Line #119 YMMV/HaloInfinite


1	* AntiClimaxBoss: Jega 'Rdomnai has a fair degree of menacing buildup both in-game and in pre-release materials, but is ultimately nothing more than a mini-boss mechanically immediately before Escharum (who [[ThatOneBoss averts]] this trope). His fight is almost identical to Chak 'Lok, down to [[spoiler:including a generous amount of Shock Coils throughout the arena to stunlock him with]], with the only things really standing out as his NightmareFuel presentation and the fact he's entirely a [[PersonalSpaceInvader melee-only boss]].
2	** It's far from anti-climactic given the difficulty of the boss fight on higher difficulties. Many players accidentally headed into the encounter without optimal weapons, and mayhem ensued.
3	** Completed averted with his counterpart in Firefight; Jega is a ''menace'': the free form nature of the maps, his one hit slash, and his enhanced stealth capabilities have made him somewhat infamous in the community.
4	* BreatherBoss: Both battles against [[spoiler:Adjutant Resolution]] are pretty easy, even on Legendary, as both arenas have ample cover to evade him and have Shock Rifles aplenty. The strategy to defeat him also isn't too difficult to figure out given the very obvious glowing weak points on his arms (especially if you've seen the Tips Screens advising you how to take down [[spoiler:Sentinels]]).
5	* BrokenBase: [[spoiler: Cortana’s HeelFaceTurn. While some parts of the fanbase are happy with Cortana getting a touching sendoff that wraps up her character arc, others view her redemption as forced, undeserving and poorly executed due to having killed billions to enforce peace in the galaxy, especially when her big revelation isn’t that she should not have done that, but rather that she shouldn't have done it ''without John''.]]
6	* CaptainObviousReveal:
7	** [[spoiler:Atriox being revealed to be alive in TheStinger. After the VillainOpeningScene at the game's DownerBeginning, where he [[TheWorfEffect defeats Master Chief in single combat]]; did ''anyone'' seriously believe he'd really be unceremoniously KilledOffscreen after that]]?
8	** The Weapon being [[spoiler: a copy of Cortana. How else was she going to perfectly imitate her and trap her?]] It's so obvious that many players thought [[spoiler: The Weapon]] already knew.
9	* DemonicSpiders:
10	** Jackal Snipers, especially on Heroic and Legendary. Despite wielding the 3-hit kill Stalker Rifle (which is a 3-shot kill compared to their usual armaments, the one-shot kill Beam Rifle) and the mountains of signposting giving away their presence, they will still snipe players out of ''nowhere''. It's not uncommon for players to end up caught unawares by the Sniper and get routinely 3-cycled by Snipers on Legendary difficulty, where they fire their Stalker Rifle fires so fast that it might as well be a one-shot. This is humorously {{Lampshaded}} in the description for [[NintendoHard Legendary]] difficulty.
11	** Brute Berserkers. They don't have any ranged attacks, but move fast, can take a lot of damage before going down if you don't aim for the head (and even then, their constant movement makes headshots difficult), tear through any Marines you have with you, and can kill you in two hits on Legendary. It's not uncommon for them to wipe out an entire team in Firefight.
12	** [[CloakingDevice Cloaked Elites]]. With the inclusion of the [[EnemyDetectingRadar Threat Sensor]], it's much easier to spot and kill them... If you can work out that the damn things are nearby before they impale you on an Energy Sword, as their cloaks are some of the hardest to detect in the entire series, and if you end up fighting them before you get the Threat Sensor, well, good luck. They're also much tankier than in previous games, so they can easily survive long enough to get into melee range.
13	** Emplaced plasma cannons. Make sure you knock them off their mountings because if an enemy commandeers one, they can shred you in two bursts on Legendary.
14	** Brute chieftains, specifically the ones armed with gravity hammers. As usual they are extremely tanky and hit like a truck -- they can take three or four hits from a gravity hammer themselves -- but their ''homing'' lunge attack with an absurd speed and range makes them the deadliest they've ever been.
15	** Make sure to prioritize Brutes or Elites with Commandos and Ravagers first. Both of them can drain your shields and kill you very quickly, and hit you accurately even from a long distance.
16	** Dropships. They frequently spawn right on top of you, with little cover around, AND they have two mounted plasma cannons, which, as mentioned, can kill you almost instantly on Legendary.
17	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
18	** Glibnub, the Grunt comms officer who can be heard broadcasting over the Banished's propaganda towers near-instantly won a fanbase after the game's release for his hilarious and often LeaningOnTheFourthWall commentary on the game's events.
19	** Among the game's storyline bosses, Bassus gets perhaps the least attention with little foreshadowing before he ambushes the Chief at the Excavation Site. He nonetheless earned a decent fanbase thanks to his fight representing a sudden but fair DifficultySpike that needs full mastery of your movement to beat. It is telling that when Season 02 for ''Multiplayer'' added a set of "HVT" banners representing various major Banished characters, Bassus is among them as the only plot-inconsequential character among them.
