Halo Infinite

Depending on what you want from it, that’s the biggest gripe/praise. 20 years on, it’s really just exactly the same game. I think it only gets away with it because there’s 5-6 years between releases, so it’s sort of like slipping back into some comfy shoes, but at the same time I can’t think of any other franchise that wouldn’t be steeped in criticism for just doing the same thing again. I know it does get pointed out but they seem to avoid any major negativity.

I’m a handful of hours in now. Playing on Heroic and not really finding it difficult other than a few boss encounters (all in enclosed spaces) that have taken a handful of attempts.
I’m not sold on the open-world format. It’s very, very basic for a start - take a FOB, unlock icons, clear them off the map one by one. As someone that finds this stuff fairly relaxing to do I’m ok with it, but I would like more from a franchise like this one. It’s very, very repetitive with very few surprises. I’m in the 3rd open-world hub area atm and it’s all the same as the 1st area, which is a shame. Even a couple of different biomes would help - I think all the games previously have had snowy levels, and beaches and desert areas. It’s a shame they didn’t at least follow suit with that just for a bit more variety.
My biggest issue with it is that it seems to lose some of the Halo feel. Navigating the world without a mini-map is a bit of a pita so I find that vehicles don’t really work as well to move from A-B here, and they’re some of the best levels of previous titles. This is feeling more like a straight FPS even though the environment is much bigger than before. The grapple shot is far more effective for traversal everywhere as you can just travel in mostly straight lines (it’s far too good, really). It’s a shame that it doesn’t manage to integrate the vehicle sandbox into the world quite as well as games like Far Cry, for example. Crysis is probably a good comparison - the suit does everything so nothing else really matters.

Combat is great, though I find the grenade and ability select kind of annoying to navigate in the heat of battle. I think I’d prefer radial menu for them.
The story is alright so far, but they mostly expect you to have played all the rest. Even though I have I couldn’t tell you what’s actually going on past the surface level. I find the Pilot a little annoying but I quite like The Weapon (she’s effectively just Cortana but I like the dialogue between her and Chief anyway). They reuse a lot of conversations/actions here though, I think I’ve seen the same conversation during three different scripted mission scenes when she’s hacking something. Makes it feel a bit less premium than Halo usually does.

Not a criticism of this game so much as all of them past the 2nd - I really don’t like the brutes as enemies.
Probably tied with Halo 4 atm, in terms of 343i’s output. Reach is still the best of the franchise.

Kinda disagree that Halo has escaped severe criticism for not changing things, since Modern Warfare came out back in the day it's been routinely criticised for NOT changing things up being so stubborn in its gameplay.

I think this is the game I wanted Destiny to be

And the weapons really go boom. I love how chunky they all are!

Just did my first MVP. The invisible sword dude who really didn't want to die!!

Can also recommend shotgun-toting marines as warthog passengers. They’re surgeons with that shit!

Edit:
Some thoughts after playing it all day:
- Grappleshot is love
- Heroic is brutally difficult sometimes. If you’re caught in the open, especially against snipers, you don’t have much of a chance.
- The fact that the game is internally consistent enough to enable you to take entirely different approaches to tough situations is brilliant.
- Grappleshot is life
- Game is really majestic looking sometimes (on series S at least).
- Plot is actually quite interesting so far, but I’m a bit worried they are going to fill in the plot gaps via the audio logs (a la MGSV) which would be a shame.
- Charging brutes are scary as hell if you don’t have a good CQC weapon
- Grappleshot Grappleshot GRAPPLESHOT
- This is probably going to be one of the greatest co-op games ever released

Tbh hiding behind stuff and trying to use checkpoints to get thru hard encounters sounds like getting thru the game but not exactly like a stomping space marine!!!

You do have to play conservatively, but there are still some moments of awesomeness. In fact, I'd say Infinite lets you play around a bit more easily. You don't get slaughtered in two seconds just for standing in the open. Against a group of grunts and even jackals, you can actually afford to go in guns blazing.

I remember one time in the last level of Reach, when I was holed up against some three strong elites, almost out of ammo, and no more useful weapons on the ground. Not that fun. Infinite actually feels a lot easier than that. Of course, I still have to meet any Hunters. Oh boy.

The revenant and grenades did it for me (also heroic). There were a couple of plasma recharges around. The secondary fire on that SHREDS shields. He was such a sneaky bugger! My initial sniper approach was useless as he was invisible from any distance.

Oops yes that is it. I think it is only usable in primary from fairly close (in MP). In campaign it's alright, and is restockable. As as I said, the secondary with area effect and splash damage shreds shields (in MP also). It does a good job of handling those pesky jackals also.

For the invisible mini-boss, I generally kept my distance until everyone else was dead, then went in there with a plasma carbine. As long as you keep the distance, he isn't so bad. When his shield is gone, he goes down to headshots very quickly.

There is an even worse target with a fast-firing plasma carbine on the top left corner of the map. Guarded by Ghosts too, that took a while.

And near him, a cave with a skull and two Hunters guarding it. I must say, those things are nightmares. After several attempts doing basically no damage whatsoever, I just grabbed the skull and noped out of there. I'm dreading the time when I'll meet them in the campaign proper. Hope they will give me some heavy ordinance.

For the invisible Elites, are you not using the Threat Detector?

Yeah I tried to grapple hook and get behind them but even then, they take obscene amounts of damage in the back before they keel over.

And that's on Normal.

I'm walking everywhere, driving controls can do one...

The hunters have been weirdly nerfed for some reason. And you dont get to pick up their weapon anymore. For shame