Halo Infinite

Play it on: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV)
Current goal: Enjoy the early days of a Halo revolution (and maybe make a Forge map)

With Halo’s new season (“Reckoning”) you can now add campaign AI into multiplayer matches.. The series has had PvE via Firefight (the wave-based “horde mode”) and Warzone (a PvPvE mode from Halo 5, not to be confused with Call of Duty’s battle royale of the same name), but this update is a new frontier. Having a group of classic Halo alien bad guys right in the middle of a CTF match has never really been possible before, and the idea brims with remarkable potential.

Read More: Hands On With Halo Infinite’s New Forge AI Toolkit (It’s Awesome)

Thus far I’ve played on a remake of Halo Combat Evolved’s Blood Gulch map with full 12v12 players and 16v16 AI. It’s anarchy but it makes Halo feel fresh, particularly where it concerns the vehicles, which now have far more utility thanks to a much-needed boost in speed and greater protection for dashing through pits of absolute mayhem. And now there’s an ever-present player-vs-AI battle that can either fade to the background, mess up your day, or even be used for distractions.

Another, nice, snowy map simply called Split PvE, has a Silent Cartographer feel to it, featuring as many as 32 AI across a large landscape that features multiplayer objectives like CTF. Under these conditions, the classic Halo experience of capturing an enemy flag plays unlike ever before. Convoys of warthogs and ghosts must travel long distances through difficult, embattled environments with a mix of players and CPU-controlled AI. Returning the flag back to your base becomes a challenging task of survival across a large environment.

This specific implementation of PvPvE in Halo is still fairly new and is entirely community driven right now. Time will tell if this evolves into something more refined and mature. For now, though, it’s neat to check out how people are learning to inject CPU bots into online Halo multiplayer. It’s even got me thinking about finally making a proper Forge map myself to try my hand at crafting some unique game modes.

Oh, and if you’re like me and have somehow been missing out on Husky Raid, then put a pin in what I said about AI in multiplayer mode and go check out that playlist. Like now. — Claire Jackson

Check Out Halo Infinite: Amazon