Is Halo Infinite's gameplay too fast?

Games Halo Infinite
1

I’ve felt this way about Halo before, particularly Halo 5, that aspects of gameplay were sped up in a way that negatively affected the game.

In 5 that was almost entirely the movement mechanics. And while overall movement has slowed a bit in Infinite… At least as far as top speed is concerned… In other areas Infinite has ramped the pace up.

Weapon lethality is the first thing that comes to mind. It’s not just about TTK, but also about how that damage is applied. What ranges are affected, how consistent the effect is, and just how much of the sandbox absolutely melts in this game. Weapons in Infinite are extremely lethal, and also extremely spammable. With aiming itself becoming less comfortable in what I think was an attempt to compensate. It’s stronger, but it’s also harder to aim (with some exceptions), but that doesn’t stop encounters from feeling like they go by in the blink of an eye.

Then there’s also movement. Infinite being the second highest top speed in Halo, having the highest combat movement speed in the franchise, and also nearly eliminating any type of directional acceleration on a strafe means when you get into a fight, everyone is moving really really fast. Further taking the feeling of control you had over the situation in past games away from the player.

So many other parts of the game are also much faster than before. Vehicles move, kill, and die incredibly fast. Grenades keep so much more momentum when they bounce, and seem to fly much faster than before. The fuses also feel shorter than before, but that may just be how much harder they are to perceive in the first place. Powerups and power weapons seem to spawn extremely fast, it’s really common for there to be two copies of power weapons on the map from a single spawn at a time provided they have enough uses, particularly swords and hammers. Granted, CE was like that, but after CE it hadn’t been like that for a long time.

What drew me heavily to Halo was it’s orderly pace. You rarely felt overwhelmed by the action, and always had the ability to slow down and breathe. Infinite instead feels chaotic, the action never stops, and no part of the map is safe for more than a couple of seconds before the enemies close in or respawn nearby. Is it too fast?

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2

While i loved the older Halos and have been a fan since CE i will say i don’t really enjoy going back to MCC for multiplayer. Its just hard having to move that slow all the time.

I find Infinites movement and gunplay to be almost perfect. It is the sequel to H3 i have been waiting for.
I just don’t see a game with the time to kill Halo has being fun with slower movement nowadays. I would either need it fast like Doom 2016 or what we have now and i like what we have now. Thats why basically all shooters have sped up movement. Slow gameplay, at least for me, isn’t appealing anymore.

Infinite feels very much like Destiny in terms of aiming and movement mechanics and i love it. It feels so smooth and combat is fun.

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3

Having to trudge halfway across the map on a Halo 3 match really does get grindy sometimes I wont lie.

4

Going off your title, yes, IMO I believe it was designed with more of CoD/Fortnite players in mind instead of Halo fans.

Actually, the entire game feels it was designed to be something other than Halo. I noticed the unnecessary change when they added Halo Reach to MCC and ruined Halo Reach. It’s the one thing that has pissed me off about 343. (Constantly changing things that never needed to be changed, and in the process of them changing things they have literally made matters worse.)

The one thing I wash 343 would actually learn and apply it to Halo that would make infinite 10 times better is…

If it works don’t fix it.

The problem is knowing 343 broke way too much in infinite, and just like Bungie on how they broke Destiny 2 with the major disaster when it launched, 343 is going to waste a hell of a lot of time time and resources to do what they should have done in the first place. (Pay a damn attention to your fans and actually learn from your predecessor.) The Original Bungie that in spite off whatever issues took place, they were making a game for their player base as well as themselves.

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5

I enjoy the pace of Halo Infinite and it feels very comfortable and natural for map sizes and game types in respect to ranked as that’s what I mostly play.

The removal of Spartan Pound was a great choice and leaving clambering in the game setting was top tier.

6

I find faster paced games to be more enjoyable to play in the long run.

But I grew up off of arena shooters like the original Quake so go figure lol.

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7

Depends, are you talking Mint Blitz level of gameplay or regular casual players? If the latter, I think it’s kind of slow because I’m used to Splitgate. 40 kills cap or a few minutes, and just faster gameplay in general.

Combined with the lengthy duration of matches and challenge system making you play modes you don’t like, Halo Infinite game becomes annoying/boring fast, and that’s without desync.

8

I find the Battle Rifle very easy to use in Infinite. I’d like the weapon skill curve to be steeper. I think that would help with what you’re saying.
However everything else I really really like. I think the elusive evolution of Halo has finally been found with Infinite.

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9

Halo infinite game play too fast. Really? I guess you never played Unreal Tournament.
The game play is really fast in that game. IMHO Halo Infinite is kinda slow IMHO.

