We should talk about how Halo Infinite looks

Halo Infinite

Okay, so, let's get this out of the way: I didn't think Halo Infinite looked fantastic. I don't think I'm alone in feeling that way. But I think it's interesting to dig into what's going on with this game, an Xbox Series X launch title but also a kind of cross-gen butter. I'll explain that in a bit.

Triggerfish Human Teeth and lips 

Halo Infinite looks better in motion than it does in screenshots. Of that there is no doubt. In motion it looks quite fun in an old-school Halo kind of way. It looks super smooth, it sounds great (the weapons really pop), and it looks like it will feel very Halo. Halo Combat Evolved, that is. Master Chief bounces around with that low gravity leap of his, hip-firing an assault rifle and gun-bucking Elites, as he should. A plasma grenade here, a shotgun to the face there, the targeting reticle resting naturally between the eyes of a Grunt; that so satisfying centre screen headshot Bungie brought to console with the launch of the original Xbox. The demo was very much about rekindling memories of that wonderful Halo level in which you landed on the ring for the first time - a level full of mystery, scale and, crucially, a Warthog. Last night we saw mystery, scale and, crucially, a Warthog - and I was delighted by that. I don't even mind the grappling hook, which presented in 2020 as a fancy new first-person shooter mechanic is a bit silly when you consider how many shooters already have them. Master Chief can deploy a shield now. But honestly, the most exciting new sandbox mechanic I noticed was Brutes can chuck Grunts at you. Now that's what I call 2020!

Still, throughout all the sandbox fun, something troubles me. Halo Infinite just doesn't look right. In motion, it looks fine. It doesn't scream next-gen to me, but I'll leave that kind of analysis to Digital Foundry. What I mean to say is Halo Infinite looks off. And I've spent the night trying to work out exactly why.

I think the answer lies in the art style. Halo Infinite looks like the fake plastic trees version of Halo, like a video game designed with Mega Bloks in mind. It pops in all the wrong places. The Brutes and their silly faces seem almost plonked down onto the battlefield like a child would arrange toys to bash about in their bedroom. It doesn't feel grounded. It doesn't feel like it has depth. It feels, well, surface level, smooth and uninteresting.

Full report at EuroGamer