Halo Infinite has been on every Xbox lover’s wishlist for several years now, and the day has finally almost arrived to enjoy it in its full glory. For now, though, a surprise multiplayer beta launch lets players with Xbox Game Pass () get in on the action nearly a month early. With standard slayer modes, a couple of maps and big team battles to hold you over in this first online season, Halo Infinite is so close you can touch it. Here are three reasons to get yourself excited for Halo Infinite multiplayer.
It Looks and Feels Amazing
Heading into year two of the Series X|S, games are starting to actually feel like they’re truly next-generation. Halo Infinite absolutely fits that bill. Visually, the game is stunning. The fidelity, the detail, the settings, and the backgrounds, they’re all gorgeous. And the game itself plays smooth as can be. Once you pick your control scheme of choice, the updated sprint and zoom mechanics have finally lost their clunk. Sprint and zoom to your content without having to stop and start constantly. But the most epic part of Halo Infinite multiplayer is the tone-setting moment right at the beginning of a match where the camera pans across each of your squadmates and then zooms into your visor to switch into first-person just as the match begins. It’s a very cool visual moment to get you hype for the match to come.
Loads of New Weapons and Equipment
With a new game, I expect maybe a couple of new weapons, but Halo Infinite has more new weapons than old ones. From the Bulldog shotgun to the Mangler revolver to the Shock Rifle, most of the weapons are tweaks on classics, some are totally new with elemental damage and side effects, and all feel great to aim and fire. You’ll pick them up in the usual ways: either in a weapons case or on a spawn pad. Or, in the case of a Big Team Battle, they might just drop from the sky from a Pelican. No matter how you find them, though, you’ll surely have your new favorites quickly and be off slaying away with them in no time. Plus, there’s a new grappling hook-type equipment that lets you basically be Spartan Batman, and that’s just dope.
It’s Just… It’s Halo!
Halo has always been a distinct type of shooter. Its pace, its weapons, its shielding, its maps, its physical, and its soundscape are all just purely their own. And it’s all back in the best package yet. Get those multi-kills and have the classic announcer declare your medals in his classic voice. Rock to the Halo soundtrack as it pumps you up game to game. If you’ve never played a Halo game, Halo Infinite multiplayer is a perfectly good place to start, as its game modes are simple, and the strategy of picking up power weapons to dominate the map is intuitive. If you’re a veteran of the franchise, everything you’ve ever loved and more is here, with slightly bouncy physics, a whole host of weapons, and plenty of headshots to snipe away.
When the full game arrives on December 8th, Halo Infinite and its multiplayer will surely be the best entry in the franchise yet. For now, though, enjoy the beta via Xbox Game Pass, which you can .
Halo Infinite releases on Xbox One, Series X|S, and PC on December 8th.