Trigger Cut Game Reviews

I am a huge Halo fan.  I remember going to my cousin’s house when I was young.  He had an Xbox and Halo, we played it together, I was blown away and I immediately went home and begged a parental unit to get me an Xbox.  They did and my life long love affair with Halo began.  My love of the franchise continued until Halo 5 which I think most people will agree was a disaster.  Halo Infinite is 343’s attempt to reboot the franchise and I think they failed.  The gameplay itself is solid and feels great but the decision to make this an open world game is baffling due to how half assed it feels.  Why make an open world when there is no exploration or things to do in it other than killing enemies? The open world does nothing to change the actual combat, the areas are just bigger, that’s it. The indoor environments literally all look exactly the same. It’s just bland, red tinted brutalist Forerunner architecture over and over again.  343 backing out of their promise to add couch co-op is bullshit.  I always played these games on the couch with a buddy growing up and played the entire series with my wife so having no way to play with her at launch was a bummer.  I know 5 didn’t have couch co op either but whatever, no one wants to play that shit show anyways.  There are some positives, the progression system here is mostly well done, getting skill points unlock abilities that do enhance your play experience. I also enjoyed the progression of unlocking new vehicles and marines that you can summon at unlockable Forward Operating Bases.  343 has yet to make a truly great Halo game and that streak continues with this entry. If you are to make an open world, at least try to make it interesting.  This is easily one of the most boring, lifeless, and empty open world maps I have ever played and I hope 343 one day figures out what made the original Halo games so compelling and fun to play.  The multiplayer on offer is solid and fun here and is probably the strongest part of the package.  While playing multiplayer I grew a better appreciation of the combat that 343 designed here.  It is responsive and punchy and you have a great sense of freedom of movement.  I played multiplayer at launch and the approach to progression and unlocking skins was as slow and predatory as everyone said.  Overall, Halo Infinite does not live up to its name.  The campaign mostly sucks, the multiplayer is fine but pales in comparison to the pure fun factor of the originals.  Once I finished the campaign, I put it down, never to return to it again.  Not exactly infinite, is it?