Highlights
- Halo Infinite introduced a fully explorable open world, with side activities and rewarding unlockables, making it a solid first attempt at going open-world.
- The game is packed with Easter eggs and references, but one particular reference to Jameson Locke's helmet needs further explanation from 343 Industries.
- Fans are waiting for answers about Locke's whereabouts and how Hyperius obtained his helmet, as leaving his fate unresolved would be a disservice to the character and the fans.
Halo Infinite was the first real attempt the series had ever made to go open-world, and while it definitely wasn't perfect, it was a pretty solid first go. Along with a relatively entertaining, albeit forgettable story, Halo Infinite's single-player mode came packaged with a fully explorable open world, containing a slew of side activities that mostly fit the game's universe fairly well. With plenty of rewarding unlockables to find and a great grappleshot traversal system, Halo Infinite's world was fun to explore for a good few hours, and its slew of Easter eggs definitely reinforced that.
From an album featuring the infamous Craig Brute meme to secret buttons that unlock rewards like a Rockethog and an aerial bombardment to a Mr. Meeseeks box ripped right out of Rick and Morty, Halo Infinite has a ton of Easter eggs and references baked into its open-world. But of all Halo Infinite's references and hidden details, there's one that warrants further explanation, and 343 Industries has still not given fans any concrete answers. The mystery in question is Locke's helmet, and whether the character is truly dead like the reference suggests.
Halo Infinite's Locke Reference Still Needs to be Explained
A little while before Halo Infinite came out, a number of Halo Mega Construx sets hit store shelves. Presumably intended to release alongside the game, the numerous delays Halo Infinite suffered meant that these sets came out before fans could get their hands on the game's campaign, and as such, one set ruined one big surprise. One Halo Infinite Mega Construx set contained a figure of a Brute leader named Hyperius, and on his shoulder fans could seemingly spot the helmet of Agent Jameson Locke, the second playable character in Halo 5: Guardians.
This set leak immediately sparked a ton of fan theories about where Locke had been before the events of Halo Infinite, and if he would end up dying in the then-upcoming game. When Halo Infinite eventually released, fans inevitably encountered Hyperius during the campaign, and it turned out that the Mega Construx leak was true, with Locke's Spartan helmet and chestpiece being clearly visible on the Brute leader's shoulder. But Halo Infinite didn't actually give fans any answers at all.
Jameson Locke is not in Halo Infinite, and 343 Industries hasn't officially confirmed his whereabouts. It's currently still unknown exactly how Hyperius got his hands on Locke's helmet and chestpiece. 343 hasn't confirmed if Locke made it Zeta Halo in the first place, if he's dead, or if he somehow survived Hyperius' ambush. Many fans believe that Locke could have escaped from Hyperius by faking his death, simply leaving his armor and helmet and making a break for it. But while fan theories are good, they only get players so far.
It's pretty important that 343 Industries actually answers this question clearly. While Locke was a divisive part of Halo 5: Guardians, the character himself wasn't actually all that bad, and his appearance in subsequent novels has gone a long way in making him a new fan-favorite character. If 343 leaves Locke's fate in its current place, then that's doing a major disservice to both the character and fans, as it would mean not the protagonist is never even granted an on-screen death. If 343 left things as they are now, then it would feel pretty lazy and lackluster, which would weaken the overarching 343 Halo narrative even more than it already has been with all of Halo Infinite's retcons and changes. Hopefully, Locke gets a more concrete send-off in some future Halo Infinite DLC or sequel.
Halo Infinite is out now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.