We’ve finally completed Infinite’s opening sequence and arrived at the open world on the new Halo ring. Let us see how much Halo has learned from other contemporaries in this space.
I’m not surprised that 343 chose a very Far Cry model to work with for their open world. It’s a well-known model that does the job, even if it’s dated. Though, unlike Far Cry, Halo still has a strong core with its combat mechanics and no illusions about being anything other than a shooter. Combat has always felt snappy, that’s no less true for these more wide-open engagements.
Adding in the grappling hook only further adds to the combat, with a vast utility that never gets old. When we’re on foot, we can use it to move faster, and climb up objects that the Chief normally can’t. If we need to back out of a fight, we can use it to quickly create distance and find a place to hide. And when we’re ready to go in, we can use it to get around or close the gap. It’s useful at almost every possible moment, and that’s rare for a new feature in an old franchise.
The only place the game seems to fall apart, at least so far, are the boss battles. I have not had a good time fighting any of these leaders, with their inflated health bars and damage output compared to a regular enemy. Halo isn’t suited to having fights like this, with bullet sponges that can drop us way easier than we can drop them, which is why they’re so rarely done in any of the other games. Infinite only underscores that point.
That said, it’s always good to come back to Halo. A few bad fights won’t change that.
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