Halo Infinite multiplayer review

Returning to the online multiplayer of Halo was almost a religious experience. OK, so I may be overreacting a little bit, but my word, it’s great to be back. Personally, Halo 3 is the best multiplayer I’ve ever played. I spent an ungodly amount of hours online with it. There’re few games that handle as tightly as Halo, and no-one can touch the balance it strikes between the thrill of a gunfight and the methodical pace each fight has. Halo Infinite multiplayer feels incredible. For an older gamer, I don’t feel out of touch or too old to keep up with the youngsters.

Games like Call of Duty are too fast-paced and chaotic for me. I can’t enjoy them because other players seem to decimate me without breaking a sweat. However, Halo has always felt like home. I don’t know why, but I’m pretty decent when it comes to donning the Spartan armour and blasting fools into oblivion. The multiplayer in Halo Infinite offers plenty of maps and modes to scratch every itch. Not only that, it does it with finesse and style.

Halo Infinite Multiplayer: Great maps and modes

If you prefer smaller encounters, the Quick Match option allows you to jump into a random mode in small, 4v4 battles. Capture the Flag makes you do just that, then carry it to your base. What’s great about CTF is how it forces you to work together. There’s no point being a lone wolf and grabbing the flag because the enemy will destroy you. Escorting your teammates or waiting for support will make the long trip back to base feel more doable. Slayer is the traditional deathmatch mode, allowing you the chance to focus solely on obliterating the enemy.

Fiesta is similar to Slayer, except you start with two random weapons and a piece of equipment. Strongholds is all about capturing control zones for points, similar to Conquest in Battlefield. The GOAT map has to be Oddball. I’ve had tons of fun carrying that shiny skull. Whichever your favourite, the maps on offer for the smaller affairs are pretty fantastic. Not everyone is as good as the next, but there’re more good than bad. For instance, my favourite two are Bazaar and Streets. The first takes place under the blazing sun in a sandy marketplace. The latter features a neon shopping space set within a constricted city environment. Recharge is another great map. It takes that traditional Halo magic and throws it all into one tense battle within a power station.

Bring on the big guns

If bigger battles are more your thing, Halo Infinite multiplayer has you covered. Big Team Battles are a lot of fun, and carnage is everywhere you look. It slows the pace somewhat and allows you to be more tactical in your approach. These 12v12 fights throw in all the popular Halo vehicles as well. You can screech across the map on a banshee, or pace in the shadows waiting for an all-important sniper kill. The three maps in BTBs are filled will lots of great spots for whatever you plan of action is. Fragmentation gives you better opportunities with a long-range weapon, whereas Highpower focuses it’s attention on one main point: a tower in the centre of the map. Each design is well-thought out, and I can’t wait to see the campaign when it drops.

There’s a huge variety of weapons in Halo Infinite multiplayer as well. Whatever your playstyle, 343 has made sure there’s something for everyone. The Battle Rifle is almost as old as Master Chief himself, and always manages to pack a steady punch from afar. The Bulldog is an automatic shotgun that does great damage from up close. If you want to reign fire on the enemy, the Hydra returns from Halo 5: Guardians to shoot multiple missiles, or the M41 SPNKR is there to fire rockets deep into the heart of the enemy. You also have the ‘enemy’ weapons like the Pulse Carbine, Needler, and Plasma Pistol if you’re one of those that enjoys the Covevnant’s array of weaponry. Melee weapons are also there for the taking. There’re a few to choose from, but if you don’t go for the Gravity Hammer, we can’t be friends.

Halo Infinite Multiplayer: Balancing it out

Halo Infinite’s Battle Pass felt weirdly unbalanced at first. Thankfully, XP can now be earned for playing a certain number of matches. Originally, you had to complete challenges to level up. In doing so, it kind of made playing the modes how they were intended pointless. Why should I capture the flag when I need to get five kills with a Battle Rifle? These XP improvements will be welcomed with open arms, especially by me. Getting XP for each match seems like an obvious addition, and it’s finally been implemented. 343 Industries intend to keep improving in the new year, but for now, we’ve got to make do with what’s on offer.

Halo Infinite multiplayer is a wonderful element of 343 Industries’ latest release. This is one of the strongest multiplayer elements the series has ever had. It builds on everything that’s worked in the past, with much better visuals and a wonderfully responsive control scheme. The maps are varied and fun to fight in, and the different modes have something for everyone. With the improvements to the Battle Pass and general progression now in progress, things are only going to go from strength to strength.