Open World Halo?

I am a huge fan of open world games. I bought the $100 version of Farcry 5. In fact I own every game in that series, as well as every proper Assasin's Creed game. I love Elder Scrolls and Fallout games, largely because of the open world antics and the ability to create my own stories and do things my way. So I am extremely hyped for my favorite FPS of ALL time (Titanfall I love you, but Halo was first and still has my heart) to be an open world game...but is it going to be?

I jumped to that conclusion, but I realized after my mind raced at the possibilities, that they didn't actually say that was the case. Halo games have always been big on story and plot, with the devs being able to create a (mostly) cohesive storyline and huge cinematic scenes. Destiny was what I had hoped an open ended story universe would be, but that didn't deliver on the story AT ALL! How would an open world Halo game function? They've made a point to say you would play as John, but honestly I loved Reach and ODST and don't believe a Halo game HAS to be Halo man himself though I can understand why people want to play as the iconic hero. I would be just as excited about playing an ODST as the advance recon team on new Halos.

What are your guys' and gals' thoughts on what this game is/will be?

The type of open world I would want from halo would never happen. Open world games are far too gamey and structured these days.

I've never considered an open world Halo. I wouldn't necessarily be against it. Personally, at this point in my life, I play Halo for the campaign because I know I can finish it (and probably for nostalgic purposes).

Not interested.

Halo's combat sandbox stuff has been about tailored levels, giving you weapons, enemies, and vehicles that give you plenty of options to tackle any situation. There's plenty of replayability in the campaign if you're looking for it, plus other PvP and PvE modes. So a 40 hour campaign full of busywork isn't something they really need to add in order to pad out the package or something. They sort of experimented with loot when it came to Warzone cards, and the upgraded weapons were designed to be different in some cool ways, but I don't need Halo to chase Destiny.

I took that from it as well, also based on their focus on talking about their engine. There was a focus on an ecosystem and other animals. Maybe it was just to really drive home you are on a Halo ass halo world in this game but I am also thinking open world.

On paper it doesn't really sound like it will give me what I want from Halo but at the same time I think the games have been very stale across the last couple so I'm all for it. Hearing bits of talking around the game from people who are working on it too it seems to be there is something different and more ambitious going on with it.

Didn't they already make an open world Halo? It was called Destiny... even had a sequel...

I kid.....kinda...

See, when I hear words like "infinite" or "eternal" all I can think of these days is "our game is an ongoing live service."

The want infinite eternal microtransactions and gameplay treadmills that never go anywhere.

@gundamguru: this is a very cynical look at it, but I understand where you are coming from. I can see a model where this is interesting though, if you paid one price for the base game, but then there was a season of "newly detected Halos" which you would go and tackle, or newly discovered forerunner planets getting those secondarily through game pass subscription. I would hope we have a Halo -ass halo campaign, but then also online co-op content where you play as an ODST or another Spartan soldier you create for the online bits and that this content would be the "Infinite" part. that sounds interesting to me tbh.

@lokihellfire2008: Is it better to be optimistic and wrong or cynical and right, lol?

But I agree. I'd much rather something ongoing and cool like the Spartan Ops in Halo 4, rather than something that's just designed to provide an ongoing revenue stream like the card packs in the Warzone mode in Halo 5.

ODST has an open world of sorts. It's not huge but it's definitely open-ended.

I think that a Mass Effect-style Halo game could be pretty interesting. Maybe set far in the future where the elites and humans have had an uneasy relationship for a long time and throw another race or two in there. And don't make it about AI's going crazy or ancient evils on the verge of awakening. Or do that and just make it good.

I'm very interested to see what this game is, the trailer implied an open world approach but we really don't know.

Honestly, i've disliked every Halo game after the first, so any dramatic changes are welcome.

I’d like Halo Infinity to be a Bungie-developed Halo game.

I’m tired of Bungie and Halo both being mediocre. Maybe the studio and the franchise both need this...

@cikame: Even ODST and Reach?

I had my issues with Halo 2, but LOVED the rest of the games. I could see the tone of Halo 3’s campaign not coming across well, though.

@nutter: It's a mixture of console controls, absent storytelling and bad animation that puts me off, not that console controls are a problem i'm good with pads, but Halo's brand of shielded bullet sponge enemies arn't satisfying to shoot at.
I played Halo 1 on PC, which definitely coloured my opinion of future games, mouse aiming let me put more bullets on target faster which helps alleviate the tedium of killing Halo's enemies, when i played through it again in the Anniversary Edition i had a terrible time, i've played up to Reach due to the huge praise these games get so i don't know if 343 are doing animation better, but with each release i was always disappointed in the janky animation from weapons to character movement, awkward animation really gnaws away at me so i hope it has finally improved with the modern games, the story never grabbed me because it's generic alien invasion material, and the personal stories don't stick as all the characters are stereotypical, the story reads more like a timeline of events, with characters coming and going and not really having a personal stake in things... other than "the survival of humanity", again, alien invasion material.

This seems like an open world game. They wouldn't make such a big deal about random herds of animals and some of the smaller details like that if they weren't doing this. I can imagine a blown out version of Halo 1's campaign where you got in the Warthog and drove to different locations within the same level, or had levels where you explored an underground base.

I only played Halo 1-3, so I'm not sure if the later games got back into exploring larger spaces like this. But having an entire game take place in one setting, where maybe you unlock (or use a big ass cannon to blow a hole through) a door and go into a facility where you have your more set piece moments would be an interesting change of pace.

That would at least get me more interested. I haven't played the last 4 Halo's, so the continuation of whatever the hell is going on in the new games has no interest to me. If this is an open world game with a different structure....that makes me go from zero to slightly curious.

ugh, no. there are too many open world games these days, in my opinion. I wish they would just make a Halo game that felt like they didn't come up with the story in 5 minutes. Everything after Reach has either been lazy or bad.

If they made it like the Metroid Prime games then sure. The feeling of isolation and discovery were the reasons I still think Halo 1 had the best campaign. But if it's like Far Cry then i'm good thanks. We have enough of those already.

I'd be open to it but prefer the linear campaign style we've always had.

Id be fine with either an open world Halo or a Halo game that has big open levels. 4 and 5 were a bit too narrow and linear, I want them to open Halo back up again.

Oh man... What if it was open world but an entire Halo ring world with campaign elements of course. That would be too huge right? Smaller ring world?

The idea is intriguing to me but I would prefer it to be implemented in a spin-off game ala ODST, as opposed to a mainline title. 343 still haven't made a great Halo game yet, so I would rather see them nail a good classic Halo experience first for Halo Infinite, then they can get creative with spin-offs and side stories.