343i has released a host of new information about Halo 4 with its latest Halo Bulletin, including new details about the Infinity Slayer multiplayer game mode.
According to 343i, Team Slayer has always been the most popular mode in Halo multiplayer throughout the series. Infinity Slayer is a natural evolution of the experience offered by Team Slayer, building upon its strengths and rewarding players in new ways without damaging the game's delicate balance and gameplay.
Infinity Slayer is Halo 4's take on Team Slayer, which sees the addition of new weapons, vehicles, loadouts, and Armor Abilities. The UNSC Infinity plays a major role in this mode by providing players with ordinance drops and weapons.
In addition, Infinity Slayer will also introduce a new point system so you'll be earning points not only for your team, but also for yourself. It still takes a set amount of kills to win a round, but players will now have a personal progression loop layered on top of that by rewarding players with medals and rewards.
In addition to kills, players will be rewarded for style, assists, team support, and objective gameplay. Acquiring "style" points involves killing players who are attempting to hijack or skyjack a vehicle, ending an opponent's killing spree, and killing an opponent who stole your ordinance, among many other things.
Halo 4's new scoring system applies to other multiplayer modes beyond Infinity Slayer, but it makes its biggest impact in Infinity Slayer as players will earn ordinance rewards from the UNSC Infinity while playing this mode.
Infinity Ordinances in Infinity Slayer replace the pre-determined weapon locations in previous Halo titles. In other words, instead of picking up weapons that were lying around the area, they'll be dropped from the Infinity instead, which resupplies the map with new weapons at carefully timed intervals.
Additionally, the distance at which you can see these ordinance drops is tuned by the map. Lethal weapons, such as the Rocket Launcher, Scattershot and Sniper Rifle will always appear on your screen while mid-tier weapons and grenades will only appear when you're close by.
In addition to the initial ordinance, the Infinity will drop semi-randomized ordinances throughout the map within specialized constraints based on the playlist and map settings every few minutes. Players who design their own maps in Forge will be able to customize what these drops are and where they'll appear.
As you earn medals throughout your personal progression loop, you will also fill up an ordinance meter which earns you a reward drop for yourself from the Infinity. The rewards come in the form of three randomized weapons, grenades, or powerups for you to choose from.
There are only three powerups you can choose in Infinity Slayer, which includes Overshield (green), Damage Boost (red), and Speed Boost (blue). They only last for a limited time, but provide you with an immense advantage over your opponents and even combo with your Armor Abilities.
Finally, 343i states that Infinity Slayer, like the other modes in the game, will now feature perspective scripting and dynamic music. The team at 343i will be present at Rooster Teeth Expo (RTX) tomorrow, where they'll have copies of Halo 4 to demo to the public. You'll be able to get a hands-on experience with the game if you attend.
