343 Industries has confirmed that Halo Infinite will not bring back two requested features, as players will not be able to dual-wield or play as an Elite in the upcoming game. Also, it's apparently not actually a true open-world game. The first-person shooter was originally meant to be a headline launch alongside the Xbox Series X/S in November 2020 but was delayed after fans reacted negatively to the initial reveal. Much of the criticism centered on the seemingly poor visuals featured in the footage, something that the developer has been concentrating on fixing if recent Halo Infinite screenshots are to be believed.
The Halo developer also recently revealed a series of new features introduced in Halo Infinite. This includes a brand new dynamic weather system as well as a day/night cycle. Both of these elements will have a significant effect on gameplay, changing how enemies behave and forcing players to switch up their approach. Developers also unveiled a number of distinct biomes that will be available to explore, including swampy wetlands and war-torn areas on Zeta Halo.
As part of the latest #Ask343 video posted to YouTube earlier today, 343 Industries has announced that dual-wielding will not be available in Halo Infinite when it launches. Lead sandbox designer Quinn Delhoyo responded to a question about dual-wielding, saying, "That’s not in the cards right now.” The team at 343 is instead focusing on bringing back Halo 3-era equipment and ensuring that the gunplay is up to scratch. Meanwhile, the developer also confirmed that users will not be able to play as an Elite because Halo Infinite is a “Master Chief story and a Spartan story.” That means that both features will once again be missing from the Halo series, with their last inclusion being in Halo 3.
These minor gut-punches to series veterans aside, one of the most surprising reveals from this developer Q&A was the reveal that Halo Infinite isn't a true open-world game, an assumption that many have been working on since a work-in-progress demo of the game was first shown off in 2020. Paul Crocker says that Zeta Halo is inspired by Halo: CE's Silent Cartographer level but is still an overall linear experience with greater exploration and nonlinear narrative opportunities, explaining:
"It’s somewhere in between [open-world and linear]. We have a lot of stuff that we haven’t shown today. We’re trying to build our open and expansive world where the player gets to explore, as we’ve said before."
In managing this vision, 343 has reportedly gotten help from Gears of War developer The Coalition, with some employees stating that they have worked on both Gears 5 and Halo Infinite over the last few months. Microsoft has not confirmed that this is the case,and it is unclear exactly what kind of assistance The Coalition has provided to 343 Industries.
Dual-wielding and the ability to play as an Elite are two features that fans have long requested be brought back into the series. Both Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians left out the gameplay mechanics and each of them is largely viewed as a disappointment compared to earlier entries in the franchise. While the lack of the two features may not have directly influenced the reception of the recent titles, fans will still likely be disheartened to see that they have not been restored.
Halo Infinite will be available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC in Fall 2021.
Source: 343 Industries