Halo: Infinite (Dec. 8th, 2021) - Xbox Series X

[LarKing]

Nah I like him. If you're a Halo fan I'd watch a few more of his videos. Or his "Decline of Xbox" video was nice too without being overly whiny.

His content is good, but his intro and the way he talks at times makes me really not want to listen.

I'm coming around to the graphics-complaints. This is supposed to be a console-selling game and it's supposed to knock our socks off. I don't think it's close to that. The graphics aren't terrible but they don't scream "Next Gen! Buy the new Xbox! Buy Halo Infinite"

Considering it's the new console and I'm going to have to pay hundreds of dollars + another 70 to play this game, it's terrible for me. Luckily, like he said, this was likely an older video, so I'm less concerned.

I've had a problem with the gun sounds since Halo 4. They sound too light. Almost digital. They're super powerful rifles and they don't have any oompf too them.

Yep, they're pretty bad. I believe for Reach they redid the sounds and it was beautiful but since 4 and 5 they've gone to these silent type guns.

I'm not sure how to feel about an open-world Halo. On one hand it'll definitely be a Halo experience we've never had before, but on the other it could be another in the long list of entries of massive open world games with 100 tedious sidequests/collectibles/chores. If it's done with some form of structure and incorporates a linear campaign while also offering an open world means of getting to missions, then I think it'll be awesome.

We still haven't heard the size and scale of the Halo Infinite map we'll be working with. If it's Halo on the scale of Skyrim but with a stricter campaign outline then I think it could really, really, really work.

Yeah i'm not too far off from you. 343 hasn't done enough to give me full confidence. I will say though, the way they fixed MCC (after 3 years of f***ing it up) and the way they updated Halo 5 (after 3 years of f***ing it up) has be pretty excited that they can pull this off.

If it's Skyrim size, I don't think I'll like it personally. There's just not enough content you could put into it. Who would you be helping other than that guy? It's not like you're going to solve disputes between races or go around buying and selling items you find in caves. I think a Mass Effect 3 open world would be solid. Give options for missions but you're just collecting upgrades and it's pretty much all fighting on the actual levels.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Free to play multiplayer has been the rumor for a while, but the option of 120 fps on console? I’m in. I’ll take framerate any day.

 

[Hammettf2b]

 

[CanadienShark]

So I was rewatching the reveal demo and I must admit that I am not sure what 343 was going for here? There is absolutely nothing that is interesting in the video. It's like they decided to record a random testers footage of some bloke playing six or so minutes of the game right in the middle of nothingness in regards to the story.


In addition, I don't think all the micro-transactions were Bungie's fault, but I do think after Activision put their implementation into the IP via gambling and loot boxes, Bungie saw the effectiveness that it can generate and why it's still in Destiny 2.

I like that they're showing real gameplay, but that seemed weak. I got bored and turned it off. Still though, the game looks incredible. I'm really excited.

 

[CanadienShark]

lmao

What in the...

 

[S E P H]

Free to play multiplayer has been the rumor for a while, but the option of 120 fps on console? I’m in. I’ll take framerate any day.

That's amazing news, but I am 110% sure that at the same time certain features will be locked for a paid subscription - except if MS decides to get rid of paid Live. I'm thinking they might go back to Halo 3 and have two sides of the game between social and competitive.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

That's amazing news, but I am 110% sure that at the same time certain features will be locked for a paid subscription - except if MS decides to get rid of paid Live. I'm thinking they might go back to Halo 3 and have two sides of the game between social and competitive.

Campaign would be locked behind Game Pass and a purchase. The rumors of Live going free won’t go away.

Halo 5 had a pretty big competitive following but I can’t remember if they separated it out.

 

[S E P H]

Campaign would be locked behind Game Pass and a purchase. The rumors of Live going free won’t go away.

Halo 5 had a pretty big competitive following but I can’t remember if they separated it out.

I forgot to finish my post, but if they continue to charge for Live I am thinking that competitive would be the normal subscription base whereas social where you can have guests will be free. So, competitive would have like Slayer, Team Slayer, MLG, Skirmish, SWAT, Double Team, and everything else behind Live, while social would strictly be Team Social Slayer, Social SWAT, and Social BTB.

