The open world brings with it so much potential that Halo Infinite hasn’t yet managed to build on. We need an experience that’s a good middle ground between the campaign and multiplayer. It would also be great for 343i to be able to experiment in creating dynamic open world experiences. This could be the awesome future of Halo in my opinion and why it’s called “Infinite”. That you could get three different experiences in the game. The first is an episode (seasons) based Campaign that drops new missions over time and adds to the story. Next is a Warzone mode that takes place in the open world, an ongoing conflict that’s intense and ever changing with dynamic events. Last is the existing multiplayer where Spartans can challenge each other in esports style matches. So when the player logs into the game they have “Campaign”, “Warzone” and “Multiplayer” experiences to choose from.
That’s why I’m suggesting changes to how the Campaign content is delivered and the addition of a Warzone mode.
Create campaign content that adds new biomes and map regions to the Zeta Halo ring environment for players to explore. The campaign left me on a cliff-hanger and now I have to wait too long for the next drop. Campaign content should be delivered in the same way that current shows on streaming services are delivered as seasons and episodes. Season 1 should have been the initial Campaign missions that were released at launch. Season 2 should have been more missions continuing the story. When I saw Season 2 drop I got excited that new campaign content was available but it was just more multiplayer events. Games are evolving to tell narrative stories around the same seasonal and episodes that streaming television shows use so I was confused there.
Warzone is a new mode that’s similar to Firefight but in the full open world and with dynamic events. The entire open world map would be available with major ring regions and biomes connected by fast travel. Players start the game by choosing a drop site to setup their first camp and are dropped in by pelican drop ship. Player can play solo or coop and creates a Spartan IV or Elite that they play as a mixed squad of 5-12 players made up of Spartans and Elites. This the only mode where Elites are playable as allies. When playing solo the other allied squad members are bots but experience is really oriented towards coop it’s a “play with friends” type game. Vehicles will be available to the player squad including airborne and ground vehicles.
Enemy factions are Banished, Endless and some Flood that appear in “nests” randomly in different areas of the map called “infection events”. Enemy factions appear in waves or dynamically dropped on the map called “invasion events”. Enemy forces are relentless and will actively hunt down the squad and throw everything they have at them. This recreates the same feeling as Firefight in that the players should be overwhelmed and fighting against all odds to achieve objectives. As the player squad captures more zones the enemy will become increasingly desperate and start increasing the pressure on the player squad sending in progressively more elite units in waves. The enemy factions can also at times start fighting each other as in the case of the Flood. During “infection events” there’s all out chaos and the players need to initiate a self destruct sequence at the nest site “clearing the nest”.
The objective of Warzone is to capture fobs, bases, ring facilities and ultimately control zones. The Warzone campaign is complete when the squad gains control of all zones in a given region. Players then can choose to fast travel to other ring regions and continue the campaign. Warzone then resets to a random state when players want a new game and they can choose a new starting region. Difficulty should track with existing campaign difficulties and have those available. Last there should be a theatre mode to watch other players in current sessions.