10 Things We've Learned About Metroid Dread
The recent announcement is a big deal for Metroid fans for several reasons. Never mind the fact that there hasn't been a major new Metroid release in a really long time. Not counting Samus Returns and Zero Mission, which was a remakes, the last new 2D Metroid was Metroid Fusion on the Game Boy Advance, all the way back in 2002, and ended at a point that pretty much demanded a sequel. Now, after over a year of leaks and speculation, with Metroid Dread, a new 2D game in the series has finally been announced. Nintendo has shown off quite a bit of gameplay for it, and released a bunch of details, so here, we're going to round up the ten biggest details you should know about Metroid Dread.
DEVELOPMENT
Fans will find the name Metroid Dread very familiar, of course. This is name that we've been hearing about for a long, long time. Metroid Dread has existed in some way, shape, or form since the early 2000s, which is when the game first began development. It leaked in 2005 and was supposed to be announced for the DS soon- which, of course, never happened. The game entered development hell instead, with Nintendo later confirming that if they ever went back to it, they would reboot it completely. Which, of course, is exactly what has happened. Metroid Dread is being developed by MercurySteam, who also developed 2017's 3DS title, Metroid: Samus Returns, with series producer Yoshio Sakamoto overseeing the project.
STORY
Metroid Dread is the fifth mainline 2D Metroid game, and it's going to be set after the events of Metroid Fusion, which means that in the Metroid chronology, it's going to be the latest game. The game is set on the planet ZDR, where apparently, the X parasite is present. Samus, as the only one who's immune to it, heads to the planet to investigate matter. Interestingly enough, it has also been confirmed that it is going to be the final game in the current narrative arc, which began with the very first Metroid back on the NES, and has, for four instalments, been focusing on Samus and her relationship with Metroids. Whether the game will also plant the seeds for future storylines that could be pursued in new games remains to be seen, but it should certainly be interesting to see how this long-running saga wraps up.
EMMI ROBOTS
The EMMI robots are the biggest headlining feature of Metroid Dread. Hell, the game is called what it is because of them. So what exactly are these? They were sent to ZDR by the Galactic Federation in order to capture and extract DNA from unknown creatures, but mysteriously vanished. Presumably, they may have crossed paths with the X and become somehow corrupted. Meanwhile, Samus, who's got Metroid DNA in droves inside her, falls in their crosshairs as well, which means that in gameplay terms, the EMMI robots serve essentially as stalker enemies. Each EMMI robot patrols and roams around in a single zone, and players have to either find ways around them or run away if caught. EMMI robots are practically invincible to most attacks, and if they catch you, it's an instant game over.
STEALTH
If there are stalker enemies, it follows that there are going to be at least some stealth mechanics as well. EMMI robots will have a couple of ways of detecting you- on top of roaming around in zones, they can also track you through sound, and if you wall within their vision cone, at which point they'll begin chasing you around. Players will have to move slowly or avoid being heard, while you can also take cover behind objects to hide from their view. Another thing that you can use is the Phantom Cloak, which essentially renders you invisible. Even this has to be used within limits though, since it operates on a timer, and once it runs out of time, it begins depleting your health.
OMEGA CANNON
Like any good stalker enemy, EMMI robots are invincible to most weapons and tools in Samus' arsenal- but they're not going to be completely unbeatable. There will be some ways to defeat EMMI robots, one of which is the omega cannon. These are essentially upgrades to Samus' arm cannon, which can be activated via central units scattered throughout the map. The omega cannon will allow players destroy EMMI robots. That said, this will be a temporary upgrade, and after destroying a robot, you'll have to find a central unit to upgrade your arm cannon once again.
SPIDER MAGNET
One of the many power ups that Samus will find in Metroid Dread is the Spider Magnet. As Sakamoto explains it, the Spider Magnet will allow Samus to latch on to walls and ceilings and then move along them. This will sound rather familiar to anyone who's played Metroid 2, Metroid: Samus Returns, or the Metroid Prime trilogy, since it essentially seems to do pretty much what the Spider Ball power up did in those games. Meanwhile, other classic Metroid power ups, such as the Charge Beam, will also be returning.
