Although at their core Halo games are first-person shooters, the franchise has grown to be different things for different people over the years. As such, Halo's diverse range of playstyles lends itself to being enjoyed by almost anyone. Over the years Halo has made some minor changes to the game's format, but one thing has stayed constant: skulls. While Halo: Reach and Halo 4 handed the series' iconic skulls to players from the start, Halo Infinite needs to continue the tradition of making skulls hidden collectibles.
Skulls have been a part of Halo since Halo: Combat Evolved was released for the original Xbox in 2001. Originally, these skulls were hidden throughout the campaign for players to find and collect. They could then be applied at the beginning of each level to modify the gameplay, making the campaign more difficult, random, or hilarious. However, in Halo: Reach and Halo 4 the skulls were removed from the campaign and were made available from the start. This gave players little incentive to explore each map and made the skulls feel less exciting. Luckily, hidden skulls made their return in Halo 5 making it likely that they will be hidden once again in Halo Infinite.
This article won't speculate on whether or not 343 Industries will make skulls hidden collectibles, but rather why it should. Skulls add layers to Halo's gameplay and give levels replayability. While some players won't care for searching every nook and cranny for a skull that removes their HUD, adding a collect-a-thon element to Halo Infinite may intrigue a wider audience.
Skulls Need To Be Hidden In Halo Infinite
The main reason why Halo Infinite needs to hide its gameplay modifying skulls is because of the appeal of hidden collectibles. It's more fun to have to find Halo's skulls than it is to be given all of them at the very start. Hiding them also adds more content to the game, albeit a small amount, that makes players want to replay the levels of a campaign. Obtaining some skulls can be a bit challenging as well, which adds layers of tension to already intense sequences. Some skulls hidden in Halo 2 & 3 required the player to kill an enemy that only appeared during a certain period of time, which made the player feel as if they were racing against the clock.
Harkening back to the sentiment that Halo offers a diverse range of playstyles, some fans only play Halo for the campaign. If someone is paying $60 just for the campaign, 343 Industries should try to squeeze as much as it can into it. Skulls would be an easy addition to the game as most of them are hidden behind a rock or on a ledge of a building. Skulls also encourage exploration, as a lot of Halo's levels are beautifully crafted but offer little incentive for players to stray away from the beaten path. Making skulls hidden collectibles, and adding more things for players to collect, would play in favor of Halo Infinite's open-world. If the levels are as expansive as 343 Industries is boasting, they need to be filled with discoverable content to make the world feel dense instead of pointless.
Halo 3 is a prime example of a first-person shooter that balances easily navigable levels with exploration. It tucks secrets and lore into every corner while still focusing on firefights and streamlining the player to where they need to go. A large reason why Halo 3 is hailed as one of the best Halo titles is due to the amount of discoverability it offers with its campaign. Halo Infinite can capitalize on that feeling of discovery starting with making skulls hidden collectibles once again.
Halo Infinite will be available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC in 2021.