Halo Infinite's customization options are unacceptably shallow

Halo Infinite Battle Pass Heroes Of Reach Source: Windows Cardinal

Like many other players beyond the Xbox and PC ecosystem, I've been having a boom with the Halo Infinite multiplayer feel. Move is smooth, gunplay is tight and snappy, and Halo Infinite'southward sandbox is easily ane of the best in the series. The game is just a ton of fun to play, and that achievement alone makes it ane of the best Xbox shooters available correct now.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that Halo Infinite's core gameplay is stellar, the customization system that players tin use to personalize their Spartan supersoldiers between multiplayer matches is unacceptably shallow, restrictive, and underwhelming. Microsoft and 343 Industries promised Halo fans a deep and rich customization arrangement for Halo Infinite, merely now that the game is actually here, the organization has proven to be one of Halo's worst.

The main reason this is the case is because Halo Infinite's armor cores — basic armor foundations that players tin can add different armor pieces, armor attachments, visor colors, and coatings to — prevent you from equipping an unlock unless it's an detail that is specifically designed for that armor core. Want to utilize a chestpiece from the Marking V (B) armor core on the Marker VI armor core? Too bad. Did y'all unlock a cool helmet from the Fracture: Tenrai issue that you desire to put on your Mark 5 (B) armor core? You're out of luck. You can't even apply colour coatings or visor colors across cores, either, which is unbelievably restrictive.

Source: Windows Central The Marker Five (B) is one of Halo Infinite'south armor cores.

Presumably these restrictions are in place to prevent potential issues with armor pieces clipping into armor cores they weren't designed for, but players take noticed that AI bots frequently accept cross-cadre cosmetics equipped and wait completely fine. Because of that, the decision to severely hinder the ability to mix and match cosmetics feels completely unjustified. The fact that bots can equip customization combinations that players can't is baffling, and frankly, information technology feels like a slap to the face.

It's a slap to the face that bots tin employ customizations that players can't.

These restrictions also employ to Halo Space's armor kits, which are collections of specific armor pieces and coatings that are bachelor in the Battle Laissez passer as well as the Halo Space Shop for $10. You're not allowed to mix armor pieces or coatings from armor kits with other cosmetics; you either utilize everything in the set or none of information technology.

Creating a unique look has been an enjoyable part of the Halo multiplayer feel since Halo 3 released fourteen years ago in 2007, so seeing the latest Halo game exist this restrictive in 2022 has been massively disappointing for franchise veterans like myself. It'southward antithetical to what made personalizing your Spartan so fun in the first place, and I'yard shocked that Microsoft and 343 Industries would even transport a system like this for Halo Infinite.

Another large effect is that several of the armor coatings available right now are barely any dissimilar than what the default coatings look like, which is something that the Halo customs was quick to notice. In that location are some cool and unique coatings, as well, just overall, information technology simply feels awful to grind your way through the $x track of the Halo Space Boxing Pass just to unlock coatings that are only slightly different than what every player starts off with.

Recycling coatings to sell them over and over once more is unacceptable.

What's especially insulting, though, is that Microsoft and 343 Industries are recycling armor coatings for each armor core and are selling them for coin via the Battle Pass and/or Halo Infinite's microtransactions shop. For case, the Noble Principle coating for the Marking Five (B) armor core that you need to buy the Battle Pass for looks identical to the default Cadet Blue coating you tin can apply with the Mark Vii armor cadre. A specially egregious case of this is the Lucky Blue coating for the Yoroi armor core, which looks merely like Cadet Blueish and Noble Principle and was recently sold for $8 in Halo Infinite's shop. This has been done with the color red likewise, and I wouldn't be surprised if it happens with other simple colors in the well-nigh future.

I empathise that some compromises need to be made since Halo Infinite's multiplayer is free to play, but nickel-and-diming players past recycling basic color coatings and selling a version of them for each armor core is not an acceptable way to monetize the game. It'due south one of the worst microtransaction models I've ever seen.

Halo Infinite Source: Xbox Game Studios

It's not all bad, of course; the fact that you can customize a Personal AI, your weapons, and your vehicles in Halo Infinite is awesome, and I love that you lot can give your Spartan prosthetic limbs if you want to every bit well. Merely at the end of the day, the game closes many more doors than it opens, and it sucks to see a Halo customization system that's this shallow, restrictive, and greedy.

I'1000 not going to avoid playing the game but because of these problems; I care a lot more about the core gameplay experience, and Halo Infinite's is fantastic. It'due south just unfortunate that a franchise once praised for its excellent customization options is now habitation to one of the worst customization systems in gaming. Hopefully Microsoft and 343 Industries can plow this ship around.

Halo is back

Halo Infinite Multiplayer

Halo Infinite multiplayer

Halo Infinite'due south multiplayer has launched a few weeks early, compiling its classic loonshit multiplayer modes, expanded 24-histrion Large Squad Battle, and more into one gratuitous-to-play package.

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