343 Industries' Halo Infinite is one of the most highly anticipated games releasing this year, with numerous hopes and expectations running rampant. Shaping up to be the longest gap between entries in the franchise, Halo Infinite is definitely a lot bigger in scope and ambition than many of its predecessors.
Microsoft and 343 Industries revealed new information about the game's multiplayer component, but interestingly enough, many questions linger surrounding the game's campaign. Many fans seem to be concerned regarding which of the games they need to play in order to understand the happenings of Halo Infinite.
The Original Bungie Halo Trilogy
Prior to 343 Industries assuming the mantle for the Halo, Bungie produced a trio of excellent entries in the franchise that helped skyrocket Halo to the popularity that it enjoys today. The original trilogy includes Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3. These games focus on the adventures of the protagonist Master Chief and his AI sidekick Cortana during the tail end of the Human-Covenant war.
Many key figures and plots are revealed during the games, making it a must-play to understand the full spectrum of events that might happen in Halo Infinite. While Halo: Combat Evolved can become a slog due to its infamous Flood levels, completing these games is absolutely necessary due to all the added context.
Spin-offs In The Franchise
After the release of Halo 3 in 2007, Bungie worked on 2 spin-off entries in the Halo franchise - namely Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach. Starting life as a DLC for Halo 3, ODST puts players in the shoes of "The Rookie", as he lands on the Covenant-infested planet of New Mombasa and tries to regroup with his squad following a botched landing. Though it's definitely a unique experience with some open-world elements and a distinct atmosphere, it doesn't add much to Master Chief's story leading up to Halo Infinite, so fans can pass on the game should they have to.
Halo: Reach was Bungie's swansong title, with many considering it to be the strongest entry from the developer. This is certainly high praise, given that fan-favorite Master Chief isn't even mentioned in the game. It adds a lot of backstory to the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, but once again isn't integral to the main storyline of Master Chief.
Halo Wars 1 and 2 as well as Halo: Spartan Assault shake up the Halo gameplay by changing it into an RTS and twin-stick shooter respectively. Players looking to dive deep into the lore of Halo should definitely look forward to giving these games a shot, but fans only looking to complete the mainline entries can give these games a pass.
The Reclaimer Saga
After Bungie left Microsoft to pursue other projects, 343 Industries assumed the mantle, and it has delivered 2 great entries in the franchise. Halo 4 remains the under-appreciated title of the bunch, as its campaign does a phenomenal job at humanizing the relationship between Master Chief and Cortana. Halo 5 is widely considered as the black sheep of the franchise, with many citing its campaign as underwhelming. Still, the events that happen within both games make them must-plays.
Halo Infinite is the ending of the 343 Reclaimer Saga, so it isn't hard to assume that the game would be littered with references and callbacks to previous games. Completing the essential games would take players somewhere in the ballpark of 35 hours, and thankfully enough, all of these games can be played with what is essentially a $10 subscription of Xbox Game Pass.
Halo Infinite is scheduled to launch for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S this holiday season.