20	* EvilIsCool:
21	** Continuing from ''VideoGame/HaloWars2'', Atriox further cemented his reputation as one of the most popular villains in the series by [[CurbStompBattle absolutely manhandling the Master Chief one-on-one]] in the game’s intro.
22	** Escharum himself has gained a lot of fans due to his [[VillainRespect respect for the Master Chief]] as a WorthyOpponent, and his desire to go out in a blaze of glory by fighting him, capped off by Creator/DarinDePaul’s wonderfully hammy performance.
23	* FanNickname: Some have dubbed Echo-216 'Brohammer', in homage to fellow Pelican pilot Carol Rawley's 'Foehammer' callsign in ''[[VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved Halo CE]]''.
24	* GameBreaker:
25	** Maxing out the Grappleshot and securing the Duelist Energy Sword gives Chief a devastating combo, as he can stun enemies, give them the automatic wallop when Chief reaches them, then attack with the sword for a 1-2 punch that will insta-kill anyone but bosses and [[IncrediblyDurableEnemies Bullet Sponge]] enemies, and even the latter will be seriously hurt unless they have energy shielding.
26	** The Grappleshot in general, as players have done ''VideoGame/JustCause''-esque exploits using it, such as [[https://tenor.com/view/halo-halo-infinite-gif-23459107 grenading a Warthog and grappling it to traverse the map]].
27	** The almighty Razorback stack. Despite eventually unlocking [[MacrossMissileMassacre Rocket Warthog]], [[TankGoodness Scorpion]] and [[CoolPlane Wasp]] requisitions, nearly every overworld activity can be tackled with a Razorback packed with five Marines wielding power weapons - ''especially'' with Volatile Skewers, Arcane Sentinel Beams, the ol' reliable Rocket Launchers and the tried-but-true Sniper Rifle. Riding up to an unclaimed Forward Operating Base, a High-Value Target or a Banished Stronghold will have the Marines taking care of most of the ground troops before the Chief even reaches his destination. Since enemies will typically focus their attacks on Chief when they see him, Chief can provide a distraction for the Marines as they completely wreck the Banished.
28	** Of the weapon variants, the Arcane Sentinel Beam is seen as easily the most powerful upgrade to the original and one of the more dangerous standard weapons in the game. Its quirk is that it dispenses all of its damage in roughly three times the speed. While the now shorter burst fire and limited reserves make it close to an AllOrNothing strategy, the raw damage per second outstripes anything short of a scorpion cannon. Since NPC marines have infinite ammo and five can be positioned in a support position on a razorback, some have called it the mobile scarab gun.
29	** [[https://youtu.be/koqoe89NAYE The most powerful gun in the game]] is ironically a weapon that's not even coded properly. Players can just get an artillery cannon ''built for puncturing starships'' that has an infinite range, infinite ammo, and doesn't damage players if players fired it at their feet right after ''the tutorial''. How powerful is it? Enough to take out the FinalBoss in ''four shots''.
30	* GoddamnedBats:
31	** Grunts, Jackals and Skimmers armed with either [[LightningGun Disruptors or Shock Rifles]] become this while exploring the overworld with vehicles, most noticeably in aircraft. They always come in groups and their weapons [[StaticStunGun disable vehicles]] in only a handful of shots; it's usually harmless, but it becomes irritating when a player's Wasp or Scorpion gets stunlocked several times in a row because of the sheer volume and surprisingly long range of massed Disruptor/Shock Rifle fire. Skimmers in Firefight meanwhile are frequent swarms and always carry Dynamo Grenades, turning nearby vehicles non-functional without fail and constantly causing rapid area-of-denial assaults virtually every chance they get if they get too close to a control point, ''especially'' with the Catch Skull activated.
32	** Sentinels, especially on higher difficulties. They end up being able to absorb a surprising amount of damage while wielding powerful weapons that can kill you in a handful of shots, plus their constant flitting around makes it hard for you to hit them, and easy for them to get the drop on you by flying over or around cover.
33	* GoodBadBugs:
34	** The September/October Insider Flights saw the brief resurrection of Halo 2's double melee button combo, allowing players to cancel their melee attack animations by reloading their current weapon (BXB) or swapping weapons (BYB). Doing so quickly enough as seen [[https://fxtwitter.com/Sprucelass/status/1441433049850425344 here]] produces RapidFireFisticuffs.
35	** Brute Choppers have some odd physics if EMP'd just as they are about to fall off a ledge or go over a man cannon, as gravity seems to stop having an effect on them and they can launch to the other side of the map or outside the skybox.
36	** Grappling any Fusion Coil while standing on top of it will launch the player upwards. The results are fairly tame with the low ceiling collision of most multiplayer maps, but doing so in the Campaign's open world will send the player rocketing into the ''stratosphere''.
