The fifthHalogame came fourteen years afterCombat Evolvedmade a splash back in 2001. It was received with trademark division by fans of the franchise, with many praising its gameplay and graphical fidelity, but looking down on certain elements of the storyline and multiplayer experience. InHalo Infinite(the third and final entry in the ‘Reclaimer’ trilogy) 343 Industries have the chance to prove that they are truly worthy of taking theHalotorch from Bungie.
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We’ve put together a list of five things that we want to see improved upon fromHalo 5, and five things that we want to see remain from the previous installment.
10IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: More Master Chief
The universally agreed-upon issue withHalo 5was the lack ofMaster Chief. He is the face of the entireHalofranchise and he is, undoubtedly, the character we want to know about the most. He was present in the campaign ofHalo 5, but not to the extent we are used to or want. Luckily, it has already been confirmed thatInfinitewill be giving Chief a much bigger role than the previous installment and that he is on “his greatest adventure yet to save humanity.”
9THINGS THEY SHOULDN’T CHANGE: Headshots
The one thing that theHalofranchise always knew they were the best at was the immense satisfaction factor when landingheadshots. Well, maybeGears Of Warcomes a close second with is decapitating sniper bullets, but the piercing shot of a sniper inHaloand the extra potency of a Battle Rifle shot to the cranium was always one of the best things about playing. Whether in the campaign or against an online foe, the power of landing that perfect shot should remain a prominent feature inInfinite.
8IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: Bring Back Split-Screen
InHalo 5, we had one of the franchise’s most-loved features torn from our grasp: split-screen co-op. 343 must’ve been working under the impression thatHalofans don’t sit down for a ten-hour campaign session on a sofa anymore - a definite misstep on their end.
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Luckily, it hasalready been confirmedthat local split-screen will be a feature onHalo Infinite,meaning they will hopefully rectify the unforgivable mistake thatGuardiansmade.
7THINGS THEY SHOULDN’T CHANGE: The Covenant
It’s pretty rare that a franchise creates an almost flawless enemy. The Covenant in mostHalogames is exactly that: satisfying to kill, yet balanced in difficulty - from Grunts and Elites to Brutes and Hunters, the challenge felt fair (barring, perhaps,Halo 2’s infamous sniper Jackals). On top of that, they are cool looking,interesting to read about, and they have a long history with the franchise. While The Banished (defectors from the Covenant) have been confirmed to play a major role inInfinite, the fact that they are mostly made up of the same species as the Covenant means that fighting them will hopefully be a similarly rewarding experience.
6IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: The Prometheans
On the other hand, we have a newer breed ofHaloenemy: thePrometheans. They were mentioned elsewhere inHalolore, but didn’t become prominent untilHalo 4andHalo 5, where they provided a much more boring alternative to the Covenant. Uninspired, bland, and repetitive in combat, we can only hope thatInfiniteis much less polluted with Prometheans, if they appear at all.
5THINGS THEY SHOULDN’T CHANGE: The Music
TheHalofranchise has become one of the most divisive in the history of video games in every iteration sinceHalo 3. The one thing that fans always agree to love, whether it’s on the title screen or the climactic moments of acampaign, is the music. Martin O’Donnell’s work on the original trilogy (andODSTandReach) was iconic and has created many of the recurrent themes we have found in more recentHalogames. With Gareth Coker at the helm this time around, we hope that a similar vibe and quality threads throughout the game.
4IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: The Multiplayer Maps
At one point, theHalogames were the absolute pinnacle of online multiplayer maps. Well-thought-out and perfectly balanced, they gave us some of the best gunfights in video gaming. FromReachonwards, the settings started to get more and more repetitive and environments less and less engaging.Halo 5tried to pull things back with remakes of past maps, but their new maps just didn’t hit the spot across the board. This should be something thatInfiniteworks on massively.
3THINGS THEY SHOULDN’T CHANGE: The Driving Mechanics
Driving has always been one of the most fun things about anyHalogame. The freedom of thosehuge online mapsand massive, sprawling campaigns means driving around in a Warthog or a Mongoose feels just as thrilling as it would in a driving game.
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Halogames haven’t messed with their driving formula very often, but despite remaining consistent,Guardiansmanaged to make everything feel even smoother and faster. Keep it up, 343.
2IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: Micro-Transactions
As with just about every game under the sun,microtransactionstend to attract the most negative attention.Halo 5made sure that the rewards they offered were available to players via the in-game currency that could be attained by anyone, but it still meant that those who could afford to pay could ‘progress’ quicker than someone who may have put many more hours into the game. It’s a bit of a slap in the face for committed players who may simply not be able to afford to pay for packs.
1THINGS THEY SHOULDN’T CHANGE: The Diversity Of The Cast
An issue that can be found lurking through many AAA games (though, thankfully it isn’t quite as much of an issue anymore) is the lack of diversity in casting. Looking back toHalo: Combat Evolvedand you’ll see the same issue.Halo 5began to address this balance, casting with much more equality in terms of things like gender and race. Hopefully,Infinitecontinues with this progression and ups the diversity even further.
