After years of waiting, Halo fans are just one day away from the launch of the campaign for Halo Infinite. Releasing on December 8, this campaign allows players to play as Master Chief in his first mainline adventure since Halo 5 in 2015. While the hype surrounding the game is palpable, new details have revealed that one feature seen in past installments of the series is strangely missing from Halo Infinite at launch.
In a recent statement, 343 Industries revealed that campaign missions would not be replayable at launch. According to the developer, a postgame is available after completing the main story. However, players can only explore Zeta Halo and look for collectibles they might have missed during the main adventure. They cannot return to previously played levels. In addition, the developer revealed that certain areas would not be accessible in this postgame, as the first two missions of the game do not take place on Zeta Halo.
A primary reason for this lack of replayable missions at launch comes from the semi-open world of Zeta Halo. While players must complete the levels in a linear order, similar to previous installments in the series, certain regions can be revisited after completing a mission. However, the corresponding story mission will not trigger upon a return visit.
This news from 343 Industries is doubtlessly disappointing for many fans. Over the last 20 years, the games in the Halo series have allowed players to go back and replay classic levels. It seems that the only way to relive the best moments in the Halo Infinite campaign after release is to start a new save file and progress through the game to reach a specific mission. Obviously, this is a grind that some would rather not make, regardless of how good the campaign is.
Fortunately, it appears that the developers are aware of the need for replayable missions. In a recent update from Paul Crocker, associate creative director for Halo Infinite, he stated that the option to replay story missions after completing them was coming post-launch. However, the developer failed to give a date, meaning players might have to wait a while before returning to previous missions on the same save file. In a statement to Polygon, Crocker explained the challenges of implementing this type of feature. “We want to have replay that works well, and when you have a more open game, it gets a lot trickier,” he said.
This isn’t the only feature coming to the game after launch. In addition, 343 industries revealed that co-op for the campaign and Forge mode would be added to Halo Infinite in 2022. These features were expected to come at release, but the developer announced earlier this year that the date had been pushed back.
The Halo Infinite Multiplayer Beta is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with the full game releasing on December 8.
Source: Polygon