We’re just over a month away from the release of Halo Infinite and after a couple of successful test flights, fans have been clamoring for any information on the campaign since we haven’t seen any new footage since E3 2020. Oh boy, let me tell you… It was worth the wait.
Today at 9 am EST, the official Xbox Youtube channel posted a 6-minute overview of the Halo Infinite Campaign which goes over the scope, new enemies, world map, and more.
“The Weapon”
The campaign overview kicks off with an introduction to the new A. I codenamed “The Weapon” that will be companying you in your journey across Zeta Halo. This new A.I. seems to possess the same personality as Cortana from Halo: Combat Evolved but is extremely curious to know why the UNSC is after her predecessor. While those questions may be difficult to answer, it is nice to know that you will not be alone while exploring this “new” Halo.
Zeta Halo
Sure, technically this is just another Halo, but 343 Industries did a great job focusing on how much freedom the player has while exploring Zeta Halo. From having vehicle checkpoints, undiscovered bases akin to something in Far Cry, and flying your Wasp into the middle of an enemy stronghold, this is the first time I feel Halo can offer a true open world since Halo 3: ODST. But how open is this world? Will invisible walls be an enemy? I guess time will tell but I cannot wait to see what the Halo community can achieve in this world.
Armor Upgrades? In a Halo game?!
A new addition to the Halo franchise is the inclusion of RPG elements. During the trailer, the player navigates the menus to some sort of skill tree. Here we see the player spending 3 Spartan Cores to upgrade the thrust mechanic while going head-to-head with a Brute. Seems like you can collect Spartan Cores when completing missions and other objectives, but unclear if you can also obtain these Spartan Cores via an XP system, or find them across the map. No word yet on if the Master Chief himself can be upgraded, i.e. speed, melee strength, etc.
Do we care for the Banished?
This is where my biggest worry lies with the Halo Infinite campaign. As someone who has played Halo Wars 2, the Banished was a great enemy to its story. But there are many people who have not touched Halo Wars 2 and are unfamiliar with this group of enemies. Will 343 Industries be able to juggle 2 stories; the story of the Banished while solving the mystery of where Cortana has been? The trailer did a great job explaining the mechanics of Halo Infinite, but I’m still not sold on the Banished being the main enemy. Hopefully, I’m proven wrong, and the Banished become a staple in the Halo Universe. Until then, ill be watching this campaign overview on repeat and doing a poor job containing my hype for this game.
Halo Infinite releases on Xbox Series X|X, Xbox One, and PC on December 8th via Xbox Game Pass and Steam.
