Halo Infinite: 3 things we liked (and 3 we didn't) about the gameplay demo

Halo Infinite Source: 343 Industries

During the Xbox Serial X July event, 343 Industries showed off Halo Infinite gameplay for the very beginning time. Many of Halo Space's gameplay features, such as the usage of equipment pick-ups and a more open up-world structure, were shown off. In addition, fans also got their kickoff taste of new weapons, graphics, story hints, and more than. After viewing the gameplay ourselves, we've adult some opinions virtually it — both positive and negative.

Here's a list of what nosotros liked and what we didn't like about the Halo Infinite gameplay reveal.

The side by side adventure in the saga

Halo Infinite

A new dandy journey awaits

Halo Infinite is nearly upon us, and it'due south certain to be an incredible game filled with wonder, adventure, and more.

Liked: The concept of open globe Halo

Halo Infinite Source: 343 Industries

Mayhap the well-nigh exciting thing revealed by the Halo Infinite gameplay demo was the fact that the game will be taking a more non-linear and open up world-style approach. Halo equally a series has always been linear in nature, and it's exciting to see the franchise go in a bold new direction. The sandbox-driven nature of Halo can also accommodate an open up earth well, as Halo's wide assortment of vehicles, weapons, and pieces of equipment will no doubt provide players with a wealth of fun ways to tackle the dangers of a Banished-controlled Halo ring.

An open up world-way structure also has the potential to raise Halo Infinite'south storytelling besides. A earth full of interesting side secrets and hidden pieces of lore to find tin practice a lot to mankind out the primary story, and there may be smaller, self-contained stories to notice inside the experience, too.

Disliked: Visual presentation

Halo Infinite Source: 343 Industries

While what was shown for Halo Space is far from ugly, the game didn't look particularly "side by side-gen" in any respects. Certain textures, such as Master Chief'south armor and the leaf in the terrain, looked stellar. However, many other things, such as some of the Banished soldiers and the level of item on a lot of the weapons in Chief Primary's hands, felt lacking. The gameplay demo overall looked quite flat, and information technology left many — us included — feeling underwhelmed.

The graphical experts over at Digital Foundry made an fantabulous analysis video on the demo and concluded that a lot of the "flat-looking" details are a result of the fact that most of the gameplay demo takes place in indirect sunlight. Because of this, nearly of the detail in textures is subconscious by the way global illumination works in shadowed areas. Yet, this doesn't tell the whole story; fifty-fifty in directly sunlight, some textures still wait rough and unrefined. On meridian of this, in that location's quite a bit of texture popular-in present in the footage, in that location are no first-person shadows on guns, and the game seems to have low LODs at far distances.

While existent-time ray tracing — a characteristic that is coming to Halo Infinite afterward its launch — volition fix the lighting bug, it can't prepare the other problems mentioned in Digital Foundry'southward analysis. There's still time for 343 Industries to make improvements to the game, but we tin can't assist only feel nervous about how the final product will plow out.

Liked: The confirmation of sandbox-driven gameplay

Halo Infinite Source: 343 Industries

Something incredibly exciting almost Halo Infinite'south gameplay reveal is that it confirmed the game will characteristic gameplay systems designed primarily effectually sandbox items that players can selection upwards and apply, rather than innate abilities like Halo 5: Guardians' Spartan Abilities. While the power to charge forward or blast into the basis explosively was fun in Halo 5, information technology caused a lot of balancing issues in the multiplayer due to the fact everyone could do information technology at all times. Additionally, information technology also made encounters in the campaign experience too focused effectually abilities instead of gunplay.

More sandbox-driven systems similar the pick-ups in Halo Infinite volition allow Halo's gunplay to shine more, while besides providing players with interesting tools they can dynamically use to gain an advantage or turn the tables on a foe. In multiplayer matches specifically, pick-ups will requite an edge to teams who command them. This will encourage players to strategize more and will advantage players who play intelligently.

Disliked: The context behind the activity

Halo Infinite Source: 343 Industries

For Halo Space's offset official gameplay reveal, information technology was rather anti-climactic for the objective to be to go destroy some anti-aircraft guns. This was the kickoff good look of Halo Infinite that we got later five painfully long years of waiting, and for the first ever seen action to be centered around such a mundane objective felt pretty underwhelming.

It would accept been much cooler and much more satisfying for the gameplay demo to be focused around something meatier in terms of story relevance. While I sympathise that 343 Industries probably doesn't desire to give too much away virtually the narrative, we are simply a few months out from the game'south launch. Aside from the mention of an entity called the Harbinger and a place called the Auditorium past War Chief Escharum at the stop of the demo in a cutscene, we know zip more near the story than nosotros did already, which is unfortunate.

Liked: The flow of combat

Halo Infinite Source: 343 Industries

Graphics concerns aside, Halo Infinite is simply a fun game to sentinel in motion. Animations look snappy and responsive, reloads look smooth and clean, and melee attacks look compact and impactful. Overall, everything seems very fluid, and that's a very good affair in a gaming era where clunkiness tin can often ruin games.

We were too impressed by how balanced things looked. Obviously pre-release footage doesn't tell the whole story, only neither the histrion nor the Banished ever seemed under or overpowered. The thespian always seemed similar they had enough ability and health to push frontwards, but the Banished were doing enough damage and using plenty strategy that you could easily imagine the histrion dying due to overextension or other reckless mistakes. Overall, Halo Infinite looks like a shooter that has an excellent gainsay flow, and that gets us hyped to play information technology.

Disliked: Size of the gameplay space

Halo Infinite Source: 343 Industries

Considering Halo Infinite is going to exist taking a more open world, non-linear approach, we were hoping to come across more than of that shown off during the gameplay demo. While what we saw was cool, it doesn't deviate from the size and scale of a traditional Halo level. Master Chief drove a Warthog for a few hundred meters, fought some infantry, and rode a big elevator to an anti-aircraft gun. Nosotros saw him open a map that unsaid a larger playable space, but that's it.

We call back fans would have been fifty-fifty more excited if Halo Infinite'due south open world elements were more forepart-and-center. Bear witness Master Chief traversing a massive canyon with a Warthog and the Pilot in dorsum shooting at Covenant patrols. Show him entering a shipwreck off of the beaten path and walking abroad with supplies or a piece of lore to prove for it. These are the kinds of things that players await from expansive non-linear enviornments, and we recollect Halo Infinite would have benefitted strongly from leading with that rather than leading with something more traditional.

Your thoughts

What did you think of the Halo Infinite gameplay reveal? What are some things y'all liked, besides as some you didn't? Let us know down beneath. As well, don't miss our article on 5 gameplay details you may take missed from the gameplay reveal.

Halo Infinite is expected to launch during the Vacation 2022 season on the Xbox Serial Ten, Xbox One, and Windows ten PCs.

The side by side chance in the saga

Halo Infinite

A new great journeying awaits

Halo Infinite is nearly upon u.s.a., and it's sure to be an incredible game filled with wonder, chance, and more.

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The definitive FromSoftware Souls-like ability ranking (now with Elden Ring)

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