History of the Halo series (part 6)

After release Halo 4 (2012) and Halo 5: Guardians (2015), which were part “Saga about the swordsman“, 343 Industries continued the development of the series and presented the next game – Halo Infinite. To create this project, the studio received support for companies such as SkyBox Labs, Sperasoft, The Coalition, Certain Affinity, And Atomhawk. Inspired by games with elements of the open world, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The developers wanted to provide players with greater freedom in the study and the ability to complete the tasks in an arbitrary order.

Despite the positive reviews about Halo 5, The campaign was criticized for insufficient attention to Master Chifu, And 343 Industries promised to focus on this character in the future. IN Halo Infinite The new game engine is used Slipspace Engine, the development of which was headed by the creative director of the campaign Paul Croker. The artistic style was developed Justin Dinges And Nicolas Buvier, and the multiplayer regime was engaged in Tom French And Pierre Hintze.

Difficulties in development

Development Slipspace Engine turned out to be difficult and led to the accumulation of technical debts. 343 Industries relied on contract workers who made up to half the team, but politics Microsoft limited the term of work of contractors up to 18 months, which caused a reduction in the team as contracts were completed.

The studio also arose Creative instability, caused by the division of the team into internal groups, which led to conflicts and disagreements. At some point, it seemed that “four or five games were being developed at the same time”. In the summer of 2019, a significant part of the content was reduced, which seriously changed the initial concepts of the game. Initially, the game was planned to be released in November 2020, so that it coincided with the launch Xbox Series X/S, But this period turned out to be an unrealized.

Development of the game and release transfer

Despite the difficulties, the development continued. In August 2019, development director Frank O’Connor He said that Halo Infinite It is developed so as to “look and play fantastically” on Xbox One, With additional improvements for Xbox Series X/S. However, the announcement of the gameplay, held on July 23, 2020, caused criticism for insufficient visual quality. This led to further changes in the development.

August 27, 2020 it was announced that he had joined the team Joseph Steiten, former presenter of the series screenwriter Halo. Steaten convinced Microsoft postpone the launch of the game until 2021, arguing this with the ability to improve graphics and other aspects. As a result, the issue was transferred to December 8, 2021.

Release and features of gameplay

Halo Infinite was first announced on E3 2018, where the developers showed a trailer created on a new engine Slipspace Engine. Initially, the game was supposed to be released in November 2020, but due to the pandemia of Covid-19 and other factors, the release was postponed to the end of 2021. November 15, 2021, In honor of the 20th anniversary Xbox and series Halo, An open beta version of the multiplayer regime was launched Halo Infinite. The full version of the game was released December 8, 2021.

Halo Infinite was presented as a “platform” for a franchise, which will develop and expand over the next decade. This means that the game will not have traditional continuations with numbered parts, but will be updated and complemented by new content over time.

Gameplay Halo Infinite inspired by the original trilogy, especially Halo 3, with elements from Halo: Reach, Halo 4, And Halo 5: Guardians. The main emphasis is on the use of equipment (gadgets), and not on the abilities of armor, as in previous games. Although such mechanics as sprint And slip, borrowed from Halo 5, There are still other functions, such as shooting with two hands, are absent.

Open World and Side Missions

World Halo Infinite divided into seven areas, which gradually open as the main missions pass. In each new area, side missions are available to players, which include:

Fulfillment of side missions https://frenzinocasino.uk brings to players Valor, which improves the wn system, opening access to new weapons, equipment and marines at the bases. To the interior rooms associated with the main missions, you cannot get re -access after their completion, which makes each mission unique to the plot.

Halo Infinite campaign consists of 16 levels.

The GBRAKON warship – the game begins with the fact that the master of Chif is on board the Kovenant’s warship, where his task is to destroy the forces of the exiles that control the ship. The player has to fight elites and britches in the closed spaces of the ship using classic mechanics and weapons of the Halo series. This is the intensive start of the campaign, which sets the tone for the rest of the narrative.

Base – Master Chief continues to fight on another ship of exiles, trying to take control of the key systems of the ship. The player fights with the waves of enemies, making his way through the technical zones of the ship and learning more about the goals of enemies. The level is focused on more tactical battles and intelligence.

