If there's any shooter franchise that's had it rough the most in the last few years, it'd have to be Microsoft's flagship franchise. The Halo series' jump to the current generation was met with solid reviews at first, but over time the game's flaws started to show, especially in the multiplayer department. Halo 5 made significant improvements over Halo 4's offering, but to be fair, Halo 5's multiplayer was very unlike its predecessors in pivotal ways. From everything shown of Halo Infinite so far, it's clear 343 Industries is attempting to bring the experience back to basics for the Halo franchise, and the game's free-to-play multiplayer experience should follow suit.
Once Halo Infinite does eventually come out in 2021, it will presumably bring with it all sorts of new improvements alongside returning mechanics. The game did get delayed, but not before fans got a sneak peak at some campaign gameplay. While it is subject to change now, with a ton more development time available to 343 Industries, what was already shown seems to be harkening back to classic Halo themes and mechanics. Assuming multiplayer takes a similar approach, Halo Infinite could impress the long-time fans if done right.
Halo 5 Multiplayer's Identity Crisis
When Halo 5 came out, and players started jumping into multiplayer, that was when the community was divided in two. New generation fans enjoyed the fast-paced dashing/acrobatics and shorter TTK, but for long time fans, Halo 5 had modified several of the aspects that differentiated it from other shooters. All of the core elements of Halo multiplayer, like starting with assault rifles and finding power weapons, were there. Mechanically was where the game was extremely different: not just sprinting but quick-dashing, ground pounds, every weapon had iron sights/scopes, and the time-to-kill was very different compared to previous entries.
Rightfully so, many believed Halo had entered a sort-of identity crisis: Halo 5 seemed to reach a strange middle ground between adopting more high-speed movement abilities like Call of Duty or Titanfall, while also attempting to retain its Halo characteristics. The end result was the hybrid multiplayer offering in the last game, and it wasn't necessarily bad on its own, but comparatively as a Halo game it reflected a strange new direction. Movement was nothing like previous games, with players dashing around and only playing aggressively. Not to mention various other additions like REQ weapons and bonuses in other bigger modes. It was a very different Halo game.
Bringing Halo Back to Basics Doesn't Take Much
While Halo Infinite's attempt at returning to the classic Halo experience was likely driven by criticisms of Halo 5's campaign, the multiplayer could use the same treatment as well. Now, that's not to say Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer needs to be a purist's experience, but the game would benefit from toning down a lot of the uncharacteristic changes from Halo 5. Things like the high speed dashing, the floating ground pound ability, these are things a hero shooter should have, but Halo doesn't necessarily need. Asking for the removal of something like sprinting is too drastic, especially for a modern next-gen game, but Halo 5's changes weren't all positive.
Previous Halo games had high TTK times, shields, and floaty movement because they emphasized methodical gunplay. Proper positioning, strafing, and accuracy were rewarded in traditional Halo multiplayer. Calling Halo 5's dashing a "get-out-of-jail-free card" is polarizing and not accurate, but it is worth noting that it did eliminate some of the dependency (and vulnerability) with peeking and strafing in multiplayer. Any changes to slow down the pace of Halo Infinite's multiplayer would be a great start. Games like Call of Duty love breakneck-paced multiplayer, but Halo has always worked at its own pace, and doesn't really need artificial speeding up like dashing to make the experience better.
There are plenty of other minor things that aren't make-or-break for Halo Infinite's multiplayer, but pacing is the big overall issue. 343 Industries seems to have recognized this based on the campaign gameplay that was shown, but time will tell if Infinite's multiplayer is more similar to Halo 5 or something that would fit alongside The Master Chief Collection. There's certainly hope for traditional fans, and the delay can only help Halo Infinite's development focus on what needs to be improved or refined prior to release. Plus, there will almost certainly be a multiplayer beta before full release, so Halo fans will at least be able to give it a try and see what the future holds for Halo Infinite next year.
Halo Infinite is planned to release in 2021 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.