Big console launches deserve big game launches, and the Xbox Series X/S is undoubtedly lacking that with Microsoft going all in with the promise of Xbox Game Pass and the fact that everything is faster on the latest console. Simply put, the new console feels like a PC upgrade rather than a unique revolutionary experience, but we’ve already looked at how that’s ok. Honest, it is. Back to Halo Infinite, though. I’m fairly confident it’s going to be worth the wait. I’ve seen game delays in the past, and they’re not all bad unless you’re painfully impatient.
It’s Never Wise to Rush a Game
Avid gamers will remember that Duke Nukem Forever took, well, forever to be released, and it wasn’t good. That was an exception to the rule, though. Generally, game delays tend to pay off. A little extra time and the developers can work on refining the experience. Ever played a game that drove you insane due to multiple glitches? Of course you have, and I bet you never bothered returning after a vital patch was implemented, either. Halo Infinite needs to be right the first time around, especially when it’s such an integral part of the Xbox brand. Besides the benefits to you, there are benefits for the workers, too. In recent times, crunch culture has infected the video game industry, and it’s far from healthy, requiring employees to work incredibly long hours to meet deadlines. Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt recently reneged on its plans to avoid crunch culture, all in a bid to make sure the game is released on time. It’s a profoundly unpleasant practice, and we should all be willing to wait a little longer for new games if it means that employees get to enjoy a work/life balance. If nothing else, tired workers never produce the best results. The perils of dealing with a global pandemic and the need to work from home is sure to have slowed things down too, and honestly, that’s not something a lot of us can safely change right now. We’re not saying that games aren’t necessary at a time like this, but we do need to offer a little more space while we all deal with this ’new normal.'
343 Industries Knows What it’s Doing
We’ve seen that Halo Infinite’s developer, 343 Industries, is responsible enough to avoid too much crunch. In part, that’s almost certainly because the team knows what it’s doing. While Halo was originally Bungie’s darling, it’s now squarely 343 Industries’ franchise. Starting out by working on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary for the Xbox 360, the company has gone from strength to strength over the last ten years. It produced Halo 4 and the extraordinary Halo: The Master Chief Collection—the collection that just keeps on giving. As a gaming experience, the Halo: Spartan series and Halo Wars games haven’t always hit the spot, but they’ve consistently demonstrated that 343 Industries knows how to continue to build up the Halo universe, expanding upon the distant days of Halo: Combat Evolved. 343 Industries has also given new life to the franchise right down to the tiny details like Halo Waypoint, which brought together the Halo community through exclusive content and extensive statistics that followed you through the Halo games and made you want to show off your gaming achievements. It was a neat move that came along just at the right time when other franchises like Call of Duty appreciated that everyone loves to see how their performance plays out. While we don’t have many details yet on Halo Infinite, we do know that 343 Industries is keen for Master Chief—the main protagonist and somewhat overlooked in Halo 5—to be the main focus again and for him to be a little more human than before. Anything that builds upon what’s already there and makes it more well rounded has to be good news for fans of the franchise. Good things come to those who wait, right?
It’s an Epic Franchise—You Can be Patient
Look, I don’t want to be patient either, but I can be, and so can you. Halo Infinite will be the 14th game in the franchise, and that’s a lot of choice. In the meantime, you can catch up on past games you’ve probably forgotten a little. Or you can read up on the Halo lore thanks to the seemingly never-ending supply of books and comics out there. Do you know what the best use of your time is? If you’re lucky enough to have a shiny new Xbox Series X/S, go load up Halo: The Master Chief Collection. It’s available for free through Xbox Game Pass and contains Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, and Halo 4. It all looks suitably gorgeous with various enhancements such as support for 4K resolution and improved frame rate and field of view. With that amount of different games to play, you’ll have plenty to sink your teeth into while 343 Industries works on refining the delights of Halo Infinite.
