We should talk about Halo Infinite’s not quite next-gen premiere

Does this fight between Master Chief and new character "the pilot" bear any resemblance to quarrels between Microsoft and Halo Infinite's development team? (credit: Xbox / 343 Industries)

On Thursday, I quickly consumed and reported on the first "gameplay" reveal of Halo Infinite, the long-awaited sequel slated to launch this holiday on Xbox Series X. I'll admit, I really liked what I saw at first blush. Its combat, movement, and weapon impact struck a clever balance between the glory of Halo 3 and the uneven-but-ambitious experiments of later sequels. (At least, as much as a five-minute sequence can demonstrate.)

I also liked the new weirdness of the "grapple shot," which lets series hero Master Chief cast a line and zip toward foes or pick up objects. I'm a sucker for a grappling hook, and I have previously felt that another Xbox game series, Gears of War, would benefit from such a gimmick. With that in mind, I went back to my 2019 review of Gears 5, where I'd last suggested such a thing.

I noticed that game's screenshots, which prompted me to look at images I captured from Halo infinite. Then I looked at Gears 5 again. And Halo Infinite again. Hmm, I said out loud.

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