After years of waiting,Halofans are just one day away from the launch of the campaign forHalo Infinite. Releasing on December 8, this campaign allows players to play as Master Chief in hisfirst mainline adventure sinceHalo 5in 2015. While the hype surrounding the game is palpable, new details have revealed that one feature seen in past installments of the series is strangely missing fromHalo Infiniteat launch.
In a recent statement, 343 Industries revealed that campaign missions would not be replayable at launch. According to the developer, a postgame is available after completing the main story. However, players can only explore Zeta Halo and look for collectibles they might have missed during the main adventure. They cannot return to previously played levels. In addition, the developer revealed that certain areas would not be accessible in this postgame, as the first two missions of the game do not take place on Zeta Halo.
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A primary reason for this lack of replayable missions at launch comes from thesemi-open world of Zeta Halo. While players must complete the levels in a linear order, similar to previous installments in the series, certain regions can be revisited after completing a mission. However, the corresponding story mission will not trigger upon a return visit.
This news from 343 Industries is doubtlessly disappointing for many fans. Over the last 20 years, thegames in theHaloserieshave allowed players to go back and replay classic levels. It seems that the only way to relive the best moments in theHalo Infinitecampaign after release is to start a new save file and progress through the game to reach a specific mission. Obviously, this is a grind that some would rather not make, regardless of how good the campaign is.
Fortunately, it appears that the developers are aware of the need for replayable missions. In a recent update from Paul Crocker, associate creative director forHalo Infinite, he stated that the option to replay story missions after completing them was coming post-launch. However, the developer failed to give a date, meaning players might have to wait a while before returning to previous missions on the same save file. In a statement toPolygon, Crocker explained the challenges of implementing this type of feature. “We want to have replay that works well, and when you have a more open game, it gets a lot trickier,” he said.
This isn’t the only feature coming to the game after launch. In addition, 343 industries revealed thatco-op for the campaign and Forge modewould be added toHalo Infinitein 2022. These features were expected to come at release, but the developer announced earlier this year that the date had been pushed back.
TheHalo InfiniteMultiplayer Beta is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with the full game releasing on December 8.
