Halo Infinite campaign review: A masterpiece that's familiar, yet fresh, in all the right ways

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Hail to the Primary

Halo Infinite campaign review: A masterpiece that'south familiar, nonetheless fresh, in all the correct ways

A Not bad Journey yous can't miss.

Halo Infinite Source: Windows Central

While near dominant game franchises don't stay that way forever, the vast bulk of them still enjoy healthy popularity and consistent success fifty-fifty after the gilt years are in the rearview mirror. Halo, Microsoft's flagship sectional Xbox franchise, is an exception. The serial has consistently struggled to win over the hearts of players always since developer Bungie left Halo to create Destiny, and while there is a lot to dear in Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians, many of the radical shifts in gameplay, story management, and presentation that 343 Industries put forth left much of Halo'due south core fanbase feeling alienated.

It's articulate that if Microsoft and 343 Industries wanted Halo to be successful again, future titles needed to respect the legacy and formula that made Halo so special to begin with. Nonetheless, it also had to offer something fresh that would attract the attention of new and veteran audiences alike. It's an unenviable claiming, only it seems 343 Industries has risen to come across it with its ambitious new campaign that navigates that narrow middle ground betwixt new and old.

Halo Infinite is familiar yet fresh, traditional however novel — it's everything a veteran or a new thespian could ever want from a Halo campaign experience, and I tin can't recommend it plenty. After spending a week with information technology, I tin say it, combined with the free-to-play Halo Infinite multiplayer experience that recently launched on Halo: Gainsay Evolved's 20th Anniversary, makes for one of the best Xbox games ever fabricated.

Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite (Campaign)

Bottom line: Halo Infinite is a astounding game that completely exceeded my expectations. By seamlessly blending heady new elements with Halo'due south traditional formula, 343 Industries has crafted its magnum opus.

The Good

Excellent story and characters
Superb overall gameplay
Nifty dominate fights
Expertly-crafted open world
Gorgeous visuals and incredible sound

The Bad

The Harbinger could have been explored more
Some boss fights could employ tweaks
Not enough ecology diverseness

Disclaimer: This review was made possible by a review build provided by Microsoft. The company did not run across the contents of the review before publishing.

Halo Infinite review: Story and characters

Halo Infinite Source: Windows Central

Category	Halo Space
Championship	Halo Infinite
Developer	343 Industries
Publisher	Microsoft
Genre	Shooter
Xbox Version	Xbox Serial X\|S, Xbox 1
Game Size	48.4GB
Play Time	xx-30 hours
Players	Singleplayer
Xbox Game Pass	Yep
Launch Price	$60

While Halo 5 was disappointing for many reasons, its biggest misstep was arguably with its writing. Its messy and confusing plot made it difficult to digest, and the decision to bring Cortana back every bit a galactic dictator after the beautifully-executed conclusion to her story arc in Halo four left virtually players, myself included, feeling extremely dissatisfied. The game also had a significant lack of meaningful graphic symbol development, making it even harder to connect with the narrative.

With Halo Infinite, 343 industries has crafted a "soft reboot" story that largely glosses over the complications of Halo 5, taking its salvageable elements and reforging them into a new narrative that isn't held back by the mishaps of its predecessor. Halo Space begins in 2560, two years later the events of Halo 5. Primary Primary, adrift in space, is found and rescued past "The Airplane pilot," a survivor of a mysterious conflict on the Zeta Halo ring between the UNSC, the Banished, and Cortana. At present, having emerged victorious, the Banished have plans to use the Halo ring to accomplish their goals. It's up to Master Chief, alongside The Airplane pilot and The Weapon — an AI created by the UNSC to defeat Cortana — to stop them.

It'south a simple premise, but in that location's cipher incorrect with that — peculiarly after Halo 5. Also, plot is just a vehicle for the nigh important role of any story: the characters. And Halo Infinite's characters are nothing brusque of superb.

Main Chief is, unsurprisingly, the star of the game's bandage. His heroic stoicism and resolve to do what'due south right is equally alluring every bit it's always been. But something that elevates Chief's character to fifty-fifty greater heights in Halo Infinite are the moments where he abandons his typical stoicism and shows how thoughtful he is. In that location's quite a big heart underneath that dilapidated titanium armor, and throughout Halo Infinite, Chief doesn't hesitate to show information technology when his allies expect to him for guidance, reassurance, or understanding. He's still a man of few words, but his body language and the words he does speak are rich with depth and complexity.

