After over a year delay, Halo Infinite will be released on December 8, 2021. However, the wait was well worth it. Infinite was originally scheduled to launch in November 2020 alongside the Xbox Series X, but it was delayed after a disappointing initial reveal that turned the game into a viral sensation. Microsoft appears to have made a big turnaround as of late 2021. We have received rave reviews for the Halo Infinite multiplayer preview and can't wait to get back to it.
Here's what Sean Hollister and Tom Warren loved and hated about The Verges and what they hope to see when the game is complete.
Tom Warren: The new grappleshot is my favorite part of Halo Infinite multiplayer. It is a game changer for Halo in terms of being able to move around on maps and grab objects. It's been used mainly for parkouring around, as though Im playing Titanfall. But once you get to grips with its capabilities, you can quickly grab power weapons and repel yourself onto a ledge, if you were just hit by a repulsor.
The most interesting clips that I have seen in the beta were those who grappled back onto ledges or grabbed vehicles from the sky. It feels like a combination of Titanfall and Pathfinders grapplehook from Apex Legends.
Before you can use the grappleshot to grab objects or move about quickly, you need to locate it and pick it it up. There is a short cooldown and limited number of uses so it doesn't feel overwhelming. The training mode can be configured with unlimited grappleshot. I almost wish there was a dedicated mode that everyone had it.
You should try Halo Infinite beta if you don't have it yet. It is a great tool to learn for multiplayer.
Sean Hollister: I love a good grappling hook and will echo Tom: I would love to have a mode that I could use nonstop to grapple into and onto and around everything. There have been some great uses of the repulsor. I saw one Spartan bounce away a Warthog fully loaded like a tennis ball. It was a win for their team, but it is more like a way to dump people into bottomless pits. The grappling hook is my favorite tool to pull myself out of these pits. It's exhilarating and fun to swing under bridges and catch foes from the other side.
This is the most effective use of the repulsor that I have seen in #HaloInfinite
November can't come soon enough.
Via: https://t.co/2yLSp6FhQ4 pic.twitter.com/DIhklRpw1Y Looter Universe (@LooterUniverse) October 4, 2021
My favorite part about Halo Infinite? The gunplay. Every weapon feels powerful and every fight keeps me on the edge.
Stray projectiles, covering fire, and cover fire can be deadly enough that I feel the need to lower my head, let my shield recover, or attempt another attack angle entirely, rather than poking out of cover yet again. I am constantly weighing the risks and rewards of a melee attack or tossing a grenade, because they are just as satisfying in classic Halo games as the classic pistol and spray-and–pray assault rifle that you get by default in most matches.
Except for a few exceptions, such as the sniper rifle and rocket launcher, the weapons feel balanced enough to me not feel penalized for choosing a different weapon for variety. This is the best Halo game I've ever played in years.
Tom: I love the movement in Halo Infinite too. First-person shooters are known for their mobility, and Halo Infinite encourages that with smooth sprinting and sliding. Halo 5 took movement mechanics to the next level with mechanics such as the thrust slide, which could increase your movement speed and help you outsmart your opponents. Infinites' movement changes are more sophisticated, subtle and require a greater skill set.
YouTuber Shyway demonstrated it really well with a 17 second clip that showed curb slides in Halo Infinite. Although there are many comments claiming Titanfall movement is more effective (and he also addresses that), curb slides make a significant difference to Halo Infinite's Halo game without easy-to-use thrust slide and lots of movement mechanics.
You can also see people showing off the mobility in Halo Infinite very well on Twitter. Slide jumping is a great mechanic when it's combined with the grappleshot. I'm used to Destiny 2, which is a lot more focused on mobility and movement, so Halo Infinite feels much faster.
You'll see wild clips become viral once people master curb slides.
Sean: I hope there aren't too many mobility tricks, like the curb slide. And that they don't dominate the game. Skill ceilings can make many shooting games difficult for those who don't shoot for a living. I have been impressed by the fact that I felt that most of the skirmishes in Infinite were fair fights where I would have won if my cards had been right.
Since we were playing against opponents with similar levels of experience, we don't know how the meta will look. We don't necessarily know how to use the maps well. The test flights put us in a handful of very symmetrical and small levels. I wonder if it will be the same for me.
These things won't affect my purchase decision. Halo Infinite multiplayer is free to play. This exciting move should ensure that it will be easy for me to find matches at my skill level for many years to come. It seems that Microsoft will make its multiplayer money entirely from cosmetics.
Tom: The battle pass system is not something I like. Credits are also available for purchase. Credits can be used to unlock rewards such as consumables (doubled XP), armor and other items. While you can level up the battle pass through completing challenges, regular play does not earn you XP.
While I'm fine with the challenges, I think there should be an option to earn XP depending on how much time you spend playing the game. I would be happy to buy credits to level up the battle pass.
I have never felt frustrated or confused by the battle pass system in Infinite.
Sean: I wonder how Microsoft will keep it interesting enough to keep players paying. I looked at the various armor colors and variants, but there is only so much you can do with an armor set. Halos guns don't have the same number of attachments or variants as Fortnite or Call of Duty and the unique heroes of Overwatch or Apex Legends to keep people costuming and buying.
I'm fine with just not paying for the extras. Here's what I would pay for: A mode that makes vehicles bouncey and indestructible like in 2001 Halo: Combat Evolved. Have a great time! Have everyone get on an OG Halo server and have them put away their guns. Then, start Warthog jousting. Watch as the insane physics system sends the vehicles spiraling towards the sky. You can't shoot: your goal is to get your foes out their futuristic Humvees, and then run them over to the finish line. You can have a huge floaty bullfight or a piranha feeding frenzy with enough players. Halo 2 made vehicles indestructible, and that was it.
If Halo Infinite continues to be as much fun in the test flights, I'll continue playing it. It's easy to squeeze in a few of these small matches into my busy dad's schedule. Maybe during lunch. Tom, are you allowed?
