Halo Infinite gameplay demo showing off wide area, map system, and the new grappling hook system definitely drive people to think that the game is shaping up to be an open-world FPS. Not to mention 343 Industries themselves boasted that Infinite is Combat Evolved with “freedom” to explore. That assumption is half-right and half-wrong, apparently.
Speaking with Destructoid, Halo Infinite‘s Associate Creative Director Paul Crocker said that the game won’t be a full open-world FPS game like Far Cry. Instead, it might have taken some clues from adventure titles like Metroid or Castlevania (or ODST), where more areas will be unlocked as you play through the story mode. And then with new tools, you can look out for more stuff to find.
“The simple answer is that it takes place in a huge world that is open and expansive. We have a storyline that pulls you through it, which is effectively unlocking certain areas. But, as you progress through it, you have the ability to backtrack and explore to your heart’s content. There is a lot to find out in the world.”
And grappling hook might not be the only new item Master Chief can use throughout the whole of Halo Infinite gameplay. Head of Design Jerry Hook added that by exploring more of areas on the Halo ring you could not just find but also upgrade more equipment.
“[Master] Chief, as he explores the ring, he’s gonna find more equipment. He’s always gonna find ways to upgrade that equipment. And, it’s not all about power, but it’s about options for the player. We want to ensure that players are able to make the choices to be successful in the way that they want to play the game.”
Personally I think this is good news. Yes, even ever since Halo CE Bungie did experiment with open maps such as ‘Halo’ and ‘The Silent Cartographer’. But making a ‘fully open-world’ game seems like a misguided attempt to attract wider audiences and could end up making Halo Infinite gameplay and level designs not as focused and tight as previous titles. Besides, a huge open-world means more processing resources need to be spent on graphical quality as well. For instance, draw distance, textures quality and transferring, et cetera.
Do you think 343 Industries can get the perfect balance between graphic fidelity and fun open maps to explore? Tell us what you think in the comments.