Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries has addressed some of the biggest concerns following its Xbox Games Showcase reveal, including graphics, if there will be a multiplayer beta, and how the game will handle microtransactions.
The answers to these questions and more were discussed on Halo Waypoint, and 343 came right out and acknowledged the feedback, both good and bad, that followed Halo Infinite’s campaign gameplay reveal, beginning with the graphics.
Community manager John Junyszek explained that there are “two key areas being debated around the community – overall art style and visual fidelity.”
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“Based on our learnings from Halo 4, Halo 5, and Halo Wars 2 – along with strong community feedback – we decided to shift back towards the legacy aesthetics that defined the original trilogy. With Halo Infinite, we’re returning to a more ‘classic’ art style which was a key message going back to the very first reveal that garnered enthusiastic and positive responses. This translates to a more vibrant palette, “cleaner” models and objects with less “noise”, though it doesn’t mean less detail. While we appreciate this may not be everyone’s personal preference, we stand by this decision and are happy to see it resonating with so many fans around the world.”
“The second theme being discussed involves visual fidelity. Negative feedback in this area includes comments around characters and objects appearing flat, simplistic and plastic-like, lighting feeling dull and flat, and object pop-in. We’ve read your comments, we’ve seen the homemade examples of retouched content, and yes we’ve heard the Digital Foundry assessments. In many ways we are in agreement here – we do have work to do to address some of these areas and raise the level of fidelity and overall presentation for the final game. The build used to run the campaign demo was work-in-progress from several weeks ago with a variety of graphical elements and game systems still being finished and polished. While some of the feedback was expected and speaks to areas already in progress, other aspects of the feedback have brought new opportunities and considerations to light that the team is taking very seriously and working to assess. We don’t have firm answers or outcomes to share yet but the team is working as quickly as possible on plans to address some of the feedback around detail, clarity, and overall fidelity. The team is committed and focused on making sure we have a beautiful world for players to explore when we launch.”
As for the Multiplayer Beta / Flighting, Junyszek reiterated what 343 head Chris Lee stated last week, saying their plans for a multiplayer beta have been impacted “in large part due to the challenges of working from home during the COVID-19.”
343 is not sure a Beta will end up happening, but it is hoping “to have an opportunity for broader hands-on before release.”
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Microtransactions in Halo Infinite were confirmed back in 2018, but Junyszek reassured fans that Halo Infinite “will not include real-money loot boxes.”
This should come as a relief, especially considering the level of player customization that will be part of Halo Infinite. As Junyszek said, “If you liked the level of armor customization options in Halo: Reach, you will be pleased.”
There were many other smaller details in this Infinite Inquires post, including the reduction of Kill Barriers and “Return to Battlefield” zones in the campaign to encourage exploration in Halo Infinite’s open world, and confirmation that the Battle Rifle (BR75) will be making a return.
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Additionally, the new grapple hook will make its way to multiplayer, but will function a bit differently and will be available as an item that can be picked up on the battlefield.
Halo Infinite will be released on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC in Holiday 2020. For more on the latest Halo game, be sure to check out more details on its villain and story, why there won’t be a Halo Infinite 2, and why Halo Infinite will be a perfect jumping on point for new players.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Source: IGN Video Games All
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