I think it’s safe to say that the reactions to Halo Infinite have been… diverse. People are mainly talking about the graphics and I believe enough has been said about that already. However, there are some other things that are getting less attention that I believe should be addressed while also providing solutions that will likely appease the largest number of people and can be accomplished within the time frame before launch.
- The Weapon and Vehicle Sounds**:** When I saw the 2019 trailer, I got so excited when I heard the original shield recharge sound, since I believed that it would herald the return of all the classic weapon sounds, such as the Plasma Pistol, the Sniper Rifle, the Battle Rifle, the Covenant Carbine, the melee, the Warthog, the Ghost, the Phantom, etc. but with a modern twist, like how they changed from Halo 3 to Halo Reach. However, when I saw the beginning of the reveal and heard the Plasma Pistol and Warthog, my heart immediately sank. They didn’t have that iconic sound effect that their original variants had, but instead rather generic ones. In fact, all of the guns showcased sounded generic and bland, at least to me. While I can’t speak for the new guns, the simplest solution to this dilemma would be to go to Halo 3 and Halo Reach and rip the audio files for the weapons and vehicles returning and use those for Infinite, perhaps merging the two to get something unique yet recognizable. I do know that a lot of work went into collecting audio for the guns as demonstrated in the videos uploaded to YouTube, but if you asked the average Halo fan what they would have preferred before you did all of that, ie. whether or not they wanted the original sound effects for the guns and vehicles or new ones, then they would likely say the old ones. The sounds didn’t change much between games in the Bungie era, yet they change all the time in the 343 era. It seems you understand this concept, as shown with bringing back the original shield sound, so why only stop there? Getting the new sounds from the older games could likely be accomplished in a couple days, so it’s definitely feasible. And if this game is supposed to be a return to form meant to draw in new and old fans alike, this is a must. - Sprint**:** Ah yes, the most controversial subject in Halo. How to solve such a conundrum? Simple: make sprint the Speed Boost. I propose that sprint should be in the campaign, and for multiplayer it should be gone as a base player trait, but should be present as a power up on the map. It can be as fast as Halo 5, unlimited or at least extended, and no longer have the penalty of preventing shield recharge, since it’s a power up that only one person gets that must be fought for like any power weapon. To compensate for the lak of sprint, the base movement speed should be increased. That way, the core game-play isn’t compromised while allowing sprint to return for those who like it. In fact, if this were done for thrusters and abilities like evade as well, then you could give players the ability to emulate Halo Reach and Halo 5 by making these power ups intrinsic to the player, like you can with active camouflage and overshield, allowing modern-era Halo fans to have what they want too. And in campaign, you could have some of the upgrades to the Chief overtime be to first enable the ability to sprint, then to add improvements like the ability to recharge shields, faster speed, and unlimited or extended use. You’ve already shown that this is likely what’s going to be the case with the grappling hook, so why not sprint too? This solution allows for both sides to be happy, since this allows for both types of game play to coexist. Finally, the great sprint debate can be put to rest. I believe clamber and slide could be treated similarly too. - Original Weapons / Weapon Aesthetic: When I saw the original game-play reveal, I was concerned when I saw the new guns. They looked like weapons ripped out of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Then I read this quote from IGN’s article ): “CQS48 Bulldog - New UNSC riot shotgun that replaces the classic shotgun. This one is upgraded with a drum magazine and 12 gauge over the classic shotgun’s 8 gauge.” 343, DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE YOU DID WITH THE SPNKR ROCKET LAUNCHER! This gun is not an adequate replacement for the original shotgun. It is dull and uninteresting. If this were alongside the original, then fine, but this gun is nothing special compared to the original. If this shotgun is to be in the game, then have it be alongside the original one from CE-Reach. Also, add a couple glowing lights on it like the original one. The same could be said for the new pistol (which also better not replace the magnum). Both could look much more like Halo weapons if this was done. Also like the shotgun, the Pulse Carbine better not replace the Covenant Carbine like this quote from the same article implies it will: “Pulse Carbine - A familiar but not quite identical version of the classic Covenant carbine weapon.” People do not like generic replacements for classic weapons. Additions to those weapons are fine, but not replacements. If the Banished are to be the main faction of this game, then bring back the Spiker and Bruteshot weapons, as well as the Chopper, probably one of the most awesome vehicles in Halo. A couple minor things to keep in mind are the following: instead of calling the human weapons the VK78 Commando or the CQS48 Bulldog, just call them the Combat Rifle and the Automatic Shotgun; also, display a picture of the weapon you can pick up like in the older games, since in the heat of the moment a picture is easier to recognize and base a decision on than a small piece of text. Lastly, by the rings please bring back duel-wielding. I don’t understand why it had to be absent for 13 years when it is one of the coolest things to do in any FPS, not just Halo. It adds so much game-play variety with all of the different weapon combinations.
Those are the major things that I would like to see changed or added. The reason why I’m not too hung up on the graphics is that I know that can be improved over time, whereas the core attributes of the game such as movement and weapon and vehicle sounds likely can’t. Would I like all the weapons and vehicles not to to resemble plastic toys? Yes, but that is a change that will likely take too long before launch. With the exception of duel-wielding, all of the changes proposed are feasible within the four-month period before the game launches.