters.

Online play is remarkably balanced and rarely feels unfair. Although game modes and maps are limited at the moment, the foundation is here for a truly expansive competitive shooter that has the potential to dominate like it did back in the day.

The integration of Infinite’s Battle Pass needs to be ironed out as it’s confusing at present, but for those who prioritise gameplay, Halo multiplayer is back and ready to thrive for a new generation.

That feeling runs throughout Infinite. This is classic Halo. There’s superb gunplay and the promise of spectacular gameplay moments that daring players can trigger at any moment. There’s a narrative reset that pushes the series into new pastures with an experience that feels like it could be even more spectacular in future iterations.

Above all, there is now definite evidence that 343 Industries is cut out for this. Halo Infinite’s development is a story of brave decisions in the face of doubters. This is a genuine series high point that puts a foundation in place that should only be built on.