I have increased the game play movement speed in “ALL” of my custom game modes.
I’m just waiting for 343 to get off their butts so they can give us a Custom Game Browser so we can start playing our custom game modes. It’s only been 9mos. since the game release :rofl:

Peace! :fist_right: :fist_left:

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10

Infinite’s just a Halo 3 that does cardio.

11

Infinite’s pacing and game play is just about perfect.

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12

Unreal Tournament! What a classic game! Halo Infinite feels very well paced in general. Thank you for the nostalgia!

13

There is an argument for both speeds,

Faster Gameplay means you get into the action more quickly,
More chances for moment to moment interaction. But like most things this does come with a cost to design.

-Maps Suffer from having to be designed around a much larger symmetry of movement.
Instead of having a way to measure where most player are going to encounter each other,
They have to design around the fact that any player can be in any part of the map in a matter of seconds.

-It Drastically changes they way combat encounters are handled between players at different ranges.
Previously, the tactics players used depended heavily on the range at which they encountered each other.
Weapons were balanced around the ranges they could be used most efficiently at.

However, with the increased player speed in Infinite
The Mid range has become obsolete. Movement Tech in infinite utterly eliminates it.
It takes no time and very little effort to dash into close range, or escape to long range.
Rendering weapons like the Needler, Plasma Pistol, Ravanger, and Hydra in a place that has an inherent disadvantage. Because playing at the range that they WOULD be best played at is itself a disadvantage.

-An entire tactical Layer is removed from play; Positioning.
Because moment is so fast, and your movement options are vast.
It is MORE advantageous to be constantly moving, because holding down a choke, or a defensive position offers you little, if any benefits.

The enemy team will be moving just as fast as you,
They will just as quickly close the gap on you, as you would them.
Being in a position in which the enemy can quickly get a jump on you puts you at a disadvantage.

The Older Halos were designed around the fact that everyone basically shares the same top speed at all times,
The maps were designed around points that players would encounter each other the most.
As well as vehicles being an essential part of gameplay.

There was a Benefit to holding a position and camping a firing line,
Because anyone attacking a defensive position would be at a natural disadvantage, having to get through defenders and obstacles.

I think, as an example.
Something utterly emblematic of the problem with movement in Halo infinite.

Is 1 Flag CTF.
It is a heavily disliked game mode, on a map that isn’t actually all that bad.
And I’m sure everyone has experienced it.

The attacking team has an overwhelming advantage, caused by the problems the movement system presents.
The Defending team gains no advantages, because they are forced to Turtle.
Defending puts the defenders at a disadvantage just because it takes not time at all the claim the objective.

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14

343 compared Halo to other games and that’s how we got here.

Why are so many people here, comparing Halo to other games? Doom, Splitgate, Unreal, all irrelevant. All not Halo, all not the same either.

It doesn’t matter about in comparison. Halo should be Halo. And OP is totally right, and frankly I think anybody bored by Infinite or previous bungie halo’s gameplay speed has a short attention span or expects every game to be the same.

Halo Infinite needs a lot of things to improve it.

Less awful feeling aiming.
Nerf grenades
Turn friendly fire on
Turn player collision on for all
Fix dysenc
ect

So much needs to be done. But this game really could be the “evolution of Halo 3.”

15

It’s because Halo no longer exists solely in the Xbox walled garden, so it’s fair to compare it to other FPS/arena shooters because that is how free markets work.

I understand wanting to only compare it to older iterations of Halo. Then there is the contentious design question: should Infinite appeal to Halo fans, and not try to appeal to genre players?

I’d also like Halo to be its own thing and not try to be too much like other titles.

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16

There is a danger in trying to define “Halo Fans”.

I’m OG on the first box - but prefer H5 multiplayer over H3. By a HUGE margin. My God that was so slow. And the games were bogged down by teams controlling high ground, spawns, and the power weapons. So I find Infinite a lot of fun.

There was a youtube video pre-Infinite that pointed out that the core demographic of Halo fans going forward grew up on Reach. So there was no surprise when Infinite’s season 1 was based around the Heroes of Reach!

And that demographic now has disposable income - and are comfortable with microtransactions.

I would argue that Halo Infinite is as much Halo as any title.

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17

Thruster packs and the catapult launch 24/7 will do that to ya.

While I’m glad they toned that down, I do enjoy the slide/sprint/mantle additions sticking around. I think infinite is in a nice sweet spot with mobility and pacing over-all.

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18

They had to cater to the adhs CoD crowd.
I dont like the pace either. H3 was perfect in that regard.

19

I consider it has the same pace as Titanfall 2 but without all the Wall running & stuff

20

I like Infinite specifically BECAUSE it feels faster and more fluid than prior Halos. I love getting the movement mechanics down and taking advantage of slides and jumps etc.

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