As many of you are aware, the Mustang Post has gone through massive change between this year and the last. Along with factors mentioned below, we also have a new journalism instructor with several new students joining the program. However, despite the challenges that come with such a program refresh, our success has clearly outweighed the difficulties.
With the help of Mr. Lang, we have an all-new website with flexibility that allows us to make quick edits, transforming how quickly we can react for necessary changes to both the websites and articles. The page looks great to boot! Secondly, we have moved our focus to PDF digital prints in order to give the utmost professional feeling experience to any reader on a digital device, with the continued option to read through the web-site directly. This flexibility has been fantastic for our own editing and creativity alike and will continue to allow us to make the best content possible.
Finally, we have monumental growth to our social media, particularly our Instagram account, growing well over a thousand followers in just one school year. Especially with the help of our student body, this is one of our most notable platforms, and certainly one I enjoy viewing. Although we have had to adjust and adapt over this school year, the Mustang Post and its associate programs continue to thrive now more than ever.
We thank you for a fantastic school year and cannot wait to start producing video journalism content yet again!
Growing up in the Halo “Dark Ages” – defined by lackluster titles after a messy studio change – I played what was out, primarily Halo: Reach and Halo 5, known to be the most divisive Halos in the franchise. I never got to know what this series truly meant to longtime fans of the classic trilogy, now well into adulthood.
Halo Infinite opens with the destruction of one of the greatest ships in humanities’ hands
However, with the Halo Infinite multiplayer released on Halo’s 20th anniversary, and the campaign now out, I now understand what classic fans loved about those mysterious rings and the heroes who came along with them.
Halo Infinite feels authentically Halo despite me never growing up with the original trilogy. It makes you feel nostalgic, joyful, and – most importantly – hopeful for the future of one of the most legendary game franchises of all time. Prepare to drop into Zeta Halo.
Halo Infinite is being described as a spiritual reboot to the series, a reaction to the removal of the classic Halo formula in Reach, 4, and 5. Halo, to many of the classic fans, was supposed to be about a fantastic story, a beautiful but clean art style, a focused cast, and a sandbox-first approach, where what you found on the battlefield could help determine your success.
Halo Infinite fulfills this fantastically. This entry has some of the best ensembles in Halo history, featuring a new villainous faction.
These villains – the Banished – stray noticeably from the cultish Covenant and the lackluster Forerunners. They are a group of rebels, betrayed by their Covenant leaders, and willing to be ruthless to win. Luckily, you, as the legendary Master Chief, are willing to play the same games for the sake of humanity.
War Chief Escharum – one of the main antagonists throughout Halo Infinite’s story – represents the Banished and a foil to Master Chief
Waking up six months after humanity lost – events revealed throughout the main story and collectibles – the Master Chief must uncover the secrets of the mysterious Zeta Halo while fighting powerful foes both new, old, and unexpected.
One of the first people you will meet in Infinite will be Echo 216, better known as “The Pilot.” This Marine, completely separated from his people as he drifts in space, finds the Master Chief after the destruction of one of the most important motherships in humanities hands.
Replacing the now corrupted (and now war mongering!) Cortana, your earlier AI model, comes the mysterious clone AI model codenamed “The Weapon.” Her story is laden with mystery, with much of it being uncovered throughout the campaign, with her learning about the Banished and the mysteries of Zeta Halo along with you.
The Pilot meets the Weapon for the first time
You, as the Master Chief, are often the last hope for the galaxy. Humanity has rested on your shoulders more than once. But, in Halo: Infinite, the cracks start to show. Chief realizes just how human he is, despite his heroic legacy.
This main trio, with the stress of the Pilot, the confusion of the Weapon, and Master Chief’s need to be a hero makes a fantastic cast, and their interactions make perfect sense within the grounds of storytelling and the Halo universe. These are characters you will care about and grow attached to, something that many earlier Halos do not deliver.
One point of contention for the last two Halos has been the art style, one that long-time fans say is more futuristic than military-sci-fi. 343 Industries, the new developers of Halo, have listened to this feedback in spades.
Both the newest Halo ring and the Master Chief experience the most noticeable uplifts in art style and graphical fidelity. With Halo Infinite being open world, Zeta Halo now has a chance to shine even brighter than any Halo that came before, with a world that does not feel unnecessary big, but catered to a fun run-and-gun experience.
Zeta Halo graphically feels straight out of Combat Evolved, with threatening mountains, grassy plains, and a noticeably real feeling environment as birds chirp throughout a day and night cycle.
One of my favorite areas on Zeta Halo’s open world
Walking on this new ring feels therapeutic, like a walk in a (alien infested) park. Most importantly, the graphics are no longer cluttered, and although still great looking, they keep the classic feel that made Halo CE so memorable – a big inspiration for Halo Infinite.
However, the outdoors is only one part of the ring. There are practically two other “biomes” – that of the Banished interiors and Forerunner structures.
Concept art of important Forerunner and Banished buildings – both of which are found in game
The Banished interiors will be one of the first locations you will visit. Being made by a hyper-efficient military force, Banished décor is as brutal as their militaristic reputation. Lights are red. Steel is rugged. And everything looks like it wants to kill you.