37	** [[https://youtu.be/koqoe89NAYE One of the most powerful weapons in the campaign]] introduced by ''WebVideo/TheSpiffingBrit'' is not even something players are supposed to even have access to. It doesn't even have a model or a name but when players fire it, it has infinite range, explosion splash damage, infinite ammo, and doesn't even harm the player when they fire it at their feet. And it can be obtained [[DiskOneNuke very early in the game]].
38	** Normally, when spawning, your character does the usual "cock/ready weapon on pickup" animation. However, there's a chance of your character's hands not immediately rendering upon spawn, making it look like your weapon is readying itself via invisible hands.
39	* GrowingTheBeard: When 343 made ''VideoGame/Halo4'', they made some changes to the ''Halo'' formula but they still stuck fairly close to the style introduced by Bungie, and as a whole was well-received but not quite as refined as the Bungie games. ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' made significant alterations to the campaign (four player characters as a team for the entire game) and the general gameplay (enemies were a lot tankier, aggressive and could attack from much farther away), which contributed to its' mixed reaction. ''Halo: Infinite'' made even more radical changes to the campaign and gameplay, but had successfully refined many of the concepts introduced in ''Halo 5'' to create a much more tactically satisfying game[[note]]Universal sprinting remained but was not as big a speed increase as before, helping to keep it from upsetting game balance. Ledge clamber works much better in an Open World Environment rather than feel forced in linear levels. The Thruster Pack is altered to be an equipment perk (picked up in multiplayer, toggled gear in campaign) instead of a universal feature of all Spartans. Enemies with longer range also makes more sense in an Open World Environment, preventing you from just sniping everyone and forcing you to navigate the space to close the gap.[[/note]], and was applauded as the best ''Halo'' game 343 has made.
40	* HarsherInHindsight: When we first see the holographic recording of the Pilot's wife and child, just before he rescues Chief, you might assume [[MyGirlBackHome he's searching for a way back to them]]. But as it turns out [[spoiler: they're already long dead and he [[TragicKeepsake keeps the recording to remember them by.]]]]
41	* IKnewIt: [[spoiler:It was widely expected that Cortana would [[EarthShatteringKaboom destroy a planet]] to make clear what she was willing to do to enforce peace on the galaxy. Doisac was considered a top contender for this given the brutal nature of its inhabitants.]]
42	* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: [[spoiler:After watching Atriox kick Master Chief's ass, he is reported dead by the Banished. After the backlash from Jul 'Mdama's death in ''Halo 5: Guardians'', and with Atriox having a long, developed backstory, people doubted he actually died. TheStinger at the end of the game reveals he didn't.]]
43	* MagnificentBastard: [[DragonAscendant Escharum]] is a war chief of the Banished who once served as mentor to their warmaster Atriox. Taking command after Atriox goes MIA, Escharum creates a CultOfPersonality around Atriox's visage to maintain order in the diverse Banished and rallies [[spoiler:to repair and fire the Zeta Halo, possibly in retribution for the destruction of Doisac.]] Viewing the UNSC Spartans views as {{Worthy Opponent}}s and desiring a fight with Master Chief himself before [[IncurableCoughOfDeath his age catches up to him]], Escharum creates a specialized team of Spartan Killers to combat them. [[spoiler:Killed by Master Chief, Escharum dies happily at having had a glorious FinalBattle, and is acknowledged by Master Chief as a soldier trying to do right by his people.]]
44	* MemeticMutation:
45	** Craig [[labelnote:Explanation]] Within hours of its release, a [[https://i.imgur.com/Af62Kar.jpg screenshot]] of a Brute wearing an expression of "I regret all my life choices" from the gameplay trailer quickly became a way of mocking the game's low texture quality. Even better, the fandom has taken to calling him "Craig", something 343 Industries [[https://twitter.com/ske7ch/status/1286491170999169024 readily approved]]. With the delay of ''Infinite'', the entire ''game'' has been nicknamed "Craig". The release of the Campaign overview and the accompanying ''[[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/inside-infinite-october-2021 Inside Infinite]]'' blog led to many people noting that "Craig" (the Brute, but also the game) was looking a lot better. 343 even included an EasterEgg atop the Tower in the form of a shrine with the original "Craig" model.[[/labelnote]]
46	** The Pelican Pilot's exuberant [[https://youtu.be/ogGAbjpgDYY?t=214 "Yes! YES!"]] has become one, even being incorporated into the Zenimax/Microsoft merger video.
47	** Jega the edgy OC [[labelnote:Explanation]] The Campaign Overview saw the first (in-game) debut of one of the members of The Hand of Atriox, "sadistic Spartan killer" [[https://preview.redd.it/lkkf5vslgnv71.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a2b252ba2291e750d727729adcb4d9d43c76c4a Jega 'Rdomnai]]. With his [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver pitch-black/blood-red armour]], raspy voice, prosthetic mandibles, robot arm with built-in Energy Sword blades and accompanying Bloodblade, Jega fits the literal textbook definition of an edgy OriginalCharacter. Plenty of comparisons have been made with similarly edgy characters, most notably [[https://twitter.com/PublicServant40/status/1452655272036470790 Shadow the Hedgehog]].[[/labelnote]]
48	** A few days prior to Infinite's surprise multiplayer launch on November 15th, the Pringles website put up a countdown timer to the launch date, despite the fact that the launch was supposed to be a surprise. While it was quickly taken down, the news had already spread throughout the community. When the launch went through, a number of jokes regarding Pringles' trustworthiness were made.
