Halo Infinite may have fallen from grace in the last few months, but when it first dropped, fans were pretty ecstatic with the state of the game. Though its multiplayer was a little barebones, it was also free-to-play, and the gameplay felt remarkably responsive, hearkening back to the golden age of arena shooters while still managing to bring the series forward to the modern age of gaming. Halo Infinite's campaign was of a similar level of quality, and though it may not have been perfect, it was a significant step-up from the last few entries and was widely regarded as the return to form the Halo franchise needed.
But Halo Infinite's story wasn't exactly its most praised feature. While the campaign's open-world gameplay felt like a good step forward, and the shooting mechanics felt better than ever, Halo Infinite's actual plot lacked the magic of the original Bungie-led trilogy, and though it was serviceable, it didn't stand out, with the narrative often feeling a little rushed. In particular, the start of Halo Infinite's campaign felt off, with the UNSC ship Infinity being destroyed by Banished forces and the Master Chief waking up months later when the aftermath had all but settled. Fortunately, Kelly Gay's upcoming novel Halo: The Rubicon Protocol will help the Halo Infinite story become much more fleshed out.
Halo: The Rubicon Protocol Is The Perfect Prequel For Halo Infinite
Set one year after Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Infinite carries on the same plot threads, but makes some pretty noticeable departures from its predecessor. The start of the game sees the UNSC flagship Infinity arrive in space above Installation 07, also known as Zeta Halo, with the intention of stopping a rogue Cortana and her army of AI. But before the UNSC can land on the ring world, the Infinity is boarded by Banished forces, a faction of Brutes, Grunts, Elites, and Jackals that are even more ruthless than the Covenant. These Banished forces, led by Atriox, manage to overwhelm the Master Chief and leave him floating in space. This is where Halo: The Rubicon Protocol begins.
Halo: The Rubicon Protocol is an upcoming novel releasing on August 9, 2022, and it takes place in the 6-month gap in which Master Chief is left adrift in space. According to the official summary of Halo: The Rubicon Protocol, the novel will follow the surviving UNSC forces who have all been forced to abandon the Infinity and touch down on Zeta Halo. Now, Spartans, Marines, and non-military personnel alike are all forced to fight against overwhelming odds, with each day being an uncertain and horrifying battle for survival against a foe that holds all the cards.
For fans of Halo Infinite, Halo: The Rubicon Protocol seems like it'll be a must-read when it hits store shelves in August. While earlier Halo novels have shown humanity's daily struggle for survival onboard the Halo rings, it's not often the case that so many perspectives are packed into one book, with Marines, Spartans, and a variety of non-combatants all presumably being given their own chance to take the spotlight.
Halo: The Rubicon Protocol might also give fans more of an insight into the Banished, who, despite appearing in several Halo games and novels now, are still shrouded in mystery. For instance, fans might finally learn what Atriox was up to just prior to and during the events of Halo Infinite, with the Banished Brute leader only appearing in the game's intro and post-credits sequences.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.