When I think about iconic first-person shooters, Halo is a series that immediately comes to mind. Whether you love it or not, there’s no denying the impact it had on the gaming industry. And I’m excited to see the next step for the franchise. Here’s everything we know about the new Halo game, Halo: Infinite.
New Halo Game, New Story
In an interview with IGN executive editor, Ryan McCaffrey, Halo: Infinite developers Chris Lee and Paul Crocker revealed more info about the game; including more about the villains. The story begins with our hero, Master Chief, alone in space, until he’s discovered by a stranger.
From there, he’ll have to deal with a group called the Banished including their leader. In the interview, McCaffrey explains that they’re a group of Brutes who follow War Chief Escharum.
Crocker makes it a point to say that this new Halo game will wrap up the story set by previous installments. On the flip side, they’re making sure that Halo: Infinite will be able to set the scene for future stories. So, we’ll see what else they’ll have in store for the Halo universe.
Halo: Infinite - Gameplay
When it comes to Halo, we know and love the gameplay, and we know what to expect. The official Halo YouTube channel released an eight minute demo of a campaign mission, and it looks amazing. It’s familiar enough to the previous installments that I’ve played, but at the same time it looks new and refreshing.
The bright colors of the guns combined with the green, lively environment make for a beautiful visual. In the demo, we see Master Chief take on a number of enemies as he goes on a quest to destroy these weapons. At the end of the demo, we see our glimpse of War Chief Escharum where he challenges and awaits for Master Chief.
In a Q&A video, the team working on Halo Infinite gave more info of what to expect. It won’t always be bright and sunny like we saw in the demo. They’ve confirmed that the time will change from day to night, along with the weather changing.
The biggest reveal during the rollout for me happened some time ago, when it was announced that the multiplayer for Halo: Infinite will be free. I have fond memories of playing the Halo:3 multiplayer with my friends, and the multiplayer being free gives us an excuse to play Halo together again.
Halo: Infinite Release Date
Although we don’t have a concrete answer of when the new Halo game is releasing, we know it’s going to be in fall of 2021. The game has been postponed before, so hopefully this expected launch date is set in concrete. Originally meant to launch alongside the releases of the Xbox Series X/S, the game’s release date unfortunately had to be pushed back. In their statement that was posted on the official Halo Twitter account, they cite COVID-19 as one of the reasons for this postponement.
When it does come out, it’ll be available on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and on Windows 10. And amazingly, it will also arrive on Xbox Game Pass the day of its release. It shouldn’t be surprising that Xbox’s flagship game is going to their subscription service, but it’s still cool to see. Paying ten or fifteen dollars a month (depending on your plan) for Game Pass seems like a steal when it includes the new Halo game.
Final Thoughts
I haven’t touched a Halo game in a long time, but I am genuinely pumped for this new installment. The demo and the trailers have successfully made me a passenger in the hype train. Regardless of when it comes out, I’ll make sure to save money to buy this on day one.