49	** "Welcome to my tower, Master Chief." [[labelnote:Explanation]] Elite boss Chak 'Lok's greeting to Chief has become memetic on Youtube due to how amusingly casual and friendly it sounds out-of-context, with many commenters comparing it to [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Mephiles the Dark]]'s memetic "gamer pad" rant from WebVideo/RealTimeFandub.[[/labelnote]]
50	* MoralEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Cortana is revealed to have crossed it by responding to Atriox's defiance with [[EarthShatteringKaboom cracking the Jiralhanae homeworld of Doisac]] while he was ForcedToWatch. While the Spartan training facility she also ordered the destruction of could at least be considered enemy combatants and a strategic asset (as can her destruction of the UNSC Headquarters in Sydney on Earth), Doisac was estimated to have a population of 12.5 ''billion'' lives, many of them civilians not in open rebellion against her. This act is made worse by the fact that the Banished weren't even fighting her at all at that point: they just weren't bowing down to her rule, making her talk of "peace for those who do not resist her" feel hollow at best.]]
51	* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound:
52	** Quite a few fans report feeling intense joy upon hearing the classic shield recharge sound in the reveal trailer.
53	** The "click" sound when enemies are killed from a long distance to let the player know, yep, they got 'em.
54	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI_pSQekOd8 Pop! "Yaaaaay!"]]
55	** The immensely satisfying ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L9TIBeHQhA KLUNG]]'' produced when using the Grappleshot to deliver a high-speed MegatonPunch.
56	* {{Narm}}:
57	** Cortana and the Weapon's use of the former's lines goes beyond being MeaningfulEcho to frankly ridiculous over time, as it almost feels like, at least in the case of the former, the script ran out of things for her to say around John and decided to recycle dialogue instead.
58	** Escharum's lines can come across as this, from BadassBoast to something more akin to trying too hard.
59	*** Given Escharum is ''literally'' putting on an act given the huge differences between his propaganda to the Banished and his private audio logs, it's not that he's trying too hard. He's literally putting on his bravado so that the Banished stay in line and the Chief will fight him.
60	** In the [[spoiler:FinalSpeech by Cortana]], her saying that she and the person she is addressing were [[ShapedLikeItself "perfectly perfect"]] similarly sounds like someone who ran out of things to say but kept talking anyway, ruining the mood. [[spoiler:Then again, [[NarmCharm it's just so]] ''[[NarmCharm Cortana]]''.]]
61	** The fact that one of the [[{{Precursors}} Forerunner]] facilities you explore is named ''The Conservatory'' can be this if you're [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} from the UK]]: it's a British term for a greenhouse-like room to the rear of a house, and when you hear the name you're thinking of a place to [[BritsLoveTea have a nice cup of tea]] rather than a mysterious alien structure.
62	* NarmCharm:
63	** As usual, Marines are childishly enthusiastic about Chief making them do long jumps in a vehicle, even if they're careening to their death.
64	--->'''Marine:''' We're flying!\
65	'''Marine:''' Woo-hoo! DO IT AGAIN!
66	** As mentioned in {{Narm}} above, [[spoiler: Cortana awkwardly trailing off to "[[ShapedLikeItself perfectly...perfect]]" may seem mood-disrupting...but at the same time, it is ''completely'' in character for the Cortana we know to do so. Adding onto the circumstances (a final recording left for Master Chief and the Weapon) makes it equal parts heartwarming and tragic, as the fumbling and loss of words makes the entire scene feel like Cortana is holding the "conversation" for as long as possible, if only to delay the inevitable and final goodbye in the end.]]
67	** Jega ‘Rdomnai’s design received plenty of criticism for being over-the-top and edgy. In the game, however, the design works well thanks to the genuine NightmareFuel that he brings to all of his scenes, as well as his surprising HiddenDepths friendship with Escharum.
68	* NightmareFuel:
69	** The House of Reckoning, particularly if you assumed it was just a bigger prison Chak 'Lok sent humans to after he was done with them. It's really [[spoiler:a place where human prisoners are given equipment and made to defend replicas of UNSC bases as practice for Banished troops. And Escharum is ''very'' proud to show the place off to Chief.]]
70	** The scream heard when [[spoiler:the Harbinger kills Zeta Halo's Monitor 117649 Despondent Pyre, seemingly by ripping her open.]]
71	* OlderThanTheyThink:
72	** This isn't the first time Halo has used an open-world system. ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3 ODST}}'' also used an open-world system, though scaled-down and used as a HubLevel for disparate mission levels.
