For both PC and Xbox Series X owners, there's nothing more anticipated than the release of Halo Infinite. 343 Industries' newest Halo game is finally here, marking the start of a new Halo era. But with the disappointing Halo 5, has 343 finally figured out what fans want out of a Halo game? Is Halo Infinite better than Halo 5? Is buying Halo Infinite worth it for the campaign, or should you just stick with the firefights of the multiplayer mode? Check out the latest Halo Infinite review scores below, and see just how good the game is.
Halo Infinite Review Scores: 86 on Xbox Series X, 82 on PC on Metacritic
Halo Infinite currently holds high Metascores on Metacritic, with an 86 Metascore for the Xbox Series X version, and an 82 Metascore on PC. Those are some pretty big numbers, and we'll see soon why. Overall, critics are impressed with the latest Halo game, lauding how it has totally embraced the next-gen capabilities of the Xbox Series X, and how much it pushes the series forward without losing the identity of Halo and of Master Chief.
NME gave Halo Infinite a perfect 5 stars out of 5 on PC. Their review found solace in Halo Infinite, a spectacular Triple-A outing in a year of Triple-A disappointments. Their review concludes: “Halo Infinite feels as immediately compelling and necessary as Bungie’s original games, and is a shining beacon in a year that has felt quite underwhelming in the AAA space. Intense combat and a keen sense of creativity make this a must-play, even if you’re not typically a fan of the genre or even Mr Mean and Green himself.” They even went so far as to call the game the Triple-A shooter of the year – which doesn't say much in a year with weak Call of Duty and Battlefield outings.
While that's as far as perfect scores go for the PC version, the Xbox Series X version gets a lot more. Windows Central, VG247, GamesBeat, and Inverse all gave Halo Infinite a perfect score for the Xbox Series X version of the game. VG247‘s review reads: “Halo Infinite isn’t perfect. It has foibles and struggles here and there. But it’s also a slam dunk of a release; it’s exactly what Halo needs to be now. As Halo’s relevance has felt to wane over recent years, this is a bold statement that, no, Halo isn’t ‘over’. It was never close. It matters, and it’s still brilliant. I don’t mind waiting to see where updates take it because what’s here at launch is already largely brilliant. I’m excited for the future of Halo again.”
But while the majority of scores are pretty positive, there are still some with middling scores. And yes, the lowest score the game has received is just around the 70% mark, and nothing below. That by itself is impressive.
ScreenRant‘s Xbox Series X review gave Halo Infinite a score of 3.5 stars out of 5. The review kept the game grounded. While admitting that the game can eventually be regarded as era-defining, it still took some stars from the game's rating thanks to its poor multiplayer environment. Their review reads: “Sadly, while Halo Infinite‘s campaign is unquestionably worth playing, the game's multiplayer is nearing a “wait and see” phase. If the numerous issues can't be fixed in a timely manner — or if the studio doesn't at least offer a comprehensive plan that addresses the glaring concerns — then this grand return of Halo may wane quickly. It's unfortunate because Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer is truly terrific, but where it falters is in being free-to-play. Whether the issues stem from creative choices or business decisions, there's a fundamental misunderstanding of what a shooter game should be in 2021 — and, more importantly, what a shooter game shouldn't have. It's plausible Halo Infinite will eventually become an era-defining game, one that reestablishes it as a dominant shooter franchise, but it's not there yet and there's no telling when it will be.”
In fact, a majority of the negative reviews point towards the game's egregious Battle Pass as the sole reason for giving it a lower score. However, some of the other reviews were also left unimpressed by the game's campaign, and saw it as a rather run-of-a-mill outing for a first party publisher game. Attack of the Fanboy‘s review reads: “Halo Infinite is by no means a bad game, but by the standards set by other first party publishers, it’s average. The campaign just didn’t do enough to generate much excitement and the new gameplay ideas they tried with the open world make the game feel more disjointed than it needs to be. Multiplayer is definitely what’ll keep you coming back for more, IF some of these egregious Battle Pass systems can be righted and there are actual reasons to come back. Unfortunately, it’s another rocky launch for the Halo series and while some of the multiplayer and progression issues can be changed with post-launch patches, the dull, uninspired campaign can’t be.”
Summary: Is Halo Infinite worth your money and time?
Halo 5‘s biggest weakness was its story, and Halo Infinite proves that writing compelling stories and interesting characters aren't 343 Industries' strong suits. But if you're after some crisp first-person shooting action, then there are loads of it on Halo Infinite. We ourselves have had tons of fun with the game's multiplayer – we've tried our best to turn our heads away from the Battle Pass, after all. Movement and shooting feels great, and every new weapons and tools that the Master Chief received in his arsenal bring more value to the game. Meanwhile, the game's transition to open-world is a bit rocky, with the entire world being fun to explore but nothing worth exploring. There are not much to discover, no awe-inspiring sceneries. But it lays the groundwork for future Halo games, and shows that 343 Industries is in the right direction – at least gameplay-wise.
If you think you can live without seeing what happens next in the Master Chief's life, then you can skip the campaign entirely and revel in glory in the free multiplayer mode. However, you might also consider picking up the campaign just for the sheer enjoyment of shooting at enemies to your heart's content. Either way, you have all the time in the world to decide whether or not you'd pick up the campaign, while also enjoying the game on multiplayer in the meantime.
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