BRUTE FORCE

HALO INFINITE comes frustratingly close to greatness

- Nat Clayton

NEED TO KNOW

WHAT IS IT? An open world sequel in the long-running shooter series

EXPECT TO PAY £50

DEVELOPER 343 Industries

PUBLISHER Xbox Game Studios

REVIEWED ON RTX 2070 SUPER, Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB RAM

MULTIPLAYER Yes

LINK bit.ly/3DNxecH

Does an open world work for Halo? Since it’s announcement, that question is one that’s been constantly asked of Halo Infinite. Six years after Halo 5 left the series on a sour note, 343 Industries has dusted off the Master Chief’s armour for a throwback to Bungie’s original – nostalgic for a time when Halo was just a big green man, his blue, holographic girlfriend, and a wide open ring full of possibilities to explore.

What this results in is a game that could be a true return to form for Master Chief – but I’m just not convinced Halo really needed to be an open world.

Let’s make one thing clear though: this is some damn fine Halo. Having played Halo 3 with the lads every weekend for the last year, Infinite comes as a breath of fresh air. Running and gunning in Halo has never felt this good, Master Chief moving with a real heft even as he slides and mantles his way across ancient alien amphitheatres.