Halo: Infinite Review 

Developed by 343 Industries
Published by XBox Game Studios
Platform: XBox Series X

It's hard to say that apathy reigns in parts of Halo: Infinite, but there is an occasional feeling that the first campaign of the Halo era on the next generation XBox platform does everything that it needs to well, but there's still this feeling that it could have done more.

For those versed in Halo lore, Infinite will be an absolute no-brainer. 

The return of Master Chief to the gaming world, a stunning cliffhanger opening that feels like the series has creatively shot its load (given you then get to play as said Master Chief) and a smooth shooting forum all make the idea of Halo: Infinite a massively appealing one to fans of the genre.

And the idea of making the game open world will of course appeal to many who've been brought up on the ideals of open world gaming. From the side quests to the central hub, Halo: Infinite makes great use of the possibilities offered up by Zeta: Halo, but there's just a nagging feeling that the game doesn't do anything refreshingly different with the opportunities afforded to it. (Though Far Cry has held onto its liberate a base, fast travel ethos for years now, and it's never aimed to do more).

Sure, the addition of a grapple hook so you can Spidey your way to upper level echelons and the aforementioned side quests add a bit to the Master Chief lore as he battles this time to free the world from the Banished.

In truth though, it's nothing more than running and gunning, albeit one that's smoothly executed and polished for the XBox Series X. Offworld looks lush and dense, with missions feeling alive and just managing to keep out of their familiarity.

But it's in the whole campaign that you can't escape a feeling that perhaps Master Chief himself could have been given a bit more depth. There's been numerous Halo titles, and yet the Chief himself still feels like an impenetrable character that doesn't feel massively like he has a life behind or beyond the helmet. Some further character edges could make him a more malleable person to game for, and to be on the side of - sure, he's flawed, but he never once feels fully alive outside of the suit.

If this sounds like niggles, they are - but they're not fatal ones to the game, merely ones that demonstrate a little more could have made the campaign of Halo: Infinite feel a bit fresher after some 20 years from the franchise. Granted, it's hard to deviate from the run-and-gun mentality of such a series, and make no mistake 343 Industries do it solidly enough in this latest. 

However, sometimes, Halo: Infinite makes you feel like it could have been much more - whether it should have been much more is for the consciences of 343 Industries to wrestle with, and for the fans to vocalise.

A code was provided for review of Halo: Infinite on the XBox Series X