After a lengthy delay, Halo Infinite is set to launch this fall. Fans are cautiously excited about the upcoming Halo game, hoping Halo infinite will be a return to form as who knows when the next entry would come about. If nothing else, many are hoping that its multiplayer is able to keep the game going for quite some time.
At the same time, Halo Infinite's updated visuals were shown off earlier this year, with the upgrade immediately apparent. It seems 343 Industries has been busy over the past year, alleviating some of the concerns many had following last year's reveal. One of the big remaining concerns involves the multiplayer of Halo Infinite, with striking the right notes proving to be troublesome in the past. Thankfully, 343 Industries has a lot of source material to perfect its latest entry, with the failures and successes of previous games providing a blueprint for the perfect Halo multiplayer.
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The Halo franchise is at its best with the earlier game's basic, arcadey gameplay. Barring the occasional experimental feature, the first three Halo games were multiplayer first-person shooters at their purist best. As a result, the learning curve was steady, the games appealed to casual and competitive players alike, and it was near enough impossible for opposition players to flee from a gunfight. The latter point is perhaps the most important to the balance of multiplayer matches, as it leads to the epic, player-on-player battles that have grown to define the Halo series. Sequels that build upon the core gameplay of earlier games in the series are great, but the additional features must be made with consideration to the overall multiplayer experience.
On the topic of additional features, 343 Industries should of course bring back the broad selection of party games present in previous multiplayer modes. Modes like Oddball, Griffball, and Infection became instant classics in previous titles, with the latter mode proving to be an inspiration for a number of other series which produced similar game modes. These Halo multiplayer modes are as much a part of the series' multiplayer as the likes of Slayer and CTF and should remain a key part of the multiplayer experience.
One of the most important mistakes Halo Infinite should avoid is trying to emulate the multiplayer of Call of Duty. While this seems like an obvious point, it has more to do with sticking to what makes the Halo franchise Halo. For example, Halo 4 made the mistake of changing the formula too much, resulting in changeable loadouts, the ability to sprint, perks, and killstreak bonuses, all of which fundamentally changed the multiplayer experience. When Halo's multiplayer was at its best, every player would load into the game with the same equipment and weapons, on an entirely even playing field, therefore ensuring victory went to the better team. It's crucial that 343 Industries remember and honor this in Halo Infinite.
While Halo 5 fixed many of the mistakes of its predecessor, a handful remained. Possibly the biggest issue with Halo 5 at launch was the lack of multiplayer content. The game only had a handful of online modes at launch, with notable omissions such as Griffball, Oddball, KOTH, and Infection causing a stir among fans. Following Halo Infinite's lengthy delay, it has little excuse to launch with a similar lack of content for its multiplayer fans.
Xbox fans are likely to receive a first look at the multiplayer of Halo Infinite on June 13 at the Microsoft E3 conference, in what will hopefully be a more successful reveal than the original last July. The multiplayer, as one of the most fundamental aspects of any Halo game, will hopefully receive a lot of care and attention to make sure it's the best one yet.
Halo Infinite is in development for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.