Summary
It’s been an interesting few years forHalo Infinite. After an impressive debut,Halo Infinite’s multiplayer quickly fell from grace thanks to its overreliance on its live-service approach. But now, almost three years after its launch,Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is shaping up to finally be the experience that fans always wanted. ButHalo Infinite’s campaign is in a much stranger position.
Released a month afterHalo Infinite’s free-to-play multiplayercomponent,Halo Infinite’s campaign was initially met with quite a bit of praise. Though it didn’t quite nail its open-world approach,Halo Infinite’s willingness to try something new was refreshing. Much like its multiplayer counterpart,Halo Infinite’s campaign soon faded into the background, with its story not being as memorable as its Bungie predecessors, and its novel gameplay approach not being polished enough to retain players for too long. 343 Industries did the best with what it had, thoughHalo Infinitecould have been a different game altogether if its cut content stayed in.
Every Major Piece of Halo Infinite Cut Content Explained
Halo Infinite Lost Two-Thirds of its Campaign
Initially reported on by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier back in December 2021, on the day it launched,Halo Infinite’s campaignapparently cut around two-thirds of its content during development. Titled “How Microsoft’s Halo Infinite Went From Disaster to Triumph,” this Bloomberg report details some of the biggest development hurdles that 343 Industries had to overcome while working onHalo Infinite, many of which contributed to the game receiving its infamous delays.
According to this report, 343 Industries originally envisionedHalo Infiniteas the first fully open-world entry in the franchise, one heavily inspired byThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.Halo Infinite’s open-worldwould apparently feature a non-linear structure, allowing players to complete missions at their own leisure, in any order they desire. However, this highly ambitious scope would prove to be too much for 343 Industries, and thanks to some management issues, some outdated development tools, and a lack of central vision among the entire team, this open-world design forHalo Infinitewould be cut back massively, along with about two-thirds of the campaign’s content.
ThoughHalo Infinitestill features an open-world structure, its missions are very linear, and its side content was cut back drastically.
Halo Infinite Cut Prometheans and Wildlife
Back in 2022, Twitter user Leaks_Infinite released a handful of videos showing some early-build content fromHalo Infinite. One of the most intriguing leaks was the inclusion of wildlife, something that had been a major focus ofHalo Infinite’s initial E3 teaser trailerand was completely absent in the final game.
The two animals shown off were a rhino-like creature and a large Deathclaw-like creature known as a “Crusher.” Based on Leaks_Infinite’s footage, it seems as though the Crusher could have been a sort of mini-boss forHalo Infinite’s campaign, wearing Banished armor and sporting a backpack full of loot that would presumably drop upon death.
Twitter user Leaks_Infinite also revealed some early-build footage ofHalo Infinite’s cut Prometheans, including a Watcher and Soldier enemy type. Cutting Prometheans fromHalo Infiniteis a bit of a double-edged sword, as while they were easily one of the most frustrating parts ofHalo 4and5, it’s a shame to see their plotline completely forgotten inHalo Infinite.
Halo Infinite Might Have Cut Some Weapons and Vehicles
AfterHalo Infinite’s launch, dataminers began scouring for any signs of cut content. This deep dive unearthed a handful of unused weapons and vehicles hidden inHalo Infinite’s files, many of which seemed to be leftover weapons fromHalo 5: Guardianssuch as the Incineration Cannon and Shotgun. A prototype for a new UNSC vehicle called the Cougar, which was originally cut from theRTSHalo Wars, was also found in the game’s files.
Halo Infinite
WHERE TO PLAY
When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic open-world adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring.With Network Campaign Co-Op and Mission Replay, you may relive your favorite moments, rediscover collectibles and explore the wonders of Zeta Halo on your own or with up to three other fireteam members.Experience Halo’s celebrated multiplayer reimagined and free-to-play! With over 70 maps in matchmaking, billions of customization configurations, and countless community Forge creations to experience, Halo Infinite is the franchise’s most expansive multiplayer offering to date.Enjoy an unprecedented variety of gameplay experiences, ranging from fast-paced intense ranked modes to whimsical mayhem in Custom Games, or even co-operative coordination in the wave-based survival mode Firefight: King of the Hill. Assemble your Fireteam and conquer every mode – Halo offers endless opportunities for teamwork, strategy, and unforgettable victories.