FREE AIM AND MELEE COUNTER
MercurySteam added some much-needed immediacy and precision to combat with a couple of new mechanics in Metroid: Samus Returns, and those are going to return in Metroid Dread. There's the free aim laser sight, of course, which allows players to aim the arm cannon in a full 360 degree arc. There's also the melee counter, which lets Samus parry an attack from an enemy and then immediately counter with a melee attack of her own, if you can time it right. Things felt much smoother in Samus Returns thanks to these mechanics, so it's excellent news that they're going to return in Dread.
MELEE DASH AND SLIDE
MercurySteam aren't just stopping with bringing free aim and the melee counter back. Metroid Dread is also going to add a couple of more new mechanics of its own. There's the melee dash attack, which is a dedicated melee move that you can use at any time, rather than being able to use melee only when you're counterattacking. Dread also adds a slide move, which will let you quickly zip through smaller passages and underneath ledges, so you will no longer be forced to switch in and out of morph ball form as regularly. All in all, it seems like movement and combat are both going to be much faster and much more kinetic in Metroid Dread.
AMIIBO AND SPECIAL EDITION
Of course, if Nintendo is launching a major new first party game, it's absolutely going to release a new amiibo as well. With Metroid Dread, there will be two new ambiibos, one for Samus with her updated suit design, and one for an EMMI robot. Meanwhile, a Special Edition has also been confirmed for the game. In addition to the base game, the Special Edition will also include a steelbook case, an art book, and a set of art cards, one each dedicated to the five 2D Metroid games. The entire package will set you back $90.
LAUNCH
And when exactly is Metroid Dread launching? Not that long. It'll release exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on October 8. Pre orders for the game are also live. Meanwhile, the game's page on the Switch eShop website mentions a file size of 6.9 GB, so by Switch standards, it looks like a moderately sized game in that regard, if that.
Starfield – New Details You Need to Know
Two years after its initial announcement, Bethesda Game Studios finally opened up about Starfield at Xbox's recent E3 2021 showcase. It's the studio's first new universe in about 25 years and ventures to a realm that's been unexplored till now – outer space. While the reveal trailer's footage was from an alpha build, we've learned quite a bit about the setting, the technology, some of its systems and much more. Let's take a look at those new things you should know about Starfield.
Exclusive to Xbox
Upon kicking off the showcase, Bethesda Game Studios confirmed once and for all that Starfield, is indeed, exclusive to Xbox Series X/S and PC with a release date of November 11th 2022. It will also be launching day one on Xbox Game Pass though whether that includes both PC and Xbox platforms remains to be seen. Either way, if you want to experience Bethesda's next big RPG, then you'll either need a decent PC or an Xbox Series X/S.
Setting
Starfield takes place 300 years in the future with Constellation, the so-called "last group" of space explorers that's like "NASA meets Indiana Jones meets the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" as per director Todd Howard when speaking to The Telegraph. While he didn't offer too many details on the plot, what answers Constellation was searching for, or about the "key to unlocking everything" from the trailer, the development team is looking to ask some "big questions." "The kind that people have asked when they look to the sky, you know? 'What's out there?' Why are we here? How do we get here?'" Howard feels that there is a unique presentation to all of that with Starfield where "Maybe we don't have all the answers but I think it's good to get people thinking." The trailer does posit that one reason why "we" – whether it's the members of Constellation of humanity in general – are "here" is in order to discover what's out "there." In other words, it's possible that the journey itself is the answer for some players.
NASA-Punk
Speaking to IGN, Pete Hines, Bethesda's SVP of global marketing and communications, discussed the philosophy behind the technology. He noted the spaceship, various writings and objects present in the reveal trailer and how the development team wanted to give a sense of place while making sure it all felt "real." "All of those buttons and knobs, everything you're seeing, has been thought out and is practical. It's not hand-waved…somebody goes through and makes sure all of that stuff has a purpose and a reason for being there. It feels like a real cockpit as opposed to some decoration." This helps to reinforce the fact that Starfield is more of a grounded experience.
When speaking to The Telegraph, Howard mentioned that the ship has "touchstones back to the current space program. So in your mind, you can draw this line between them. Like there's various guns the player has, and other weapons and things like that… but the more exotic ones feel exotic in the reality of the game versus not." Artist Istvan Pely coined the term "NASA-punk" to describe the game's aesthetic and style.
