The road to the release of Halo Infinite has been a long one, with its highly anticipated holiday 2021 release finally around the corner. Since its reveal at Microsoft's E3 2018 conference, to the latest beta this fall, the hype for Halo Infinite has been a bit of a rollercoaster. However, hype continues to grow as its December release date draws closer.

That being said, it's been a rough journey both for Halo fans and 343 Industries, the latter of which has been on a redemption arc since the Halo Infinite campaign reveal last year. While there's still plenty of room for skepticism, the latest Halo Infinite beta sets the foundation for what could be an incredible Halo experience at the end of this year.

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Halo Infinite Beta was the First Step Towards a Successful Launch

Last year's Halo Infinite campaign reveal received a mixed reception, with fans disappointed with Halo Infinite's graphics. Low-resolution objects and character models, texture pop-in, and framerate dips led to a disappointing first impression that Halo Infinite suffered from at first. Add to that an inevitable delay amid a global pandemic, and things weren't looking too promising for Halo Infinite.

So far, 343 Industries has done a fine job of listening to fans' criticisms towards Halo Infinite and implementing necessary changes based on feedback needed to ready the game for its 2021 holiday release window. The monthly development updates from 343 Industries so far have been insightful and have done a fair job of regulating fans' expectations in believable ways.

However, the news of the lack of co-op and forge mode at launch has also left a sour taste, leading many to question whether Halo Infinite will be ready to launch this year or not. Despite everything, the latest Halo Infinite beta addresses some of the aforementioned concerns and paints a hopeful picture of Halo Infinite come this holiday season.

This week's Halo Infinite beta allowed players to test the game's 4v4 slayer, capture the flag, and stronghold game modes against actual players. Alongside the previously explored maps like Bazaar and Recharge, fans got to try the new Behemoth, which introduced vehicular combat. Fans were ecstatic to see the return of classic vehicles like the Warthog and the ghost in an Arena map for the first time since Halo 3.

Even in its beta state, Halo Infinite's combat feels responsive and polished, with most iconic and new weapons feeling largely balanced. The latest beta also reflects how far the game's visual fidelity has come since its reveal. Although fans have yet to get another look at Halo Infinite's campaign, the texture quality, lighting, and contrast, even on the multiplayer maps feel like a drastic improvement from last year's reveal. Such sleek visuals and steady performance, even on an Xbox One S, have fans gushing about how the game's campaign would look.

It's no surprise that Halo Infinite has come a long way since last year's reveal. While the lack of news and updates on the game's campaign is disappointing, now is perhaps the time for fans to have faith in 343's capabilities. If Halo Infinite's beta was any indication, 343's first and foremost priority seems to be shipping Halo Infinite in its most polished and optimized state. While this means that some fan-favorite features will miss the launch, what will be there — solo campaign and multiplayer — will be in its best state.

Halo Infinite still has a long road to redemption. Its December release date is still two and half months away, and things could escalate either way in the next few weeks. However, if 343 continues to implement fan-feedbacks and improvise the game's various features before launch, Halo Infinite's release may be as popular and successful as Microsoft wants it to be.

Halo Infinite launches December 8 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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