What would the history of the now twenty-year-old Xbox look like without Halo? The sci-fi shooter series became so associated with the brand over the decades that Microsoft named its own voice assistant after Cortana, hero Master Chief’s companion. The postponement of the latest part Halo Infinite there is therefore almost something poetic about this anniversary year – the Chief is still there.
After part five (2015), he has to do without Cortana, and behind the mask of the stoic soldier there is now a certain melancholy. His goal is still the same: to protect humanity from a new challenger, this time the beastly Banished who tries to restore the ancient superweapon Zeta Halo.
The sci-fi terms with capital letters come to mind as usual. But Chief’s lingering melancholy still humanizes his usual doggedly focused approach. We stay close to Master Chief and his new partners: the artificially intelligent creature The Weapon who struggles to follow in Cortana’s footsteps, and the pilot who has lost everything of importance in his life and struggles with terror.
Halo Infinite manages to remain fascinating in a surprising way, even when the guns are not ready for a while. There is little to complain about the latter. Making games is not only art or technology, but also craft. The smooth shooting combat, wide and diverse arsenal of weapons, and good variety of enemies are noticeable work of skilled craftsmen in the genre. With the grappling hook you also move around the battlefield at a rapid pace, which only keeps the momentum going.
Smooth rhythm of action and rest
playing elsewhere Halo borrowed from modern competitors. Outside of the missions, you can roam freely on the superweapon itself, which mainly consists of beautifully designed mountains and pine forests. You earn ‘Valor’ by shooting high-ranking bad guys and freeing soldiers from the Banished. That ‘Valor’ allows you to unlock perks for the bases you free along the way, such as stronger soldiers to help you and better weapons.
The number of activities here remains relatively limited, and without those bonuses you will also make it to the end. After the gigantic and exhausting playgrounds of the past few years, it’s a relief: here 343 opts for a nice flowing rhythm of action and tranquility, instead of abundance. A good game maker doesn’t have to beg for attention all the time. Maker 343 knows how to captivate – delivering the strong lure that Microsoft’s new Xbox needed.
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