73	** While the lack of the Plasma Pistol overcharge shot's ability to EMP vehicles may come as a shock to those used to it, iterations of the weapon prior to ''Videogame/Halo3'' lacked this quality.
74	* PortingDisaster: The PC version of the game, on both Platform/{{Steam}} and PC Gamepass, runs ''terribly'' in the campaign. Machines that should be objectively stronger than an Xbox Series X are unable to achieve a stable 60 FPS regardless of settings, which is compounded by severe stutters whenever the framerate deviates even slightly from whatever the target is set at, meaning trying to target higher framerates has the game feel ''[[ViolationOfCommonSense less smooth]].''
75	* SalvagedStory: ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' had fans disputing a number of problems with the story, from taking the focus off Master Chief, setting up a massive SequelHook that creates a new threat for humanity beyond the Covenant War, but the main reason Cortana's FaceHeelTurn so disputed is that it undid the emotional impact of her death in ''VideoGame/Halo4''. [[spoiler:In this game, Cortana is given another chance to perform a HeroicSacrifice by destroying a part of Installation 07 to prevent the Banished from using it to their own ends, earning her a DyingAsYourself moment with the Chief]]. The story also sets up the Banished as the new primary foe, relegating [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters the Created War]] largely [[AllThereInTheManual to footnotes]] while not ignoring the impact it had on the galaxy, as the Banished were only able to rise up because of the chaos.
76	* ScrappyMechanic:
77	** The radar in this game is almost completely useless, as it only really shows enemies that are sprinting, and frequently fails to detect enemies standing even a couple feet away.
78	** With the launch of the Beta, the battle pass is proving to be very unpopular with the community. The main complaints are the glacial speed at which progress is made, the lack of XP rewarded to players outside of challenges, and how both of the above pressure players to focus on challenges at the expense of enjoying the game or focusing on the objective. This, on top of the battle pass requiring ten dollars unless one is willing to settle for the bare-bones free version, has left many players feeling irate, as it neuters progression and removes the incentive to play outside of challenges since you literally can't progress if you're unable to finish any for some time.
79	** The official Firefight implementation is a King of the Hill mode, meaning controlling points more than the A.I. enemies do by the end of a match. Which also means they're primed on multiplayer maps that can't actually calculate for how to handle spawns beyond "drop enemies at a navigable position". This can result in your entire time being wiped in seconds at virtually any point because a Phantom quietly drops anything, up to several high-class Brutes/Elites ''and a boss with a OneHitKill weapon'', directly on top of everyone at the hill, before you even have the chance to duck for cover.
80	* ScrappyWeapon:
81	** The Ravager. In the campaign, it's fine, being essentially a handheld plasma mortar for area-denial and indirect lobbing at groups of enemies. In multiplayer, it's damn near impossible to get a kill against another player due to its astoundingly low damage, even against energy shields. Woe betide you if you get a weekly challenge to get player kills with it.
82	** The once-reliable Plasma Pistol has turned into this after the weapon balance changes made so only weapons of the "Shock" damage type (Disruptor, Dynamo Grenade, etc.) can disable vehicles, thereby removing the Plasma Pistol's anti-vehicle utility. Even the classic multiplayer "noob combo" is harder to pull off due to the decreased tracking of the charged shot, and many other weapons can kill a player faster and with less risk than the pistol if the charged shot misses.
83	** The [=VK78=] Commando is seen as the inferior successor to the Covenant Carbine, being a mid-long range automatic rifle with too much recoil and not enough damage to cover for it. Ideally, you'd want to treat it as semi-auto, but even in that case, its damage isn't amazing compared to other mid-range weapons like the BR or AR. About its only use is as a "support" weapon to help soften enemies for allies to deal the killing blow.
84	** The [=CQS48=] Bulldog shotgun is frequently considered this in multiplayer, mostly due the differences it has to previous games' shotguns as listed under TheyChangedItNowItSucks below. The primary issue is that the majority of the time, one can simply unload a burst of assault rifle ammo into an opponent and melee them in the same time and distance it takes to get off the 2-3 close-range blasts the Bulldog requires. Many players simply prefer to use their defaults instead of picking the thing up.
85	* SequelDifficultyDrop: ''Infinite'' is probably the easiest, or at least the most manageable, ''Halo'' game to complete on Legendary difficulty. While trying to Rambo at close range will likely get you vaporized just like previous games, the larger more open levels make long range sniping with the battle rifle to avoid close range engagements much more viable, and this strategy cancels out most of the advantages the A.I. has at higher difficulties since most of them aren't armed with hitscan weapons. You also have a number of other advantages such as upgradable shields, the grappleshot for quick escapes, and deployable cover, and can stack the deck further in your favor by going into missions with any weapon selection you wish, and even bringing in a full squad of 5 marines decked out with heavy weapons to help you clear major outposts like Chak'lok's tower. The only really insane sections are the ones that force you into a specific playstyle, such as the Bassus boss fight, the first encounter with the Skimmers, or the gondola ride.
