Nearly 20 years ago, I watched my brother playing a brand new game on his Xbox. He had the original Xbox connected to a 13-inch CRT TV with mono audio—but the game’s impact transcended those limitations. It was expansive, fast-paced, and featured a compelling narrative. Now, I find myself immersed in the sixth installment of the Halo series, Halo Infinite, experienced on a 65 inch 4K Dolby Vision display with Dolby Atmos audio. However, all of that advanced technology ultimately becomes secondary to the core question: Is the game itself compelling?
Master Chief confronts what may be his greatest challenge yet. The war is, for all intents and purposes, lost, but a spark of hope remains. In addition to the engaging story and impressive visuals, players now navigate Master Chief through a dynamic open world, teeming with danger.
Halo Infinite delivers precisely what I look for in a Halo title—and more. The controls are familiar, responsive, and finely tuned. Combat encounters are challenging, but never feel unfairly punishing. Unlike many games that I’ve abandoned out of frustration due to overly difficult sections, Halo Infinite maintains a compelling balance. While death is frequent, each encounter and strategic decision remains enjoyable, driving the desire to persevere. The “just-one-more-time” factor is undeniably strong, and I found it difficult to put down!
Halo Infinite benefits from well-placed checkpoints, mitigating frustration. The short intervals between restarts ensure that players avoid replaying excessively long sections to return to their previous point.
Halo Infinite boasts stunning graphics with a high level of detail. Lighting and atmospheric effects are particularly well-rendered. Even running on an Xbox One X, the game performs admirably without noticeable lag (more on Series impressions later). And that’s before mentioning the most impressive aspect…
The initial gameplay follows a familiar structure, tasking players with progressing from point A to point B to acquire, deliver, destroy, or repair an objective. However, upon landing with the spaceship, the game world truly opens, allowing players to select their mission order. New missions become available frequently, supplementing the core story missions that drive the narrative forward. Piloting a Warthog and having nearby soldiers seamlessly join the ride to the next objective is a particularly enjoyable experience. The game avoids restrictive vehicle pathways; almost any mission can be tackled with a vehicle, if desired. Furthermore, players are free to explore the entire map, discovering new areas at their own pace. While open-world exploration is commonplace in many modern games, its integration into Halo feels special, fulfilling a long-held desire for greater freedom within the universe.
The multiplayer mode is well-designed and entertaining. The familiar suite of game types, such as capture the flag and deathmatch, are present. Players can opt for a casual Quickplay experience or participate in larger tournaments with up to twelve players per team. As with any multiplayer game, be prepared to face highly skilled opponents who dedicate significant time to online play. Initial matches may be challenging, but perseverance pays off. As your ranking improves, you’ll be matched against more appropriate competition. Halo Infinite also includes a feature rarely seen in other games: the ability to practice on multiplayer maps against bots. This provides a valuable opportunity to familiarize yourself with map layouts, weapon locations, and shield placements, which is crucial for success.
In summary, Halo Infinite has left me thoroughly impressed with its gameplay. While I am familiar with the original Halo trilogy, my experience with later installments is less extensive. I played Halo 4 and Halo 5, but never completed them, as they failed to capture my attention in the same way. There may be some validity to the fan sentiment that the franchise declined somewhat after Bungie’s departure and the transition to 343 Industries. However, with Halo Infinite, the quintessential Halo feeling has returned in full force. My only criticism pertains to the vehicle controls: I still find the default configuration unintuitive. I would prefer acceleration on the left trigger, rather than the horn!
Halo Infinite is unequivocally a must-have title – and stands out as one of the best games of the year.