Further, the Forerunner architecture is the best in the series, and clearly the set piece moment of the art department. Swaying away from 343 Industries reimaging of the Forerunner architecture, they return to what made the classic Forerunning great: an overwhelming sense of both simplicity and mysterious technology lining these futuristic environments.
It is the truly jaw-dropping art direction that Infinite needed for screenshot fodder.
Likewise, Master Chief might be the best looking Chief in the series. This is a Spartan that looks strong, confident, and like the walking tank these super soldiers should be. Halo 4 had an especially weak looking Chief, one that does not exactly scream the savior of humanity, so it’s nice to see our favorite hero back with a vengeance.
Master Chief with his replacement AI, currently known as “The Weapon”
Halo Infinite also features a complete return to form in the musical department. The original trilogy was renowned for their excellent musical direction – something that Halo 4 and 5 did not replicate.
Yet, from the music teasers last year, to the final release on December 8, I have been exceptionally pleased by the musical direction of Infinite. The risk of having three composers, with one being from the musically excellent Ori series, clearly paid off.
However, despite Infinite being an undoubtedly excellent experience for the art style, it is not the blockbusting graphical fidelity you should be finding in a Halo title.
I feel that 343 Industries have not fully answered from the graphically disastrous 2020 Infinite showcase. I still have disappointment, whether that be for the lack of different biomes on the overworld, or actual malice towards the environments not feeling complete.
At the end of the day, the game does look great, but perhaps not up to my wild expectations for a next-gen title. But for what it is worth, this is truly Halo: Combat Evolved born again.
Likewise, Halo Infinite feels like what Doom 2016 was for the Doom franchise, especially in gameplay. Infinite is a title that respects Halo’s history yet iterates (and perfects!) itself for today’s audience – whether you be a classic or modern fan.
Fans found controversy within the last three Halo titles’ campaigns, and especially the last 343 Industries entry, Halo 5. This game was a disaster of a campaign. Not only did the story fall massively short (there are only a few missions where you play as Master Chief) but the gameplay, although competitively viable, was far from what fans wanted.
Luckily, Infinite’s campaign is an absolute joy to play. The gunplay for almost all weapons is fantastic, feeling modernized but still identifiably Halo with the ability to melee, throw grenades, and shoot at almost any time. You will be rewarded for using all three intelligently.
Marines will be your right hand fighters against the Banished threat
Luckily, Infinite’s campaign is an absolute joy to play. The gunplay for almost all weapons is fantastic, feeling modernized but still identifiably Halo with the ability to melee, throw grenades, and shoot at almost any time. You will be rewarded for using all three intelligently.
This calls back to the classic design of Halo firefights, and it could not be appreciated more. A critical element of this working in a modern Halo, however, has been the Grappleshot.
This player ability allows you to sling yourself around the environment, picking up weapons, throwable explosives, and even slinging right into other enemies to secure a quick smack to the nose to end an encounter. This ability is the cohesive glue to Halo Infinite’s combat loop, requiring you to think to escape battles or start one yourself. Fans of Titanfall should be pleased.
This gameplay is an utter return to form that the series needed. No matter what activity you are doing on Infinite’s open world – whether that be freeing Marines or capturing Banished-controlled outposts – you will feel enthralled to be taking part in Halo’s iconic combat dance, now better than ever.
A fly over Halo’s first open-world campaign
Exploration, a key element of your time on Zeta Halo, is also handsomely respected. A staple of the Halo series has always been collectibles; Infinite turns this up to 11.
There must be at least a hundred things to collect across this ring world, and none of them feel tedious or necessary. With thanks to the Grappleshot, you can go practically anywhere, explore as you choose, and find fun easter eggs all over the landscape.
Scanning these ring artifacts grants access to audio logs from an mysterious AI superintendent
Likewise, with almost all the weapons being excellent (looking at you, Disrupter!), this might be the best Halo gameplay that we’ve had for an exceptionally long time. Everything comes together, and nothing feels wasted. This is Halo at its’ sandbox peak.
There are still some things that Infinite could improve in the future. As mentioned, the Ring looks especially repetitive, with only a few areas that I thought were showcase worthy.
Performance on PC has been especially atrocious, with heavy stuttering in Infinite’s open world and what seems like 30 FPS face animations against a game that should be running 100 FPS+. This feels almost unacceptable for a game that was hyped as great for PC.
Likewise, the worst culprit of all has been a lack of campaign co-op for a game that seems meant for it. So many moments would be better with a friend, like loading up four Razorbacks with Marines for a raiding party at a Banished base. At the end of the day, this hurts just because of how good Infinite is.
Infinite had to be many things to a fanbase that encompasses twenty years with dozens of subcommunities. Some people love to mess around in the Halo sandbox. Some people are lore fanatics. And some people just want to relax and play the game. That is a hard balance to strike.
However, Halo Infinite’s campaign will please nearly everyone with a story, gameplay, and aesthetic that balances both the new and the old. 343 Industries has truly done a fantastic job at creating a game that can be dramatic, sad, funny, joyful, but most importantly, fun, at all the right moments.
Despite a few criticisms, this was a rare single-player game that really hooked me and did not let go without overstaying its welcome. In a current market that is rife with delays and broken launches, it is great to see one of the most anticipated games of the last few years stick the landing to revive one of gaming’s most important franchises.
Halo Infinite drops in this holiday with a 8.5/10 score.
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