Halo Infiniteis still a long way off, with a tentative release window of late 2021. Yet Xbox and 343 Industries have done a lot of work to ensureHalo Infiniteremains an ever-present topic of conversation within the gaming industry. But it’s also due in part toHalofans being very curious aboutHalo Infinite’s gameplay. In the latest #Ask343, for example, the studio was asked to clarify whetherHalo Infiniteis truly open-world, or if that’s been an exaggeration.
In response, 343 says very clearly thatHalo Infiniteis not open-world, just in case there were anyHalofans that had that misconception. TheHalo Infinitedemo that was showcased in 2020 admittedly may have given that impression, but that was meant to convey the size and openness of certain levels rather than a true open-world nature. But no,Halo Infinitewill not be anopen-world game akin toGrand Theft Auto,Assassin’s Creed, or the like.
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Rather,Halo Infiniteis trying to recapture some ofHalofans' favorite aspects of the original game. 343 mentions the originalHalo’s Silent Cartographer levelas an example. The Silent Cartographer is a linear level, but it’s large, open, with explorable facilities, and layers of verticality. But perhaps the bigger concept is that the level is cohesive. Despite being so open and linear, it feels like a part of a bigger open world.
343 describes how there’s a linear thread driven byHalo Infinite’s story–players have a lot of freedom to explore beyond that. For example, players could take a banshee and “stray from the path” to do objectives outside of the story. The world will still be contained by story progression, on some levels more than others, but that freedom to explore is always available and often encouraged. In other words, it’s a classicHaloexperience.
Another way in whichHalo Infinitewill throwback toclassicHalolevel design, that ties into the world, is with biomes. 343 describes how, like in the originalHalo, the base biome will be heavily based on a pacific northwest environment. Within this biome, however, will be sub-biomes like swampy wetlands, wartorn deadlands, deep caves, and more.
Understanding exactly what 343 means when it refers to classicHalolevel design forHalo Infinitewill have to wait untilHalo Infinite’s eventual release. And that’s dependent on 343 delivering on its promises, too. Considering 343 has already delayedHalo Infinitean extra year, fans are going to be expecting something special.
Halo Infinitereleases 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
