The 343 Industries era of Halo hasn't had the most well-regarded campaigns in series history. 2012's Halo 4 featured a half-baked new enemy faction, 2015's Halo 5: Guardians made some divisive narrative decisions and offered an uneven dual protagonist structure, and 2021's Halo Infinite was commended for feeling like a long-awaited return to the series' roots, but its pacing left a little to be desired.
Following its recent rebranding, Halo Studios seems to be ushering in a new age of Halo, and hopefully that new age will continue to put singleplayer campaigns front and center. And while Halo Infinite's campaign offers decent groundwork for the next entry to build from, it could benefit from taking a different approach when it comes to NPCs.
The Next Halo Campaign Should Add More NPC Allies
Halo Campaigns Used to Be Packed to the Brim with Colorful NPCs
The moment-to-moment gameplay of Bungie's original Halo trilogy, Halo Reach, and a good portion of Halo 3: ODST often saw players fighting alongside a group of NPC allies. More often than not, these NPC allies would be hardy UNSC Marines, capable of joining the player in a firefight and hopping in a Warthog to dish out damage on the move.
These frequent moments of interaction between the player and NPC allies like the Marines helped to make Halo's moment-to-moment action feel like just one part of a grandiose galactic war, adding a grand sense of scale to Halo's universe and narrative. Similarly, these NPC interactions offered some subtle world-building, showing the wide gap between the Marines' abilities and those of a Spartan super-soldier.
Interactions with Halo's Marines also added some heart to Halo's universe, with many Marines having unique voicelines that hinted at a deeper personality and a storied personal history. Fighting alongside these characters naturally developed a bond between the player and the NPCs, and that's especially true for recurring named allies like Halo 2's Shipmaster, Halo 3's Arbiter, Halo 3: ODST's Alpha-Nine squadmates, and Halo Reach's Noble Team, whose gameplay integration went a long way in making them feel like living, breathing characters.
Halo Infinite's Campaign Felt a Little Lonely
Halo Infinite's story sees the Master Chief arrive on Installation 07 too late to save many of his Spartan and Marine comrades, most of whom have been slaughtered by Atriox's Banished forces during the six months the Chief was floating in space. Aside from a handful of Marines that players can liberate from Banished camps, much of Halo Infinite's runtime is spent without any NPC allies by the Chief's side.
Though it makes complete sense given the game's premise, and the absence of other NPCs arguably strengthens the bond between the player and new characters like the Pilot and Weapon, Halo Infinite's lack of allies does make the game feel a bit smaller in scope, which runs antithetical to the game's new open-world structure.
The Next Halo Campaign Should Feel a Little Livelier
If the next Halo campaign wants to return to the series' roots even more so than Halo Infinite, then it should consider bringing back frequent NPC interactions. More specifically, the next Halo should bring back Marines or some other kind of ally that fights directly alongside the player and is genuinely useful in combat, thus developing the game's world-building and stakes naturally through gameplay.
Halo Infinite
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- December 8, 2021
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- 343 Industries
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
- Slipspace
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic open-world adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring.
With Network Campaign Co-Op and Mission Replay, you can relive your favorite moments, rediscover collectibles and explore the wonders of Zeta Halo on your own or with up to three other fireteam members.
Experience Halo’s celebrated multiplayer reimagined and free-to-play! With over 70 maps in matchmaking, billions of customization configurations, and countless community Forge creations to experience, Halo Infinite is the franchise’s most expansive multiplayer offering to date.
Enjoy an unprecedented variety of gameplay experiences, ranging from fast-paced intense ranked modes to whimsical mayhem in Custom Games, or even co-operative coordination in the wave-based survival mode Firefight: King of the Hill. Assemble your Fireteam and conquer every mode – Halo offers endless opportunities for teamwork, strategy, and unforgettable victories.
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Halo
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 90 GB (November 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
