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Click to watch embedded media<\/a><\/p>\n While fans were hopeful about Halo Infinite<\/a>, not many could have predicted the dominant return Master Chief would make at the end of 2021<\/a>. The multiplayer suite blew players away with a joyous amalgamation of pitch-perfect combat and some of the best multiplayer maps the series had seen in a long time. The campaign refocused in scale and featured some of the most emotional character moments we\u2019ve seen from Master Chief and Cortana. Not only that, but 343 Industries\u00a0opened Zeta Halo to players in ways unheard of in a Halo game, creating a delightful semi-open-world experience that features some of the greatest movement the series has ever seen.<\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t all perfect. Multiplayer staples such as Slayer and Free For All weren\u2019t included at launch. Forge and cooperative play are still months off. The battle pass system was a complete wreck. But those issues haven\u2019t stopped 343 from iterating and improving on one of 2021\u2019s biggest games, and the studio shows no signs of slowing down. But how will the company build on its momentum in the new year? Here are five ways Halo Infinite can build upon its momentum in 2022. Spoiler<\/u><\/span> warning: we discuss the story implications for a lot of Halo’s main characters while keeping actual details vague.<\/p>\n Stick with me here… Dog ears. You cat sickos got what you wanted, let me have this.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s funny what playing Call of Duty: Warzone for two years will do to you. The FPS juggernaut is celebrated and maligned for many things. Still, whether or not you like the busy menu screens, it has mastered the art of making the battle pass and cosmetics more accessible to its users, something Halo Infinite desperately needs. There have been plenty of times I\u2019ve gone to the battle pass, wanting to equip my shiny new helmet, only to have to dig through the customization menu and scourer multiple Spartans to find the one new cosmetic item.<\/p>\n As much as I don\u2019t love how cluttered the COD menus can get, I do appreciate seeing my new unlocks marked in a way so I can find them easily. I\u2019d love for this feature to come to Halo so that equipping my new shoulder pad and getting back to the slaying is no longer a hassle. It\u2019s a small change, to be sure, but one that could alleviate a myriad of headaches and allow players to bask in the glow of their new snazzy armor before dirtying it with the blood of their enemies.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Halo multiplayer always comes with certain expectations for additions to the current iteration, with fans hoping for some of the most iconic maps in multiplayer history to come back into the fold. The same is true with Halo Infinite. Seeing maps such as Lockout, Valhalla, and Blood Gulch would be a tremendous treat for longtime fans, especially with Infinite\u2019s new coat of paint. What\u2019s more tantalizing, though, is the chance to sprint and grapple around these hallowed halls of multiplayer madness. Can you imagine racing up to the top of the base in Beaver Creek, using the grapple shot to snag rockets, and scoring a multi-kill? 343 has a treasure trove of old maps to reintroduce to a new player base, and I\u2019m chomping at the bit to see what they choose.<\/p>\n But while the prospect of playing on familiar battlegrounds excites me, I think for the first time in over a decade, I\u2019m more excited to see what 343 will create from scratch. Halo Infinite includes some of the best maps the series has seen in a long time. Playspaces such as Live Fire, Streets, and Recharge are symbolic of the iconic close quarters combat the series made its name with, and Big Team Battle maps such as Fragmentation walk the perfect balance between scale and keeping players in the fight. It\u2019s abundantly clear that the team at 343 has learned a lot of lessons since taking over the mantle of Master Chief, and I want to see them go all out when it comes to the play spaces\u00a0that bring out the best of what Halo Infinite\u2019s combat has to offer.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Speaking of the best of Halo Infinite\u2019s combat, creative game modes have been at the heart of the Halo series, and I\u2019m looking forward to their resurgence in 2022. While this is a series that popularized the mainstay multiplayer modes of the last twenty years, it\u2019s the Grifballs, the infection modes, and more that brought a creative light and a refreshing twist on the iconic suite, something Infinite is lacking as it stands. While I want these game modes featured, I\u2019m more interested in the fresh experiences 343 has up its collective sleeves. The\u00a0Cyber Showdown event could be a step in this direction, but I also want 343 to take inspiration from another pillar of the Halo Infinite package.