Weapon, Explorer's Watch, Robot Walker and More
Speaking of guns we briefly saw one of them – which looks like an assault rifle – placed on the table in one's spaceship (with a flashing exclamation icon). Howard also said that there will be lasers, that too lasers which can be shot in a vacuum though how that will ultimately work remains to be seen. Other objects included in the trailer include the Explorer's Watch, which the player receives upon joining Constellation, and a robot walker that's just casually walking around outside of your ship. There's more that fans are discovering (like the folder designated Omega or the poster of a violinist named Alyssa) but those are the most substantial for now.
First and Third Person Perspective
A Bethesda title that has first and third person perspectives? Who could have known? Howard confirmed the same when speaking to The Telegraph, stating that, "We like that style of gameplay. First person for us is still our prime way of playing. So you can see the world and touch all those things." It probably shouldn't come as any surprise considering the leaks but it's still good to know for those who like being able to choose.
Creation Engine 2
Something else that stuck out during the reveal trailer was the text at the bottom that said "Alpha In-Game Footage, Creation Engine 2." Bethesda Game Studios would later confirm on Twitter that it was an all-new engine and that Starfield would be the first title utilizing it. Further details weren't provided but the team has spent years working on it to "power the next generation of immersion and exploration."
"Elite" Graphics
For all the praise that Bethesda Game Studios' titles have received, some have found the visuals for some titles like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 to be wanting. So it's interesting to hear about the importance of graphics in Starfield. When speaking to IGN, Hines said that, "As we go through, you'll get a better sense of why the graphics are important. Once we start to show what we're doing with the game, what that team is building and what they're able to do with the visual fidelity that is…elite beyond anything that they've done before." Of course, we'll need to actually see the game in action but it's good news for those worried about the quality of visuals.
Factions and Alien Races
Constellation may be the player's main faction in Starfield but it's not the only one. A lot of others also exist that can be joined with the player carving out their own path in the universe. There are also alien races though Howard wouldn't provide any details. With regards to how they tie into the game's realistic grounding, he simply responded with "There is a way we approach it, I will say that." The concept art from the "Into the Starfield: The Journey Begins" trailer did indicate some alien wildlife but that's all we have to go off of for now (and may not even be in the final game).
Hardcore RPG
Another complaint from previous Bethesda titles, notably Fallout 4, is that the role-playing aspects haven't been super in-depth. Starfield will reportedly be different though. Howard revealed that it's a "bit more hardcore of a role playing game than we've done" with some "really great character systems." This includes being able to choose one's background. In that sense, Bethesda is "going back to some things that we used to do in games long ago that we felt have really let players express the character they want to be."
Be Who You Want
With all this talk of factions, exploration and whatnot, Bethesda Game Studios is really leaning into player choice. The player can be who they want to be, go where they want and so on. Along with experiencing the story that Bethesda wants to tell, there will be a "lot of other ones" to discover. Howard also doesn't want to drag players "by the nose" and tell them to do "X,Y and Z" in Starfield, instead hoping that they'll test its boundaries. "You know, can I read this book? Can I pick this up? Can I do this? What if I do this? What if I do this? And the game is saying 'yes' a lot." And if you want to kill time by picking flowers or gazing upon a sunset, that will also be possible.
Very Big…
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Fallout 4 constitute some of the biggest games that the studio has ever created, especially in terms of replay value. Both enjoy healthy player bases to this day, whether it's due to the sheer amount of stuff to discover or all of the mods available. Mod support in Starfield is still a mystery but Howard assures players that the game is "very big." "People are still playing Skyrim and we have learned from that. We spent more time building [Starfield] to be played for a long time, if you so chose that you just wanted to keep playing it." There are more "hooks" in it from the outset to ensure that. Of course, if you just want to finish the main story quests and "win the game" so to speak, then that's also possible.
…But Not Infinite
Players may be exploring the final frontier in Starfield but the game isn't on the same scale as our universe by a long shot. When asked about the challenges of developing an open universe instead of an open world, Howard responded that it's "not necessarily" the former. "I don't want to set any crazy expectations for that. You know, we have cities and we build them like we built the cities we've built before. And we have lots of locations that we're building like we've built before. And we want that experience of you exploring those to be, you know, as rewarding as we've done before." There are different planets though and that same philosophy of heading in a direction, hoping to find something interesting and rewarding, is still very much in play.
