Earlier this month, the campaign of Halo Infinite was finally released, after over a year-long delay and following on from its multiplayer release in November. While parts of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer have received a mixed reception, so far it seems that the game’s campaign has garnered a warmer reaction. Much of this is down to the experimental nature of the campaign of Halo Infinite, which has drawn the attention of fans.
Halo Infinite is an open world title, which is a new direction for the franchise. Halo Infinite has been compared to Far Cry and Borderlands by some, for its catch-a-ride-like vehicle stations and for a few of its new gameplay features. Halo Infinite’s Far Cry elements have been widely acknowledged by fans, as the game truly feels like Far Cry at points during its campaign.
Halo Infinite's Unique Campaign
One of the big points of interest for Halo Infinite’s campaign has been the game’s open world setting, which has proven to be a big hit with fans thus far. While Halo Infinite is a bold new direction for the series to head in, it has enjoyed a successful launch and looks as though it could shape the direction of the series going forward. Along with the new open world style, a handful of gameplay features have been added to make Halo Infinite better suited to an open world setting. In particular, it looks as though Halo Infinite has taken inspiration from Far Cry where its gameplay is concerned, and fans are loving the result.
Halo Infinite tasks the players with reclaiming Zeta Halo from the Banished, in a similar way to the plot of most Far Cry games. Players have to liberate Forward Operating Bases from the Banished, which will be marked with a red diamond on the tac map. Once completed, the base will fall into the hands of the UNSC and will be marked as such on the map. Players will also receive some of Halo Infinite’s currency in Valor Points, which can be spent on upgrading to better equipment, weapons, and vehicles. This makes claiming the Forward Operating Bases well worth the player's time, but Valor Points can also be earned in many different ways, simply by playing through the campaign.
Halo Infinite's Far Cry Similarities
The inspiration taken from the Far Cry franchise is pretty clear, and the fan reception of Halo Infinite’s campaign suggests that taking inspiration was the right move. Reclaiming enemy bases is one of the key gameplay elements of the Far Cry series, and one of its more recognizable elements. In Far Cry, these bases can also be used to fast travel once they have been claimed, a feature that has made its way into Halo Infinite. This offers up yet another reason for players to claim these Forward Operating Bases as soon as they are able to, as players will want to have the option of fast travel as soon as they can in order to better get around Halo Infinite’s open world.
The parallels between the Far Cry franchise and Halo Infinite are clear to see, and so it makes sense that Halo may look to take inspiration from it. In both games, there is one person looking to liberate a land from an oppressive force, and with Halo Infinite’s new open world setting, taking inspiration from an already successful title in the space was a good way to ensure the gameplay translated well. Aside from these Far Cry-style bases, though, players are also tasked with rescuing UNSC troops and assassinating targets in order to progress through the campaign. These are also mission types that can be found in the Far Cry franchise, although it may be a reach to suggest they are inherently Far Cry-like. Either way, Halo Infinite’s campaign is one that may appeal massively to Far Cry fans due to the obvious parallels.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.