First off, before everyone comments that this isn’t a “beta” but a “technical preview”, I know that. But inevitably everyone is going to call this a beta anyway, so that is the wording I am going with. Hope I don’t infuriate anyone too much.
As we move through the initial Infinite beta window this weekend, we will be updating this post periodically as the Podcast Evolved team gets a chance to get into the game and experience Halo Infinite for the first time. Be sure to check back here throughout the weekend as we have the opportunity to digest what we see, hear, and feel, and put those thoughts to words.
Also, be sure to keep your eyes out on the Podcast Evolved YouTube page for livestreams and reaction videos of the initial Halo Infinite Beta. We will work to get those videos linked here as well, so you should see them appear as they are made public.
7/28/2021 - Technical Preview First Look
Its Wednesday, and that means only one day until the very first Infinite Technical Preview! That also means 343 Industries has given us our first look at the beta, what will be included, what won’t, and what it will look like on different systems. If you haven’t caught the first look at the preview yet, be sure to do so immediately!
Ian’s Thoughts
Ok, so I am just going to sort of dump my thoughts here regarding the technical preview demo we just watched in no particular order. I am sure I will have missed something, so I’ll be back later to add anything else I think of.
First, Infinite is looking nice. Really enjoyed the menu screens and the armor customization. I can’t think of anything that stood out as mind-blowing, but it is crisp and clean and seems to give you everything you would want without overwhelming the player.
I really liked the settings available. There seem to be a ton of customization for the player, including turning off some of the newer visual features like the sprint trail that don’t add to the gameplay itself and might be a turn-off to the classic player base. Personally I will probably leave all this on, but that’s just me. Nice to see the options in there.
The Academy is a really nice addition, though I am not sure how I feel about the AI difficulty scaling. We got to see levels 2 and 3 of 3, and even at the top level, the AI is just moving back and forth without really using cover and not firing back. From what else I’ve read I know there is better AI difficulties in the actual Infinite multiplayer games, but I wonder if what we saw is all there is to that part of the Academy. Maybe it’ll make more sense once we actually get into the game tomorrow, but what we saw seemed pretty simplified.
Ok, so onto the weapons. The Commando is probably going to be my favorite weapon in the game. I haven’t seen everything, but it is basically the DMR with full auto functionality and a kick-ass sound. I love everything about it.
The Needler looks sick. It is usually one of my top three favorite Halo weapons, and from what we saw in Infinite that is probably going to be the case again. Fire rate seems higher than I can remember in any other Halo iteration, though I would have to look closer to be sure. It definitely kicks ass.
So we finally got to see the Heatwave in action, and I have to say: Meh. I like the alternate fire mode idea, but I thought the gun sounded pretty weak and the visual impact was really underwhelming too. It may be a functionally fine gun, but it just didn’t feel satisfying. This might change when I get a chance to actually use it, so stay tuned for further updates.
I don’t have much to say about the Skewer. It still looks like an awesome power weapon, but it seems super hard to use effectively. I am really interested to try it out and see how it performs in my barely capable hands.
The gameplay gave me a lot of Halo 5 feels. I know for some that is going to be a disappointment, but for me I am thrilled. The least liked parts of Halo 5 gameplay are gone as we knew, though sprint and clamber (mantling) are returning. Personally these are the only ones I think would detract from the core gameplay if removed. The feel of jumping and not being able to clear a ledge because you skipped arm day is just awkward to me, regardless of what it may or may not do to strategy and player skill. Sprint is one of those endless arguments, and while I get the idea of just speeding up the standard movement speed, sprint gives depth to movement and allows the player to choose speed over the ability to use your weapon. I would say it seems like a refined version of Halo 5 gameplay, though once I get into actually playing my thoughts will probably evolve.
Ok, that is all I have for now. I will be sure to provide more of my thoughts here as the preview actually gets started and see if any of them change once my hands are actually on the controller. Also, some of the rest of the crew is probably going to stop by to give their thoughts too, so check back here regularly. See you soon!
7/30/2021 - Day One
Well we were hoping to get some game time on the 29th, but due to some issues at 343 and high server demand, very few people were able to get into the Infinite beta until the 30th, including us. So lets just get into it.
