Halo Infinite laid the ground with some good stuff, but a few things are really dampering the longevity of the game. 343 needs to hemorrhage the bleeding, and here are a few things they should consider that would go a long way:
In Game Playability: Netcode and tick rates for servers causing desync. I hardly get into games anymore that feel good. Half of my beatdowns don’t register, hit registration doesn’t work well, and getting killed after moving behind cover. Game to game the experience feels different, no consistency, even with aim assist. Apparently frame rate discrepancies between PC and Xbox’s could be a factor, and for some reason Xbox Series X seems to have less issues online. (This might not be entirely true, but I’ve read many a forum post about it). If this issue isn’t fixed ASAP, the game will die. So many players have quit already due to the online gameplay quality (or lack thereof). (I’m about to)
Playlists/Maps/Game Modes! - How do we not have a team doubles playlist?! Ranked or unranked. This has been a staple since the early halo multiplayer experience. And it shouldn’t be hard to add one. A few more playlists, maps, and game modes would go a long way! Players feel like they’re playing the same things over and over again, and that makes it hard to sit down for long sessions. Maybe add Grifball, Team Doubles, a couple more ranked playlists like ranked doubles, ranked FFA. The more options players have, the better.
Map aesthetics in this game are not classic Halo - maybe a few maps that look and feel like halo would also help the game out. It would for me. All the maps are too militaristic, not covenant/alien/futuristic maps. Maps that feel like Narrows from Halo 3, or midship, Haven from Halo 4, would really help play to the nostalgia of the player base. Do you agree?
Battle Pass: Of course everyone knows this is an issue - half of the battle pass items are complete garbage and nobody cares about them, and the progression takes forever. More customization needs to be implemented ASAP. I’ve played a lot of the game, achieved Onyx 1786, but am only at battle pass 64 or something and haven’t unlocked really anything good. I should have loads of customization options at this point, it’s bordering on ridiculous.
I want Halo to survive and thrive, and I think it’s possible with this game! This is why I made this post, because if these things aren’t dealt with in the next month, or maybe 2, by summer the game will be dead. I’ve read countless posts about these issues, and they’re why players are quitting. Can 343 get these players back, yes! But it’ll take some serious effort on these issues, and it’ll have to be done in a timely manner. Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts.
~HawKoh