86	** As below, the irony is that Infinite's difficulty is actually higher, but the myriad of tactical options available this time around makes the game feel more balanced on Heroic. Normal feels fairly easy especially when sniping from afar or deploying the Razorback Stack. The main challenging parts are the boss fights, which are massively more challenging as you scale up the difficulties because of their higher health.
87	* SequelDifficultySpike: However, according to developer interviews, the difficulty in Infinite was tuned higher than in past Halo games. The boss fights can be particularly challenging, motivating players to master their new equipment quickly. Some of the open world areas can also be very tough, as it's quite easy to get caught out in the open with no cover and get shot to death in the back by Snipers, Phantom deployments or randomly patrolling, high-ranking Elites[=/=]Brutes.
88	* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: While not without controversy (specifically in regard to some technical polish, microtransactions, battle pass progression and multiplayer playlists), the game has been highly regarded as merging the stylistic designs and streamlined narrative of the Bungie games with the more evolutionary gameplay and intimate storytelling of 343. The end result is a game that looks very similar to classic Halo but offers the player so many new options in order to explore the setting and take the fight to the enemy, while also introducing many new characters and ideas to the universe. Even Bungie purist reviewers who harshly criticize the campaign's plot, level design, and open world generally admit the actual gameplay and combat are the best out of all the ''Halo'' games made by 343 Studios as opposed to Bungie.
89	* TaintedByThePreview: After the Xbox Games Showcase on July 23, 2020, many fans were left feeling extremely skeptical about the state of the game, especially considering that it's supposed to be a KillerApp title for the Xbox Series X.
90	** Veteran ''Halo'' fans were unimpressed by the fact that not only are sprinting, sliding, and clambering returning but a grappling hook is being added to the game. Many veteran ''Halo'' fans have maintained the opinion that the "Enhanced Mobility" hurt the [=PvP=] in ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' and that the addition of a grappling hook will only exacerbate the problem. Luckily, this seems to be at least somewhat alleviated by [[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/campaign-evolved confirmation]] that the grappling hook in multiplayer will be more of a pickup similar to equipment in ''VideoGame/Halo3''.
91	** More generally, audiences were left unimpressed with the graphical quality of the game. A common complaint was that the textures looked incredibly low-resolution and very flat, as well as noticeable graphical pop-in (this is most noticeable in that the [[OnceAnEpisode obligatory]] "Chief overlooks the Halo and takes in its [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome gorgeous visuals]]" scene looks [[SpecialEffectsFailure distinctly low-res and has clouds popping in and out on mountains]]). Additionally, some commentators have criticized Microsoft for making the game (and on a wider scale, most of their exclusives) also run on the Platform/XboxOne in addition to the Series X, as it limits 343 in what they can really do with the console due to having to accommodate the old hardware. The problematic launch of ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'', especially its PortingDisaster Platform/PlayStation4 and Xbox One versions worsened the issue, with people calling for the cancellation of the game's past-gen version.
92	** There was ''some'' relief in the rumour that the presentation was recorded several months prior (presumably for the cancelled E3 2020 Microsoft Panel), and the shorter, minute-long campaign trailer that was released alongside it had short shots displaying very improved textures (most notably a shot of the new Brute Mangler in Chief's hand that looked leagues more textured than what was showcased in the gameplay trailer). However, the fact that fans have been waiting on the game for [[SequelGap five years]] and there are still major issues that need to be worked out (like the lack of textures) this close to release has many worried. (This turned out to be a completely fabricated rumour, as the developers later stated that the build was [[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/infinite-inquiries only weeks old]], as opposed to several months.)
93	** 343 revealed that the color customization system was to be changed to "armour coatings" (akin to VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'s shader system). While in theory this offered some more interesting texture options (such as chromed, muddy or rusted), past games offered two simple color options for a primary color and a highlight color, giving players more freedom of choice rather than a preset armor coating, and color choices were always completely free at the start.
94	** Press releases and developer interviews that seem to suggest ''Infinite'' will be a live-service title have also raised concern and received a mixed reception. While some such games have been successful, such as ''VideoGame/Destiny2'' and ''VideoGame/TheDivision2'', others such as ''VideoGame/{{Anthem}}'' and ''VideoGame/GhostReconBreakpoint'' have demonstrated the weaknesses of such titles, such as the absence of a complete story on launch, a reduced focus on a single-player experience, and a requirement for a constant internet connection just to play the single-player content.
95	* TakeThatScrappy: The developers appear not to have too great a fondness for Spartan Jameson Locke, the [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive]] protagonist of ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'':
96	** His helmet is incorporated into the shoulder armour of Hyperius, implying he was killed or at ''least'' defeated by him, one of the weaker bosses at that.
97	** There's also this exchange from the last Recovered Audio Log, where Dr. Halsey questions Chief's psychological fitness to lead the mission to take down Cortana:
98	--->'''Dr. Halsey:''' I'm sure Spartan Locke is available.
