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There’s no doubt that the last couple of years haven’t been kind to theHalofranchise.Halo Infinitewas supposed to revive the franchise and bring it back to its glory days. However, upon its debut, it was criticized for being plagued with microtransactions and cut content, which was previously promised.
Although 343 Industries, now rebranded as Halo Studios, managed to pull everything back and win the fanbase’s trust again, it couldn’t solve the game’s fundamental problem, which it inherited by copying Bethesda and Todd Howard’s magnum opus,The Elder Scrollsfranchise.
Halo InfiniteShould’ve Never Gone Down the Open-World Path
Bethesda’sThe Elder Scrollsis one of the best RPG franchises out there. With the first game debuting back in 1994, it’s been over 3 decades since we first explored the land of Tamriel.One of the fundamental aspects of anyElder Scrollsgameis its open-world map design.
Initially, these huge maps were procedurally generated, with thousands of locations to explore. However, the switch was made to crafting in-game maps by hand with Morrowind, and subsequent games featured a smaller map but were incredibly detailed.
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Many in the gaming industry have tried to copy Todd Howard’s open-world formula, and one of those games wasHalo Infinite. Previously, allHalogames had used a linear mission structure. However,Infinitesets Master Chief loose in an open-world environment, giving players the tools required to take down enemy encampments and explore Zeta Halo to their hearts.
It’s not the largest open-world game out there, and at launch, players were impressed with its size. However, as the years have gone by, the gaming community has recognized the many faults inInfinite‘s open-world design.
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The introduction of an open world maptook away fromHalo‘s incrediblestorytelling via bombastic set-pieces, which are perfect for traditional linear experiences. What’s even worse is that it is bland and fails to present players with engaging activities.
While the overall in-game world is expansive, it’s filled with repetitive activities and doesn’t offer anything beyond capturing Forward Operating Bases, which anyone will find painful to complete after a short time. Unlike Howard’sElder Scrollsgames, the open world inInfinitefeels more like an inconvenience.
343 Industries, while developing the game, clearly had ambitions and plans forInfinite‘s open-world design. However, its execution was absolutely terrible and left the game feeling like yet another generic open-world mess.
Halo Infinite‘s Open World was Cut Down in Development
Halo Infinite‘s awful open-world design was a lot better and larger in scale during the initial development. According to areport, 343 decided to cut down the open-world map in 2019 as it was aiming to stabilize the direction in which the game was heading.
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Due to the developer’s decisions, the game’s open world was scaled down from aZelda-like experience into something far smaller. Even thoughthe game’s open-world formula was scaleddown,Infinite‘s issues continued past 2019.
In 2020, 343 Industries gave us a look at the gameplay footage forHalo Infinite, which was bashed by the fans of the franchise. Players mocked the gameplay footage for its terrible quality, crafting memes out of Craig the Brute.
Even thoughInfinitewas delayed by a whole year from its initial release in November 2020, the developers were never able to solve the title’s core issues and bring meaningful post-launch additions.
With that said, do you thinkHalo Infinite‘s successor should continue with the open-world formula for its future games? Let us know in the comments below.
Dhruv Bhatnagar
Articles Published :1195
With over 4 years of experience in content writing and more than 1,000 articles published for FandomWire, Dhruv is a seasoned writer when it comes to the gaming space. He’s deeply passionate about titles such as GTA Online, Forza Horizon, and Pokémon Go, committed to bringing readers deep dives and latest updates.
