Halo Infinite Multiplayer Tech Preview (24th-26th September)
It feels like Halo. There isn’t anything that can be really said about it, other than this. Those of you that spent countless hours in the earlier Halo games will understand completely what I mean by this.
Over the last weekend (24th – 26th September) I had the opportunity to play the latest flight for Halo Infinite. Unlike most of the first flight which primarily allowed the player to only play against AI bots in the arena modes, this flight was a full multiplayer test. Which means, player VS actual player.
How does it feel?
It feels like Halo. There isn’t anything that can be really said about it, other than this. Those of you that spent countless hours in the earlier Halo games will understand completely what I mean by this. And it’s something that I am happy to report.
If I was to compare this multiplayer flight, I would best compare the gameplay to Halo 3 / Reach but with the modernisations found in Halo 4 and possibly, Halo 5.
Having not played Halo 5 myself, it’s not entirely fair for me to say whether or not it was a huge departure from the others, but judging popular opinion and what I experienced for myself in Halo 4 – it indicates that it was an unwanted change to the formula.
Although I’m all for modernising titles, bringing in more mechanics to keep new and existing players on their toes, chasing that “meta”, in some cases – it can be tinkered with a little too much. The best games find this balance and normally it’s what elevates a good game into being a great game.
Halo Infinite (due to release December 8th 2021), is the next game in the franchise. Being currently developed by 343 for the Xbox and PC. I am happy to report, 343 understand what they needed to do to bring back the competitive Halo player.
Halo Infinite feels like classic Halo. It’s fast, the weapons feel great, the maps (from the 3 I’ve seen) are clean and well thought out. Graphically, it’s much improved over what most people may have seen from event trailers and coverage from it’s earlier state of being.
Not only does it feel like Halo. It sounds like Halo. Hearing the announcer say “Slayer”, “Double Kill” and “Killionaire” is a blast from the past and it instantly teleports me to nostalgia land. Hearing the audio queue for when your armour recharges and even firing some of the classic weapons such as the sniper, are gateways to the familiar.
You can full gameplay of the Halo Infinite multiplayer tech preview in the video below (be warned, swears involved).
If I was to compare this multiplayer flight, I would best compare the gameplay to Halo 3 / Reach but with the modernisations found in Halo 4 and possibly, Halo 5.
Game modes that I have played in this flight are: Slayer, Capture The Flag and Stronghold (where Stronghold is a brand new game mode).
What should I buy this game?
Well, it’s very hard for me to convince to convince someone to buy a game that hasn’t even released yet. As I said before, Halo Infinite is due to release worldwide on December 8th, 2021. So we still have a little ways to go before everyone get’s to experience it.
However, this might be the clincher for you.
The Halo Infinite multiplayer will be free.
That’s right, free. Taking notes from other HUGE free to play games such as Apex Legends or Fortnite, 343 have opted to follow a similar approach. Both the multiplayer and campaign are treated as separate entities, with the base game costing full retail and the multiplayer being left to it’s own devices.
I suspect this means that 343 have separate teams that can focus on each of these experiences exclusively, and this can only be a good thing.
So, if you’re still not willing to try the multiplayer, even though it’s free, there is no convincing you. Even if you are on the fence about it, playing the multiplayer will give you a feel for how a spartan controls and might be that spark that pushes you over the edge to buying the campaign.
How do I get in to the flight?
So, it appears that applications for console and PC players are still open. 343 are still willing to allow new players to get access to the game – with their next flight being planned for September 30th – October 2nd.
If you want to try the game yourself, I would advise you sign up to Halo Insider and try your luck there. Fortunately, I was invited to this second flight within a couple of hours of the flight starting, choosing to play the game on PC where I was provided with a steam key to redeem.
Although I am not 100% certain about how you redeem access codes via a console, I’m sure it’s fairly straight forward to activate them and play during the next flight.
Anyway, Halo Infinite shows immense promise and it appears that 343 are onto a winner, where the multiplayer it concerned. As long as nothing too drastic changes the landscape before launch, I think we’ll be seeing an incredible amount of coverage in the following times after release.
Hopefully I’ve done enough to convince you to try the game for yourself or maybe, purchase the game when it releases worldwide on PC and Xbox on December 8th, 2021. I’ll meet you in the arena.
