The recent demo for Halo Infinite has many fans comparing it to Halo: Combat Evolved, for better or for worse. The upcoming title is meant to act as a "spiritual successor" to the 2001 game, apparently right down to the graphics. Accompanied by Halo Infinite's Combat Evolved reminiscent box art, it's clear that 343 Industries is trying to take a step back and return the franchise to its roots.
The problem many are having with the title so far is how much it looks like last-gen games. People have directly compared screenshots from Halo Infinite to previous Halo games which only highlights the disparity in visuals. Halo Reach, a game that released 10 years ago on the Xbox 360, looks more modern than Halo Infinite on the Xbox Series X. Some fans are very much liking the direction that 343 Industries is taking while others immediately bashed the title during the Xbox Games Showcase for its dull, muted, poorly rendered graphics.
Halo Infinite's environments are looking absolutely phenomenal, spanning far into the horizon of the game's new world. Unfortunately, 343 Industries may have looked back at Combat Evolved a little bit too much. The muted color palette makes everything feel quite muddy and eliminates a lot of subsurface scattering that makes games feel so tangible. This is blatantly obvious when looking at the faces of the Brutes, who feel flat and lifeless with their cartoonish, blocky features. When Master Chief holds any kind of weapon it feels like a single toned block of plastic. The environment itself barely affects the objects and creatures inhabiting it to the point where contrast is nonexistent. To put it bluntly, Halo Infinite looks like an unfinished rendering in its current state.
Halo Infinite's Outdated Graphics Don't Look Good
The reason these graphics are being met with such harsh criticism is that it doesn't align with anything Xbox has announced so far. Given that the Xbox Series X is supposed to be top of the line, seeing this level of dated graphics has many fans feeling disappointed. If a game is being produced on the best possible equipment on the market, it should reflect that. Plus, all of the trailers for the title had it looking phenomenally detailed and bold, which set a high expectation for the demo. For Halo Infinite to have ever so slightly better graphics than Halo: Combat Evolved is a disservice to the series. With every new iteration of a game, people expect it to be an improvement upon its predecessor. While Halo Infinite features a diverse array of new weapons and items, including a new grappling hook mechanic, the graphics themselves are putting off quite a few people.
It's unclear at what stage of development the demo was taken. There's a possibility that 343 Industries has not finished the visuals for the title, but given its Holiday 2020 projects release date, that's unlikely. With the level of backlash and critique the game is having the week of the demo's release, 343 Industries may opt to take another look at the graphics they've produced. It's definitely possible to create a unique reboot without sacrificing quality (look at God of War). For Halo Infinite to feel like a modern game, the art direction will require a complete restyling.
As Xbox's flagship game, Halo Infinite had a lot riding on its campaign demo. While it's nice to see the developer taking direct inspiration from classic Halo titles, they may have gone a little bit too far with their homage. If Halo Infinite doesn't update it's current graphics, it is destined to feel out of place among the vast catalog of realistic games coming to the Xbox Series X.