It should be said though that if the MP is free, there are probably definitely going to be micro-transactions in the game like we saw in Halo 5.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I forgot to finish my post, but if they continue to charge for Live I am thinking that competitive would be the normal subscription base whereas social where you can have guests will be free. So, competitive would have like Slayer, Team Slayer, MLG, Skirmish, SWAT, Double Team, and everything else behind Live, while social would strictly be Team Social Slayer, Social SWAT, and Social BTB.

It should be said though that if the MP is free, there are probably definitely going to be micro-transactions in the game like we saw in Halo 5.

Yeah there almost certainly will be microtransactions. I don’t mess with those but as long as they’re cosmetic in nature and don’t give an advantage or anything, it doesn’t bother me much.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I like that they're showing real gameplay, but that seemed weak. I got bored and turned it off. Still though, the game looks incredible. I'm really excited.

The gameplay was so boring you turned it off, but you're still excited and it looks incredible?

 

[x Tame Impala]

I forgot to finish my post, but if they continue to charge for Live I am thinking that competitive would be the normal subscription base whereas social where you can have guests will be free. So, competitive would have like Slayer, Team Slayer, MLG, Skirmish, SWAT, Double Team, and everything else behind Live, while social would strictly be Team Social Slayer, Social SWAT, and Social BTB.

It should be said though that if the MP is free, there are probably definitely going to be micro-transactions in the game like we saw in Halo 5.

Yeah there almost certainly will be microtransactions. I don’t mess with those but as long as they’re cosmetic in nature and don’t give an advantage or anything, it doesn’t bother me much.

As long as it's only in Warzone (which i never play) or purely cosmetic then it's fine I suppose. I kinda wish they didn't have 600 armor variations though. It makes them less special to unlock and less of a goal to achieve IMO

 

[JaegerDice]

Interesting. No need for Xbox Live Gold to play Halo Infinite multiplayer?

Between Xbox Series X and people streaming the game through XCloud on Xbox One, the MP playerbase for Halo Infinite might be insanely large.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

I get the feeling Xbox Live Gold will cease to be a thing very soon.

 

[x Tame Impala]

 

[S E P H]

So it seems some tidbits are coming out concerning the story...which is weird why they didn't just described this in the reveal trailer?

So supposedly from the mouth of Chris Lee, the game takes place on Zeta Halo - which is the seventh Halo array within the galaxy. This might not really be signficant, however, this particular Halo is the one which houses the Forerunner AI Mendicant Bias that *book spoilers ahead* turned on the Forerunners to help the Flood and what ultimately cause them to activate the rings.

 

[x Tame Impala]

So it seems some tidbits are coming out concerning the story...which is weird why they didn't just described this in the reveal trailer?

So supposedly from the mouth of Chris Lee, the game takes place on Zeta Halo - which is the seventh Halo array within the galaxy. This might not really be signficant, however, this particular Halo is the one which houses the Forerunner AI Mendicant Bias that *book spoilers ahead* turned on the Forerunners to help the Flood and what ultimately cause them to activate the rings.

Sooooo Flood confirmed basically then?

Whatever. Even at their worst they’re a more fun enemy than the Prometheans.

 

[S E P H]

Sooooo Flood confirmed basically then?

Whatever. Even at their worst they’re a more fun enemy than the Prometheans.

It seems like this is going to be one of the last Halo games in a long while, so having an Anchorman scene between all the news stations Halo style might be somewhat expecting.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

I'm fine with the Flood returning in a certain capacity, but please no Flood exclusive levels. Don't think it's a coincidence that Bungie's worst Halo levels (by far) were built around fighting them and them alone.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I'm fine with the Flood returning in a certain capacity, but please no Flood exclusive levels. Don't think it's a coincidence that Bungie's worst Halo levels (by far) were built around fighting them and them alone.

“Library” and “Cortana”?

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

“Library” and “Cortana”?

Those two bastards can't hide. Library in particular, that may be the worst level I've ever played in any FPS, zero redeeming qualities.

