When its gameplay was initially revealed last year, many fans were not impressed with Halo Infinite, comparing its visuals to older entries in the franchise, specifically Halo 3. Despite the clear amount of work that 343 Industries has done on the game during its year-long delay, comparisons between Halo Infinite and Halo 3 are still being made, with one video, in particular, showing side-by-side comparisons of the way that both games handle vehicle destruction.
Posted to r/Halo, Reddit user u/noble_actual_yt's video compared the destruction physics of three different Halo vehicles, a ghost, a warthog, and a mongoose, by shooting at them until they explode in both games. The results are pretty interesting, with both games showcasing two discrete styles when it comes to handling destruction.
Halo Infinite seems to be favoring an arcade style that telegraphs when a vehicle is close to exploding with a bright red glow, while Halo 3 follows a more realistic approach that features more internal engine flames and debris that realistically gets flung from the explosion. Many commenters on the video voiced their preference for Halo 3's presentation, stating Halo Infinite's vehicle destruction looks too simple.
While it's important to remember that the gameplay of Halo Infinite's vehicle destruction is from an unfinished build of the game, fans are correct in pointing out the game's simpler approach, as the vehicles tend to abruptly explode without much indication other than small fires and the red glow. Halo 3 on the other hand, has recognizable different pieces of each vehicle tear off and fly away as it gets more and more damaged really giving the player an understanding of how much more it can take.
The difference is most apparent in the first example in u/noble_actual_yt's video with the ghost. In Halo Infinite, the vehicle has a simple explosion then falls to the ground charred and black, but without much other visual dynamics. Conversely, in Halo 3, the ghost has a major internal engine fire as it floats off the ground accompanied by a whirring sound effect that gets louder and louder until it explodes in a purple flash. After the explosion, the ghost remains on fire and jolts with alien electricity periodically.
Despite the dynamic damage system that 343 has introduced for Halo Infinite that changes the vehicles' textures to indicate where it's been shot, fans are still hoping that the studio adds more to polish the destruction's presentation. At the end of the day, a presentation detail like this doesn't change the gameplay of Halo Infinite, but the title has been put under the microscope by fans following its delay, so if it launches lacking polish in other areas as well, there will likely be more fan outcry.
Halo Infinite releases on December 8 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.