The big day finally arrived: Halo Infinite is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC on Windows and Steam, and Xbox Game Pass including console, PC, and Cloud Gaming (Beta). Master Chief’s latest adventure offers a brand-new type of Halo experience, with an open world that gives our hero unprecedented flexibility to battle the Banished however he sees fit. Having played through the whole campaign, I’ve found that there’s a lot of exciting new elements and gameplay mechanics, so I figured now would be the perfect time to offer some tips and tricks so you can hit the ground running in Halo Infinite’s campaign. Get ready for battle, Spartan!
The Grappleshot is Your Best Friend When Exploring…
Much ado has been made about the latest tool in Master Chief’s arsenal, and for good reason. The Grappleshot allows players to traverse the terrain much more easily and adds a level of verticality never before seen in the series. I used mine frequently to reach high ledges or scale tall walls (standing right at the base and fire almost directly up will launch you into the air) and it only gets better once you use collectible Spartan Cores to significantly reduce the Grappleshot’s cooldown. Just fire, launch yourself up, then fire up again to scale even the tallest obstacles.
…And When You’re in Combat
Of course, the Grappleshot offers much more than just an easy way to get around. It comes in very handy during combat, as you can use it to grab explosive power cells from far away and toss them like makeshift grenades, or grapple yourself right into firing position in a turret (or, if you’re like me, lug a detached turret up the side of a cliff). Fully upgrading the Grappleshot, however, is when things get really interesting. By holding down the melee button upon grappling an enemy, you can not only perform a devastating melee attack on them, you’ll also unleash a powerful shockwave that will stun enemies around you.
Forward Operating Base? More Like First Order of Business
As you progress through Halo Infinite, the game does a great job of explaining its various mechanics and gameplay elements to get players up to speed. One of these elements are the Forward Operating Bases that players can capture to use as Fast Travel points and places to gear up. One of the biggest reasons to capture FOBs, however, is the fact that grabbing one will show you all of the collectibles and points of interest (like friendly troops that need to be saved) in that area. Since just about all of this stuff will help you progress faster and become more powerful, I found that it made the most sense to capture all of the FOBs that were available to me at once so I knew where everything was.
Know Your Enemy
There’s an old saying that goes “knowing is half the battle,” and that adage holds true for Halo Infinite. While you can brute force your way through the enemies you’ll encounter, most of them have particular weaknesses that will make taking them down much easier. For example, shield-carrying Jackals can be stunned with a Grappleshot, giving you an extended opening to take them down with gunfire. Brutes, on the other hand, are particularly weak to fire from the Mangler, with just a couple shots able to take them down with ease. It’s definitely worth experimenting with the game’s Kinetic, Plasma, Shock, and Hardlight ammo types to see what works best in certain situations.
Use the Tools at Your Disposal
I’ve sung the praises of the Grappleshot enough already, but there are plenty of other pieces of upgradable equipment that will help Master Chief turn the tides in battle. The Threat Sensor allows you to fire a little sensor that will reveal enemy positions, helping greatly in areas where enemies are moving often or hiding behind cover (or, as is the case with Covenant Elites, using cloaking to become invisible). Even better, upgrading will allow you to fire more than one at a time to cover more of the map. The Drop Shield, on the other hand, provides an easily deployable bit of cover for intense firefights, but it gets really fun once you upgrade it. Once it’s maxed out, projectiles you fire through it will immediately pick up Shock damage, which will stun enemies or keep shields from recharging. The various types of equipment you’ll gather will offer a ton of flexibility, so it pays to play around to see what best suits you!
Find Your Dream Loadout
As mentioned above, you can upgrade your Forward Operative Bases by doing activities like saving UNSC troops from the clutches of the Banished. As you progress and do more of these, you’ll unlock more and more weapons and vehicles that you can equip from any FOB you’ve captured. There are also a number of Banished High Value Targets that can be taken down, giving you access to a special version of traditional alien weaponry. Soon, you’ll be able to keep your ideal loadout on you at all times or grab stuff like a Sniper Rifle or Rocket Launcher with a quick FOB visit. My go to loadout was the new VK78 Commando rifle and a special Rapid Fire Plasma Rifle. Oh, and a Scorpion tank, because why not?
I hope these tips will help you make the most of your time with Halo Infinite’s campaign, though the beauty of the game is that everyone can play it differently and have a blast. Halo Infinite is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC on Windows and Steam, and Xbox Game Pass including console, PC, and Cloud Gaming (Beta).
Halo Infinite (Campaign)
Xbox Game Studios
Halo Infinite
Xbox Game Studios
Related:
Halo Infinite Available Now with Xbox Game Pass
Get Challenge Swaps for Halo Infinite Multiplayer at Chipotle
Next Week on Xbox: December 6 to 10
