Unlike previous installments, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer component was made available separately as a free-to-play game, with both the campaign and multiplayer modes added to the Xbox Game Pass library.ĭespite concerns following the reveal of the game’s initially rough-looking state, the final version of Halo Infinite was well-received and deemed a return to form for the series by numerous gaming outlets. The story sees players reprising their role as Master Chief as he continues his fight against the Banished on the Forerunner ringworld Zeta Halo, aka Installation 07. This can be attributed to the ambitious nature of the game’s campaign, which sought to incorporate open-world elements along with a new grappling hook traversal mechanic. Releasing six years after its predecessor, Halo Infinite has gone through the longest development cycle of any game in the series following a delay in August 2020 to its eventual release in December 2021. Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows The story focuses on Master Chief and Cortana’s relationship as they explore an ancient civilization’s planet and encounter a new Covenant faction, alien military alliance, and mechanical warriors known as the Prometheans.Įxisting characters and art assets received complete visual overhauls that sought to recreate them from the ground up while motion capture was utilized to create the animations for Halo 4’s cutscenes.ĭespite the significant number of changes and unique selection of weapons, enemies, and game modes, Halo 4 received widely positive reviews, particularly for its more focused and relatable story. Work on Halo 4 began in 2009 by 343 Industries, an at the time newly-created studio within Microsoft that was put in charge of developing all Halo releases following Bungie’s departure from the company.ĭuring the development process, 343 began exploring the Forerunner fiction within the Halo universe and decided to incorporate it into the game’s new setting, enemies, and main antagonist. Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows

Halo trilogy series