Halo Infinite Review: Why Everyone Is Still Talking About Master Chief’s Big Comeback

You know that sinking feeling when you boot up a beloved franchise and it just… isn’t what you remember? The gunfights feel off, the story is weirdly forgettable, and halfway through you catch yourself doom-scrolling on your phone instead of actually playing. Thats the quiet heartbreak of being a modern gamer: too many sequels, not enough soul.

Halo fans have been there. Halo 4 and 5 divided the community, live-service updates became homework, and for a while it felt like Master Chief had slipped from cultural icon to background noise on your Xbox dashboard.

Thats the problem Halo Infinite sets out to solve: how do you make Halo feel like Halo again in 2026, when players expect huge open worlds, tight gunplay, battle passes, cross-play, and constant updates?

Halo Infinite is Microsofts answer. Its a hybrid: part classic arena shooter, part open-world campaign, part live-service free-to-play multiplayer. Its also the flagship showcase for Xbox and PC within the Xbox ecosystem, sitting under the Microsoft Corp. (ISIN: US5949181045) umbrella as the companys most important shooter franchise.

Halo Infinite: The Solution to "Modern Halo Fatigue"

Halo Infinite doesnt try to reinvent first-person shooters; it tries to rediscover what made Halo special and update it just enough for today. You drop into the ringworld Zeta Halo as Master Chief, alone, outgunned, and facing a new faction called the Banished. The campaign leans into that classic "one supersoldier against impossible odds" fantasy, but with a twist: the ring is now a semi-open world you can explore, capture FOBs, and tackle missions in a looser order.

Multiplayer, meanwhile, is completely free-to-play and available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, with cross-play and cross-progression. That instantly lowers the barrier for you and your friends to jump in, even if some of you are on PC and others are on console. The core pitch: snappy gunplay, sandbox-driven chaos (hello, grappleshot + rocket launcher), and a live-service model thats slowly but steadily improved since launch.

Why this specific model?

The question youre probably asking: with so many shooters out there – Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, Valorant – why should you care about Halo Infinite in 2026?

First, the feel of the game. Multiple reviewers and players on Reddit describe Halo Infinites gunplay as the best Halo has felt since Halo 3. Weapons like the Battle Rifle, Sidekick, and Commando snap and kick with satisfying feedback, while newer tools like the Skewer and Shock Rifle add fresh twists. The time-to-kill is deliberate, encouraging skillful strafing, grenades, and melee rather than instant deletions.

Second, the grappleshot. This single piece of equipment fundamentally changes how you move and fight. In the campaign, it turns almost every encounter into a playground: you can yank weapons from afar, sling yourself into the air, hijack vehicles mid-drive, or pull explosive coils to hurl at enemies. In multiplayer, its a high-skill, high-reward mobility tool that creates highlight-reel moments. It makes Halo Infinite feel dynamic in a way older titles simply didnt.

Third, the business model. The campaign is a paid experience (or available via Xbox Game Pass), while the multiplayer is free-to-play. The battle pass is permanent once purchased – it doesnt expire – and you can progress older passes over time, a player-friendly choice compared with other live-service shooters. Since launch, 343 Industries has overhauled the progression system, added Forge (a powerful community map and mode editor), and introduced new maps, modes, and quality-of-life tweaks in response to player feedback.

Finally, theres the tone. Halo Infinite deliberately recenters Master Chief and his relationship with a new AI companion, "The Weapon." The story has its critics, but many fans appreciate that it feels closer to the mysterious, melancholic sci-fi of Halo: CE and Halo 3 than the convoluted lore of Halo 5.

At a Glance: The Facts

Feature	User Benefit
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC	Play almost anywhere in the Xbox ecosystem, with cross-play between console and PC so your squad doesnt have to match hardware.
Free-to-play multiplayer	Jump into online matches without buying the full game; easy to convince friends to try it and return for new seasons.
Campaign on Zeta Halo (semi-open world)	Explore a large ringworld, capture bases, unlock vehicles, and choose how to tackle missions rather than being locked into a straight corridor.
Grappleshot and equipment system	Zip across the battlefield, hijack vehicles, and chain mobility tricks, adding speed and verticality to classic Halo combat.
Cross-progression via Xbox account	Carry your multiplayer progression and cosmetics between Xbox consoles and PC through your Microsoft account.
Forge mode (community map and mode editor)	Access or create custom maps and game modes, fueling a constant stream of community-driven content.
Battle pass with non-expiring progression	Work through cosmetic passes at your own pace without fear of losing rewards at the end of a season.

