Halo multiplayer has always been a fickle beast. Whether it was Bungie developing the original trilogy or 343 Industries taking the helm for the past 10 years, the multiplayer has never stayed quite the same. The past two iterations of Halo came in the form of Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Infinite, both of which made their fair share of changes to the multiplayer.
The Halo fan base is extremely loyal and has often expressed their opinions on the sometimes drastic changes made to their beloved FPS. That being said, the developer has made it a point to listen to fans by keeping welcomed changes and making adjustments when necessary, and all of these efforts can be seen when comparing Halo 5 and Halo Infinite.
How Halo 5 Changed the Multiplayer
Halo 5 opted to keep many features of its predecessors such as aiming down sights and armor abilities. Not all of them were very well received when they originally debuted, but this title further adjusted these features and made them feel more like a Halo game as opposed to any other competitive FPS. Halo 4’s loadouts and ordinance drops were scrapped in this sequel in favor of equal starting weapons for each player.
Many of the newfound ideas of previous titles were tweaked or even removed entirely from Halo 5 in order to bring it closer to its roots in the original trilogy. Though the sprint and armor abilities still had fans concerned, the core gameplay felt more like a traditional Halo title with some slight alterations.
What Halo Infinite Learned from Previous Titles
Halo Infinite's multiplayer launched as a free-to-play game, separate from the campaign. And though this innovative launch was exciting for fans, the game had anything but a smooth beginning. The first season of the multiplayer was lackluster, with many fans showing concern over the game’s progression system and lack of customization options, while others worried about matchmaking issues such as the unplayable Big Team Battle. That being said, after some adjustments from the developers, Halo Infinite has been able to shake off its initial release issues and add some variety to the series.
The latest rendition of multiplayer kept features such as aiming down the sights and sprinting, as these have become mainstays in competitive multiplayer. However, it chose to do away with the Spartan Abilities and replaced them with an equipment system. Pieces of equipment such as the Grappling Hook or Repulsor allow players to further change the dynamic of the gameplay by giving them more maneuverability and combat options.
Halo Infinite also kept the 4v4 arena-type game mode, which featured classic multiplayer modes such as Slayer and Capture the Flag. The Arena mode was fitting for the tight maps in Infinite and worked well with the fast-paced combat. However, as the multiplayer seasons progressed, 343 Industries wanted to add more variety to the normal multiplayer modes and introduced new game types such as Attrition, Total Control, and the most stand-out addition, Last Spartan Standing.
All of these new game modes featured similar qualities to previous modes while adding welcomed twists. Last Spartan Standing is the most ambitious addition because it incorporates features similar to that of a battle royale, a popular game mode that the franchise has never visited before. But perhaps the biggest game modes missing from Halo Infinite are Forge and co-op, both have which have been addressed by developers who promise that the beloved game modes will be returning. It is also worth noting that Halo 5 launched without Forge and eventually had it added as free DLC post-launch, with many considering it the best in the series, so this should give fans an inkling of hope.
Halo Infinite's multiplayer is still growing, and as new multiplayer seasons and updates roll out, 343 Industries is actively trying to address concerns, add new content, and create the best multiplayer experience possible. The latest version of multiplayer has definitely learned from Halo 5 and used some of its ideas as a jumping-off point to create a unique take on the iconic franchise.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.