Halo Infinite had its full reveal a little over a year ago, just in time for a Holiday 2020 release. However, amidst significant backlash from fans, Microsoft ended up delaying the game by a full year. Complaints that players had ranged from the graphics, with comparisons made to Mega Bloks, to the performance of the game which looked underwhelming and in some cases unlike a Halo game at all. It took just one month from the July reveal for Microsoft to delay the game for an entire year.
Now, just two months ahead of the actual release on December 8, Halo Infinite looks and plays like an entirely different game. 343 Industries has been hosting public test flights over the past few weeks. The test flights allow invited players to get in and try the game out and lets 343 Industries make any tweaks or adjustments that they need to.
The response to the Halo Infinite test flights thus far has been outstanding. The game not only looks significantly better but also, most importantly, plays fantastically. Although we don’t know exactly how the game played one year ago, one thing is clear. The extra year of development time appears to have paid off massively. Not only does Halo Infinite look significantly better but the delay must also be responsible for how polished the game feels.
The test flights have shown that Halo Infinite is now ready for launch later this year. It may have taken an extra year, but it will have been worth the wait. Microsoft and 343 made the correct decision to delay the game. If they hadn’t, it surely would have been an abysmal launch followed by a year of desperately trying to get the game up to the level it should be. Instead, the Xbox’s flagship franchise looks to be off to a stunning start on the new generation of consoles. It’s just a pity that more games don’t get the same treatment.
