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A lot of the smaller pieces come in the form of collectible audio logs, left behind by UNSC and Banished forces. There are a lot of questions here: What happened to Cortana? What is Escharum planning? Those do get answered in time. Larger pieces of the narrative puzzle are delivered through the mission beats. Character development has been at the forefront of 343’s new trilogy, and it’s good to see it sticking to its guns. He shows concern over her, and even cracks dry jokes for their amusement. Over time, however, the Chief’s attitude noticeably changes. But she isn’t as smarmy as her counterpart - she’s naïve, and a little awkward. After all, a lot has happened since Halo 4, and the Weapon looks and sounds just like Cortana, his old friend (albeit with more clothes). At first, the Chief is locked into his typical humorless stoicism. The core of the game’s story is the relationship between the Master Chief and the Weapon. Because you can’t hack terminals with a fist. Together, they retrieve an AI known as the Weapon, who partners up with the Chief. Alongside the unwilling Pilot, the Master Chief goes to the ringworld to stop the Banished from hatching whatever evil plan it’s on. The Banished, led by an imposing Brute named Escharum, has taken hold of a damaged Zeta Halo - also known as Installation 07. With this gap of time, Halo Infinite‘s story is laid out like a partially completed puzzle. He is rescued by its pilot, known as either “the Pilot” or Echo-216 - or Brohammer by the community, as a nod to the original game’s popular dropship pilot. In an interesting turn, six months pass between the opening scene and when the Chief is found adrift by a roving Pelican dropship. However, the UNSC forces are assaulted on all sides by the Banished, a mercenary force made of ex-Covenant soldiers. At least, that’s how it begins: with the Master Chief and the UNSC in a final attempt to bring down the AI.
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Halo Infinite‘s story kicks off roughly 18 months after Cortana’s rise to power. But it’s a satisfying adventure, demonstrating that 343 Industries has at last confidently come into its own as the Halo developer. Not only does it provide some of the best Halo gameplay in years, but delivers an emotional and engaging story that will keep your focus locked. Yes, while it may not go down in history as the best in the franchise, Halo Infinite‘s campaign is an excellent return to form. Indeed, the excitement for Halo Infinite - the third and final game in 343’s Reclaimer Trilogy - is real, but overshadowed by the big question: does it live up to the legacy? After playing the game from start to finish, blasting Grunts and skidding over grassy plains in a Warthog like the good old days, I have my answer. While the multiplayer was decent, its story saw the resurrection of Cortana as an intergalactic dictator, something that the game and subsequent books struggled to justify. Halo 5: Guardians, however, hit the ground with an audible thud. The story was enjoyable, but the ho-hum enemies and multiplayer mode left a lot to be desired. I did like Halo 4, though, and its attempt at humanizing the Master Chief in a way that few games in the franchise had dared.
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Both games the company made during that time were divisive among fans and critics. It’s been nearly a decade since developer 343 Industries picked up the torch left by Bungie. It exists alongside an unmistakable air of caution. Certainly, Halo rage has returned, but it’s not quite like it was then. Before Halo 2, the Master Chief’s shiny visor was printed on practically every 7-Eleven Slurpee cup in the land. And it was for the two sequels for Halo: Combat Evolved. In my 20 years of playing the franchise, I recall two times when excitement for the Master Chief’s next outing was at a fever pitch.
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Ahead of the anticipated launch of Halo Infinite, Halo hype hadn’t reached such peaks in a long while.