Summary
Experimenting with an open-world structure for the first time in franchise history,Halo Infinite’s campaign took the series in a bold new direction that worked surprisingly well. Though it certainly wasn’t perfect,Halo Infinite’s open-world structurefelt like a natural evolution of the originalHalotrilogy’s more open-ended levels, and with satisfying new traversal gadgets like the Grappleshot, exploration felt fluid and fun.
But whileHalo Infinite’s open-world activities and gameplay mechanics were high points of praise among critics and fans, the campaign’s story was the mode’s biggest shortcoming. Though serviceable on the whole, with some nice personal moments between the Master Chief and Weapon sprinkled in,Halo Infinite’s story lacked a strong narrative direction, and there’s one controversial story decision an eventual sequel can’t make again.
The Next Halo Should Keep its Focus on One Main Villain
Beating Atriox Off-Screen in Halo Infinite Was a Double-Edged Sword
First introduced in2017’sHalo Wars 2, Atriox was an ex-Covenant soldier who – after witnessing the deaths of countless Brute brothers-in-arms – was banished for his heretical beliefs. Atriox managed to escape from his confinement and quickly rounded up fellow ex-Covenant warriors, forming a new faction known as The Banished. InHalo Wars 2, Atriox is consistently shown to be an incredibly powerful, dangerous threat to humanity, teeing it up perfectly forHalo Infinite’s campaign.
Marketed asHalo Infinite’s big bad before launch, Atriox makes an extremely memorable appearance at the start of the campaign. After being ambushed by Banished ships, the Master Chief is forced to board Atriox’s ship and face the Brute leader in a one-on-one melee. Surprisingly, Atriox wins the fight, throwing the Master Chief out into space. Six months later, the Master Chief is rescued, and he quickly discovers that Atriox was caught in an explosion triggered by Cortana on Zeta Halo, and that he’s presumed dead. Whenthe Master Chief arrives on Zeta Halo,he faces off against the remaining Banished leaders who used to work under Atriox.
On one hand, beginningHalo Infinitewith such a dramatic chain of narrative events is a great way to spice up the usualHaloformula. The Master Chief is rarely shown losing a fight, and starting the game with both the Chief and the player on the back foot is a fascinating dynamic for the franchise. But on the other hand, the decision to kill Atriox off-screen leaves the game without a major antagonist, and means that the player never gets to enact their cathartic revenge. WhileHalo Infinite’s post-credits sceneconfirms that Atriox isn’t dead, it doesn’t helpInfinite’s lack of a compelling villain.
Halo Can’t Use This Same Trick Twice
Halo Infinitehaving the Master Chief get thrown out into space and ‘killing’ Atriox off-screen was an effective dramatic beat in the moment, as many fans weren’t expecting it. Naturally, if the nextHalorepeated the same story beat where its villain gets defeated off-screen, it wouldn’t have nearly the same impact. Instead,the nextHalogameshould go out of its way to set up its main villain, highlight them throughout the campaign, and deliver a satisfying conclusion to their story, one that probably sees the player take them down and save the day in classicHalofashion.
Halo Infinite
WHERE TO PLAY
When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic open-world adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring.With Network Campaign Co-Op and Mission Replay, you can relive your favorite moments, rediscover collectibles and explore the wonders of Zeta Halo on your own or with up to three other fireteam members.Experience Halo’s celebrated multiplayer reimagined and free-to-play! With over 70 maps in matchmaking, billions of customization configurations, and countless community Forge creations to experience, Halo Infinite is the franchise’s most expansive multiplayer offering to date.Enjoy an unprecedented variety of gameplay experiences, ranging from fast-paced intense ranked modes to whimsical mayhem in Custom Games, or even co-operative coordination in the wave-based survival mode Firefight: King of the Hill. Assemble your Fireteam and conquer every mode – Halo offers endless opportunities for teamwork, strategy, and unforgettable victories.
