Microsoft has finally revealed a new look at Halo Infinite’s campaign mode, marking the first time that developer 343 Industries has shown the campaign since its initial gameplay reveal in July 2020.
The new six-minute trailer shows off a lot of Infinite’s new gameplay and systems in a short amount of time, including new weapons, new enemies, menacing bosses, and a new AI companion character that will be accompanying players called “The Weapon.” The overview also shows off some of Infinite’s new open world gameplay and RPG style gameplay additions, which include optional bases and objectives for players to pursue and selectable upgrades for equipment.
Set after 2015’s Halo 5: Guardians, Infinite is the first mainline Halo game in over five years and will look to pick up the story of the artificial intelligence revolution led by Master Chief’s former ally Cortana that served as Halo 5’s cliffhanger. Infinite will also pick up story threads from 2017’s real-time strategy spinoff Halo Wars 2, which introduced the latest strain of Halo’s classic Covenant antagonists, the Brute-led “Banished.”
Halo Infinite’s initial gameplay reveal was viewed by many as underwhelming, spawning disappointment in the purportedly next-gen visuals and the infamous “Craig” meme that dunked on a close-up shot of a particularly poorly rendered Brute.
With Halo Infinite set to launch in just a few weeks on December 8th, the new campaign overview isn’t just a chance for 343 Industries to give players a better idea of what to expect from the game when it arrives, but also a chance for redemption and to better sell fans on Infinite’s potential after its lackluster first impression.
While 343 Industries has largely been keeping Halo Infinite’s campaign under wraps (until today’s reveal, at least), the studio has been letting players try out Infinite’s free-to-play multiplayer mode in a series of preview weekends. These weekends have had a far more positive reception as an exciting evolution (and in many ways, a return to form) for the franchise.
Halo Infinite was originally intended to launch alongside the Xbox Series X and Series S last fall, but the game was delayed to 2021 due to a variety of development challenges, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It’s now set to arrive on PC, Xbox Series X / S, and Xbox One platforms on December 8th, although the game will ship without a few key features, including the campaign’s co-op mode and the popular Forge multiplayer map editor, both of which are slated for a 2022 release in a future update.
