Halo: Infinite | Xbox Review

It’s been a long time since the Master Chief and I have gotten along. Despite being a ravenous fan of the franchise as a kid, including reading the novels, comics, and watching all the anime and web series, I couldn’t jive with 343 Industries and their direction. Halo 4 and Halo 5 felt…off. They both had some interesting narrative beats, but ultimately let down with forgettable tales that expected far too much additional reading on the player’s part. The gunplay never felt the same in regards to enemy encounters and the multiplayer was a bummer in both. I had very minimal expectations for Halo Infinite going in, but boy was I wrong.

Hail to the King

Halo Infinite is a triumph. It’s a complete return to form for our tired protagonist and the universe he exists within. Over the course of its 10-12 hour campaign, I never once wanted to put it down. It recreates the famous “30 seconds of fun over and over again” to a fine sheen.

But as with any Halo title, the story is the focal point. Cortana had a beautiful sendoff in Halo 4 (the one highlight of an otherwise forgettable story), a questionable resurrection in Halo 5, and is again given a major focus here. Cortana may only be in the background of the journey, replaced by a new AI codenamed The Weapon, but her impact is everywhere. In fact, 343 no longer feels the need to shy away or play around the idea that Master Chief and Cortana were in love. This is a grand, epic, tragic love story through and through, something you might not have expected going in.

Humanity Worth Fighting For

There’s a shocking amount of humanity and heart in the campaign of Halo Infinite, bringing Sierra 117 just a little out of his MJOLNIR shell. This is mostly done through his interactions with The Pilot and The Weapon. These two characters challenge Master Chief’s stoic attitude in several direct ways, and it’s nice to see such an icon evolve in a compelling way. The mystery of the new Zeta Halo ring itself is the standard sci-fi trope of an all-too-deadly precursor race, but it’s not the center of this narrative at all.

Neither are the incredibly boring enemy faction, The Banished. This army is led by a Brute who is supposedly both big and bad, but I’ve already forgotten his name. Honestly, the villains drone on and on in so many scenes, and I was never once compelled to care. They have a legitimate reason for being on Zeta Halo, but it’s not worth the screen time dedicated to them. The story tries to draw parallels between Master Chief and Big Bad Brute Guy, but it falls entirely flat. Again, that’s all background noise for an otherwise personal and interestingly human story. The ending also gets props for feeling like a complete, emotional conclusion, yet allowing room for future expansions.

Never Put That Controller Down

Halo Infinite has plenty of the linear corridors the series is known for, but it also has a rather wide open surprise. Halo has had plenty of open levels encouraging vehicle use before, but here we get an overworld ripe for experimentation. While a lot of the icons dotting your map will be familiar to open-world fans, it’s the Halo touch that makes the difference. Weapons, vehicles, grenades, melee options, a sick grappling hook, and many other things are at your constant disposal.

Because of the enemy variety and low ammo counts, you constantly have to be adjusting your playstyle in any given fight. You have to be quick on your feet and smart as a whip to survive many of the encounters. I was routinely near death’s door, barely surviving any given encounter and low on both health and ammo. I had to get incredibly creative on more than one occasion, and the game provides many opportunities to do so. Often if you think something seems possible, it actually is.

The pace of the campaign is excellent, interchanging the aforementioned linear sections with this overworld area. It was very hub-and-spoke in that way. It provides constant changes to ensure you’ll never want to stop playing. I can’t remember the last time I went to such pains to make sure my map was clear in any given area, but Halo Infinite compelled me to make it so.

Bring Your Friends

That’s not even touching on the excellent multiplayer. I’m no expert in the area of multiplayer, as I really don’t play very much of it in games, but I’ve put 40 hours and counting into Halo Infinite’s offerings. It’s hard to really put a finger on it, but it just feels fun every time. The maps are designed as well as any given Bungie map, the special weapons placements are smart, and the game modes on offer have proven to be a lot of fun. The matchmaking system also seems exceptional, because nearly every match has been a tight affair. I never feel bullied or outmatched.

There are, of course, the annoying free-to-play offerings like overpriced cosmetics and the now standard battle pass. The treadmill feels fair, though, with a level up every match or two. The weekly challenges start off very easy before they get too specific or difficult. Sure, it’s annoying to see your team fight over a certain weapon because they’re trying to do a challenge, but I think there’s no escaping that in modern games, unfortunately.

A Bright Future

I’m as surprised as anyone to find myself so enamored with Halo Infinite, but I really can’t stop playing it. I haven’t liked a Halo game since 2010’s Halo: Reach, so it’s nice to be enjoying myself again. No, the lore of this 343 universe is nowhere near compelling enough to get me back into the ancillary media, but I could take this style of Master Chief adventures for years to come. Make no mistake about it, Halo is back.

To hear me discuss more about Halo: Infinite, be sure to check out Episode 376 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 37:10 time stamp.

This review is based on an Xbox Game Pass copy of Halo: Infinite. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass for PC or for purchase on Xbox and PC.