October 2021’s Halo Infinite Update Covers Improve UI & Detailed Character Models Including Craig

While 343 Industries continues to update its fans with periodic increments of information with the ‘Inside Infinite’ initiative, the firm has went on to ship additional details in smaller doses since the last major update. For September 2021, the Inside Infinite at the time featured all the knowhow on the coming Multiplayer Test Flight for the time including information on the then-approaching Big Team Battle week.

Additionally, 343 Industries went on to showcase other projects in anticipation for the release of Halo Infinite. With that came a collaboration with Microsoft Casual Game Microsoft Solitaire & Microsoft Mahjong to feature specialized sets for the upcoming release. Later on, the developer presented an overview for the PC version and the flexibility of the game for the platform as well.

Not to mention the most recent Story Campaign Rundown trailer which illustrates a vast improvement on the game since the infamous 2020 demo that took place last July. For October’s ‘Inside Infinite’, 343 Industries covers the creative changes to the game including the UI and improved character models namely.

For one, the team shares its relationship with the notorious Craig who received a makeover (as seen in the header above).

The team has sort of a love-hate relationship with Craig. While it was fun to see the community gravitate towards Craig, he unfortunately represented some content and systems that were not ready for prime time in that demo. The positive outcome of Craig was that he was one of the factors in gaining some more time to finish work and get Brutes to a place where the team is happy with them.

This is one of the many positive examples of 343 working with and aligning with the Halo community around expectations. Players who look hard enough will still be able to find some evidence of Craig in Halo Infinite, his spirit lives on!

Steve Dyck, Halo Infinite Character & Combat Director

Halo Infinite Campaign Character Art Lead Bryan Repka adds, “Craig is in good hands, trust me! He has gone through some changes, but I am here to say that he has glammed up. He is feeling very good about himself and has fit back in well with the rest of his Brute friends. He has also picked up a new hobby and has done well for himself.”

Not only has Brutes received a ‘glowup’, but so has the other enemies you will face in the full experience. In that, the antagonizing Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and newly introduced Skimmers received high-def character renders using the in-game engine for Halo Infinite. Story companion Pilot is also shown with some improvements to his geometrics from the original reveal predating back to 2019.

In terms of how the new game reacts with reoccurring enemies, 343 Industries elaborates on some creative decisions to truly incorporate the new features while remaining integral to how recognized assets would react in a new situation.

There has been a lot rebuilt from the ground up for Halo infinite in terms of AI behavior that absolutely takes the evolved sandbox and more open gameplay into consideration. For example, those new Fusion Coils the player can grab and throw can also be thrown by Brutes….at times a Brute may even toss a Grunt at the player. The other thing we need to support on the character side is the effectiveness of things like the new equipment vs. characters. The evolution of the sandbox has given the player more options in combat.

For example, the Grappleshot will pull you to a Brute, be deflected by a Hunter, and not attach to a Jackal but will pop their shield to the side so the player can get damage onto the body. Another evolution that may surprise players is some of our smarter AI will upgrade their weapon, when possible, by grabbing a better weapon off a rack, the ground, or even a Grunt Mule.

The more open nature of the combat also meant our engineering team had to do a lot of work on behaviors and systems to account for the 360 degrees of combat so the player still feels like Master Chief and can wade into combat without feeling overwhelmed. With the bigger more open combat spaces we wanted to maintain that Halo feel which means allowing the player to be aggressive and remain on the offensive, as opposed to feeling like they are playing a cover shooter.

As for how the UI/HUD is interpreted for Halo Infinite, 343 Industries explains there are different presets for both Campaign and Multiplayer. “We have some non-player facing considerations, like making systems functional between both Campaign and Multiplayer. Each team has unique needs, and often we need to create a solution that works for both.

“Overall, Campaign has a stronger narrative need, so a lot of the information in the HUD is used to help elevate the story, while still providing the player with the information they need to understand the current state of the game. There are moments where we know we can do unique things with the HUD because the player will be in a non-confrontational part of the game,” Casey Donelson, Halo Infinite Senior Technical UX Designer explains.

“Multiplayer has a heavier focus on having “at-a-glance” information. There is a balance you must strike between providing information and gaining attention. If you do too much of either, the HUD becomes obtrusive. Multiplayer also has more specific user types that need to be accounted for with the HUD. From casual to competitive, Slayer to BTB, everyone is going to have a unique need or desire for how they want the HUD to function.”

What are you most interested from the recent Halo Infinite ‘Inside Infinite’ update?

Halo Infinite is planned to ship On December 8, 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Source: Halo Waypoint