During the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase at E3 on Sunday, two Halo Infinite trailers were shown, giving us more details about 343 Industries’ latest creation. Below I break down the key takeaways from the campaign and multiplayer videos, here we go!
Campaign
As we know, the game takes place on Zeta Halo, which, according to Joseph Staten, is the biggest environment in the franchise for fans to explore. This seems to give even more credence to the campaign’s more open-world, exploration vibe, a first for the Halo franchise.
The trailer shows Master Chief floating around a debris field in space. Cortana’s voice echoes in his head, haunting him as he traverses around. It then cuts to Chief having a conversation with an unnamed AI. Her look and voice seem to match Cortana, until Chief asks where Cortana is. The AI claims she has been deleted, but Chief and the viewer are left to guess what actually occurred.
When we last left off in Halo 5: Guardians, Cortana had gone rogue and was plotting to take over the galaxy with many of her fellow AIs. As for what has happened between then and now, we don’t yet know.
Master Chief concludes the conversation by taking the new AI with him, inserting the chip into the back of his helmet where Cortana used to reside. It appears as if this is a “new” Cortana model that lacks the same memory and experience with Chief as the original. As for if the “old” Cortana is actually gone remains to be seen. In the Halo 4 campaign, as Cortana was suffering from rampancy, she did say to the Master Chief, “it won’t be me, you know that right?” when referring to a new Cortana model if the UNSC commissioned one to him. It will be curious if these two Cortanas end up facing off in the campaign, or if 343i has scrapped some of Halo 5’s plot and is simply starting fresh with a “green-as-grass” Cortana.
Multiplayer
On the multiplayer side of things at the showcase, we got a trailer, an in-depth post on the Halo website, and more multiplayer details to come tomorrow (more on that below). Gathering information from both sources, here is what I think are the big takeaways from today’s reveal.
Equipment
343 Industries describe Infinite featuring “Halo 3-esque equipment” in the game. These items are “limited use” that you would pick up on the map. As for how many uses at a time you get for these items is unclear, but the trailer showed off four different pieces.
The first is called a Repulsor and acts similar to the shield that Jackals use on their wrists in the Halo universe. In the trailer we see a spartan utilize it to deflect a plasma pistol shot back at an enemy player, before finishing him off with a battle rifle bullet to the head. It appears the noob combo can now work both ways now (if you have the Repulsor in hand anyway).
While it’s not 100% clear, 343i seemed to indicate that the grappleshot is also a piece of equipment and not something every player in the game can use at the same time. Hopefully this is true otherwise the map will be littered with Spider-Man spartans flying around the map.
A “drop wall” was also shown that offers a barrier for players to repel gunfire, though it appears with enough concentrated fire it falls apart. Unlike Halo 3’s bubble shield, the wall only covers one side of a player instead of completely surrounding your spartan.
The trailer also showed off the threat sensor, which you shoot out of your spartan’s wrist and allows you to see enemies on the other side of walls through periodic pulses. It is currently unclear if you can shoot the sensor and destroy it, or if standing still negates the ability.
The Academy
Halo Infinite will introduce a new practice mode to the series where players can get some shots in with their preferred weapon. You also will have the ability to take on enemy bots of varying skill levels. Seemingly, this will function like Firefight of old, but with more of a practice emphasis on the game mode.
Arena
Big Team Battle is back and bigger than ever in Halo Infinite, with the mode now featuring 24 players in 12 vs. 12 combat.
343i also stated in their post that ranked and social playlists will be returning, in addition to “limited-time seasonal events.” Console and PC players have the option to play together in Infinite, with cross-progression present in the game if you want to jump from playing on your Xbox to your PC on a whim.
Armor/Customization
Named the Armor Hall, Infinite offers players the most customization options of any Halo game yet. You can earn new armor every season which appears to be on a monthly basis. Players will earn new armor via gameplay, challenges, events, and purchase. 343i clearly states that “no loot boxes or elements of chance if you decide to purchase an optional customization item,” meaning if you want a certain item, all you have to do is pay for it, and it’s yours.
Players will be able to customize weapons and vehicles too, via color coatings. More customization options are hinted at when the full game releases.
Other Takeaways
- The grappleshot can be used to board vehicles
- Various new weapons were revealed, including what looks like Infinite’s version of the storm rifle
- When holding the flag in CTF, players will no longer have a magnum in their hand to shoot enemy players. However, it does appear that you can sprint with the flag
- Oddball is back with one-hit-to-kill melee
- You can throw explosive barrels (and maybe other items) with the grappleshot
- It doesn’t look like thrust, stabilize, or groundpound has returned from Halo 5
- “Holiday 2021” is still the official release, but I’d imagine they’re aiming for November 15th as the release date, the 20th anniversary of Halo: Combat Evolved
Final Notes
Overall, it was less than what I was hoping they would show today, but exciting nonetheless for Halo fans. The Battle Rifle looked pretty and sounded crisp. The engine and visuals of the game appeared smooth and clean. And best of all, there is more news to come! Tomorrow at 11 am ET on the Halo YouTube channel, 343i is presenting the Halo Infinite Multiplayer Overview. Make sure you head on over to find out what else is in store for 343 Industries’ latest game!
What were your takeaways from today’s trailers? What are you looking forward to seeing from tomorrow’s showing? Let me know in the comments!