Inon Zur as Composer
Those who enjoyed the music in the trailer will be happy to hear that Inon Zur is the composer. Zur is known for his work on a number of titles with Bethesda. He's also composed for several other well-known titles like Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Outriders and Pathfinder: Kingmaker. So if nothing else, you can be assured that Starfield's soundtrack will be great.
Call of Duty: Warzone Update Removes Armored Cargo Trucks Because They Make Players Invisible
The update train for Call of Duty: Warzone never stops, but that's not always because new things are being added. Sometimes, as with all online games, things have to be removed so they can be fixed. That's the case in the newest patch Raven Software released for the game, which removed armored cargo trucks from the game because they made players invisible.
The trucks were originally introduced for the limited time Armored Royale mode, but were added to Warzone's regular modes this week with the launch of Season 4. Unfortunately, reintroducing the trucks meant reintroducing the bug, which never appears to have been properly fixed.
"We have pushed an update in #Warzone to remove the Armored Cargo Truck due to an ongoing issue with players becoming invisible," Raven said on Twitter. "Armored Cargo Trucks have been removed to avoid this issue as we continue to investigate a permanent fix." Raven previously removed the Armored Royale mode froom the game in order to fix the bug, but it clearly didn't stick.
In addition, Raven is also looking into a bug which can result in crashes when using certain QBZ blueprints. In the meantime, the developer advised players to avoid the Fresh Powder, Smoke Valley, Soul Survivor, Death Metal, and Cross Check blueprints.
❗️We have pushed an update in #Warzone to remove the Armored Cargo Truck due to an ongoing issue with players becoming invisible.
The Trello has ben updated.
There's still plenty of loot to find at the Satellites. It's a fight to the death for the HARP and a free Loadout. 🛰️ https://t.co/qt0uSYGYbu
— Raven Software (@RavenSoftware) June 17, 2021
The Head of Ubisoft Massive is Stepping Down
David Polfeldt, the head of Ubisoft Massive, the studio behind The Division 2, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Ubisoft's upcoming Star Wars game, is stepping down from his role as the studio's managing director. Polfeldt announced that he was leaving the studio in a blog post on the studio's website.
"Seventeen years ago I joined a small Malmö-based indie-studio in a role that the founder defined as 'Mister FixIt'. Little did I know what a roller-coaster adventure it would become!" Polfeldt wrote in the blog post.
"When we signed Star Wars, and finally completed our beautiful building Eden in 2020, I felt an overwhelming sense of completion, as if I had achieved everything I once dreamt of. Standing on the solid foundation of The Division, Avatar, Snowdrop, and Ubisoft Connect, the studio is in fantastic shape, and I am exceptionally grateful for what we have accomplished together. Before I embark on a new adventure in Ubisoft, I will try something else which is new and exciting to me: a long break! Wish me luck, and see you in 2022."
Given that Polfeldt has been with the studio for 17 years and served as its managing director for 12 of them, the rest sounds well-earned. Polfeldt will take a six-month sabbatical beginning on July 1st. After that, he will return to Ubisoft in a new strategic role. According to a Ubisoft spokesperson who spoke with Axios, Ubisoft has "already appointed David's successor and look forward to sharing more details at a later date".
Elden Ring – George R.R. Martin Says His Work on the Game Was Finished "Years Ago"
George R.R. Martin's work on Game of Thrones is probably what he's most well-known for, but his work on Elden Ring is something for fans to be excited about. And apparently, all of it was already done years ago. The news comes from an interview Martin did with WTTW News Chicago, in which he was about about his involvement in the game.
"My work on it was actually done years ago," Martin explained. "These games, they're like movies, they take a long time to develop. Basically, they wanted a world created to set the game in. World building is a big factor in fantasy and science fiction. You're not only talking characters and the plot, but the setting is almost as important as everything else: Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age, the Foundation universe of Isaac Asimov."
Martin says his job mostly consisted on working up detailed background information for the game world and From did the rest of the work from there. He also said that while From would occasionally show him monster designs or other "cool things," he hasn't worked on the game in years. "The game has been slowly developing and now it's coming out in January, I believe, so I'll be as excited as anybody else to see it," Martin said.