Ian’s Thoughts
I think I am going to take back most of my negative comments from the first look, but maybe add some new ones. My biggest complaints are with the menu and the jankiness of the graphics, but as this is an unfinished product I can’t exactly say it is a negative for the game proper. I was a bit surprised at the texture popping I saw, even on the Series S, but again its a beta so stuff like resource optimization is not finished yet. It was worse for me on PC, though I am running a somewhat outdated machine, so I can’t really be surprised by that. It also took about 20 minutes for the game to load up the first time on PC, but once again, beta. The subsequent load times were short, less than a minute, probably less than 30 seconds.
I enjoyed the Academy more than I thought I would, though most of the appeal was to play around with the new weapons. I am not sure how much use I am going to get out of it outside of the beta. I am hoping there is more to the Academy than just the three simple levels when Infinite releases, because otherwise it will get very old very fast.
I was a bit surprised by how much I liked the sound of the enemy shield drop in the Academy. I think this was only in Academy and not in multiplayer, but it is very forceful and I actually thought something had happened to my character at first. If anything it might be too intense of a sound for what it represents, but since the Academy is there to teach the player about the game, it seems very intentional. I also really enjoy the very visible hit-markers on the enemies in the Academy. It really makes clear where you are impacting the enemy player.
My initial opinions on the weapons is mostly unchanged, though overall I like the suite of weapon choices more now that I have gotten my hands on them. I still love the Commando, though it has a lot of kick which means I suck at it. The Heatwave isn’t quite as bad as I initially thought, though I still am not much of a fan of it in the horizontal fire mode. In the vertical mode it feels more substantial, like a long-range shotgun, though it is much harder to hit someone. In horizontal it still feels underwhelming, though it may be more useful against vehicles.
The Ravager feels solid, and the area of effect for the charged fire mode looks nice, but my results were mixed. I had decent success with it in normal fire mode, but the charged mode didn’t seem to do as much damage as I expected. The Needler is very rapid fire, and feels really nice. I got some good kills with it, and it is definitely shaping up to be one of my favorite Needlers in the Halo franchise.
The Skewer is about where I thought it would be. It feels great, and is a nice new addition as a power weapon, though my results against infantry weren’t great. It definitely seems like it is a weapon made to combat vehicles, which is what we saw in the E3 multiplayer trailer. Overall a great addition I think, though I’ll have to hold off that verdict until I get to use it against vehicles.
Gameplay is better than I thought overall. It feels like my perfect marriage of Halo 5 and classic Halo. Still plenty of advanced movement techniques at hand without being overbearing with the thrusters. I might have a more nuanced thought on this once I get some more games under my belt, but so far I am loving what they have done with the core gameplay.
I am also really enjoying all the little additions to the gameplay spread over the map. Weapon spawn points show a blue image of the weapon when it hasn’t respawned but is available when the timer runs out. Red weapon images mean the weapon is still on the field and will not respawn until it is spent. Power weapon spawns indicate a timer for under 30 seconds until respawn, and a built-in progress bar for times beyond 30 seconds. For someone like me who has never and will never take the effort to learn spawn timing, this is a helpful bit of information.
I am legit impressed with the bot AI for multiplayer. They aren’t just challenging, but play like enough like a real person that I would be hard-pressed to pick out an AI from a human player if I didn’t know which was which. The Marine skill level is not a cakewalk, but they aren’t hard to defeat. The second skill level, ODST, on the other hand, is pretty close to my skill level, which isn’t saying a lot, but I still lose one-on-one battles with them semi-regularly. I am fearful of the Spartan difficulty.
My overall thoughts from day one are very positive. I am loving everything I have seen, but there is a lot of graphical polish remaining. Knowing that this game was originally targeted for a holiday 2020 release until about this time last year, I am very glad they didn’t push this out the door then. It is hard to say what it would have looked like, but I can for sure say it would not have been as complete as it will be this holiday, and considering there seem to be a good number of optimization tasks remaining, I think it would have released to mediocre reviews. Halo deserves better, and I am really happy the team is taking the time to put out a complete and finished product.
I will be back to add some clips and screenshots as they come, and hopefully the rest of the team will pop on here to provide their thoughts too over the weekend.
7/31/2021 - Day Two
We have collected the 9 main menu audio tracks from Halo Infinite and put them up on our YouTube. They are all fantastic, in my opinion at least, and 8 of them are new tracks, so if you haven’t heard them yet, definitely take the time to give them a listen.
