The latest and sixth installment in the popular Halo series, Halo Infinite, was released on December 8, 2021, for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Before the release of the game, there were many concerns over its gameplay as the previous game in the series, Halo 5: Guardians, was scrutinized for its story, writing, and ending. Fortunately, Halo Infinite was a success as the game was well-received by fans as well as critics.
The game’s open world was particularly praised by a lot of people but before the release, the open world raised a lot of eyebrows. Obviously, players compared the game to existing open-world games but Halo Infinite associate director Paul Crocker explained that they had to be cagey with their answers.
343 Industries admitted that there were concerns over Halo Infinite‘s open-world
343 Industries’ 2021 game, Halo Infinite, featured an open world where players traverse the open world of Zeta Halo, fighting the Banished, an alien faction. Before the game’s release, Halo Infinite associate director Paul Crocker told TheGamer that fans were particularly worried about the game’s open-world gameplay,
“There was a lot of trepidation from people who were like, ‘Is this gonna be just like Far Cry? Is it just an open world where I’m just gonna have a whole bunch of small tasks that I need to do? Is it like a full blown open world kinda game?’ and we were kinda cagey around our answers. It’s not really open world, but you need to play it to understand that and now people have they’re like – ‘Oh I get it.’ There are open areas, there is more player choice, but you aren’t taking Master Chief on fetch quests or looking for spare tires to fix a Warthog. You’re doing things which feel Master Chiefy, for lack of a better way of putting it.”
Crocker admitted that the open-world “were really big bets we were making,” as they were not sure how fans would react to it. Luckily, the open-world concept was loved by the fans and it became one of the primary things that attracted gamers.
Halo Infinite was a “spiritual reboot” of the series
Paul Crocker further explained that they tried to carry over the core element of the Halo series but at the same time, they tried to keep things up to date. He explained that Halo Infinite is a “spiritual reboot” of the series,
“We are constantly trying to create the emotional connection and response those games have given people, the effect they’ve had on people, but at the same time, making sure it stays new and fresh. It’s about making sure that we are making the game that we wanted to make in the first place, which is the spiritual reboot of Halo it is.”
Fortunately, Halo Infinite was a success although there was some criticism over the graphics and performance. Various prestigious publications gave Halo Infinite an impressive score, solidifying its place as one of the best Halo games in the series.
Halo Infinite was released on December 8, 2021, for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
