I’m an uncompromising, loud-mouthed Halo apologist, however even I fell off of Halo Infinite. Regardless of 343 Industries’ newest recreation feeling simply nearly as good as a Halo recreation ought to, its unusual, staccato launch and lack of recent maps surrounded it with an air of perpetual stagnation for practically two years. As such, I performed it on and off from its November 2021 launch till the tip of final yr, after which simply type of forgot about it.
Then, in February of this yr, 343 cleverly referred to as on its unbelievable group to assist spice issues up, providing a number of new maps in official playlists that gamers may simply discover and luxuriate in (fairly than having to make use of the customized recreation browser to search out Forge-made maps). But it surely wasn’t till final month’s providing, a brand new playlist referred to as Squad Battle that mimics the Large Group Battle of yesteryear with maps that outdated Halo heads will know, that Infinite really began to sing.
You possibly can lead a horse to water, however you’ll be able to’t make them drink. Equally, you’ll be able to inform me that I ought to get again into Halo Infinite, however you’ll be able to’t make me do it when Overwatch 2 and the new Nicki Minaj Name of Responsibility operator are proper there. However for those who’re my fiance and also you’re dogged sufficient, you’ll be able to at the very least get me besides up Halo Infinite once more out of curiosity—particularly for those who inform me there’s “extra outdated maps.”
Halo Infinite Squad Battle bought me again into the sport
The Squad Battle playlist debuted in July 2023 and affords a contented medium between the chaotic 12v12 Large Group Battle matches and the much-less-forgiving 4v4 face-offs. The 8v8 video games are a mixture of conventional Slayer matches and a few objective-based modes, and so they’re all set on maps made by the Halo group. Extra importantly, the entire maps are from outdated Halo video games. Sure, meaning Valhalla is again. Rejoice, Spartans.
I don’t even understand the legendary Halo 3 map is a part of the rotation till I queue up for a recreation and see pictures of its evergreen bushes, its ankle-deep water, and its hulking, futuristic constructions because the match hundreds up. Dazed, I stroll out onto the angled ramp on one finish of the huge, sunlit valley and am hit with a violent wave of nostalgia, adopted instantly by the cockpit of a Banshee. Growth, splattered.
What follows is a match that’s the most effective Halo Infinite has ever felt due to a mixture of its rock-solid gunplay and the near-faultless format of a traditional Halo 3 map. New weapons just like the Commando are good for the scale and scope of Valhalla, permitting me to choose off gamers tenting in a faraway Forerunner construction whereas nonetheless serving a objective when one in every of them drops out of the sky and onto my head.
I spam grenades into the cave operating alongside the facet of the valley wall, similar to I did again in 2007. I bounce a Warthog via the gravity cannon and flip end-over-end towards the hill within the middle of the map, similar to I did again in 2007. I snag a sniper rifle and creep alongside the sting of a rocky outcropping, popping heads with a maniacal giggle, similar to I did again in 2007. The Halo Gregorian chants are ringing in my ears, the bass drum is thrashing in my chest.
The subsequent match is on Exile, a Halo 4 map set on the website of a downed UNSC ship. As soon as once more, there are automobiles galore, and nooks and crannies for enemies to cover in, rifles in hand. I bounce in a Banshee and streak straight as much as the sky, careening down towards a lone enemy Spartan like a peregrine falcon, swooping up and away from the bottom on the final doable second. I’m grinning ear-to-ear all through the match, unaware of the rating, unbothered by demise. Why does this really feel so a lot better than anything in Halo Infinite?
Certain, there have been sprawling open maps with enclosed areas dotting the terrain and automobiles simply ready to be ridden because the recreation launched. And certain, the weapons and motion mechanics, which expertly steadiness older Halo physics with extra trendy FPS expectations, have at all times been nice. Possibly that is all one massive train within the energy of nostalgia, and I’m solely this gassed about Halo Infinite as a result of it gave me a bit Rat’s Nest as a deal with.
However possibly, simply possibly, Halo Infinite has at all times been this good. It simply wanted a well-recognized conduit, a recognizable face, to remind you of that.