Castlevania Advance Collection Rated for Release in Australia
A Castlevania Advance Collection has been rated in Australia. The news appeared on the Australia Classification Board's website and was first spotted by Twitter user Nibel. According to the website, the game's year of production is listed as 2021; the game is being developed by M2, a developer well-known for its fantastic work on remastered collections, most recently on the excellent Mega Man X Legacy Collection, Castlevania Anniversary Collection, and the Contra Anniversary Collection.
There's no word on what games will be included in the collection, but the ratings board has classified as a M-rated release and there will be both Japanese and English language support. The title of the collection seems to imply that it will collect the Game Boy Advance Castlevania games. Three Castlevania titles release on the Game Boy Advance: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. All three were well-received.
If Konami wants to put more than three games into the collection, they could also add DS titles Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, and Calstlevania: Order of Ecclessia, but it might be harder to port the DS games to modern platforms given that the games were designed around having two screens.
'Castlevania Advance Collection' rated in Australiahttps://t.co/CtK78wiNJ7 pic.twitter.com/jI3GygvYy1
— Nibel (@Nibellion) June 18, 2021
Lost Judgment Footage Shows Playable Master System
Lost Judgment will include a playable Sega Master System that will allow players to play classic Sega titles like Alex Kidd in Miracle World and Penguin Land. The reveal is based on eight minutes of new footage posted on Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's official YouTube channel.
The confirmation occurs four minutes into the video, where footage shows protagonist Takayuki Yagami in his office. While Yagami had a pinball machine in his office in the original version of Judgment, he now has a Sega Master System. It's not yet clear how many games will be playable on Lost Judgement's in-game Master System, but given that there is footage of both Alex Kidd in Miracle World and Penguin Land being played, we know those two will be in the game.
This isn't the first time Sega has put playable versions of its other games in the Yakuza spin-off series. The original Judgment's pinball machine version of Judgment was replaced with an Out Run arcade machine in the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game. We also know Lost Judgment will feature a playable version of Sonic the Fighters.
You can check out the new footage below:
Outriders' Game Pass Launch Has Paid Off, According to Square Enix
Square Enix believes that the decision to launch Outriders on Xbox Game Pass has paid off in terms of bringing players to the game. Outriders launched on April 1st for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC, but clearly the decision to put the game on Xbox Game Pass on day 1 paid off for the publisher. Outriders is one of the highest profile third-party games to launch on Xbox Game Pass to date.
"In regards to the response to Outriders, while there were slight issues with bugs and the like on launch, we believe it has gotten off to a good start as a new IP," said Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda during the company's full year financial results briefing, which happened on May 13th. While the comments appear to be old, they were only published in English today, and first reported by VGChronicle.
"In addition, we have been pleasantly surprised as the digital sales ratio for the title have been very high, and the number of active users has also beaten our expectations. We believe that our decision to make Outriders available with Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass as soon as the title launched also worked in our favor," Matsuda added.
Given that Square Enix recently announced that Outriders passed 3.5 million players and that the company believes Outriders has the potential to become its next major franchise, this isn't the most surprising news, but it probably won't be the last time we see a major publisher launch a major release on Xbox Game Pass.
What Does the Starfield Teaser Tell us About the Game?
Out of all of the highly anticipated AAA games that players have been waiting on for years upon years, Starfield is absolutely in the upper echelon of high expectations, and perpetual postponement. There are few titles that come close to Starfield when it comes to the amount of time passed between its announcement and its launch date, and as such, it's one of the more notable members of a smaller and smaller club of games that have completely coasted on their elevator pitch – as opposed to what they actually are, for years. It does appear, however, that those days are finally coming to an end. Starfield's life as an abstract concept that started (at least publicly) with the original trademark being established back in 2013 is wrapping up at this point.
Gamers being given vague impressions on just what Starfield is, and using that as a basis to imagine whatever they want it to be are literally numbered now, and it will soon be a real thing with pros and cons that can actually be judged. We know this because we have gotten a new trailer for the game that dropped during E3 that not only assures us that Starfield is indeed still a thing, but also that we have a timeline for when we should expect to actually get our hands on the game after all this time. On top of that, despite hard details on Starfield still being pretty few and far between, the trailer alludes to a handful of important points that we can logically glean.