At Chief Chief's side are The Airplane pilot and The Weapon, both of which are just too-written equally Chief himself. The Airplane pilot's resilient spirit and desire to return to the family he loves correspond the humanity that Master is fighting to protect, and while I don't want to get into much detail about The Weapon's office in the story, I will say that her dialogue is every bit as nuanced and layered as Principal's is.

Halo Infinite's narrative had me enthralled from beginning to end.

Notably, the protagonists aren't the only highlights. In fact, some of Halo Infinite's best moments involve Escharum, the leader of the Banished forces on Zeta Halo. Much like Master himself, Escharum is a legendary warrior worn downwardly by age and years of savage fighting. Excited by the prospect of defeating humanity's best in his final years, he challenges Chief, eager to testify that the promise the Spartan inspires in others is misplaced. In many ways, Escharum's dialogue sounds theatrical, reminding me of Halo 2's "space opera" narrative structure. Many of the bosses yous encounter throughout the experience have their own singled-out personalities and motivations equally well, calculation additional flavor to the journeying.

The just grapheme that didn't completely win me over was The Harbinger, who I felt should have been explored more thoroughly. With that said, every other attribute of the narrative was exemplary, and I can't look to see where the developers take the story moving forrard.

Halo Infinite review: Gameplay

While many players did want something new after the Halo 3 and Halo: Accomplish era, most felt that Halo 4 and 5's emphasis on a redundant sandbox and advanced mobility abilities was disappointing. The developers solved this issue in Halo Infinite past combining the sandbox with the serial' traditionally linear gameplay systems and expertly adapting them to an open globe-mode design.

The open spaces of Zeta Halo are where Halo Infinite shines brightest.

If you would prefer to play Halo Infinite like a traditional Halo game, y'all can. In that location are no capricious restrictions that force you to engage with the open up world, and the main campaign missions are linear experiences that take place across a diverseness of well-designed indoor and outdoor locations. Halo Space's snappy gunplay, dynamic enemy AI, and refined sandbox are arguably some of the best in the franchise's history, ensuring that every encounter offers the beloved "30 seconds of fun" that Halo is known for.

Where Halo Infinite truly shines is in the open spaces of Zeta Halo. The series, at it's core, offers up a dynamic experience where choices made past both the player and enemy AI ensure that encounters never play out the same way twice. With Halo Infinite, the developers have practical that principle on a massive calibration, creating an open up world that truly feels incommunicable to predict. Banished troops dynamically patrol the band in an endeavor to hunt y'all down, and no enemy squad is the same equally the concluding. Enemy spawns and weapons also shift based on the fourth dimension of day and what weapons or vehicles you're using, ensuring that there's always a fun and balanced challenge close by. Zeta Halo itself is full of terrain variety. Equally you play, you lot'll detect yourself traversing everything from wide-open fields and grassy plains to steep mountains and hazardous ravines.

In that location are numerous fun activities to do in the open world as well. This includes recapturing UNSC outposts that you can apply to fast travel and spawn yourself weapons, vehicles, and reinforcements, assaulting several unique Banished outposts, assassinating mortiferous Banished officers to unlock their modified weapons, and rescuing squads of UNSC Marines that will fight alongside you lot in future battles. There are as well tons of collectibles to find, such equally UNSC and Banished sound logs, skulls that alter the gameplay experience, mysterious Forerunner artifacts, corrective unlocks that yous can utilise in Halo Space's multiplayer, and Spartan Core items that can be used to upgrade Chief Chief's equipment items. You may even discover some hidden mini-dungeons and other secrets during your adventure. Zeta Halo is but a boom to explore and interact with, and it rewards the time you invest into information technology generously.

I would be remiss not to mention Halo Infinite's boss fights, which are paced well and encourage players to get creative with the sandbox tools at their disposal. Unlike previous Halo bosses that usually ended up being bullet sponges regardless of strategy, Halo Infinite's tin can be taken downward in a timely manner with the right combination of impairment types and equipment pieces. The fights can be a footling as well tough on higher difficulties like Heroic or Legendary, merely they're overall great.

