Halo Infinite Score: Open World and Multiplayer Reviews
When Halo Infinite launched in late 2021, it carried the weight of a franchise that had stumbled in recent years. Following the polarizing reception of Halo 5: Guardians and the disastrous reveal of Infinite’s visuals in 2020, developer 343 Industries faced immense pressure to deliver a game that honored the series’ legacy while pushing it forward. The result is a title that is, in many ways, a tale of two games: a ambitious open-world campaign and a free-to-play multiplayer suite. The critical and community response to each has been notably distinct, painting a complex picture of a franchise at a crossroads.
The Open World Campaign: A Return to Form, With Caveats
The campaign of Halo Infinite marks a significant departure from the linear, mission-based structure of its predecessors. Set on the shattered ringworld of Zeta Halo, the game embraces a semi-open world design, giving players the freedom to traverse a vast, beautiful landscape in a bid to rescue Marines, dismantle Banished outposts, and uncover the secrets of the ring.
The Strengths:
The most immediate triumph of the open world is its sense of scale and nostalgia. The rolling green hills, mysterious Forerunner structures, and iconic wildlife evoke the wonder and mystery of the original Combat Evolved, but on a grander scale. The “combat sandbox” is arguably the best it has ever been. The new Grappleshot is a game-changer, adding unparalleled verticality and fluidity to combat. Launching oneself onto a Brute chopper, hijacking it mid-air, and then careening into a cluster of Grunts is an endlessly satisfying power fantasy that feels uniquely Halo.
The story, focused on a more personal journey for a battered Master Chief and his enigmatic new AI companion, The Weapon, is widely regarded as a vast improvement over Halo 5. It’s a simpler, more intimate narrative about loss, hope, and rebuilding. The writing is sharper, and the performance of Steve Downes as the Chief brings more nuance to the character than ever before.
The Weaknesses:
However, the open-world formula reveals its flaws over time. The critical consensus points to a lack of biome diversity. While visually stunning, the environment can become repetitive, with similar-looking forests, mountains, and Banished bases offering little variation. The activities themselves—liberating FOBs, destroying propaganda towers, rescuing Marine squads—are fun in isolation but become predictable and repetitive, falling into the familiar "Ubisoft-style" open-world trap.
Furthermore, the narrative, while well-told, feels constrained by the open world. Major story beats are confined to linear, interior missions that are brilliantly designed but feel somewhat disconnected from the vast expanse outside. Key characters from the wider Halo lore, like the Harbinger, feel underdeveloped due to limited screen time. The promise of the open world isn’t fully utilized to tell a dynamic, evolving story; instead, it often serves as a picturesque backdrop for checklist activities.
Campaign Review Score: 85/100
It’s a triumphant return for Master Chief that successfully captures the magic of classic Halo through its stellar gameplay and tone, but its open world, while fun to explore, lacks the depth and variety needed to stay compelling for its entire duration.
The Multiplayer Suite: A New Foundation for the Future
Upon its surprise early release, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer was met with a wave of overwhelming positivity. It was clear that 343 Industries had meticulously crafted a core gameplay loop that felt both fresh and faithfully classic.
The Strengths:
The foundational gameplay is near-perfect. The shift back to a slower, more deliberate pace with an emphasis on positioning, grenade usage, and the classic Battle Rifle has been hailed as a masterstroke. The sandbox is incredibly balanced, with every weapon, from the sidekick pistol to the skewer, having a distinct and valuable role. The addition of equipment like the Grappleshot, Repulsor, and Threat Sensor adds strategic layers without compromising the core gunplay. Maps like “Live Fire,” “Recharge,” and “Bazaar” are instant classics, offering excellent flow for both 4v4 Arena and larger-scale Big Team Battle (BTB) modes.
The free-to-play model successfully lowered the barrier to entry, bringing a massive influx of new and returning players and ensuring healthy matchmaking populations.
The Weaknesses:
This initial goodwill was quickly tested by the game’s persistent live-service issues. The progression system, centered around daily and weekly challenges rather than performance-based XP, was widely panned as a frustrating grind designed to push players toward the monetized Battle Pass. Customization, a hallmark of Halo, was severely criticized for being overly monetized and restrictive, with core colors and armor pieces locked behind paywalls or intense grind.
Technical issues also plagued the experience. Persistent de-sync problems (where the server and client disagree on player position), a lack of staple modes like Co-op Campaign and Forge at launch, and inconsistent networking in BTB marred the otherwise superb gameplay. The content rollout has been slow, leading to player retention issues as the community grew weary of the same limited playlists.
Multiplayer Review Score: The Score is a Moving Target
This is where reviewing Halo Infinite becomes challenging. At launch, the gameplay deserved a 90+ score. The live-service aspects, however, dragged the overall experience down to a 70 for many. 343 Industries has been steadily addressing these problems—adding XP for match completion, releasing new modes like Infection, and slowly fixing networking issues.
As of now, the multiplayer is in a much healthier state. Forge mode is a creative powerhouse, and the content pipeline is finally flowing. The core gameplay remains arguably the best in the entire franchise. The review score, therefore, is not static. It started high, dipped significantly, and is now on a steady climb back up as the live-service elements catch up to the quality of the game’s foundation.
The Final Verdict
Halo Infinite is a game of brilliant parts that doesn’t always form a seamless whole. Its campaign is a heartfelt and incredibly fun love letter to the series’ roots, even if its open world doesn’t fully escape the genre’s clichés. Its multiplayer features some of the most refined and satisfying first-person shooter action available today, though it was hamstrung at launch by questionable live-service decisions.
The ultimate score for Halo Infinite is one of potential realized and potential yet to be fully unlocked. It is an 85/100 package held back by its own ambitions and a rocky live-service launch, but it has successfully laid a stronger, more promising foundation for the future of Halo than any entry since the original trilogy. It is not a perfect game, but it is, unquestionably, a great Halo game.