As soon as the trailer fires up, we are made aware that the game is being created in Creation Engine 2. The Creation Engine of course was the successor to the set of tools Bethesda Game Studios used for games like Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3 which was called Gamebryo at the time. The Creation Engine of course brought us Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. Now that this set of tools has long since shown its age and received some fairly consistent criticism from Bethesda fans in recent years, it makes sense that Bethesda would like to let everyone know that they are working with a much newer toolset and thus imply that Starfield will look and play better than some of Bethesda's more troubled recent releases. It conveys the message that they are aware of the concerns out there and are doing something to address them.
Whether or not this is a real fundamental change in how their games are made or how well the perform at launch is of course yet to be seen, but the mention of the game being made in Creation Engine 2 right at the top of the trailer is at least a commendable signal that they are doing their best to improve things on that front. The graphics in the trailer are supposedly "in-engine" but clearly are still benefiting from ideal lighting, flattering angles, and other things that can be orchestrated for in-engine cut-scenes. That said, it does look quite good with realistic reflections that aren't overdone as well as lots of detail packed into every visible surface. Everything from random objects sitting on tables to surfaces of complex futuristic equipment look highly detailed and infinitely more realistic than anything that was seen in previous games from Bethesda Game Studios. As with anything, the proof will of course be in the pudding, but it's nice to at least see an acknowledgement of the appetite for Bethesda to step up their game with visuals.
With so much of the focus of Starfield's pitch being on its RPG elements, vastness, scope, and scale, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking the ultimate idea of the game being something similar to No Man's Sky or Subnautica. This insinuation has been even further projected by Todd Howard himself telling the Washington Post that the game will essentially be "Skyrim in space". Given this, the genre of the game should be something that roughly fits into the RPG label, but another element of this that we may be missing is the story of Starfield. If you listen closely to what the narrator of the trailer is saying, you hear her talking about the "key to unlocking everything" and lots of grandiose phrases like "we've come to the beginning of humanity's final journey", all of which seem to suggest that we aren't just in for a game with a lot to do, but we may also be in for a game with a ton of story and context behind that vast array of options that can propel us forward as players with real motivations and world building like we saw in Fallout 4 and Skyrim.
This is a good sign that Starfield will ultimately end up being a far more well-rounded experience than the games it has been compared to in recent years. The Constellation star-faring group that seems primarily tasked with exploring the great beyond is the focus here, and with the story of Starfield being based 300 years in the future, it's far enough that Bethesda can take a fair amount of liberties with their fictional technology and other concepts to bridge the gap between what is possible today and what can be done in the game, but it's also close enough to our time that most of the computers, weapons, suits, and other pieces of equipment are recognizable. Starfield strikes that balance between the futuristic and the familiar in a way that few things do and that also helps with its contextual appeal.
Of course, one of the more salacious crumbs of information we've gotten from the trailer is of course the release date of November 11th, 2022. We see this at the very end of course, as the character inputs the numbers into this computer as a clever way of breaking the fourth wall but also informing us that Starfield is finally on the way and it's not too far off all things considered.
As people continue to pick apart the trailer and reveal new details, we will continue to learn more about the game, albeit within the confines of what can be learned from one short cinematic trailer. Given the amount of time that has passed since the game was announced and now, the appetite for new information is far from satisfied, so we'll continue to stay on top of this game as more developments inevitably emerge.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
Should We be Concerned That Halo Infinite Still Doesn't Have a Release Date?
Among the many exciting announcements and trailers released during this year's E3 is of course the new Halo Infinite information. Almost every E3 has something about Halo and this one certainly didn't disappoint in that regard. Halo is a series that has pulled more than its fair share of the Xbox brand's weight since it helped popularize Microsoft's console all those years ago, and so any movement with the franchise is of course going to be noteworthy. This time, Halo fans have Halo Infinite to look forward to, and most are excited for what this new entry seems to be bringing to the table.
That doesn't mean the game hasn't had its share of missteps though. With a reveal trailer that was underwhelming to say the least, rumors of turmoil behind the scenes at 343, and it getting delayed to such a degree that it no longer even has a concrete release date, I wouldn't blame Halo fans for being concerned for this entry. Especially also considering that the last couple of entries of the franchise haven't quite lived up to what the series once was in the eyes of many. What we have gotten thus far is better than nothing, but do fans still have reason to be legitimately concerned at this point? Or should the recent news drops be enough to quell fears?
