Xbox’s flagship franchise is looking to revitalize itself on this current generation of consoles. 343 Industries has been providing consistent updates on the development ofHalo Infiniteever since the vocal feedback on the campaign reveal and the announcement of the game’s delay. A year later,Halo Infinite’s first technical test is finally out to select members of the Halo Insider Program, giving players a brief glimpse of whatInfinite’s multiplayer may be like. Other than the multiplayer reveal trailer, this is the first real glimpse at in-engine multiplayer gameplay forHalo Infinite, even if it is bots-only and players can only match with teammates.
Based on first impressions, 343 Industries is changing up a lot of the classicHalomultiplayer design, though not in an entirely divergent way.Halo 5: Guardiansserved to change the wayHalomultiplayer was played significantly, butHalo Infiniteappears to be reaching an interesting middle ground. DifferentHalofans will argue what iteration of multiplayer was best; some will argueHalo 2is the peak, others will sayHalo 5was a necessary overhaul, among other preferences. Judging from theHalo Infinitetechnical preview thus far, the gameplay balance that’s been achieved inHalo Infiniteseems to be a relatively satisfying middle ground for fans.
Halo Infinite’s Technical Preview Unveils Some Big Changes
Gameplay based on theInfinitetech testalone seems to suggest the gunplay is still veryHalo 5-esque, albeit tweaked and influenced byHalogames of the past. At first glance, things like a longer time-to-kill, the ability to sprint and slide, among little things like largely universal aim-down-sights, are 343 Industries' efforts in modernizingHalo. Not all of these changes are widely positive, and some hardcore fans may believe that these features compromise the spirit ofHalo. However, compared to some of the more controversial changes inHalo 5like ground-pounding and dashing,Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is shaping up to be a very promising midpoint for fans.
A longer TTK brings thingsmore in line with the multiplayer experience ofHalo 2/3, with quicker health regeneration encouraging aggressive plays. The gameplay pace is still pretty accelerated compared to examples likeHalo 3, but it’s nowhere close to the comparatively breakneck pace ofHalo 5’s multiplayer. Adding in a simple slide out of sprint allows for some miniscule movement options, but since sprint speed and strafe speed are so similar, these movement options aren’t entirely necessary. This way, fans ofHalo’s strafing-encouraged movement aren’t entirely discouraged to play the game that way, while others only get a slight boost from sprinting to cover space.
Academy Training is Perfect for New Players in Halo Infinite
Altogether, the gameplay experience inHalo Infiniteis a bit faster than the usually methodical, strafing-heavy approach fromHalogames of old. That’s not inherently a bad thing, as it does help make the game comparable to other modern competitive shooters. At least from the technical test, it seemsHalo Infinite’s also takinga similar approach to games likeValorantby introducing aim training and trials. Beyond the basic tutorial,Halo Infiniteis including different weapon-specific trials, with customization options to adjust the challenge. Additionally,Halo Infinite’s “Academy” can assist with some importantHalo-specific fundamentals to improve play.
Franchises likeCall of Duty,Battlefield, andHalohave been mainstay shooters in the FPS genre, mostly because these franchises helped form the genre. However, newer generations and new players in general are often at a disadvantage when they’re not super familiar with previousHalogames.Halogames play very differently, not only from one another, but from other first-person shooters in general. Giving playersmore avenues to learn the fundamentals ofHalo Infinite, as well as being able to consistently train to get better at aiming, equipment, specific weapons, and more. All of these features included in a free-to-play package makesHalovery accessible.
A Promising New Direction for Halo
That’s potentially the best thing forHalo Infiniteas the game’s release approaches. While many will undoubtedlyshell out for the full game to experience the campaign, the multiplayer being entirely free is definitely huge forHalo, especially during a time where it’s been out of the FPS spotlight for a long time. For returning fans, the multiplayer gameplay available thus far in the technical preview shows what an interesting balance 343 Industries is going for withHalo Infinite. The game is rolling back some of the more experimental changes made inHalo 5, modernizing some of the old-school omissions, whilst also maintaining the game’s classic spirit for the most part.
It’ll be interesting to see what fan feedback will be like when a full multiplayer beta forHalo Infinitelaunches, where players are actually playing legitimate PvP, instead of bots. Granted theHalo Infinitetechnical preview was largely designed to test the effectiveness of the bot design,Halo Infinite’s true multiplayer potential will shinein the first beta test. That being said, the reception of the technical test thus far has been largely positive, boding well for the next true test of the spiritual reboot.Halo’s been gone a long time, butHalo Infinitemay inspire an entirely new popularity and direction for the iconic sci-fi Xbox shooter.
Halo Infinitereleases in fall 2021, for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