<\/p>\n The beauty of the campaign is the exuberant way it pushes you to explore its sandbox, especially regarding equipment usage. The grapple shot isn\u2019t a fleeting resource; it\u2019s a tool to use freely and is one of the highlights of my time on Zeta Halo. I want to see the multiplayer suite reflect that as well. No, I\u2019m not talking about adding a starting grapple shot into Slayer and ranked. Imagine a mode where you can freely use your newfound swinging abilities while being equipped with an unlimited supply of fusion coils. Pure, unadulterated, chaos and I\u2019m here for it. Halo Infinite\u2019s most outstanding quality is its knack for not only understanding the iconic combat dance of the series but adding contemporary layers to make it one of the best multiplayer shooters on the market today. The more it can embrace those pillars, the longer it can hold that claim.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Halo Infinite\u2019s tale of Master Chief, The Pilot, and The Weapon wonderfully sets up the future of the series. What it also does is leave plenty of room for story exploration that doesn\u2019t involve John and his newfound fight against The Endless, which has me the most excited I\u2019ve been for Halo stories in quite some time. Halo Infinite is a platform, thus a space to expand not only in the multiplayer realm but with more single-player content as well.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve played the campaign, you\u2019re familiar with the audio logs that are scattered across Zeta Halo that lightly fill in the story between Infinite and the events of Halo 5. The beauty of these peeks and teases is how open-ended they are. We know characters such as The Arbiter, Locke, and more are out there. We just don\u2019t know where they are now. The same can be said for most familiar faces that haven\u2019t been seen since the last fight against Cortana. This ambiguity is exciting not only from a storytelling perspective but a gameplay one as well. The playbook is entirely open for 343. Do they want to tell a more intimate story similar to Halo 3: ODST? Place Captain Lasky on Zeta Halo after the Infinity crashes and tell the tale of his quest to save the UNSC without its most crucial soldier. Do they want to tell a more familiarly bombastic story with new and familiar weapons not found on Zeta Halo? Check-in with Fred, Linda, and Kelly for a more co-op-focused adventure.<\/p>\n Therein lies the beauty of what 343 has been able to accomplish with Halo Infinite\u2019s story. Without spoiling too much of the ending, Halo Infinite\u2019s closing moments make it clear the slate is clean. And while that\u2019s exciting for Chief and company, it\u2019s almost more exciting for the characters around him. It frees up 343 to give arcs and endings to the Bucks, Lockes, and Lasky\u2019s of this world, including or killing off familiar faces as they see fit. AAA video game storytelling can be predictable at times, with every game trying to be a new franchise. 343 has the opportunity to buck that trend and continue what they started with Infinite: Acknowledge the past without being beholden to it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n What else would you like to see added to Halo Infinite in 2022? Be sure to leave a comment below on what you’re excited about in the new year. If you want more Master Chief goodness, be sure to check out our https:\/\/www.gameinformer.com\/2021\/12\/22\/every-mainline-halo-game-ranked\u2026<\/a>; target=”_blank”>ranking of the best games<\/a> in the Halo franchise, our https:\/\/www.gameinformer.com\/haloinfinite"<\/a>; target=”_blank”>exclusive coverage hub<\/a> of one of 2021’s best games, and our ranking of the https:\/\/www.gameinformer.com\/feature\/game-informers-top-10-games-of-202\u2026<\/a>; target=”_blank”>greatest titles from last year<\/a>! Thank you so much for watching!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/five-things-halo-infinite-needs-to-do-in-2022-1.jpg\")
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Dog Ears<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\nWho’s A Good Spartan?<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/five-things-halo-infinite-needs-to-do-in-2022-2.jpg\")
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Streamlining The Menus<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\nMaking It A Breeze To Keep Slaying<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/five-things-halo-infinite-needs-to-do-in-2022-3.jpg\")
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Balancing The Old With The New (Maps)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\nI’ll Take One Lockout With A Side Of Something New Please!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/five-things-halo-infinite-needs-to-do-in-2022-4.jpg\")
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My Kingdom For A Fusion Coil<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\nHow New Creative Modes Can Keep Halo Going<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/five-things-halo-infinite-needs-to-do-in-2022-5.jpg\")
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Yeah, But Where’s The Arbiter<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\nCatching Up With The Familiar Faces From The World Of Halo<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n