(Review as of CU29)

Halo Infinite is a game I am split on. When it comes to the graphics, gameplay and sandbox I think 343 actually nailed it, making what felt like a refreshing new take on the classic Halo formula. A solid base on which to build an excellent game. The problem is that almost everything else surrounding that base was a bewildering comedy of errors. Falling into basically every modern AAA gaming pitfall.

- Awful monetization (Which makes REQ Packs seem reasonable)

- Armor Cores / Coatings were a net negative for customization (343 spent the games life slowly backtracking it)

- Most updates were just bringing back content from older games instead of anything new

- Yet again 343 heavily relied on Community Forge maps to flesh out the rotation

- "Events" were glorified shop updates with a couple themed maps put into rotation

- Missing game types from past titles (Where is Assault, Juggernaut, VIP, Race, Multi-team, etc?)

- Missing social features from past titles

- Persistent networking bugs that took months and months to be fixed while actively making the MP experience more annoying than it should've been

- Strict SBMM choked out any sense of casual fun and made finding games nearly impossible for anyone outside NA / EU (Unless they use a VPN)

And that's just my gripes with MP. The Campaign also grinds my gears. Anyone who believed in 343's promise of future expansions got scammed out $60 and all they have to show for it is a mediocre story with one of the worst, bare bones "Open world" levels I've had to experience. The replay value on it is near non-existant.

In the end, with 343 more or less cutting the cord for Infinite by the end of 2024 as they move on to the next project, the product we have now is okay. Is it worth checking out now? Sure I'd say so, at least for the MP. But the grueling years of top-to-bottom incompetency it took to get to just "Okay" is inexcusable.

You're better off buying MCC. You'll be getting 20x more bang for your buck compared to Infinite, and you won't feel empty inside after playing it. 343 now has my permanent skepticism, and I will be weary giving them my money ever again.

(Review as of CU29) Halo Infinite is a game I am split on. When it comes to the graphics, gameplay and sandbox I think 343 actually nailed it, making what felt like a refreshing new take on the classic Halo formula. A solid base on which to build an excellent game. The problem is that almost everything else surrounding that base was a bewildering comedy of errors. Falling into basically every modern AAA gaming pitfall. - Awful monetization (Which makes REQ Packs seem reasonable) - Armor Cores / Coatings were a net negative for customization (343 spent the games life slowly backtracking it) - Most updates were just bringing back content from older games instead of anything new - Yet again 343 heavily relied on Community Forge maps to flesh out the rotation - "Events" were glorified shop updates with a couple themed maps put into rotation - Missing game types from past titles (Where is Assault, Juggernaut, VIP, Race, Multi-team, etc?) - Missing social features from past titles - Persistent networking bugs that took months and months to be fixed while actively making the MP experience more annoying than it should've been - Strict SBMM choked out any sense of casual fun and made finding games nearly impossible for anyone outside NA / EU (Unless they use a VPN) And that's just my gripes with MP. The Campaign also grinds my gears. Anyone who believed in 343's promise of future expansions got scammed out $60 and all they have to show for it is a mediocre story with one of the worst, bare bones "Open world" levels I've had to experience. The replay value on it is near non-existant. In the end, with 343 more or less cutting the cord for Infinite by the end of 2024 as they move on to the next project, the product we have now is okay. Is it worth checking out now? Sure I'd say so, at least for the MP. But the grueling years of top-to-bottom incompetency it took to get to just "Okay" is inexcusable. You're better off buying MCC. You'll be getting 20x more bang for your buck compared to Infinite, and you won't feel empty inside after playing it. 343 now has my permanent skepticism, and I will be weary giving them my money ever again.