So Im pretty new here to the forums and I’m sure this topic has already been covered, but I’m going to put my two cents in anyway. Personally, I think this aspect of the gameplay is crucial for this game relative to any other Halo before. If Infinite continues along the lines of H5 with thrusters and sprinting, I feel like the game will alienate much of the fanbase because it will share too much of a familiarity to H5: one of the most polarizing titles in the franchise. Going back to the game recently, I’ve noticed how dated and gimmicky movement system really feels in 2020. I know you can pull off some dope assassinations and ground pounds with the movement mechanics, but overall the experience feels so forced upon the player. I think the obsession with “advanced” movement circa 2014-15 in games like COD: AW & B03 really influenced 343’s decisions on movement during development.
However, if they go back to a fully sprint-less and “classic” halo movement system, that might prove problematic for the game as well. I feel like that decision will please a good amount of the oldschool players like myself, but for the general market it will feel extremely out of place in the face of other modern shooters like Cod Warzone, Doom, Apex… etc. You could easily say “why try to appeal to the masses”, but in reality 343 knows that they need to please Microsoft because Halo is their best selling title. Therefore, they need to get as many people to buy the game as possible and to appeal to the general public in order to start their foot off right this coming console generation. I know it all doesn’t boil down to movement system, but that is a BIG aspect to whether or not people are going to want to keep playing Infinite or not. It helps give off the impression that Halo is just as relevant as the aforementioned titles.
The solution? Maybe make the gameplay have a solid mixture of both, whatever that may entail. Perhaps have a cooldown on certain mechanics on thrusters, or sprint like they did in Reach. Or go back to unlimited sprint from h4. Then again that falls into the territory of retreading into old ways, and runs the risk of the game feeling stale. I don’t have a good answer, and I’m sure the decision has already been made by now this far in development, so it doesnt really matter anyway I guess. But, I think 343 is in a tight spot to appease their hardcore fan base and the casual gamer in terms of movement. I’m really interested to see what 343 has in store, and I hope I’m blown away day 1.