After roughly 300 days since the previous season began forHalo Infinite, its newest update has finally been released in the form of Season 3: Echoes Within, along with the Mindfall event. However, whileHalo Infinite’sbiggest season yet adds plenty of content, fans are somewhat disappointed that the new Bandit Rifle is yet another precision UNSC weapon. With alien weapons being such a staple of theHalofranchise since its inception, the desire grows for the return of old favorites or the introduction of new surprising weaponry.
With constant leaks and rumors surrounding the Bandit Rifle prior to its official reveal, theHalo Infinitecommunity was already vocal about its dissatisfaction. Additionally, it was clear that the new Shroud Screen equipment wasn’t generating much excitement, as many brushed it off as merely an unremarkable smoke grenade. After the release ofHalo InfiniteSeason 3, however, fans have grown a liking to the new items, yet they’re still hoping for more Banished and Forerunner weapons in the future that fit well into the sandbox.
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Halo Infinite’s Arsenal Has Major Gaps to Fill
Though the arsenal inHalo Infinitetechnically has more alien weapons than UNSC weapons, many of these have struggled to fit well into the sandbox. For example, the Disruptor and Ravager feel substantially underpowered, and 343 Industries hasn’t quite been able to balance the Plasma Pistol or Pulse Carbine after several tweaks. Meanwhile, other classics like the Beam Rifle and Covenant Carbine have been replaced with weapons like the Shock Rifle and Stalker Rifle that fit somewhere in between the two, leading fans to question why they can’t all co-exist.
The UNSC arsenal contains many of the weapons players will be using most of the time in standard modes, as weapons like the Sniper Rifle, Bulldog, and Assault Rifle clearly fill situational roles. One of the biggest problems though is that the new Bandit Rifle, Battle Rifle (BR75), Commando, and even the Sidekick all fill one role of a precision semi-automatic weapon. Players are eager for more short-range weapons like therumored double-barrelHaloshotgun, and the return of the Plasma Rifle or Spiker could add alternatives to the Assault Rifle or Mangler. Even the Fuel Rod Cannon could serve as an alternative to the current Rocket Launcher.
Halo Infinite Is Held Back by 343’s Competitive Focus
One of the features thatHalofans have been asking for sinceHalo 4is the ability to play as the Covenant Elites. Elites are iconic to theHalofranchise for so many reasons; players who grew up with the franchise will never forget the first time they played as one inHalo 2. With343 Industries’ era ofHalogames, the developer has placed all of its gameplay focus on the human Spartans, which to many has contributed to the franchise losing part of its identity.
In order to create fair and balanced competitive multiplayer, it makes sense that 343 Industries has focused on Spartan vs. Spartan combat over the years. However, considering one of thecore components ofHalohas always been its social features, creating an environment focused on competition has led the franchise to lose its way over the past decade. Still, many agree thatHalo Infiniteserves as a return to form for the franchise, as the simplistic art style, less complex movement mechanics, and sandbox gameplay harken back to the series’ heyday.
When solely looking at the gameplay from the first two entries in the franchise, they were fairly simple arena shooters. Then, the addition of equipment inHalo 3led to sandbox-style gameplay and brought a level of chaos and randomness that made every match feel different.Halo Infinitecaptures some of this with its current sandbox, but if more unique alien weapons and equipment were added, it could heighten the experience for those looking to recapture that nostalgia from the Bungie era ofHalogames.
Halo Infiniteis available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
