Currently playing: Halo Infinite campaign

27 December 2021    gaminghalo   Permalink

I’m playing the Halo Infinite campaign and thoroughly enjoying it. It’s a joy to play, with enough narrative to engage you, and an environment that is gorgeous to explore.

Halo Infinite - Master Chief and the Weapon stand on Zeta Halo
Halo Infinite - Master Chief and the Weapon stand on Zeta Halo

To my shame this is my first instalment of Halo, and I now need to backtrack to the earlier releases. I’m not sure why I never got around to the franchise - I think I associated Halo with the Xbox, and I have always played on PC.

I am not a serious gamer - I have time to play through only a few new games a year, topped up with some time in persistent games such as (currently) Elite Dangerous. First person shooters are my default for offloading some stress, and I have played the campaigns for most editions of Call of Duty and Far Cry.

I love rich, immersive environments and two of my favourite examples are The Chinese Room masterpieces Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.

Anyway, back to Halo Infinite

As I mentioned, this is the first edition of Halo I have played, so I am catching up on the lore and central relationship between Master Chief and Cortana (or the Weapon).

I’ve heard that the development was troubled, with large sections of content pulled in order to get the game out. The early sections are excellent at introducing the story and your companions, the Weapon and stranded pilot Echo 216. Once you are exploring the open world, it feels slightly repetitive and I missed the earlier narrative.

Nevertheless, the design is spectacular. It’s hard not to spend time just exploring the environment. The rapid day-night cycle, wildlife and attention to detail all enhance the sense of immersion.

Halo Infinite - Master Chief and Echo 216
Halo Infinite - Master Chief and Echo 216
Halo Infinite - Master Chief and the Weapon
Halo Infinite - Master Chief and the Weapon
Halo Infinite - The ringworld is beautiful and immersive
Halo Infinite - The ringworld is beautiful and immersive
Halo Infinite - Eye candy
Halo Infinite - Eye candy