Halo Infinite

Synopsis

Halo Infinite takes place in 2560 on the damaged Forerunner ringworld Installation 07, also called Zeta Halo. The story follows Master Chief John-117, a UNSC Spartan, as he attempts to stop Cortana, his former AI partner who rebelled alongside other artificial intelligences after seizing control of ancient Forerunner Guardians. Opposing both Cortana and the UNSC is the Banished, a mercenary group led by the Brute Atriox. In December 2559, the UNSC ship Infinity arrives at Zeta Halo and is ambushed by Banished dreadnoughts.

While defending the hangar, Master Chief is surprised by Atriox and defeated in single combat, then thrown into space. Six months later, a UNSC pilot finds the Chief drifting. Though the pilot wants to escape, the Chief insists on fighting the Banished. On the damaged ring, Master Chief finds the Weapon, an AI designed to mimic Cortana in order to capture and delete her.

The Weapon claims she succeeded in her mission but failed to self-destruct. The Chief retrieves the Weapon and sees residual data containing Cortana’s memories and thoughts. The multiplayer mode has a seasonal story about Spartan Commander Laurette Agryna training new Spartans after Cortana’s attacks on UNSC bases.

Development

Developer 343 Industries produced Halo Infinite as part of the Reclaimer Saga, initially planned as a trilogy. The studio drew inspiration from games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for its open world design, allowing players to explore a large area with freedom to complete the game in any order. After criticism that Halo 5 did not include enough of Master Chief, 343 Industries promised to refocus on the character. The game uses the new Slipspace Engine, with basic development tools called Faber, parts of which dated back to the early 2000s and had been used for Bungie's Halo games; its coding became notoriously difficult to use, considered technical debt. 343 Industries relied heavily on hiring contract workers, estimated to make up half the studio, and due to Microsoft's policy limiting contract workers to 18 months, the number of workers gradually fell.

The game suffered from creative instability, with the studio described as split into fiefdoms, and conflicting decisions resulted in four or five games being developed simultaneously. Two-thirds of the planned game was cut by summer 2019, severely removing some of the initial vision. The planned November 2020 deadline to be a launch game for the Xbox Series X/S was deemed impossible to meet. Development director Frank O'Connor stated in August 2019 that the game was being built to play and look fantastic on Xbox One, with enhancements on Xbox Series X/S.

Release

Halo Infinite was announced in a trailer at E3 2018 for Xbox One and Windows, with all scenes running in-engine. At E3 2019, it was confirmed as a launch game for next-generation Xbox consoles. In January 2020, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty confirmed no immediate plans for Xbox Series X exclusives at launch, preferring to phase out older hardware compatibility over a longer period. The COVID-19 pandemic forced developers to remote work.

After the Xbox Games Showcase on July 23, 2020, 343 Studio Head Chris Lee stated a public beta was unlikely due to the pandemic, despite Microsoft's earlier E3 2018 statement. On July 31, 2020, it was announced the multiplayer portion would be free-to-play. On August 11, 2020, the game was delayed to an undefined date in 2021 due to factors including the pandemic; Microsoft initially planned to split the game into several parts but decided against it.

Reports indicated heavy outsourcing to external developers contributed to the delay. In December 2020, 343 Industries announced a late 2021 release, later giving a December 8, 2021 date. The multiplayer beta released on November 15, 2021, coinciding with the franchise's 20th anniversary.

Reception

Halo Infinite received generally favorable reviews from critics, according to Metacritic. The multiplayer beta release in August 2021 received praise for gameplay improvements, though the Battle Pass system was criticized for slow progression; 343 adjusted it to speed up progress. GamesRadar summarized it as Halo as you've never seen it before, and Eurogamer called it the best the series has been in a decade. TechRadar called it a triumph, praising the captivating story and liberating gameplay.

IGN believed the series still belongs among the best shooters, praising the single-player campaign and multiplayer, though finding Battle Pass rewards lackluster. The open world design and greater player freedom received particular praise. GameSpot praised the grappleshot feature and rewarding progression system. PCMag complimented the soundtrack for mixing atmospheric exploration music, thrilling combat tracks, and compositions in between.

PCGamesN praised the feel of each gun and engaging arsenal variety. PC Gamer was mixed on level design, finding it evoked the mission Halo from Combat Evolved but felt inferior to earlier designs. Rock Paper Shotgun liked the world design but criticized the plot as held back by prior entries. Game Informer selected it as their Game of the Year. By January 2022, Halo Infinite had reached 20 million players.