If you were to ask a hundred gamers what the first thing that came to them when they hear the word ‘Xbox’, most would reply with ‘Halo’. For two decades, Master Chief has been the face of Xbox – well the helmet of Xbox, to be pedantic. The original Xbox was released with Halo: Combat Evolved (or Halo, to its friends), sparking a cult-like following; only without the blood sacrifices, in most cases. With this in mind, we naturally ask ourselves ‘where the heck is Halo: Infinite?’.
With the current-generation title now visible on the horizon, we took a closer look at what we have been shown so far and hopefully answer this question, and more.
What we know about Halo: Infinite
Halo: Infinite has been described using a phrase that I have only recently seen, ‘a spiritual reboot’. What – I think – this means, is that rather than completely reset the series, 343 Industries are going to be approaching the game with a whole new outlook. Personally, I’m not a fan of the phrase. Just call a spade a spade. This means good news for fans that have been following the canonical series can carry on doing so. It’s basically just marketing jargon.
To make the most out of current technology, it has been confirmed that the game will run in 4k @ 120 FPS and also support ray tracing (which will be added with a pre-launch patch). The result is an impressive aesthetic that is sure to immerse the player in their surroundings. Halo has always impressed us with graphics, now it seems to be the time to blow our socks off; so be sure to wear two pairs of socks when you first play it.
Taking a look at the gameplay trailer (posted above), we see that Halo: Infinite carries heavy tones of Combat Evolved. While this may be seen as great news for the old-school Halo fans, it’s not so great for those that were hoping for something a little different. If there’s one fault in the Halo franchise, it’s that they all seem to look very similar. Come on, 343 Industries, show a little imagination.
Did you spot it? Yes, the menu-screen we see during the trailer shows an upgrades feature is going to make a long-overdue appearance. Adding an RPG element to the series might just be what Halo: Infinite needs to make it stand out from the rest.
Halo, is it me you’re Looking for? – Release Date
343 Industries first said that Halo: Infinite was going to be a launch title to release alongside the Series X back in 2020. However, through no fault of their own, Coronavirus reared its ugly head and delayed the coveted title. Alas, we have now been promised a release for the Fall of 2021. While we still have quite a while left, I’m sure the delay will be more than worth it as the tireless team are currently fixing bugs and buffering that Halo-typical style. Furthermore, it has been announced that there will be monthly updates following the release. What these updates actually are, we have very little clue. Still, it’s a promising sign from the renowned studio.
