Halo Infinite is looking like a solid evolution of the Halo formula between its modern quality-of-life improvements and adherence to tradition. A part of that tradition includes the antics players can get into in game, and Halo Infinite has definitely not done away with them.
Last week Halo Infinite's second flight test wrapped up after players two weekends to try out the game's multiplayer. The first weekend was dedicated to Arena Slayer, fast four-on-four matches in a handful of tiny maps, while the second weekend was entirely about Big Team Battle, massive 12-on-12 encounters, with vehicles and explosions galore. Generally speaking, the second flight test showed Halo Infinite in a very solid place, fans falling in love with the game's updated movement and gun-gameplay, its new weapons, and the litany of other new tools at player's dispoal like the Grappleshot, allowing Spartans to swing around combat arena. Though there are still some things Halo Infinite should change for launch, the game appears to be a promising return to form for the long running franchise.
Reddit user infenty recently posted a clip showing their entire Big Team Battle team hiding from the enemy in Halo Infinite. On Fragmentation, the Big Team Battle map available in the flight, players can hack into Forerunner loot caves for battle advantages like power weapons and special equipment like the aforementioned Grappleshot and Repulsor. Hacking into the caves requires a Spartan to stand near it while its personal AI does the heavy lifting, and when the doors do open, they reveal pretty spacious caves, some featuring multiple rooms and high ceilings. Halo Infinite's multiplayer has the tools to innovate on a classic Halo strategy: frustrate the enemy by hiding.
We managed to hide our entire team of 12 people in the loot cave even though the enemy saw us enter from halo
The clip shows an entire 12 Spartan team hiding in the rafters of one of Fragmentation's loot caves. Infenty and the rest of their team watch as two lone enemy Spartans wander into the cave, expecting to find the enemy, but end up just helplessly spinning around in circles when they can't find anyone. To access that upper area of the loot cave, Infenty explains in the comments that it was a combination of the Grappleshot and Repulsor, as the former equipment has a limited grapple range, and the latter can quickly provide a boost if used properly. Fans in the comments, perhaps both seriously and jokingly state that this is the Halo multiplayer they remember.
There is something about the sandbox that Infinite provides that as the fans have clued in, really taps into the tradition of Halo. Sure, players can probably hide from the enemy team in any multiplayer FPS, but there is nothing quite like doing it in Halo. With all the new weapons and equipment in Halo Infinite, the game is practically encouraging players to experiment and see what sort of hijnks they can perform. If this sort of thing is happening in the flights though, one can only imagine what lies ahead for when the game fully releases.
Halo Infinite releases December 8 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.