I know 343 has done something right with Halo Infinite multiplayer because I was still playing at 4am this morning.
Over the weekend, 343 held limited-time matchmaking sessions for 4v4 arena. These included just a few core multiplayer modes (Slayer, Strongholds and Capture the Flag) on just a few maps (Live Fire, Recharge, Bazaar and, for Sunday only, Behemoth), but it was enough for me to come away convinced Halo Infinite’s multiplayer could be something special.
A lot of it has to do with rekindling that classic Halo multiplayer feel. What is video game fun? It’s hard to pin down, but during Halo’s heyday it could be summed up by the “golden triangle” design. This is Halo’s combat, crystallised: shoot, grenade, melee – each method of damage-dealing playing its part in the eternal Spartan dance.
Infinite leans heavily on the golden triangle and, last night, I was a willing participant, bouncing about as Halo Spartans do, lobbing grenades to drop enemy shields, pumping rounds of the ever reliable assault rifle from close to mid-range into my opponent. There’s a real ‘in the zone’ feel to good Halo multiplayer, and last night I was very much in it. A handful of times I saw The Matrix for what it was, instinctively knowing how to combine the three points of the golden triangle to form a single, hyper efficient arrow that drove each KILLING SPREE! Am I at the right distance to engage? Yes. I know because I know. Do I know the correct timing to end this engagement with a successful melee? Yes. I know because I know. And do I know how many shots of the battle rifle it takes to score a frag on a fully shielded enemy? Yes. I know because I know. I lost myself to multiplayer last night, as I used to do with Halo 3 multiplayer in 2007, and it was great fun.