Microsoft and 343 Studios have been fairly tight-lipped when it comes to information regarding the upcoming Halo Infinite, but that changed with the release of several trailers, including an eight-minute gameplay demonstration showing off the game f✱or the very first time.
While tidbits of intel are still rather scarce, there are a few things we already know about Halo Infinite, and what we can expect from this latest chapter in the iconic franchise. Here are ten facts every Halo fan should be aware of as they♛ await the glorious return of the Master Chief this holiday season.
10 🔥 It𝓰's A Sequel
Despite the name, 343 has already set the record straight on whether Halo Infinite is a deviation from the franchise's main timeline. Fans of the franchise can be assured that Infinite will serve as a straight-up sequel to the events of Halo 5: Guardians.
Though Halo companion titles have done well in the past (think Reach or ODST), it's nice to see that 343 is dedicated to continuing a story that began largely with Cortana's rampancy, a👍nd her eventual asc⭕endancy to one of the franchise's main antagonists.
9 🌠 It's A Master Chief Game
Fans of the original Halo were a bit perplexed and disappointed by the back-and-forth narrative 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:involving the Master Chief and Halo 2's secondary antagonist, the Arbiter. Though it did set up two distinct storylines which e♛ventually converge, it took gamers out of the Chief's plot arc, only to toss them back in again.
Halo 5 would repeat this formula, to lesser success. 343 acknowledged this mistake in early 2017, promising to put the focus back on the Master Chief for future installments. All indicators point to Halo Infinite making him the story priority, once more.
8 ℱ New Dog, O♎ld Tricks
Halo Infinite seems to suggest a paradigm shift for the franchise in terms of visuals, gameplay and story, but it's not abandoning its old bag of tricks just yet. There will be no Battle Royale mode, and no loot boxes (thank goodness), but it will retain some signature staples of the franchise's p🌠ast installments.
These include the ever-popular co-operative mode (which made the series such a hit to begin with), and split-screen support for console gamers, which was removed in Halo 5, which did not go over well with gamers.
7 ♐ New Gameplay Elements ꦇ
Promoti༒onal materials for the game showed what appeared to be a grappling hook on the Master Chief's arm, leading many to speculate that it would play a key role in combat. This has since been confirmed.
The recent release of the 8 minute long Halo Infinite gameplay trailer shows how the grappling hook can be used in combat, which is eerily similar to what we saw earlier 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:this year in DOOM Eternal. Nevertheless, it's the first real significant change to Halo's gameplay since the addition of support items in Halo 3.
6 New Engine 💝
Halo Infinite is being produced using 343's proprietary Slipspace Engine, which promises vastly improved visuals, immersion and level of detail. Remnants of the franch🐲ise's previous Blam! engine are reported to remain, as well.
Though the announcement is a welcome one, it is a bit odd considering the effort necessary to craft a new engine at a time when Unreal Engine 4 was already making significant headway. Neverth꧙eless, it should be a significant step up from anything we've seen before.
5 A Return To Its Roots 🧔
The recent release of official art for Halo Infinite is strikingly reminiscent of the box art for the original Halo: Combat Evolved. A side-by-side comparison shows little diffeꦆrence b🉐etween the two.
This might suggest that 343 is taking the franchise back to its roots, which would not be a bad decision. After all, the Halo storyline has become quite complex (some might say convoluted) throughout the last decade, which may 🧜📖have prompted the need for a reset.
4 It Will Be On PC ♒
For the first time ever, a Halo title will see simultaneous 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:release on both Xbox and PC platforms, signaling that Microsoft is willing to court a much larger audience. The recent success of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Halo: The Master Chief Collection on PC is indicative of where the compaওny wants to go with its ex🔜clusives.
In truth however, this has been a Microsoft trend for the last few years⛦. It's difficult to find many Xbox exclusives that haven't made their way to the PC platform, which is a step in the right direction. If 343 successfully implements cross-platform play (which shouldn't be too hard given Windows 10's Xbox apps), then Microsoft will have a much larger hit on their hands.
3 🌞 ജ There Will Be A Beta
Halo Insider fans can rejoice, as a pre-release beta has been announced to work out the final kinks. This approach is nothing new for 343, which has utilized beta tests heavily in the past - most recently for the Halo Master Chief Collection on PC.
Mouths are no doubt watering over the prospect of catching a glimpse of Halo Infinite, even in an unfinishe🍬d state. Those interested in participating will need to keep their ear to the ground and sign up to become a Halo Insider, so they can participate.
2 📖 The Banished Make Their Return
As mentioned earlier, Halo Infinite details are scant, but a recent teaser clip on Halo's official YouTube page unveiled the return of a faction known as the Banished, which might replace the Covenant and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Forerunner forces as a primary enemy. They were first introduced in Halo Wars 2.
The Banished is comprised of ex-Covenant forces led by Atriox, a Jiralhanae Warlord who survived multiple skirmishes with UNSC forces, and grew to become disillusioned with his masters. The recent release of the new Halo Infinite gameplay trailer confirms that the Banished 🍸will indeed be the Master Chief's primary foe.
1 Cortana Shoulꦯd Take Center Stage ꦰ
The events of Halo 5: Guardians saw 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Cortana return as an AI with a terrifying version of peace as her main endgame. This character arc began with her rampancy issues that were a heavy focus of Halo 4's overall story.
Given the apparent return to form for the series, Halo Infinite may end up blending classic action movie gameplay with a more human story focusing on the Master Chief, and his deep connection to Cortana. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:How it will p𝔉lay out is anyone's guess, but it's a safe bet that Cortana will return, especially given the secret code fans uncovered in last year's Halo Infinite trailer, whicꦆh led to a message from Cortana, ඣherself.