Halo Infinite’s campaign is about the spaces in-between. Open worlds live or die on those in-between spaces, don’t they? What is the value of an open-world littered with objectives that are clearly displayed on a map screen, if there is nothing between the objectives to stumble upon, to lead you off the path of least resistance? What secrets will you uncover on this broken ring, if there is no sense of mystery to their discovery?
I’ve played Halo Infinite’s campaign for a handful of hours now, taking in its first four missions and a generous dollop of exploration, and I’m still searching for that spark in the in-between places. Not Guilty Spark – that relentless chatterbox can do one. I mean the kind of spark that surprises and delights.
Because in going open-world, developer 343 has opened a can of worms. Like a Pixies song, Halo campaigns have always been about oscillating between loud and quiet. 30 seconds of fun in a bowl of a combat arena, the golden triangle of shoot, melee and grenade in perfect harmony with the player and controller – and then, chill. Halo campaigns have also been linear affairs with the illusion of open-worldness. Some of the series’ most famous levels feel open-world, have that magic to them, but under the hood they’re missions in the classic first-person shooter style, with a beginning, middle and end, loud and quiet waving up and down with the start and end of each fight.
Let’s Play Halo Infinite Multiplayer – HALO, IS IT ME YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?… Watch on YouTube
Halo Infinite aims to capture that feel, but spreads it out across a chunk of a Halo ring. This time Master Chief – and 343 has smartly made sure Master Chief is the playable character throughout the entire campaign after the backlash to the much-maligned Agent Locke from Halo 5 – can go anywhere, any time, and take on side objectives in the order the player sees fit. As a Halo fan schooled on the way Halo used to be™, it’s an initially jarring experience.