This weekend saw the return of the Halo Infinite technical preview, which allowed many Halo Insiders a chance to experience the fast-paced PvP action we’ve come to expect from the series. I decided to dust off my Battle Rifle and hop in for a few games to see what 343 Industries has knocked together for us. Spoiler alert… it might just be the free-to-play multiplayer game we’ve all been waiting for.Punchy. Yup, that is the weapons handling in Halo Infinite’s multiplayer portion, and I sure hope we see that level of quality transferred to the solo experience in December. As I sat down with a cup of coffee on Friday evening, patiently waiting for matchmaking to become available, I thought it best to brush up on some of my shooting skills and mess about in the Academy. This was of course my first experience with the game, and so, it’s now the first thing you shall read about. Punchy is a great way to describe the weapon handling and audio cues in Halo Infinite. Most weapons felt and handled great for the most part, and everything felt evenly matched, offering a gaming experience that’s fair, challenging, and rewarding.This weekend was all about keeping the gameplay close and personal, throwing us into 4v4 Arena modes of Slayer, Strongholds, and Capture the Flag. Each mode feels extremely well balanced, which is something the original Halo titles attempted to achieve and succeeded with, making the playing field as even as possible and allowing your skills to get you the win, instead of an overpowered weapon build. Everything about these modes screamed in Halo 1-3 delight as I jumped around, launched grenades, and raced to pick up power weapons while my armour shields took a pasting. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a multiplayer game as much as I did with the Halo Infinite multiplayer tech test, with every moment filled with intense action.Halo Infinite took a hiatus last year due to its less-than-ideal visuals, which to 343 Industries’ merit, looks to have (possibly) paid off. I obviously can’t speak for the campaign, the main cause of the game’s delay, but if this multiplayer tech test is anything to go by the visuals should be enough to burn a hole through any concerns. Each of the three levels I played on were gorgeous to look at: Live Fire, Recharge, and Bazaar. A fourth was available to play on Sunday called Behemoth, but unfortunately, I missed it. The three I did play, though, offered a huge amount of versatility to the gameplay, with Bazaar featuring the perfect long-distance combat battles, and Recharge forcing you to get into each other’s faces. It was fast, fun, and possibly a little unhygienic, but I know that everything I played was a step in the right direction for the franchise. Aside from the larger features listed above, Halo Infinite comes packed with a couple of cool features, including one that is, well, not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Let’s get the bad one out of the way first: Battle Pass. I can wholeheartedly see where 343 Industries is going with the Battle Pass system in this game, and the ideas behind having us complete challenges to earn experience towards the Battle Pass tiers. I just don’t see (at least not right now) how it’s going to sit right with the majority of players that start playing when the multiplayer launches. If you don’t complete any challenges during a match, you walk away empty-handed, and although the challenges are relatively simple, I still can’t see it being a popular choice. That said, being a F2P game, the idea of putting in a little leg work to unlock some shiny free items doesn’t sound like much of a hardship — if of course, the game takes off like I hope it does.One of the good points, which I found to be extremely enjoyable, was the personal AI. Each match has a main AI speaker which tells you bits about the game in the over-the-top voice we’ve come to expect from the franchise. Alongside the over-enthusiastic commentator is your personal AI, which you can customise with different looks — well, shapes — colours, and voice types. When going along your merry way in the fields of pain that are Halo Infinite’s Arena matches, your AI will speak to you like a personal cheerleader, patting you on the back and reminding you that you’re doing a good job. It’s fun, often amusing, and a feature I really like about the game’s multiplayer. When not pushing you on with words of encouragement, your AI companion will appear when you interact with objectives, giving you a clearer view of what you’re doing.The Halo Infinite technical preview has proven that 343 Industries is out to take the multiplayer shooter scene back into its grip. With solid combat, great customisation options, and enjoyable gunplay, Halo Infinite stands to be an absolute titan on the FPS scene when it launches on December 8th for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. I just hope that the campaign will build on the hype if/when it’s finally shown off, and not steal the wind from our sails… no pressure or anything, 343.
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