Off The Golden Path – Progression and exploration in Halo Infinite

The Halo Infinite campaign offers two different paths for players; it is one of the most important things that distinguishes the game from its predecessors. When I reviewed a three-hour demo of the campaign, it was apparent that the new Master Chief adventure offers the option of an action-packed family “golden road.” Like nearly every Halo game before it, Infinite’s mostly linear main story aims to deliver a satisfying, tight-paced adventure, a crisp and engaging narrative, and clear objective markers that will lead you to the next big encounter. . Based on the extensive demo I experienced, players looking for that classic Halo campaign structure will not be disappointed.

However, the alternate path through the game sets Halo Infinite apart from what has come before. After an introductory sequence that establishes the gameplay and the stakes of the story, Infinite opens up and allows for much freer exploration and progression than previous games in the franchise. There’s a full cycle of character upgrades, detectable pickups, armor upgrades, and optional battles awaiting players who choose to veer off the main path. While the developers at 343 Industries continue to resist the term “open world” to describe the experience, there is no doubt that what I witnessed borrows generously from the open world trends in shooter and action games of the last decade. The difference, of course, is that those open areas are filled with the kind of Halo shooting and tense action the series has always been known for, and that makes all the difference.

One of the reasons Halo Infinite is not a traditional open world is the way it is divided when you first emerge to the surface of the Zeta Halo. Most open world games provide relative freedom to fully explore wherever you want to go, even if some areas can be especially difficult to tackle early on. Instead, Infinite divides its explorable content into specific areas, each filled with a large number of encounters, a list of detectable items to track down, and a defined play zone. Players progress through the story to unlock new areas and eventually return to previous locations to complete more explorations and conquests.

At the highest level, the Master Chief is fighting the forces of the Outcasts (a splinter faction that was once part of the Pact) through the Zeta Halo, while rallying the UNSC forces that have crashed there after the devastating UNSC Infinity destruction accident. If that sounds like a familiar narrative loop, it should. 343 Industries has been open about how much Halo Infinite draws inspiration from the original Halo: Combat Evolved.

For players who choose to explore, the game moves back and forth between large open areas, where the terms of engagement are set, and more defined sequences that take you inside Halo, spaces that the developers openly describe as dungeons. Together, the give-and-take between those wide open areas and narrower interiors feels reminiscent of the franchise’s early games, even if some of the activities you’re doing now are on the optional path to conquest and control. of a zone.

To complete that part of his mission, Master Chief is in an ongoing battle for territory. While there are many moving parts to the conflict, the most crucial starting point in any new area is the local forward operating base, or FOB. These UNSC outposts have been overrun by the Outcasts, and players must clear them to retake the FOB. Upon regaining control, the tactical map is updated with the relevant nearby POIs. In addition, the FOB becomes a point of fast travel. Finally, controlling an FOB transforms it into a resupply point, where you can reload ammo and requisition additional supplies, troops, and even vehicles.

The ability to summon the weapons or other help you need is a game changer that allows you to shape your approach to combat, but it is not completely free. Instead, players must accumulate a resource called value, which determines what level of items it can summon. Expect to do some groundwork first if you want to bring a Scorpion tank to your next outing.

Value is acquired from numerous activities in a given area. For example, Banished Propaganda Towers can be destroyed for value. Alternatively, track down an imprisoned squad of UNSC Marines and rescue them for courage. Activities like these fuel your value expansion and, in turn, give you more options for requisitions on the FOB.

That’s not the only way you can get something new at a FOB restock point. High-value targets allow for another fun diversion, leading to unique weapons that you can’t acquire anywhere else in the game. We saw the battle against a high-value target named Okro ‘Vagaduun, an Elite Blademaster wielding a high-powered special energy sword. If you track his location on the tactical map, you can defeat him and pick up his sword. Completely wipe out his troop cadre along with him, and you can commandeer the high-strength energy sword at the FOB, taking it with you into future battles. The set includes many named minibosses like this, each of which has a different piece to add to your growing arsenal.

You can also spend time in a certain area tracking discoverable objects, all of which serve different purposes. The audio logs are scattered throughout Zeta Halo, each of which helps develop the story, including details of what happened to Captain Lasky and the rest of the UNSC Infinity crew. You may also want to try hunting down the ever elusive and game-altering skulls, but as in previous games, they will be hard to find.

Another important element that can be discovered are the Spartan cores. These optional updates allow you to gradually improve your equipment. Your main armor gear is found along the critical path of the game, but may not be at its full potential when discovered. Spartan Cores can be used to improve the strength of your shield. Or you can improve the new grappling shot, perhaps adding a voltaic shock that stuns enemies. Once you purchase the Threat Sensor piece of equipment, you can use Spartan Cores to increase the number of deployable sensors you can place in the field at any given time.

Whether it’s increased requests for your controlled FOBs, special weapons acquired through the defeat of high-value targets, or upgraded gear from the Spartan cores you’ve discovered, your development of options and the power of Master Chief feeds on increased options for the big fights you will have to face. Beyond the activities already outlined, Halo Infinite also features numerous larger bases, some of which are mission critical and some of which you can optionally choose to attempt to conquer.

These important outcast structures are unique free-form encounters, built so that you can confront them on the matter of your choice and use the tools you have developed and advanced through exploration. The 343 Industries team informally described such encounters as “assaults on super soldier bases.” The idea is to give the player ample freedom to face a large multi-part battle. In one sequence, the Master Chief loaded a wild boar with a selection of rescued Marines and charged into the bulk of a walled base. But as an alternative, he could have used the grappling shot to get a good vantage point and open the fight by shooting numerous targets before going in. In yet another option, he could use the claw shot to smash through walls on his own at a less defended rear soft spot and advance from there. Or maybe he could be brave enough to summon a VTOL Wasp and fly into the central tower from above. At the end of the base we saw, the Master Chief ascended to an upper floor and engaged a named (and stealthily hidden) Elite, adding score to the end of this large-scale fight. These types of battles promise to be big and bombastic, especially when faced with greater difficulties. The potential for chaos and creativity is high.

After several hours with Halo Infinite, it is clear that 343 is trying new things, especially related to exploration and optional updates. But I was also struck by the pace and flow of the battles, and how reminiscent of the early Halo canon games were. The flow of individual exchanges with banished foes has that distinctive “feel” from Halo encounters that I remember facing in the early 2000s. It’s the mix of that exciting combat cycle with the more open explorations that I love the most. enthusiasm of Halo Infinite. Even after those few hours, it seems clear that this new giant release will deliver the broadest, most option-based Halo experience to date.

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