Update: Forget watching campaign videos, our full Halo Infinite review is now live for your enjoyment. Is the game worth buying? read on to find out
A brace of Halo Infinite campaign game footage is doing the rounds on the internet, showcasing the type of action we can expect from the single-player mode of the next main Halo game. And it looks very promising.
The videos come courtesy of IGN and GameInformer, who both got a detailed look at Halo Infinite's campaign, with both videos showcasing how Infinite is both the Halo we know and love but also something new as well.
Taking place on Zeta Halo, one of the larger ring installations in the Halo universe, Infinite looks a lot like the original Halo: Combat Evolved in terms of having open space with installation occupied by alien enemies. Only this time with significantly upgraded graphics and a varied arsenal of weapons and abilities.
Most notable is the Grappleshot, basically a wrist-mounted grappling hook that Master Chief, aka Spartan 117, can use to not only hoist himself up to higher areas but to also pull objects and even enemies towards him.
One slick use of the Grappleshot is to hit the energy shield held by a Jackal enemy, thereby exposing their vulnerable bodies to a barrage of bullets or plasma fire. In a way, it's a new take on sniping through the gaps in the shields that was one of the standout parts of previous Halo games.
A lot of the action will look familiar to anyone who’s played the first four or so main Halo games and the excellent Halo Reach. In fact, the movement from open land into bases and structures is very reminiscent of Reach’s action. The cohort of Covenant enemies are all present, from mewling grunts to shielded Elites and savage, charging Brutes. And the Warthog jeep and Scorpion tank, among other recognizable vehicles, are also featured.
This is all very promising, as later Halo games tended to move away from some of the wider spaces or the freedom to attack from different angles of their predecessors, and introduced too many battles basically figuring overly similar enemies. And from this writer's perspective, the campaigns lacked some epic set piece clout, with Halo 5: Guardians feeling a little like a Call of Duty game than the Halos of old.
But developer 343 Industries doesn’t seem content with simply making a spiritual successor to the original Halo. Rather, the developer is adding open-world elements to it, which the new campaign videos help show off some more.
While Zeta Halo won’t offer a true open-world, there'll be islands and segments that players are free to explore and tackle missions, such as rescuing stranded UNSC Marines, in whatever order they like. And the ability to call in vehicles looks set to add variation to how you get around these areas and the firepower you can bear down on cohorts of enemies.
If 343 can thread the line between classic Halo action and bringing an air of freshness to the franchise, then Halo Infinite could very much be the game to play when it arrives on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC on Dec. 8. And the Halo Infinite Multiplayer is live right now and available to download and play.