Halo Infinite review: Visuals and audio

Halo Infinite Source: Windows Primal

Presentation-wise, Halo Infinite is zero brusque of gorgeous — especially when played at 4K 60FPS on an Xbox Serial X. Zeta Halo is total of what feels like an impossible number of breathtaking vistas, to the point where it was hard to not accomplish for my screenshot push every 10 seconds. Its unimaginably vast fields of vibrant flora and crystal clear bodies of water are contrasted starkly past both the intimidating silverish and crimson facilities of the Banished and the numerous metallic hexagonal pillars that Zeta Halo'due south automatic systems are using to temporarily hold damaged portions of the band together. At sure locations, it's even possible to view where the abyss of outer space, created by the ring'south partial devastation, meets the bright blue sky. Upon seeing this grand and bizarre view for the first time, I was transfixed.

Presentation-wise, Halo Infinite is zilch brusk of gorgeous.

In terms of biomes, Zeta Halo has a decent variety that offers players a break from its standard "Pacific Northwest Woodland" surround. Throughout the open world, players will besides come beyond marshy swamplands, mountainous regions, and war-torn "deadlands" that are devoid of life and filled with the skeletons of destroyed UNSC craft that were stripped for parts by the Banished long ago. It's disappointing that there aren't any sandy or snowy regions in the game, but I'g not that bummed out near information technology. Peradventure we'll get to visit locations like this in campaign DLCs.

Halo Space'due south interior areas expect stunning besides, with the aggressive ruby-red lighting of materiel-filled Banished bases contrasting sharply confronting the pristine elegance and soft blue illumination of Zeta Halo's Forerunner facilities. The various caves y'all tin notice throughout the open up world are lit only by your flashlight and abandoned low-cal sources that belonged to previous explorers, giving them a distinctly eerie atmosphere.

Halo Infinite'southward soundtrack is besides incredible, to the indicate where information technology may actually be my favorite in the series. Composers Gareth Coker, Curtis Schweitzer, and Joel Corelitz masterfully blended archetype Halo motifs with bold new ideas, creating a soundtrack that's quintessentially Halo while also pushing the music of the franchise in exciting new directions.

Halo Infinite's soundtrack is, hands downwards, one of the franchise's all-time scores.

The game's sound furnishings and voice lines deserve mountains of praise, likewise. Each weapon and vehicle in Halo Infinite sounds immensely powerful, which in plough makes each weapon and vehicle incredibly satisfying to employ confronting the Banished. Steve Downes, Nicolas Roye, and Jen Taylor deliver standout voice acting performances as Master Chief, The Pilot, and The Weapon, respectively. There are too an unimaginable amount of voice lines for Banished and UNSC troops, giving allies and enemies alike wonderful nuggets of memorable personality. I'll never forget the fourth dimension when an Elite Ultra smugly stated "Nobody fights my troops and survives!" over my corpse after 1 of his subordinates gunned me down with his Pulse Carbine.

Everything about Halo Infinite's presentation, from its graphics to its score to its sound effects and voice lines, is immaculate. The game may not exist amongst the best in the industry when information technology comes to raw texture quality, but in terms of art direction, music, and sound design, Halo Infinite is a cut to a higher place most other titles.

Halo Infinite review: Bottom line

Halo Infinite Source: Windows Fundamental

While 343 industries has struggled to steer Halo in the right direction always since the launch of Halo 4 in 2022, the studio has finally come up into its ain with Halo Infinite. The game successfully honors Halo's narrative, gameplay, and presentation legacies while also incorporating fresh ideas into the experience that exhale new life into the 20-year-sometime franchise.

In that location's simply no other mode to put it: Halo Infinite is a masterpiece. And whether y'all're a seasoned Halo veteran or a newcomer that'due south interested in seeing what the hype is all about, this campaign is a Smashing Journey you would be foolish to miss.

Halo Infinite

Halo Space (Campaign)

Lesser line: Halo Infinite'due south campaign honors the series' legacy masterfully while also pushing the franchise in assuming new directions. It'southward a masterpiece through and through.

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Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland Academy graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he'due south been an gorging fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.