The Halo franchise has been around since 2001, and ever since Bungie released Halo: Combat Evolved for the original Xbox, the games have been staples of the first-person shooter genre. Halo Infinite is the newest entry in the acclaimed sci-fi series, and it’s the first to offer free multiplayer on Xbox consoles and PC.
Halo Infinite respects the core of what has made the Halo franchise successful, but it also innovates with new weapons, game modes, and gameplay tools. While Halo‘s multiplayer modes have seen success among both casual and competitive gamers, the unique mechanics and feel can make them challenging for new players to pick up. Whether players are new to the franchise or new to Infinite, understanding how the game works is critical to victory.
Melee Attacks Are As Important As Weapons
Most first-person shooters rely on quick reflexes and accurate aiming to take enemies down, but Halo Infinite puts a more significant emphasis on melee combat than many other games. While players’ weapons are likely to net most of their kills in large game modes like Big Team Battle, standard matches typically have players fighting in relatively tight spaces.
Melee attacks to a Spartan’s back always result in an instant kill, but even strikes to the front deal considerable damage. In combat, players should look for the glowing fizzle that signals a Spartan’s shield is depleted. Once this happens, a single melee attack from any direction will do enough for a kill.
Control Power Weapon Spawns Even When There’s No Weapon
There are several iconic weapons in the Halo franchise, and players need to rely on finding power weapons in multiplayer to secure victory. Unlike traditional weapon lockers that may rotate through several different firearms during a match, power weapons always spawn in static, predetermined locations.
Acquiring these powerful tools typically makes for a chaotic fight at the beginning of each battle, but teams need to control these spawns to gain an advantage when the weapon comes back. Grabbing a rocket launcher right away will likely earn a player a few kills, but securing where it spawns can turn the tide of an entire match.
AI Scans Reveal Important Map Information
New players of the Halo franchise will want to memorize where different weapons and equipment pieces are eventually, but it’s easy for the maps to seem confusing at first. AI Scan is a new feature introduced in Halo Infinite that helps players find their bearings in the heat of battle.
By pushing on down on the d-pad, players’ AI companions will scan the area and reveal all nearby weapons and pickups. This scan even shows items through walls, so it’s an excellent way for players to find the firepower they need before they have the weapon spawns memorized.
Weapon Lockers Share Information Via Lights
Historically, all multiplayer weapons in Halo have been scattered around each map on the ground. Halo Infinite has changed this with the inclusion of weapon lockers. These wall-mounted boxes can spawn different weapons from the same combat category, and it’s not immediately apparent that their lighting conveys essential information to players.
The colored bar on the top can do one of two things: a blue bar indicates that the weapon will be replaced automatically when the bar fills, but a red light means that nothing will respawn while there’s already a copy of the gun in use on the battlefield.
Use Plasma Grenades Or The Grapple Shot To Grab Power Weapons
From the Gravity Hammer to the Needler, Halo has some of the most bizarre sci-fi weapons in video games. While players should do whatever they can to acquire these game-changing armaments, their spawns are often the scenes of dangerous firefights. Luckily, Halo Infinite gives players two ways to grab power weapons from a distance.
First, plasma grenade explosions will throw any gun sitting on the ground. If a player can land one correctly, the weapon will fly through the air to a closer, safer location. Alternately, Halo Infinite‘s new Grapple Shot tool can latch onto items and pull them towards the player.
Active Camo And Overshields Are Now Pickups
From the worst-ranked Halo game to the best, every mainline iteration of the franchise has had some version of the Active Camo and Overshield powerups. While these powerful tools are in Halo Infinite, the way that players use them is now different. Historically, these two items would activate immediately when a player picked them up. This mechanic limited their usage, but it also balanced their power.
Now, players can pick up Active Camo and the Overshield like other pieces of gear and activate them at an optimal time. To counteract some of this versatility, however, characters must complete a brief animation for the boost to take effect.
Different Ammunition Categories Deal Different Kinds Of Damage
Different weapons and ammunitions dealing different types of damage may seem obvious, but many players don’t understand the difference between bullets and plasma. In Halo Infinite, players’ life pools consist of shields and health.
Plasma weapons like the Plasma Rifle deal more damage to shields, while bullet-firing weapons like the Assault Rifle do more damage to health. The difference isn’t massive, but it’s significant enough to give an edge to players that attack enemies with the proper weapon type. While carrying a plasma weapon is a good idea for initiating fights, players may want to consider switching to their pistol to finish off enemies that have lost their shields.
There Are Visual Accessibility Options In The Game Menu
The Halo franchise has traditionally forced multiplayer matches to adopt a red against blue color scheme. Not only did this mean that players’ customized Spartan armor sets were only visible in free-for-all modes, but it also made things challenging for players with visual impairments such as color blindness. Halo Infinite has changed the way that teams look in multiplayer matches.
Instead of predetermined armor colors, players are now surrounded by a red or blue aura/outline. While this looks nice, it can make telling friends from foes even more challenging for some. To help mitigate this issue, 343 Studios has included a color customization option in the game’s accessibility menu. Players can select which color they would like each team to be and alter the opaqueness and brightness of aiming reticles.
Use Location Pings To Help Teammates
Halo Infinite is one of the best free multiplayer games, and it’s made even better by a suite of options to help teams communicate and work together. Proper microphone usage may not be as common as it once was in online games, but Halo Infinite introduced a new pinging mechanic that lets players point out threats or other points of interest.
A ping will be generated on all friendly radars by pressing up on the d-pad (or X on a keyboard). This is a must-use feature to prevent enemy flanks or to help teammates acquire strong power weapons.
Use All Available Movement Methods
Running and walking are the two most common ways to get around maps in Halo Infinite, but they aren’t the only ones. While sprinting, players can press the crouch button to enter a slide. While this maneuver doesn’t go very far, it’s invaluable for quickly advancing on enemies or dodging behind cover.
The lower profile of a sliding Spartan makes it more challenging for enemies to aim correctly, and the brief time it takes them to adjust can be the difference between life and death. Jumping is valuable for the same reasons. Skilled players begin jumping at the outbreak of firefights so that their opponents have to focus on three axes of movement to land their shots.