Avvanpost Tremonius – this level completes the linear entry and opens the first zone of the open world to the player. Master Chif fights with exile holding outpost, and after victory gets access to the map of the region. This introduces an element of research, and the player can now move freely through the large gaming area.

Restoration is the first mission that fully uses the possibilities of an open world. Master Chief explores the first region on the surface of the ring, freeing out the avantosts and capturing key objects from exiles. The purpose of the mission is to restore control of critical points and prepare a bridgehead for further operations.

Tower – this level opens the second area of ​​the open world and focuses on the assault on the exile tower, which contains important information about the structure of the ring. Players have to fight strong enemies and move through the tower, revealing new plot elements. After completing the mission, a new region for research becomes available.

The excavation site – Master Chif goes to the huge excavation zone, where exiles are trying to activate ancient grounds for the forerunner. The player will have to destroy key structures that interfere with the promotion of UNS troops, and stop the activation of ancient technologies.

Conservatory – Master Chief deepens into the abandoned buildings of the forerunner, where he faces new types of enemies and riddles. The player explores underground locations, fights with brotes and elites and reveals the secrets of ancient technologies hidden deep in the ring.

Spire – this level will unlock both zones of the open world, which can be explored before the completion of the “Falled Pelican” mission. The player fights with the powerful forces of the exiles in a large turret complex, trying to prevent the activation of the massive design of the forerunner. The mission is saturated with both hostilities and puzzles.

Falled Pelican – having completed previous tasks, the player gains access to the third region of the open world. Here you have to encounter new enemies and fulfill tasks for the liberation of the territory from the exile, opening more and more opportunities for studying the ring.

Sequence – Master Chief begins to follow the signals that lead him to hidden structures of the forerunner. This level continues the main storyline and offers the player many combat missions, where you need to quickly adapt to different combat conditions.

Nexus – the level is a point of no return, after which the player will not be able to return to the open world to complete side tasks. Master Chief is moving to the ring control center, faced with powerful enemies and preparing for the final battle.

The command spire – Master Chif penetrates the main team center of the ring, where you have to fight with elites and britches that protect the key control points. This level is full of tense battles and reveals more information about the past ring and its creators.

The repository – the mission is focused on a deep study of the technological structures of the forerunner and the disclosure of the secrets of the ring. Master Chif fights with Prometes and Exiles, trying to access the central database of the ring.

Road – Master Chif breaks through the massive fortifications of the exiles, preparing for the final battle. The player fights with various enemies, drives vehicles and strategically destroys the key goals of the enemy.

House of reckoning is the level at which the main climax of history unfolds. Master Chif fights the leaders of the exiles and tries to prevent their plans to capture the ring. The mission is saturated with dynamic battles that lead the player to the final confrontation.

A quiet audience is the final mission of the game, in which the Master Chif is faced with the last enemy and completes his task on the ring. The player fights with powerful enemies and completes the storyline, revealing important secrets about the past and future of the rings.

After the announcement of the game process of the Halo Infinite campaign on July 23, 2020, many spectators and game publications expressed disappointment with the quality of graphics and the performance of the game. One of the symbols of this dissatisfaction was a screenshot with the image of a Brutus with a calm expression on the face, which quickly became an Internet meme, receiving the nickname “Craig”. The meme has gained wide popularity in the community, and the director of public relations 343 Industries, Brian Jarrard, jokingly supported this wave, which strengthened the popularity of the character.

Unlike a campaign that has been criticized, multiplayer beta release Halo Infinite In August 2021, he received high grades for improvements in the gameplay. Game sessions demonstrated that the game was significantly modified by offering the players fresh and improved experience, which caused a positive response from the community.

On Metacritic, Halo Infinite I received generally positive reviews, and many critics noted that the game successfully returns the series to its origins. Gamesradar noted: “”Halo as you have never seen her before, “and Eurogamer He called the release Halo Infinite The best in the series in the last decade. Game Informer I chose Halo Infinite The game of the year. By January 2022, the number of players reached 20 million, which emphasized the popularity of the game among gamers.

Interesting facts:

Comic scenario called Halo 6: Yabda Cuts Loose used as a props in Halo Mannequin Challenge. The script was written Nick Arditsson, And the main role was played by Ungga by name Yabda “merciless”.