99	--->'''Master Chief:''' [[AskAStupidQuestion That won't be necessary.]]
100	* ThatOneAttack: Firefight will rapidly make you begin to ''detest'' certain things the enemies can do, because they're notably amped up compared to the campaign. Two cases in particular are berserker Brutes, who move so fast and hit so hard that even a controller auto-aim has an absolute fit attempting to keep up with them, and [[GoddamnedBats Skimmers]] totally loving to throw Dynamo Grenades to sap your shields and paralyze your vehicles. If the Catch Skull enables, expect ''many'' Dynamo Grenades to rain upon you at any possible opportunity a Skimmer happens to be around, which is nearly always.
101	* ThatOneBoss:
102	** Chak 'Lok is a hell of a WakeUpCallBoss, where if the player didn't take the Threat Sensor gadget very seriously they'll want to here. Cloaked and wielding an Energy Sword and Pulse Carbine, he can hide better than most cloaked Elites and then three-hit kill you in seconds if he gets first attack. On higher difficulties he becomes an absolute nightmare, as without stunning him with a Shock Core, he'll ''never'' stand still, while his sword becomes all the more lethal. It also doesn't help that he not only abuses lunges, but his sword suffers from a severe HitboxDissonance, able to slash you well past the actual model's reach. (Fortunately, a player can create a Threat Sensor bubble, then switch to the Grappleshot while remaining in the bubble.)
103	** Bassus, the hammer-wielding brute chieftain who ambushes the player outside of the Banished dig site, is [[LightningBruiser extremely fast, hits like a truck]], and [[DamageSpongeBoss takes an absurd level of punishment before going down]], not to mention the fact that he's fought in an extremely confined space, where avoiding his hammer is nearly impossible. Less than a day after release many players were venting online about how many times he'd killed them.[[note]]PROTIP: Make sure your Grappleshot is at 3rd level so it has 40% less recharge, and use it to zip behind him every time he charges.[[/note]]
104	** Of the overworld assassination targets, Ordo 'Mal and Myriad stand out for being particularly difficult to the point of almost necessitating vehicles where the other captains can be reliably fought on foot. The former pilots a heavily-armored and shielded Wraith and is backed up by multiple Shades that quickly rip even tanks apart on higher difficulties, and the latter are an aggressive Hunter duo with [[DamageSpongeBoss significantly more health]] than other already-dangerous Hunters.
105	*** On Normal difficulty, if you load up a Razorback with marines and give them power weapons, Myriad can go down so quickly you don't even realise the marines did it, leaving you to mop up. On Heroic or above, even in a Scorpion the Hunters can destroy it so quickly you have to bail out and fight them anyway in some cases.
106	** Tremonius can be a pain for fresh Legendary and even LASO runs. He's armed with a Hydra and Bulldog, hard-hitting weapons that he'll switch between to better combat the player at range and in CQC respectively. Like other Brute Captains, he wears a jump pack that affords him rapid traversal of the arena and a ground slam attack that aggressively homes in on the player. And given how this all takes place before Outpost Tremonius, it's the one boss fight that cannot be cheesed with the Scorpion Gun.
107	** The third phase of the Harbinger boss fight is one of the most insane fights in the game, especially on Legendary. Not only do you have a Brute Ultra Chieftain with a gravity hammer chasing you, but there are a dozen Elites and Skimmers all armed with sniper weapons and coming at you from all sides in an arena with almost no cover (at what cover there is you can't use as the Chieftain will get you if you stop moving).
108	** If you play Firefight mode, be prepared for ''every'' single melee-wielding boss to be this, as not only can Bassus himself spawn, but they '''''often''''' get a tremendous buff to their speeds like him and Chak 'Lok's higher difficulty selves. This means a boss round can not only spawn with a Gravity Hammer or Energy Sword that is by all accounts a OneHitKill, but they can now sprint after you like a bat out of hell faster than you can move and wipe out entire fireteams in seconds even if everyone's split apart. All of this plus substantial health and shields boosts that make anything short of power weapon spam or already having Gravity Hammers on-hand ineffectual.
109	* ThatOneLevel: Conservatory, specifically, the section where you must battle Skimmers in the circular control room, is infamous for being very difficult to beat on Legendary. Cover is useless because the Skimmers can fly, their Shock Rifles can kill you in two hits, and worse, Brute Berserkers spawn in the second phase, who are also capable of two-shotting you, and prevent you from taking cover.
110	* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
111	** The Scorpion in campaign no longer accepts passengers on its four treads. While this was likely done so as to not intrude on the Razorback's role as the designated troop transport vehicle, the feature's absence has been felt within the community.
