Although Microsoft and 343 Industries pushed back the Halo Infinite launch to next year, players won’t necessarily need to wait to get a feel for the game.
A level creator who goes by handle Ducain23 says he spent 30 to 40 hours re-creating the Halo Infinite gameplay footage Microsoft revealed at its Games Showcase last month. Now, players who want to check it out can download the level from Halo Waypoint and play it inside Halo 5: Forge.
The Halo Infinite gameplay centers on protagonist Master Chief taking on enemies inside the Halo universe. It features a variety of familiar enemies and weapons, all of which were used in the Ducain23 demo.
Soon after the footage aired last month, Halo fans criticized Microsoft and developer 343 Industries for delivering gameplay that didn’t look as graphically advanced as they had expected for a next-generation title. Microsoft responded by saying that the game was a work in progress and improvements were coming. Still, the criticism persisted.
Microsoft announced earlier this month that it had delayed Halo Infinite from its expected holiday launch to 2021. Microsoft blamed the delay on a variety of factors, including complexity around designing a video game in the middle of a pandemic. The tech giant didn’t, however, acknowledge the graphics concerns players had brought to light.
Still, those concerns may have been warranted. In addition to launching the Halo Infinite level, Ducain23 also published a side-by-side video to show the differences between the games. Although Halo 5: Forge launched in 2016, the graphics on both versions of the demo are not drastically different. And the actual gameplay, including weapon use and movement around the map, look awfully similar.
But with Halo Infinite now delayed to 2021, Microsoft says it will now have more time to get the game right and ready for the Xbox Series X. However, exactly when it will launch next year — and how it will look when it hits store shelves — is still unknown.
The Halo Infinite demo inside Halo 5 is available as a free download. Players can choose two options when playing — an “aesthetic” version they can explore and a “race” map that lets them do a “lap” around the level.
