Halo Infinite, our impressions of the technical beta!
Halo Infinite
After the original 2001 episode, Halo Infinite represents perhaps the most important chapter of the series. The first left a mark because it gave life to the setting and gameplay, and it did it so well that the following small reinventions were enough to be successful, given that the brand was at its peak and the public always wanted more. Bungie's commitment and aggressive marketing then acted as an additional propeller (remember the ARG called I Love Bees?). Absurd things have always happened around Halo, which helped him to immediately enter the legend. Then, when Bungie escaped into Destiny's arms, Microsoft already had the studio that would replace it, those 343 Industries founded in 2007 with a single purpose: to allow Halo to outlive its original creators.For years the studio has been taking measurements with Halo, from the maps of Halo Reach to the Anniversary version of the progenitor, and then launches into Halo 4 and Halo 5, two solid chapters but far from the days when Master Chief turned heads . Halo had to be kept alive as new developers grew, and waiting for the right time for a concrete relaunch. After trying the technical beta of Halo Infinite multiplayer, we are even more convinced that the right time has come.
Between past, present and future
Halo Infinite Tech Beta: here is the main screen, where you can see a bit of everything this beta offers. Too bad that customization still doesn't seem to work properly. For Halo Infinite, the right time will be the next twelve months, but the advance on the times was only half successful. On the one hand we can already say that 343 Industries have intercepted the tastes of the public perfectly, proposing a Halo that clearly winks at the origins, even from a feedback point of view of the commands. Maybe not everyone will be happy with this choice, but judging by the first reactions, longtime fans are already rubbing their hands. Where things are not going as expected, however, is in the actual development: Covid or not, the work on this awaited Halo Infinite does not seem to have gone according to plan at all, we have seen it in the failed presentation of 2020, and this first Beta it certainly didn't change our minds. The client we had to download is certainly a few months old, and this is not the time to judge the technical aspect of the game, but we see that we are still in full development and we would not have expected it at this point. >The character of Halo
Halo Infinte Tech Beta: The map is small but of quality, and includes several elevation changes as well as a central tower to make the most of long-range rifles. Many users in these hours are reporting problems with performance and optimization of the beta on PC, but in our case not only did the experience go great, but we were able to easily push towards the higher settings. Halo Infinite will also improve from a technical point of view, and we are sure that especially in the campaign there will be some good ones, but the multiplayer clearly has other focuses and another type of charm: that of a physical and fierce gameplay, between face-to-face clashes. , as two Warthogs chase each other and the play area is dry bombed. In short, it is useless to go around it, let's talk about the gameplay of Halo, the breath of the battles of Halo, its exceptional versatility. Despite attempts at emulation, the game's character remains the secret recipe but to emerge, to make its mark as Infinite is called to do.Don't call it a demo
Halo Tech Beta: In addition to the useless click, it is also possible to slide to the ground with the classic control scheme present in every FPS. If we jump close to the edge of a raised platform, our character will perform a rather useful immediate climb. The stated purpose of the Halo Infinite Tech Beta is to put the servers under stress and understand how the artificial intelligence of bots works, not surprisingly the only mode present is a 4v4 called Marine Bot Slayer, in which only one team is composed by players, while the other by bots. So there is very little to play: as much as you may be interested in Halo Infinite, after a couple of hours you've seen and tried everything. Artificial intelligence, despite working at very low difficulty levels that will be progressively raised along the beta, already appears very skilled and able to exploit the map in truly surprising ways. But let's face it, in the end the interesting part for us is another: while they work and test, we can finally try firsthand the two things that interest us most, namely the gunplay and the feeling in the movements.Halo Infinite Tech Beta: verdant nature, white structures, the map present in the beta totally embraces this graphic style, guaranteeing the charm and readability of the action Halo Infinite, as already mentioned, go back to look forward, trying to find that difficult balance between heaviness and agility by placing yourself somewhere between the early classics and rhythms introduced in Halo 5. With guns they're on their way: they're massive, they sound great, and handling them with the pad honors old acquaintances and makes them interesting. Announcements. The movement, on the other hand, is still on the high seas, and it will be necessary to find a solution before leaving: at present there is a command that allows you to shoot, but the speed is slightly higher than walking. On the other hand, when you walk, you have the feeling of traveling with quick steps that Master Chief would hardly approve. We throw it there: maybe it would be the case to eliminate the sprint by increasing the speed of normal walking? Just one of the many solutions in the hands of 343 Industries.
Marine Bot SLayer
Even the map we were allowed to play in is a perfect summary of the typical Halo deathmatch arena, simple and as schematic as it is decidedly well thought out. Here we start with standard equipment, but we will be able to collect weapons and gadgets in predetermined places, it being understood that the best tools have a rather consistent cooldown, which regulates their distribution and aims to preserve the balance of the match.Gone out of the way of the powers of Halo 5, with which the community had a relationship of hate and love, to spice up the games the beta of Halo Infinite is limited to offering only two gadgets: the classic concealment system and the even more classic front shield to be placed on the ground. The weapons that we did not find in the Marine Bot Slayer mode we were able to try in the Weapon Drills, or a sort of firing range, at the moment very rudimentary, where you can test yourself with fixed and moving targets. This beta was also useful to get an idea of the Passes - which unlike the season passes seen in other games will continue to be available for purchase even after their time limit - although at the moment we have not noticed particular inventiveness in what it is. possible to unlock: mainly colors and new armor parts to customize our character and his weapons.
This Tech Demo showed us a game further back than we hoped, but undoubtedly on the way to satisfying all the passionate thanks to a gameplay finely tuned towards the most classic rhythms of the series. The multiplayer of Halo Infinite, which we remember will be free to play, should arrive in time for the Christmas holidays, while we still have nothing to know about the campaign (indeed, about the campaigns since there will be more than one) which instead will normally be purchased or downloaded from the Game Pass.
