In this preview we will share with you our first impressions of the Halo Infinite multiplayer beta recently released by 343 Industries
It is finally about to return Halo, one of the Fantasy FPS most loved of all time. Lovers of the series have been in a dry mouth for a very long time, but now they are finally starting to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel. In just over two weeks, in fact, all fans will be able to take on the role of Master Chief thanks to the new chapter coming on December 8th.
For sure many of you will be eager to find out how the story of the most famous Spartan in the world will continue, but obviously FPS players are also very interested in the multiplayer. Fortunately 343 Industries has decided to give a small gift to all fans of the series, allowing them to try out a preview for free the Halo Infinite multiplayer beta. We have thoroughly played this very important part of the game and in this article we will share our first impressions with you.
Fun for all tastes
Thanks to this beta we got to try the classic Halo multiplayer experience through different playlists that adapt to the tastes of all gamers. For those who love to have fun without too many pretensions there is the “quick match”, a set of dVarious historical modes such as capture the flag, skull and massacre, all played within small arena maps for four-player teams. Those who want to fully experience the chaos of battle will certainly appreciate the “great team battle”. This playlist is designed for clashes on large maps between teams of twelve players and also involves the use of powerful vehicles both terrestrial and flying.
Instead, if you are looking for something more challenging you can always try the competitive matches by Halo Infinite. This playlist uses the same maps and “quick match” modes, but requires more effort due to the addition of the friendly fire and of minimap removal. In addition, by winning competitive matches you can rise in rank and earn a place in the rankings alongside the best Halo Infinite players.
If, on the other hand, you want to try the classic crazy and fun experience typical of Halo you can rely on custom matches. Here you can create matches according to your preferences, modifying the rules of the modalities as desired and, once the full game is released, even the maps. You can also select if you want the most popular creations of the community and use them as a basis for your games.
The combination of all these different modes makes for the multiplayer experience of Halo Infinite extremely varied and above all fun. The only flaw is related to the fact that the maps available at the moment are a bit ‘few, but surely more and more will be added over time.
Old and new – Halo Infinite preview: first impressions of multiplayer
Basically, the core gameplay of Halo Infinite has remained roughly unchanged from that of the previous chapters. Your character is in fact able to carry two firearms at the same time, two different types of grenades and has two HP bars, one normal for armor and one capable of regenerating for shields. Of course, however, infinite also presents several additions think for enrich the classic gaming experience. For example, you can now bend over during your run to perform a short slip, a perfect skill to use to move quickly or avoid enemy attacks.
In addition, the equipment, that is, new limited-use tools that will help you a lot during battles. Some of these items will provide you with typical powers from the series such as invisibility or overshield, while others will have completely new features as in the case of grappling hook. These equipments they add so much variety to the online battles of Halo Infinite and to be able to get the better of your opponents it will be essential to learn to master them all.
A typical element of the series that unfortunately has remained completely unchanged are the vehicles. In fact, almost all of the game’s means of transport are taken directly from the old Halo chapters and they have practically no difference. They certainly are still very powerful and fun to use, but the lack of new additions made us turn up our noses a bit.
Arsenal from Spartan – Halo Infinite preview: first impressions of multiplayer
Another key aspect of any self-respecting FPS is obviously the arsenal. At present in Halo Infinite are present more than twenty firearms all very different from each other. We have classic assault rifles, pistols that shoot explosive crystals, shotguns with bouncing bullets, rocket launchers and of course the iconic energy blade. As if that were not enough then many of these instruments of death have a particular secondary fire mode which makes them even more complex. Most guns will simply allow you to zoom in with the viewfinder, but others will amaze you with unique functions.
Another very interesting element that sets the weapons of Halo Infinite even more apart is the type of damage they inflict. In fact, in the game there are four different categories of weapons: kinetic, plasma, solid light and shock. Each piece of equipment in the game belongs to one of these categories and, based on which one it belongs to, gets several advantages and disadvantages. For example the kinetic weapons inflict a lot of damage to armor but are not very effective against shields, while those al plasma they work exactly the other way around. The equipment a solid light instead they are equally powerful against any type of protection and, in addition, they also possess several unique characteristics. Finally the shock weapons they don’t deal a lot of damage to players, but they’re perfect for temporarily disable enemy vehicles.
This great variety of weapons and above all the differentiation of damage types adds a certain level of extra complexity to Halo Infinite encounters. In fact, now before engaging an enemy you will always have to take into account the weapons you are holding and the way in which you are going to use them.
The Price of Style – Halo Infinite Preview: First Impressions of Multiplayer
Let’s now move on to an element that is very close to the heart of a large slice of the fans of the series: customization. Basically you can choose between diverse corporature for your PC and you will also have the option of add prostheses both arms and legs (a very welcome addition from an inclusiveness point of view), but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Halo Infinite from this point of view offers so many possibilities, allowing players to modify many different elements of your Spartan and more. For example you can get different sets of special armor, but also change each piece individually from helmet to boots. Plus, you can also attach pendants to weapons, add accessories to the Spartan, and color virtually everything, including vehicles. Finally it is also possible choose your own emblem and create a tag to be applied on weapons and armor as it was once done.
All these customization possibilities will certainly be appreciated by all players, but unfortunately they are blocked by a big wall: microtransactions. In fact, almost every single customization option in the game will be unlocked first by using Halo Infinite Premium Currency or by leveling up in the Battle Pass. Obviously the battlepass is available in both premium and free versions, but unfortunately if you decide not to spend money you’ll have access to only a fraction of the game’s many customization options. As if that weren’t enough then the battle pass level up process is extremely slow (especially for non-paying users) and this incentivizes even more ad players buy new levels directly using premium currency.
Beauty and Solidity – Halo Infinite Preview: First Impressions of Multiplayer
Graphically, 343 Industries has managed to do a more than good job with Halo Infinite. The models of characters, vehicles and equipment are not very detailed, but nevertheless they are really well done and the various special effects that you will often see during the shootings are also of excellent quality. The maps are too extremely neat and in their simplicity they really turn out very beautiful to see and to play. In addition we would also like to point out the excellent work done in the audio sector. The sound feedback of the many weapons in the game helps to make them much more “real” and, above all, satisfactory to use. Furthermore, paying the right attention is possible perfectly perceive the position of an enemy simply by listening to the sounds it generates.
The company also managed to do a really good job with regards to technical sector (our test took place on PC). The game in fact has a large number of settings that can be changed to be able to obtain good performance even on less performing platforms. Also, even with most values set to their minimum, Halo Infinite manages not to lose too much in terms of graphics quality.
Our test, however, was not all roses and flowers, but we also ran into several problems. In particular, at present it seems that there are various issues related to matchmaking. In fact, often the search for a match ended up lasting much longer than it should, and then ends abruptly with a classic error message. The software also seems to be still a bit unstable, as we have run into it several times annoying freezes and crashes. We remind you, however, that currently multiplayer is still in beta and consequently problems of this kind are not yet to be considered as serious.
Conclusions
Now the point of our preview has finally arrived where we sum up the multiplayer of Halo Infinite. 343 Industries’ new title appears to be able to deliver the classic multiplayer experience typical of the series, but enriches it with several novelty able to make the clashes more tactical and fluid. There is a bit of a lack of vehicles and maps especially, but for sure over time this problem will reduce more and more. The major criticality of the game, however, is linked to microtransactions too present which, on the other hand, will probably remain unchanged. Of course, customization for a fee it does not damage the gameplay on which the title is based, but in any case it is a very important aspect for many gamers and consequently it cannot be overlooked.
Halo Infinite will be available December 8 for PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S.. If you are interested…