Halo Infinitewas released in 2021, and though it received solid critical and financial success upon launch, it’s had plenty of feedback on how its post-launch support and content have been handled on the multiplayer side of things.Halo Infinite’s campaign implementedan open-world designfor the first time in series history and delivered numerous engaging boss fights and introduced some impactful characters along the way.
RELATED:Halo Games With The Most Replay Value
Game narratives often happen over the course of dozens of hours, so it’s neat to see tangible character growth through the dialogue of said characters. Comparing what they first said versus what was uttered the last time players saw them in the game can be quite revelatory. First-person shooters are often gameplay-centric, but the best ones, like theHaloseries, also have a roster of interesting, beloved, and/or entertaining characters.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
7Tremonius
Tremonius is thefirst real boss-level threat players encounteras Master Chief inHalo Infinite. He was an arrogant chieftain in the Banished who was more than confident in his abilities. Though he introduces himself with pomp and circumstance, he sadly meets his demise with nothing said but a grunt or two.
Unlike some of the other heavy threats the Banished throw at Master Chief, Tremonius doesn’t die with a grand sendoff or nasty threat. It may seem like a missed opportunity, but thematically it showcases how despite some of these fighters carrying weighty self-importance, they’re simply another pawn being used by those above them.
6Atriox
As a surprise to most people who started and finishedHalo Infinite, Atriox manages to bookend the entire experience. The game starts with ashowdown between Atriox and Master Chiefwhere the Banished leader follows through on his initial words towards the Spartan. This fight is what results in Pilot Esparza finding Master Chief floating in space.
RELATED:Halo Multiplayer Tier List
Atriox is an ongoing threat that can be seen in the game’s post-credits. When The Weapon asks him if he’d change anything about his life if he had the chance, his response is as cold and arrogant as one would expect from a warrior of his pedigree. He’s the rare combination among Brutes of both incredibly functional and strategic intelligence and brute strength that’s hard to match.
5The Harbinger
Hunting down a being of unknown power and/or origin can be quite scary, and from the start, The Harbinger is both mysterious and demanding. Letting Master Chief know she’s been watching him follow her makes the player feel uncomfortable, as though they’ve actually been the prey all along. The Banished serve as the main threat inHalo Infinite, but when the credits are rolling it’s clear that The Harbinger’s last words might be the most haunting threat ever ushered towards humanity.
The Endless will return, and though it’s unclear how, when, and to what capacity that will occur, it’s not a thinly-veiled threat coming from someone in their final moments. The Harbinger wanted to leave an impression on what was to come, so Master Chief simply has to be ready for whatever The Endless are capable of.
4Pilot Esparza
In storytelling, it’s important to ground viewers, especially in a series likeHalowhere the main character is a superpowered killing machine. It also doesn’t help that Master Chief never really converses in a normal manner and only asks for critical mission details. When Pilot Esparza rescues the Spartan from space and restores his vitals, it’s as if humanity itself saved Master Chief.
ThroughoutHalo Infinite, it’s Esparza who helps provide hope and purpose, while at the same time dealing with his own negativity and despair. He wants to see his family again, and at the end of the game, it’s clear he knows that dream might become a reality.
3Escharum
Military leaders come in many different packages, but it tends to be the ones who back up their bravado with actual skill and results that withstand the test of time. Escharum is a real threat inHalo Infinite,not because he threatens Master Chief, but because he welcomes the legendary fight the two will have one day. He wants the Banished to function as a singularly-focused unit for maximum efficiency and potency.
RELATED:Sci-Fi Games With Bizarre Futuristic Weapons
When Spartan-117 finally defeats Escharum his final words are telling of the person he was. Escharum doesn’t scream, cry, or go off silently into the great abyss. He simply asks Master Chief to tell everyone that he died well and that their fight was one for the ages. It’s a beautiful example of an accomplished and decorated soldier understanding that even when one gives their best, it’s the effort and intention, and not the result, that matters most.
2The Weapon
It’s a whirlwind for Master Chief when he first runs into The Weapon. It’s unclear to him if it is in fact Cortana, and if not, he wants to know exactly what happened. For players, it’s obvious that The Weapon is a new version or form of Cortana, but unique in her own ways. As she spends time with Master Chief she comes to understand his complicated feelings towards Cortana and how The Weapon will likely never replace her.
AsHalo Infinite’s campaigncomes to a close the friendship and trust between The Weapon and Master Chief had grown exponentially, to the point where she was able to name herself and wasn’t worried about how the giant Spartan would react. Naming herself Cortana could have created some issues when the story first began, but that was no longer the case.
1Master Chief
Despite being found floating seemingly lifeless in the vacuum of space, the moment Master Chief regains consciousness, he is dead set on knowing what is going on. He’s a Spartan of few words and always puts the mission and objectives at the forefront of his mind. He’s not without empathy or emotion, however, and part of what makesHalo Infinitespecial is that his time with Pilot Esparza and The Weapon provides him additional understanding.
By the time the game comes to a close, he offers The Weapon a chance to name herself. The obvious answer is going to be Cortana, a name that Master Chief could have imprinted on her, but he gave her the choice, which says something about his character. Allowing individuals, whether artificial intelligence or not, to have their own agency helps build a bond and instill trust in one another.
Halo: Infiniteis available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and PC.
