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Halo Infinite Review

December 17, 2021

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Master Chief returns in his most ambitious adventure yet, exploring a new ring world and facing off against a brutal legion of foes. Halo Infinite is packed with impressive set-pieces and memorable moments, offering players both new and returning an incredibly satisfying experience. The gameplay is as tight as ever, fully immersing you like never before. After spending many hours with the latest instalment from completing the campaign and playing dozens of hours of multiplayer, developer 343i has delivered one of the best Halo games yet.

Halo Infinite details

Platform(s): Xbox One, Xbox Series S | X and Windows PC
Developer: 343 Industries
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Genre: First-person shooter
Modes: Single player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

**One Halo ring to rule them all**

The entire campaign takes place on a single Halo ring (Installation 07). Although it’s mostly a single map, Halo Infinite is the biggest campaign in the series. The new narrative direction is a more focused return to form for the Master Chief, offering up something brand new in terms of story and world-building.

The story begins with you battling your way through waves of “The Banished.” It’s up to you to touchdown on Zeta Halo and rescue a new artificial intellect (AI) known as “The Weapon.” The plot is straightforward and entertaining, with a more detailed backstory for both your main allies and central foe, War Chief Escharum.

Halo Infinite Escharm The open world map itself has smaller side activities and mysteries to uncover, but the campaign is tightly woven into this huge world. I was very wary of the open world approach in Halo at first. Especially because the series has been about massive set pieces that unfold on a linear path. Infinite is pretty much all-encompassing, offering both tight story progression and a Halo sandbox to explore for hours.

Graphical performance and stellar art direction

The series has always pushed the boundaries of graphical fidelity, and 343i have outdone themselves with Halo Infinite. This is one of the best looking games yet in the series, regardless of what platform you’re playing on. Whether its the Xbox Series S, Series X or PC the visuals are outstanding from start to finish. Even through long play sessions there was no visible slowdown or frame rate drops whatsoever.

Halo graphics The art style and level design in Halo Infinite are excellent, paying tribute to the past while delivering a contemporary feel. From harsh robotic installations to beautiful flora and fauna, the environments are spectacular.

Halo Infinite Skybox The skyboxes and dynamic day/night cycles are gorgeous, the time of day really changes the mood of the world. Zeta has a feeling of realness because of the constant background noises like birds, fireflies, and rodents that scurry around as you explore the alien world.

Stellar gameplay

Halo Infinite’s gameplay is excellent, and this extends from campaign to multiplayer. 343i has mixed classic and modern elements together and they work flawlessly in tandem. The biggest and most welcome changes come via the new Grapple Shot. The addition the grappling component has enabled the game to modernize its combat formula while retaining the signature “Halo feel”. It offers new aspects to combat and traversal that the series has sorely needed.

The next chapter in the Halo saga has arrived

The campaign experience in Halo Infinite is what fans have been waiting for. It was a long wait, but well worth it cementing the series a one of the best modern FPS once again. Infinite has brought fresh elements to the franchise that will ensure its position as one of the top tier FPS giants for years to come. The story plays things a little safe, but it does provide new characters and a satisfying conclusion. 343i has set things up well to take the franchise in just about any direction it sees fit.

The gameplay in both campaign and multiplayer is highly addictive, making it difficult to put down. With more to discover in this campaign than any previous in the series, Zeta Halo has plenty to offer. The new mobility options, combined with precisely balanced weapons, keep things fun after hours of play. Halo Infinite is a very impressive instalment setting higher standards for what we can expect for the future of the franchise.