Levels like The Covenant showed how they can be used to change up speeds during missions, and they make for a great foil in three-way battles. Floodgate is the only Flood-exclusive level I liked, and that was helped by having allies at your side and its brief length.

 

[JaegerDice]

The entire existence of the Halo rings is directly related to the Flood. It's kind of silly to believe they wouldn't feature somewhat.

I didn't really mind them as a change of pace. A little bit of balls-out DOOM style shooting to break-up the more methodical 'puzzle combat'.

Also, Cortana was a worse level than The Library.

 

[x Tame Impala]

“Cortana” was Halo’s version of Hell. It was pretty excruciating to get through at some points. Not because it was unfair, but because it was that hard.

“Library” was just unfairly hard

 

[LarKing]

I enjoy fighting the flood

I like fighting both but fighting the flood gets me much more into the game. The covenant feel too repetitive to me. I know the flood can be too but with them it really feels like I have to freestyle more and run around to survive.

 

[S E P H]

I'm fine with the Flood returning in a certain capacity, but please no Flood exclusive levels. Don't think it's a coincidence that Bungie's worst Halo levels (by far) were built around fighting them and them alone.

“Library” and “Cortana”?

@GJS, you gotta understand that for Halo: CE a lot of those levels weren't very imaginative. A ton were to get to point A in the level and then backtrack to the beginning or go through a side-path close to where you started. A reason why was because Halo was supposed to be released on MacIntosh and it was even at one of their annual MAC events. Then Microsoft at the last possible minute in the design of the game decided to purchase Bungie as a studio and then they had to switch it from 3rd person to 1st including everything else you got in the original game. Because of the short transition from Apple to Microsoft, they had limited time to work on the levels.

Now with that said, "Library" is one of my favourite levels because it is probably the hardest in any Halo game - with perhaps "Quarantine Zone" for me. You can tell that the devs were not quite sure about how to make a challenge yet fun level that was at least passable for a certain skill set. In "Library", they threw all that out the window and pretty much went balls to the wall in terms of difficulty. When you beat it on Legendary on solo mode though, you feel it as an accomplishment and brag to all your friends.

I agree that "Cortana" was poorly designed, though I don't think I entirely hated it because it's an important level for the story. Personally, I thought one of the worst levels in the entire Bungie trilogy was "Floodgate". Boring design, boring setting, and just boring enemies. And "Crow's Nest", just starring at an underground beige interior for the entire level was pathetic. The first half of Halo 3 - besides Tsavo Highway - wasn't very good, but then the story really picks up with "The Ark".

 

[x Tame Impala]

@GJS, you gotta understand that for Halo: CE a lot of those levels weren't very imaginative. A ton were to get to point A in the level and then backtrack to the beginning or go through a side-path close to where you started. A reason why was because Halo was supposed to be released on MacIntosh and it was even at one of their annual MAC events. Then Microsoft at the last possible minute in the design of the game decided to purchase Bungie as a studio and then they had to switch it from 3rd person to 1st including everything else you got in the original game. Because of the short transition from Apple to Microsoft, they had limited time to work on the levels.

Now with that said, "Library" is one of my favourite levels because it is probably the hardest in any Halo game - with perhaps "Quarantine Zone" for me. You can tell that the devs were not quite sure about how to make a challenge yet fun level that was at least passable for a certain skill set. In "Library", they threw all that out the window and pretty much went balls to the wall in terms of difficulty. When you beat it on Legendary on solo mode though, you feel it as an accomplishment and brag to all your friends.

I agree that "Cortana" was poorly designed, though I don't think I entirely hated it because it's an important level for the story. Personally, I thought one of the worst levels in the entire Bungie trilogy was "Floodgate". Boring design, boring setting, and just boring enemies. And "Crow's Nest", just starring at an underground beige interior for the entire level was pathetic. The first half of Halo 3 - besides Tsavo Highway - wasn't very good, but then the story really picks up with "The Ark".

Uh oh. Lots of disagreements here. I'll get back to you in a week with this one. Going to replay H3