Halo Infinite has transformed me – Xbox Zone

Surely many of you who have read this article are very familiar with the saga Halo, or have at least played several of their games. Another part, perhaps a minority, feels the respect that Spartan John commands. Not only because of his extraordinary journey through the Xbox generations, but also because of the brutal influence he wielded from his origins in the video game industry. And it is that today’s shooters owe a lot to the excellent work done in their time by Bungie, which would later pass the baton to 343i.

If you are reluctant to face the saga, or simply do not know in the least about its importance in video games, I strongly advise you to watch the documentary. “Light up” from Xbox. It is now available on Youtube for free, and it is not lost. As far as this article is concerned, more than a reconciliation, it is for me to give it the real pedestal that the Master Chief deserves. Infinite Halo it’s a “now or never” train that’s happening right now, and if you don’t get on, you’ll probably miss it forever. Infinite Halo It converted me, and I have a feeling many of you did too. I’m more into the Master Chief universe than ever.

landing

The Xbox 360 was launched in 2005. Although some time later I had one, thus making the leap to Microsoft consoles, it was a classmate who had the opportunity at the time to take advantage of the first model. A very first model which, in 2007, will receive Halo 3, the long-awaited story of the Master Chief of a new generation. Yes Halo Combat Evolved It was a revolution in the world of video games, Halo 3 This would be verification that this was, without a doubt, Microsoft’s flagship franchise.

Forza Motorsport 2 Yes Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare They also helped establish this extraordinary game console. I was able to test them, and see what the new machine was capable of, which, without knowing it, was going to dominate a whole generation. Its maneuverability, design, excellent performance, everything in the 360 ​​was 10

. And there you have it, a figure covered in a green metallic cape, and a battle in what seemed like a rather open stage for the time. It was the first time I saw him in motion, in person, and I must admit that I was impressed. Mounted on a Warthog, this kid explained to me to the sound of gunshots, the complex universe that surrounded this enigmatic character.

Unsurprisingly, and despite its emphasis, I guess it must have happened to me like many people new to the Xbox universe. He didn’t understand the magnitude of the Master Chief, the reach he already had, and the epic that always came with him.. To this we must add the time that has passed until I have my own console, the low popularity that the brand enjoys in Europe and other games that have caught my attention even more. It was when I saw my best friend’s brother play armament of war when I was clear that I should get a 360.

first chance

With the arrival of the new Xbox One S and Xbox One X, Microsoft began to make amends for the disastrous 2013 launch. With Don Mattrick at the helm and the Kinect as punishment, not to mention inaccurate comparisons to other other systems, the new console had a very bad reception. But as I said, new hardware revisions have turned the tide. Now Phil Spencer has arrived to give Xbox a very different air, and Game Pass would be the center of it all. This is where my story continues Halo.

When I got my Xbox One S, that was one of the main reasons I bought it. I started playing loads of games, and the service, while not what it is today, already had a more than huge range of games. As many of you know by now, Game Pass has the excellent Master Chief collection, to be able to play the whole saga in full. Somehow I always had to download it, until one day I decided to cheer up with Halo 5. Better informed on the trajectory of the Master Chief (although not well enough), I decided to launch his campaign. Later, after finishing it, I found out that it was indeed not a fan favorite at all. However, what I saw pleased me in many ways.

Technically, 343i had managed to provide the saga with what it needed after Bungie’s departure. It might not have been the most epic story, although it did have some real moments during this campaign. One of the things that surprised me the most was his gunplay., very polished and addictive, something that can perfectly apply to Infinite Halo. After finishing the fifth installment, I decided to continue delving into its predecessor, and with Halo 4

, although in my opinion a good game, I again disengaged. What I didn’t know was that it wouldn’t be my last game.

The inflection point

At the end of 2020, the launch of the next-gen consoles took place. After bursting into the Game Awards gala with a bang, the Xbox Series X made an appearance like an elephant in a china shop. The Series S would be shown later being the perfect companion in digital format, a Game Pass devourer. But as always, if the material is important, it must also be fed with good video games. And Microsoft has done a great job on that.

2021 has been a year full of video games, being pretty round for Xbox. But if we go back to the launch of the X/S series at the end of 2020, we cannot forget the blow caused by the delay of Infinite Halo. The Xbox flagship was shown in a condition that surprised fans for the worse. I was looking forward to this title myself, because I was aware of its importance, as well as its ambition. This fateful gameplay, with very striking things but a little poorer in terms of graphics, served to reaffirm two things; how crucial this saga is for Xbox and how much Microsoft listens to its community.

We had to wait a long time to have it with us, while 343i cooked up its most ambitious project. After this period of development, it was time to put myself at the controls of the Master Chief. And then I really realized how epic this universe can be. The first moments are a little more linear and above all frenetic, a delight for any lover of video games and the genre in general. But it’s when you enter its open world, the Zeta Ring, that your jaw drops.. I had already fallen in love with multiplayer, but seeing how these mechanics and shooters are carried over to the open world is simply a delight for those who play it.

Once you try it, you won’t let go

As I said before, multiplayer was already vital in my experience with Infinite Halo. You already know that it was about three weeks before the launch of the game with its campaign, in a “beta” version that could well go through the final. This is where 343i’s career began to completely convince fans, and users who did not have them all with them. In my case, I already had the chance to try the last private test of the game, and prints were excellent. It’s such an addictive game, I couldn’t wait to go back.

Today with the campaign, I can say that, although I’m not a real fan of the whole saga, Infinite Halo has everything it takes to continue to be successful (because it has been) for a long time to come. At first, I thought its open world might not completely convince me. It’s true that there isn’t a huge variety of scenarios or biomes, but that doesn’t matter, you don’t need it. With that, it’s a beautiful video game, which in some ways even reminds me breath of the wild, mainly due to its exploration possibilities.

The hook is a key elementIn fact, I liked it so much that I barely use the rest of the Master Chief’s abilities. Its use is very satisfying, allowing you to reach practically any place in the cartography, regardless of its height and verticality. To this must be added the variety of items and side quests scattered on the stage, which is quite large. It probably happens to you like me, that instead of going directly to the main ones, you “waste” a good part of the time completing the secondary ones and collectibles, they just want them.

In short, without being much less aware of all the stories of Halo, nor have lived its beginnings, I think Infinite It is for me, as for many other people, the demonstration of all that the franchise can give of itself. The Master Chief’s aura has always shone with its own light, and now I finally understand why. Infinite Halo converted me, won me over from the start, completely changing my perspective. As the Boss would say, “Missions change, they always change”, and I think this trend of change will continue for a long time on Xbox.