The fifth Halo game came fourteen years after Combat Evolved made a splash back in 2001. It was received with trademark division by fans of the franchise, with many praising its gameplay and graphical fidelity, but looking down on certain elements of the storyline and multiplayer experience. In Halo Infinite (the third and final entry in the 'Reclaimer' trilogy) 343 Industries have the chance to prove that they are truly worthy of taking the Halo torch from Bungie.
We've put together a list of five things that we want to see improved upon from Halo 5, and five things that we want to see remain from the previous installment.
10 IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: More Master Chief
The universally agreed-upon issue with Halo 5 was the lack of Master Chief. He is the face of the entire Halo franchise and he is, undoubtedly, the character we want to know about the most. He was present in the campaign of Halo 5, but not to the extent we are used to or want. Luckily, it has already been confirmed that Infinite will be giving Chief a much bigger role than the previous installment and that he is on "his greatest adventure yet to save humanity."
9 THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T CHANGE: Headshots
The one thing that the Halo franchise always knew they were the best at was the immense satisfaction factor when landing headshots. Well, maybe Gears Of War comes a close second with is decapitating sniper bullets, but the piercing shot of a sniper in Halo and the extra potency of a Battle Rifle shot to the cranium was always one of the best things about playing. Whether in the campaign or against an online foe, the power of landing that perfect shot should remain a prominent feature in Infinite.
8 IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: Bring Back Split-Screen
In Halo 5, we had one of the franchise's most-loved features torn from our grasp: split-screen co-op. 343 must've been working under the impression that Halo fans don't sit down for a ten-hour campaign session on a sofa anymore - a definite misstep on their end.
Luckily, it has already been confirmed that local split-screen will be a feature on Halo Infinite, meaning they will hopefully rectify the unforgivable mistake that Guardians made.
7 THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T CHANGE: The Covenant
It's pretty rare that a franchise creates an almost flawless enemy. The Covenant in most Halo games is exactly that: satisfying to kill, yet balanced in difficulty - from Grunts and Elites to Brutes and Hunters, the challenge felt fair (barring, perhaps, Halo 2's infamous sniper Jackals). On top of that, they are cool looking, interesting to read about, and they have a long history with the franchise. While The Banished (defectors from the Covenant) have been confirmed to play a major role in Infinite, the fact that they are mostly made up of the same species as the Covenant means that fighting them will hopefully be a similarly rewarding experience.
6 IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: The Prometheans
On the other hand, we have a newer breed of Halo enemy: the Prometheans. They were mentioned elsewhere in Halo lore, but didn't become prominent until Halo 4 and Halo 5, where they provided a much more boring alternative to the Covenant. Uninspired, bland, and repetitive in combat, we can only hope that Infinite is much less polluted with Prometheans, if they appear at all.
5 THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T CHANGE: The Music
The Halo franchise has become one of the most divisive in the history of video games in every iteration since Halo 3. The one thing that fans always agree to love, whether it's on the title screen or the climactic moments of a campaign, is the music. Martin O'Donnell's work on the original trilogy (and ODST and Reach) was iconic and has created many of the recurrent themes we have found in more recent Halo games. With Gareth Coker at the helm this time around, we hope that a similar vibe and quality threads throughout the game.
4 IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: The Multiplayer Maps
At one point, the Halo games were the absolute pinnacle of online multiplayer maps. Well-thought-out and perfectly balanced, they gave us some of the best gunfights in video gaming. From Reach onwards, the settings started to get more and more repetitive and environments less and less engaging. Halo 5 tried to pull things back with remakes of past maps, but their new maps just didn't hit the spot across the board. This should be something that Infinite works on massively.
3 THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T CHANGE: The Driving Mechanics
Driving has always been one of the most fun things about any Halo game. The freedom of those huge online maps and massive, sprawling campaigns means driving around in a Warthog or a Mongoose feels just as thrilling as it would in a driving game.
Halo games haven't messed with their driving formula very often, but despite remaining consistent, Guardians managed to make everything feel even smoother and faster. Keep it up, 343.
2 IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE: Micro-Transactions
As with just about every game under the sun, microtransactions tend to attract the most negative attention. Halo 5 made sure that the rewards they offered were available to players via the in-game currency that could be attained by anyone, but it still meant that those who could afford to pay could 'progress' quicker than someone who may have put many more hours into the game. It's a bit of a slap in the face for committed players who may simply not be able to afford to pay for packs.
1 THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T CHANGE: The Diversity Of The Cast
An issue that can be found lurking through many AAA games (though, thankfully it isn't quite as much of an issue anymore) is the lack of diversity in casting. Looking back to Halo: Combat Evolved and you'll see the same issue. Halo 5 began to address this balance, casting with much more equality in terms of things like gender and race. Hopefully, Infinite continues with this progression and ups the diversity even further.