Halo Infinite players won’t need to play through the rest of the Halo series or brush up on its lore to understand what’s going on in the next installment in the franchise. Microsoft debuted gameplay for Halo Infinite, which features updates including a grappling hook and more open environments, at the July Xbox Games Showcase.
Players had been waiting for Halo Infinite’s gameplay reveal since Microsoft announced that it was coming months in advance. It’s no surprise that Xbox fans would want to see the long-awaited next game in a series that’s been around since Microsoft’s very first console and one that basically defined what a console FPS can be. On top of that, rumors had been flying about how the next Halo game, with some speculation that it might even become a live service game à la Destiny. While that doesn’t exactly seem to be the case, developer 343 Industries has said that it plans to use Halo Infinite as the major platform for the next 10 years of the franchise.
With nearly two decades of history behind it, it would make sense to assume that players who are jumping into the Halo universe for the first time with Halo Infinite might feel a little lost. While series veterans are certainly going to have a better grasp of the overarching story right away, 343 Industries says that those without a deep history with Halo will be able to get along just fine. Speaking to IGN, developer Paul Crocker made it clear that players won’t have to “do homework to enjoy the game” despite the main villains of Halo Infinite appearing previously in Halo Wars 2. Developer Chris Lee echoed that sentiment, saying that while Halo Infinite ties the storyline of all the previous Halo games to what’s next to come for the series, players won’t need to have played what’s come before to understand it. For players who are immersed in the lore, Lee promises that certain moments in Halo Infinite will reward that knowledge.
For anyone who wants to catch up on Halo’s story regardless, 343 Industries has also been at work updating Halo: The Master Chief Collection as it works on Halo Infinite. The collection gathers several classic Halo games in one place so that fans can experience them on modern hardware, and with some surprising bonus updates like jetpacks in Halo 3.
While there’s still plenty of time to go back and play through the Halo series before Halo Infinite launches, it sounds like no one who doesn’t have the time to dig back into it will be left out. From what’s been shown so far, Halo Infinite looks like it will scratch the itch for classic Halo and bring some new surprises as well.
Source: IGN