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Joe Staten: The open world of Halo was significantly scaled back compared to original vision

cormack12

Gold Member
Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/halo-infi...antly-scaled-back-compared-to-original-vision

The open world of Halo Infinite was significantly scaled back compared to its original vision.

That's according to Joseph Staten, head of creative at 343 Industries, speaking on the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences podcast Game Maker's Notebook (thanks TechRadar).

Infinite was the first open world Halo game so it's understandable there were several changes during development, but in particular the scope and biome variety were heavily revised.

That's according to Joseph Staten, head of creative at 343 Industries, speaking on the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences podcast Game Maker's Notebook (thanks TechRadar).

Infinite was the first open world Halo game so it's understandable there were several changes during development, but in particular the scope and biome variety were heavily revised.

"We didn't end up cutting that much ultimately from the open world but I know that from the original designs there was a pretty significant scaling back of what the team had hoped at one point that they could deliver on."
 

Topher

Gold Member
Probably couldn't be helped or the game would still be a year or two from release. Still......really wish 343 could deliver more content for this "live service" game.
 

Fredrik

Member
Stop talking and just go to work fixing it. Look at what Hello Games has been doing with No Man’s Sky, 20 more or less game-changing updates since launch.
And look at what Playground did with the Hot Wheels expansion. Use your imagination and add more biomes on different parts of the ring. It’s gaming, everything don’t have to make sense. Just make it more varied.
 

Fredrik

Member
The most pointless open world in all of gaming. Much preferred the single player locales in previous games.
Agreed, I played through Halo 5 shortly before Halo Infinite released. People hated on H5’s campaign but in the end my 9 hours there was so much more interesting and varied than the 16 hours I played before getting bored and giving up on Halo Infinite. I don’t know what they were thinking when they made that samey world. And what was that slipspace engine trailer? Must be one of the biggest bullshot videos throughout video games history.
 

Lady Jane

Banned
It certainly was not the best outcome. But it was not embarrassing, embarrassing would of been if they launched a legitimately bad game.

Oh I definitely agree. If everyone I know stopped playing Infinite after one week, it would have been so disappointing...
 
Agreed, I played through Halo 5 shortly before Halo Infinite released. People hated on H5’s campaign but in the end my 9 hours there was so much more interesting and varied than the 16 hours I played before getting bored and giving up on Halo Infinite. I don’t know what they were thinking when they made that samey world. And what was that slipspace engine trailer? Must be one of the biggest bullshot videos throughout video games history.
No variety in the locales either. An endless expanse filled with the same enemies in small groups to kill. I gave up halfway through, the bosses were improved over 5 though.
 

Lady Jane

Banned
Did they stop playing it after one week?

SteamDB has a graph that matches my friend's interest

TdlEqc5.jpg
 

Fredrik

Member
No variety in the locales either. An endless expanse filled with the same enemies in small groups to kill. I gave up halfway through, the bosses were improved over 5 though.
Yeah the enemy variety is lacking too. I’ve only played H4,5,Infinite, plus a few hours of 3 and 30 minutes of 1. Does the IP hold any major enemy variety?
 

nemiroff

Gold Member
SteamDB has a graph that matches my friend's interest

TdlEqc5.jpg
As someone who has essentially spat on 343 in this thread that trend appears deceptively edited. Horizontal axis super compressed and with no indication of timeframe = Disingenuous. Won't change Infinite's fate, but..
 
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Yeah the enemy variety is lacking too. I’ve only played H4,5,Infinite, plus a few hours of 3 and 30 minutes of 1. Does the IP hold any major enemy variety?
There's probably more variety in infinite Vs the others I'd say, it's just that infinite overstretches it's welcome and the fights in general are lackluster
 

IntentionalPun

Ask me about my wife's perfect butthole
"We didn't end up cutting that much ultimately from the open world but I know that from the original designs there was a pretty significant scaling back of what the team had hoped at one point that they could deliver on."

lol... what?
 

Shifty

Member
That's according to Joseph Staten, head of creative at 343 Industries, speaking on the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences podcast Game Maker's Notebook (thanks TechRadar).

Infinite was the first open world Halo game so it's understandable there were several changes during development, but in particular the scope and biome variety were heavily revised.
...
Hmm yes I see. All the Microsoft money in the world can't make 343 competent. Makes sense.

...
That's according to Joseph Staten, head of creative at 343 Industries, speaking on the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences podcast Game Maker's Notebook (thanks TechRadar).

Infinite was the first open world Halo game so it's understandable there were several changes during development, but in particular the scope and biome variety were heavily revised.
Bill Murray Well Its Groundhog Day Again GIF
 

Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
Yeah the enemy variety is lacking too. I’ve only played H4,5,Infinite, plus a few hours of 3 and 30 minutes of 1. Does the IP hold any major enemy variety?
Compared to other fps games it does. The enemies have different movements and tactic and speech.

I mean u got

1 Skimmers.
2 Brutes. ...
3 Hunters. ...
4 Elites. ...
5 Jackals. ...
6 Grunts.

Thats good, and they are vastly different with really different characteristics.
 