The 13th of June was the day we saw a good amount of info drop about Halo Infinite, and as for the story trailer, it certainly looked interesting. Not much concrete information about the game is really present in it, but it does seem to capture the tone of the games in an endearing way, and that's all a trailer for a game that is probably still ways off needs to do, but it's also pretty bare minimum. Though, to be fair we did see use of the grappling hook that the game is clearly trying its best to make into a selling point for the game as well as some dialogue from a couple of characters that seems to point to a rather high stakes story.
We are also told by the narrator at the beginning that the game will feature some of the largest maps ever created for the series as well as Master Chief's greatest challenge yet, which is good to hear, as Halo has been in need of a game that feels essential for a while now. I personally would have liked to have been given more to chew on about the story of Halo Infinite, and perhaps a release date, especially with all the turmoil the game has experienced thus far, but things could certainly be worse.
More interestingly however was the trailer for the multiplayer mode. This came with a good amount of footage of what appeared to be in-game battles playing out. Lots of hectic gunfights, vehicles being used, and even some grappling hook takedowns that seemingly allow a player to rip another player out of a vehicle if done with the grappling hook in just the right way. This, coupled with the familiar weapons and sound effects that might trigger some nostalgia for OG Halo players, do create a sense of balanced between old and new which may just be exactly what the doctor ordered for the series. So, with all of this, you would think that 343 would be ready to announce a release date, right? Well, still, no such luck. They still seem to be maintaining a target of 2021, but with no actual date set, it certainly gives the impression that 343 is purposefully leaving the door open for yet another delay that could take it into next year.
Most gamers generally aren't necessarily turned off by the idea of a delay for a video game especially when it means that the game in question will end up being better as a result. However, Halo Infinite isn't really in the typical situation at this point. It had a rocky start with its announcement and was consequently pushed back quite a bit in order to iron out some of the rougher edges that people were pointing out, and of course there were other issues that arose from that point and now we're in a more of a precarious situation than most AAA games find themselves in this late into their supposed development cycles, assuming Halo Infinite is as far along as it appears to be. One could surmise that all of this good-looking footage and all of this tantalizing information could be orchestrated in such a way that it reaches us before the next delay to soften the blow of it for fans who have been waiting for this game now for quite a while. If this were any other game with any other marketing and development cycle playing out, I would probably dismiss that theory at face value but with this game and with everything that has happened so far, I can't discount it right away.
On the 14th we got a more detailed look at Halo Infinite multiplayer mechanics and it is shaping up pretty nicely with, as I laid out before, what appears to be a pretty deliberate mix of great ideas from earlier games and new ideas. But this just continues to beg the question; why didn't they follow up with an actual release date especially if everything is going so well? I think most Halo fans are aware that the game was not as far along as we were originally led to believe and now, we're just waiting for the product to be finished so it can be enjoyed. That's not necessarily to say that another delay would really be that big of a deal, sure it would be disappointing but ultimately if the game comes out early 2022 as opposed to Holiday 2021, and ends up being even better as a result, it will be a delay that is swiftly forgiven and forgotten. The almost half an hour-long Halo infinite multiplayer overview video that was dropped on the 14th goes over a lot of important details about the multiplayer that you would think they wouldn't have or be ready to talk about if the game wasn't entering its final stages of polishing. From the details that they go over about how different game modes work, customization, and the like, you'd think they'd be far along enough to secure a release date.
So, while I think it's fair to say that Halo Infinite is obviously coming along well and is probably going to check all of the boxes it needs to at least in terms of having a fun multiplayer experience, the lack of a release date this far into 2021 is a little concerning considering that the holiday season is just a few months away, and there's really no other reason to not have a release date at this point unless they're unsure if they can meet it. Game development is not an exact science when it comes to predicting release dates, sure. There's a lot of moving parts and it can be hard to pinpoint an actual day when everything will be ready. And given the snafu of the game's big initial delay, it could very well be that their lack of a release date this far along is just out of an abundance of caution. So, this is really one of those moments where it's probably best to withhold judgment and just give it another couple of months and see where the story goes.
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