Tom’s Thoughts
Hey everyone - Tom here! Wanted to jump in for Day Two to share some of my thoughts on the Test so far. The time is around 7:30pm here in the UK at the time of writing this - meaning I have spent a lot of my day playing across the two maps which are now in the test. It’s safe to say I’ve had A LOT of fun playing throughout the day today!
First thing I want to note is my affinity for Halo 5 Guardians. I loved the movement which the characters in the last Halo title had access to - with the enhanced movements and faster pace really making you feel like a true super soldier. I feel like Infinite has taken some components from that and hit a sweet middle ground - with plenty of fast-paced gameplay which dials back on the boosters and enhanced movements to make it more palatable for classic Halo fans. I’ve really enjoyed this balance - and it’s something which I hope other fans enjoy too.
The weapons in the game provide a really interesting balance, too. Initially, I wasn’t particularly keen on weapons like the VK-78 Commando or the Skewer and the way they perform in game. After playing the game a little more, it becomes apparent that actually these weapons require more investment in understanding them and their role in the sandbox. The Commando, for example, can pair well with weapons like the Plasma Pistol or the BR-75 - providing an interesting skill-gap depending on the weapons you choose. This is something I’ve grown to really enjoy - and I think there will be plenty more interesting combinations to explore when the final game releases.
Another thing I’ve really come to enjoy is the enhanced gameplay combinations which the new equipment system allows for. The Gravity Hammer and Grapple-Shot combination has quickly become one of my favourite load-outs I have EVER used in a Halo game - and I love the longer charge on the Hammer. Whilst this initially annoyed me it actually makes for a much more invested gameplay experience - encouraging you to charge up the Hammer whilst you swing with the grapple so it makes contact with enemies the second you land. This time-sensitive combination has created an addicting gameplay dichotomy which I really enjoy - and I’m excited to work hard to master it!
Overall, I am loving my time with the Beta and I hope we get more hands on time with Halo Infinite soon. This feels like a great balance between classic and modern Halo - and has me incredibly excited to see what is next for the franchise later this year.
8/1/2021 - Day Three
Day three saw the addition of Bazaar, a new Multiplayer map based in Mombasa, Kenya, and the ramping up of bot difficultly from ODST (medium) to Spartan (hard).
Ian’s Final Thoughts
As this is going to be my final day with the beta before the servers close early on the 2nd, this will be my final thoughts on Halo Infinite and the first technical preview.
Overall I am incredibly excited for Infinite. I think the gameplay is a superb blend of the advanced movement in Halo 5 and classic Halo. The biggest sore spots with Halo 5’s gameplay have been removed, but the sensible ones like sprint and clamber remain. The equipment adds some really awesome abilities and movements to the game, but make them limited-use, which means the entire map population isn’t grappling all over the map.
Performance-wise, there are a number of bugs and glitches in the beta. They seemed to be more prevalent at the beginning of the beta window than the end, so I am not sure if it was due to something on their end or mine. Either way, by the time I finished my last match the game was running fairly smoothly, and gameplay performance was actually quite excellent in QHD on my somewhat outdated rig.
That said, there is clearly a lot of polish work needed still, though this beta was a couple months behind the latest build, and there is still several months until release. I have some concerns that the initial launch won’t be buttery smooth, but I am not too worried this will become a Master Chief Collection disaster of a launch. I am really interested to see the next technical preview to get a better feel of the progress made between now and then, which will give everyone a better idea of how quickly 343 can finish up the polish and whether we should be concerned at all for release.
The key takeaway from my thoughts is that I like everything the core product has to offer. Gameplay is top-notch, graphics are excellent, and the new additions to Halo are fun and well-balanced. There is clearly a lot of thought and effort put into this product, and I really have to commend 343 for that. To be clear, I generally do not nitpick about minor things like the sound or look of a weapon, so I am sure there will be others who will point out issues, but for me personally, this game looks superb.
All my concerns lie in the final product. Not that I am particularly worried about them polishing the game prior to launch, but that is where 343 could drop the ball. If the game releases a buggy mess, it will put a huge damper on player opinion, and would make a large hole for 343 to dig out of. I feel good from what I saw, though, that they will be ready to release by the end of the year. I am just so glad that Infinite was delayed a year, because honestly I don’t know how they could have released a finished product in 2020 if this is where they are today.
I think I have covered my thoughts on the game overall above pretty thoroughly, so if you have further thoughts on the game, check out our YouTube channel for gameplay, main menu, and music clips from the Infinite technical preview.
