Microsoft's flagship first-person shooter franchise missed the launch of the Xbox Series X/S, but is aiming to release later this year. Halo Infinite, although receiving a mixed reception initially due to an underwhelming reveal event, is shaping up to be much better after the decision to delay. Its recent presentation during Microsoft's E3 2021 showcase demonstrated the improvements made to the graphics and gameplay, with a bevy of fun modes to look forward to in the multiplayer offerings.
While Halo Infinite is sure to represent why the Halo series is such a beloved multiplayer experience, there is one core component that will set it apart from other modern offerings. This may not seem obvious at first glance, especially when stacked against the impressive online matchmaking options and wild deathmatch modes available. In an industry so focused on online play, battle royales, and live-service business models, the Halo franchise hasn't lost sight of a special part that made it so important to gamers in the first place: local split screen multiplayer.
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Flashback to the early 2000s when online gaming was in its infancy and the PlayStation 2 was the hottest new gaming console. Just a few years prior, the Nintendo 64's four controller ports opened doors to couch co-op and versus modes for video games. Prior to this, gaming consoles only had two controller ports, but with an additional two the mayhem and fun was naturally doubled. Games like Goldeneye 64 and Super Smash Bros. kept kids, teenagers, and students in dorm rooms up into the late hours of the night, entranced by that "one more match" state of mind.
This was the foundation upon which the first Halo took things into a whole new level. When Halo: Combat Evolved launched alongside the original Xbox back in 2001, it was hyped up as a must-have killer app. The storyline was engaging and Master Chief was instantly an iconic gaming hero, but these were not the most pivotal reasons for the game's success. Its multiplayer offerings were second to none, cementing Xbox Live as the standard for online console gaming. Local split screen modes were just as crucial to the success of the game.
Online gaming is great, as friends and complete strangers can hop into a match at any point in time regardless of their location. However, something special is lost in that transaction, being that connection with the people playing the game physically in the same room. A wicked kill can be felt by shared excitement and screams, while a close-call victory will be met with just as much energy. It is such a simple, yet gratifying bonus that Halo: Combat Evolved captured, something which seems to be lost on many modern multiplayer games.
Halo Infinite is ambitious in scale, with a budget reportedly among the largest ever for a video game. Even with all of these advancements in technology and hardware, the franchise doesn't seem to have lost sight of the parts of its DNA that made it so beloved in the first place. If video games can be used as a social platform to interact and share unforgettable moments, the inclusion of local couch multiplayer should not be an oversight. If anything, hopefully Halo Infinite can influence a revival of the mode that many studios seem to have abandoned in recent years, once again revolutionizing the gaming space.
Halo Infinite is set to launch in 2021 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.