112	** The [=CQS48=] Bulldog is a fine weapon on its own but has been unfavorably compared to the previous games' Shotguns, which provided consistent one-shot kills in close quarters. The Bulldog is more akin to an auto-shotgun with a higher rate of fire, slightly longer range and faster reload from empty at the cost of losing its lethality; traits which allow the Bulldog to carve out its own CQC niche while also not cannibalizing the Energy Sword's sandbox role of securing one-hit kills at point-blank. It's yet to be seen if further updates will (re)introduce a Shotgun more in line with the prior ones. So far, the Mangler (a Brute HandCannon) and the Hydra (a mini-missile launcher) seem to have the sort of kick that previous Shotguns wielded.
113	** When it was first introduced in ''Halo 3'', the Chopper had the unique effect of being able to heavily damage opposing vehicles by ramming into them while boosting, enough to instantly total light/medium vehicles like Ghosts and 'Hogs. ''Infinite'' initially retooled the Chopper to "enhance the melee fantasy of a vehicle named the Chopper"; instead of instantly totalling vehicles by ramming them, continuously grinding the Chopper's drive wheel into opposing vehicles would rapidly eat away at their health. Many players decried that the "vehicle chopping" mechanic lacked the same instant gratification compared to the high ram damage, arguing that trying to grind away at constantly moving vehicles was a hassle to maintain that made the Chopper an unviable vehicle choice. This eventually led to the Chopper being rebalanced in Season 2, regaining its predecessor's high ram damage while retaining its chopping mechanic for slower, heavier vehicles like tanks.
114	** 343 announced they would be removing the Scorpion Gun for Season 2. Note that while yes, it had no view-model, infinite ammo and was otherwise identical to the main cannon of the Scorpion, minus self-splash damage, it didn't really hurt anyone (except the Banished) given it wasn't available for multiplayer at all, so it's baffling why they would remove it. They said it was officially a bug, but it has precedent in the form of the Scarab gun, an easter egg from Halo 2.
115	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
116	** Cortana and the Guardians, as [[spoiler:they were dealt a CurbStompBattle off-screen, and after Cortana's major revival as a [[FaceHeelTurn corrupted antagonist]] in the previous game, she's unceremoniously killed off again by committing a HeroicSacrifice to foil Atriox via using her last moments to sabotage Zeta Halo.]] The entire game attempts to work up to this reveal only to slap you with the underwhelming fact that the deuteragonist of the franchise [[spoiler:died pitifully to make way for The Weapon becoming a blank-slate "reboot" of her from the ground-up, and the massive threat of the Guardians was swept under the rug to focus on the new threat of the Endless instead.]]
117	** As part of the SoftReboot approach for the story going back to basics, the cast that are actually relevant to ''Infinite'''s plot are small overall -- which means the numerous characters and their personal arcs in the past two games plus all the expanded universe material effectively [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse disappeared]], many of them left with UncertainDoom without a single answer to any of their fates. Lasky, Palmer, Fireteam Osiris, Halsey, you name it; the best you get is some audio logs implying Lasky was evacuated from the UNSC ''Infinity'' when it went down, but everyone else is unaccounted for.
118	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: While ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' was held in contempt for its campaign and story, it still had a hell of a SequelHook with an [[FaceHeelTurn evil Cortana]] leading an A.I. rebellion, the Guardians and an attempt to take over the galaxy as the next major conflict for the series. What does ''Infinite'' do with all of that? [[spoiler:Nothing directly, as Cortana proceeded to pick a fight with the Banished and got her forces utterly thrashed for it off-screen thanks to Atriox on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge, followed by the UNSC getting overwhelmed by the Banished. This means ''the entirety of 5's ending plot hook was resolved with no input or knowledge from the player'', leaving you to only try to piece together what happened through context and audio logs, and deal with the Banished forces in the aftermath.]] There's no shortage of players that have expressed that for all of ''5'''s faults, the anti-climax of this resolution to go the SoftReboot route soured many people on trying to pick the story up again.
119	%% Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Cortana has been deemed to not be an example, and her actions are more appropriate for Broken Base, which requires a six-month wait: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15194292110A03429900&page=44#comment-1081
120	%% For more questions, please visit the Unintentionally Unsympathetic cleanup.
121	* WinBackTheCrowd:
122	** After the lukewarm reaction to 343's previous ''Halo'' games and the negative response to the Xbox Games Showcase trailer, the launch game won back many veteran fans by returning to the series fast-paced arena shooter multiplayer roots and shaking up the single-player campaign by moving to an open-world format instead to the linear design of past, though even ''Halo 1's'' "levels" were gigantic open worlds that allowed for backtracking.
123	** The features of the game beyond the campaign was a lot of back-and-forth because of the numerous bugs and glitches, the absence of certain features and options compared to previous games in addition to a shockingly little amount of new content being dropped despite being advertised as a live service game. This reached a head when 343 announced they were postponing indefinitely the split-screen campaign co-op feature. This, understandably, caused a huge uproar as the culmination of all the problems with the game. Soon afterwards official information started being released for the new Forge mode, which so vastly exceeded expectations with the options given fans started getting excited with what they could do. Upon release the game saw a massive resurgence of players as the content they had been looking for was now being more than fulfilled by what the community was building.

Context YMMV / HaloInfinite