As the game draws closer to release, 343 Industries has committed to spending time every month talking about Halo Infinite and what separates it from previous iterations of the iconic sci-fi shooter franchise. The first of these updates launched yesterday, with 343 Industries' Community Director Brian "ske7ch" Jarrard posting a lengthy article titled "Inside Infinite" over on the Halo Waypoint website.
The update covers several aspects surrounding the combat in Halo Infinite, focusing almost entirely on the game's Sandbox Team, which works on its vehicles, weapons, equipment, and mechanics. Speaking with the developers, Jarrard unveils more about the core philosophies behind the sequel's combat, all the while highlighting some new tidbits centering on Infinite's weapons and vehicles.
Interestingly, the team discusses early into the piece how its vision for Infinite was formed, claiming most of its goals for the game are focused around maintaining two core philosophies. The first is that weapons, mechanics, and items should be "intuitive and reward player mastery," claiming it's essential to what makes Halo's gameplay tick. The second is that Halo is a long-running franchise, and what players have come to love and hate about prior games needs to be taken into account. As such 343 wants to partner with players and show "honesty and integrity."
The sandbox team also reveals the "combat doctrine" it swears by, which is comprised of five principles essential to the combat of any good Halo game. The first is "The Dance," which refers to the almost rhythmic nature of Halo's firefights. Talking about what this means, the team describes it as a "symphony of combat choices," where players combine movement, reaction times, and well-placed shots to finish an opponent. The second is "Tools of Engagement," which references each weapon or ability feeling wholly unique and rewarding a different style of play. The third is "Lone Wolf," which focuses on making the player feel powerful even when they don't have the support of fellow teammates.
The fourth is "Connected to Actions," which represents the quick, frictionless nature of Halo's movement and gunplay. Finally, the fifth principle is "Survivability," with the team wanting the player to have a deep understanding of their vulnerability in combat scenarios. Outside of speaking about the core pillars of its design philosophy in Infinite, the sandbox team also discussed how it focused on allowing skillful equipment usage to turn the tide in battles, how certain vehicles will be more useful on different terrains, and how its fine-tuning weapons through rigorous playtesting. The next Inside Infinite will launch on the last Thursday of next month, and will allegedly focus on Halo Zeta and the design philosophies behind the new Halo location.
Halo Infinite will launch on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X this fall.
Source: Halo Waypoint