What Users Are Saying

Across Reddit and major review outlets, sentiment around Halo Infinite is nuanced but generally positive – especially regarding core gameplay.

The praise:

• Gunplay and movement: Many players call Infinites shooting the best in the series since its golden era. The mix of precision weapons, grenades, and equipment feels balanced and rewarding.
• Grappleshot and sandbox: Reddit threads are full of clips of wild grappleshot moments – boarding Banshees in mid-air, chaining swings to cross giant gaps, or flinging fusion coils into enemy groups.
• Fair free-to-play model (post-updates): While progression was rocky at launch, multiple seasons of updates have made unlocking cosmetics feel less grindy, with more challenges, XP gains, and event rewards.
• Performance and feel on PC and Xbox Series X|S: Players report solid performance and responsive controls, especially after patches and driver maturity.

The criticism:

• Content droughts between seasons: One of the biggest recurring complaints on Reddit is the slow cadence of major content drops, especially in the early lifecycle. While Forge and new maps helped, some players still wish for a more aggressive update rhythm.
• Campaign pacing and variety: Critics and fans alike note that the open-world segments can become repetitive, with similar Banished outposts and a lot of Forerunner-style interiors. The story is emotionally resonant for some, but not everyone is blown away.
• Cosmetics and monetization: Despite improvements, a share of the community still feels that some armor coatings and bundles are overpriced compared to other F2P games.
• Legacy features and playlists: At various points, players have asked for more classic playlists, modes, and ranked options, though 343 has added several over time.

Zooming out, the consensus is clear: if you care about how a shooter feels moment-to-moment, Halo Infinite is in a very good place. If youre chasing endless novelty and constant new maps every few weeks, it can feel slower than competitors.

Alternatives vs. Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite doesnt live in a vacuum. Heres how it stacks up against some of the big names.

• Call of Duty: Warzone – Warzone is a battle royale with a faster time-to-kill, heavier emphasis on loadouts, and a more grounded military aesthetic. It offers massive lobbies and frequent seasonal crossovers, but lacks the tight arena structure and even playing field you get from Halos weapon-on-map philosophy.
• Apex Legends – Apex is hero-based, with unique abilities per Legend and heavy focus on squad play and movement tech. Its arguably more complex to learn than Halo Infinite and doesnt have the same symmetrical, sandbox-driven feel. If you like team abilities and battle royale tension, Apex is great; if you want purer FPS fundamentals, Halo is the better fit.
• Fortnite – Fortnite is a cultural phenomenon, with wild crossovers, third-person shooting, and (depending on the mode) building mechanics. Its less about precise gun duels and more about events, skins, and chaos. Halo Infinite is comparatively restrained – sci-fi military tone, no emote circus, more competitive focus.
• Valorant – Riots tactical shooter is closer to Counter-Strike with abilities. Its PC-only and heavily oriented toward serious, strategic play. Halo Infinite, by contrast, comfortably straddles casual and competitive and supports both controller and mouse/keyboard across console and PC.

Where Halo Infinite shines is the intersection of classic arena shooter DNA and modern conveniences: cross-play, free-to-play access, a live-service roadmap, and a campaign you can actually explore.

Final Verdict

Halo Infinite is not a flawless reinvention of the franchise. The live-service structure has had growing pains, the campaigns open-world loop isnt as varied as the best in the genre, and some cosmetic pricing still rubs players the wrong way.

But once you drop onto Zeta Halo, fire off that first burst from the Battle Rifle, and hit a perfect grappleshot into a mid-air melee, those issues fade into the periphery. At its core, Halo Infinite nails the one thing that truly matters: it feels right.

If youre a lapsed Halo fan wondering whether its worth coming back, the answer in 2026 is yes – especially if you can access the campaign through Xbox Game Pass and treat the free-to-play multiplayer as a no-risk experiment. If youre a newcomer who grew up on Apex and Warzone, Halo Infinite offers a refreshing change of pace: longer duels, weapon-focused combat, and a sandbox that consistently rewards creativity.

Microsoft and 343 Industries have turned Halo Infinite into a platform, not just a product. With Forge empowering the community and ongoing seasonal updates adding maps, modes, and balance tweaks, its a shooter that quietly gets better the longer it stays installed on your drive.

If you want a competitive shooter that respects your time, lets your friends squad up across PC and Xbox, and still delivers those big, cinematic "only in Halo" moments, Halo Infinite is absolutely worth your attention.