Thief1987

Member
Well good job thats not the only metric of quality.
Sure it has not been as popular as previous halos, but that does not make it "embarrassing" or "disappointing"
Maybe you forgot but they positioned this game as a platform for next 10 years. With this in mind, yeah, it's pretty embarassing that no one cares about it half a year after release.
 
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Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
There's probably more variety in infinite Vs the others I'd say, it's just that infinite overstretches it's welcome and the fights in general are lackluster

I find some of the boss like eminies like some of god of wars smaller bosses, which really surprised me i was not expecting hard bosses like that in a halo game.

I mean some of the criticism are really silly, u could say them about any game

Rdr2 lacks variety, u just shooting and robbing. Same with returnal, i just shoot. Maybe u just dont like the style of game.
 
I find some of the boss like eminies like some of god of wars smaller bosses, which really surprised me i was not expecting hard bosses like that in a halo game.

I mean some of the criticism are really silly, u could say them about any game

Rdr2 lacks variety, u just shooting and robbing. Same with returnal, i just shoot. Maybe u just dont like the style of game.
No I do like open world's I just find halo infinite lacking.
 

Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
Maybe you forgot but they positioned this game as a platform for next 10 years. With this in mind, yeah, it's pretty embarassing that no one cares about this game half a year after release.
Well of they dont get the player number something will have to change.
But im just speaking of halo infinite as a game, you judge it for what it is. Its not held to a different standard.
Returnal could be better, stray could be better, psychonauts 2 could be better, it does not make them embarrassing lol.
 

Fredrik

Member
Compared to other fps games it does. The enemies have different movements and tactic and speech.

I mean u got

1 Skimmers.
2 Brutes. ...
3 Hunters. ...
4 Elites. ...
5 Jackals. ...
6 Grunts.

Thats good, and they are vastly different with really different characteristics.
Is this the complete list?

I still think they need more variety tbh.

And don’t put so many in at once so every fight feel about the same, you usually have the small chatty ones, some brutes and maybe some jackals.

I did so many forts and they all felt about the same. Kinda felt like Assassin’s Creed forts. At the end you can’t separate them for each other.

They should split them up in zones, different biomes and big camps of one enemy type with a hierachy and sort of a boss encounter.

And tiny enemies that attack as a swarm. And giant solitary enemies strolling the map.

There is so much they could do there.
 
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Ok... Its sill a good game though generally speaking. I mean u dont have any genuine criticism you can articulate.
I've already stated the world is not varied enough. It's the same fields over and over. The missions lack variety and impact. The graphics are lackluster and noticeable pop in. It just feels like a massive forge map with enemies plonked willy nilly.
 
I hope they figure out how to utilize them "pipes" later down the line. It would be amazing if you could explore the whole ring, If not a lot of it. Honestly, that is what the first trailer "seemed" to be selling. I think a lot of ppl got that sense like "holy shit, are we going to be able to go to anywhere on the ring?!?!"

The scale would be IMMENSE, but luckily they shouldn't have to render all of it at the same time just what we're "seeing" *fingerscrossed
 

wOs

Member
They must have moved it from the outside world to the inside of the intro ship you escape.
 
That was obvious. The open-world felt like a placeholder where the only finished portions of the game were the linear stages you entered from the baren open world.

I kept thinking it was going to be filled in over time, but so far there has been very little updating to single-player or multi-player for a GaaS.
 
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tmlDan

Member
Ok... Its still a good game though generally speaking. I mean u dont have any genuine criticism you can articulate.
Im not sure what you're seeing, you hunt generic mini bosses that drop weapons that dont last forever, you take outposts and follow narrow corridors with spawning enemies.

It's the most generic SP game ive ever played.
 

Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
Is this the complete list?
[/URL]

I still think they need more variety tbh.

And don’t put so many in at once so every fight feel about the same, you usually have the small chatty ones, some brutes and maybe some jackals.

I did so many forts and they all felt about the same. Kinda felt like Assassin’s Creed forts. At the end you can’t separate them for each other.

They should split them up in zones, different biomes and big camps of one enemy type with a hierachy and sort of a boss encounter.

And tiny enemies that attack as a swarm. And giant solitary enemies strolling the map.

There is so much they could do there.

I disagree its still the best feeling fps on the market, despite being and old but regined formula its still more fun then modern shooters like returnal.
 

Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
I've already stated the world is not varied enough. It's the same fields over and over. The missions lack variety and impact. The graphics are lackluster and noticeable pop in. It just feels like a massive forge map with enemies plonked willy nilly.
Your entitled to your opinion but i guess my main point is that infinite is objectively as good as similarly scored games like returnal,psychonauts 2, spiderman etc
 

NeonGhost

uses 'M$' - What year is it? Not 2002.
Stop talking and just go to work fixing it. Look at what Hello Games has been doing with No Man’s Sky, 20 more or less game-changing updates since launch.
And look at what Playground did with the Hot Wheels expansion. Use your imagination and add more biomes on different parts of the ring. It’s gaming, everything don’t have to make sense. Just make it more varied.
Yeah that isn’t happening it’s just about selling cosmetics and battle passes now
 
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