How to play Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite is here, and it’s time to once again take on the role of Master Chief. This time, you’ll be exploring the mysterious Zeta Halo in the first open-world game in the Halo series. You’ll still be shooting aliens and dealing with the Banished, but you’ll also have much more freedom for exploration and familiar Halo-style gameplay in an open world.

In this beginner’s guide to Halo Infinite, we’ll provide you with our best recommendations, as well as some tips and tricks to help you get started on your Infinite campaign Journey, whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer.

Take Advantage of Weapon Variety

The first few hours of Halo Infinite precede its open-world section. Use this time while the game is at its simplest to learn about the new weapons and how to use them.

Halo Infinite has a wide variety of weapons. You’ll start with the standard pistol and assault rifle, but there are dozens more to discover. Each of them has its own unique features and strengths. Additionally, you’ll constantly run out of ammo – dealing with these alien enemies requires a lot of bullets, so it makes sense to switch your loadout as needed (and when you run out of ammo).

Use the introductory part of Infinite to switch between different weapons to get a better understanding of them. You’ll be thankful for this as the firefights become more intense.

There’s even a simple way to discover these weapons…

Use the Scanner Frequently

Pressing the D-pad on your controller activates your AI scanner. This allows you to detect weapons and crates around you (even through walls). Weapons are displayed in blue, and interactable objects such as Spartan Cores, explosive canisters, and control terminals are shown in yellow. The HUD also displays all current mission objectives.

Make it a habit to use AI scanning as early as possible.

Use Your Grappleshot Offensively

In Halo Infinite, Master Chief gets a sci-fi version of Link’s Hookshot from “The Legend of Zelda.” This can easily be called our favorite addition to the Halo universe. Its use for navigation is obvious – you’ll frequently use it to climb up and traverse obstacles. But you can do much more with it than just zipping around Zeta Halo.

To effectively use the Grappleshot, consider using these strategies:

• Jackal shields. Hit a Jackal’s shield with a Grappleshot, and it will yank the shield away, exposing the Jackal for headshots.
• Quick closing of distances. Hitting an enemy (without a shield) with the Grappleshot will instantly propel you towards them, allowing you to deliver a close-range melee strike at the end of the path. This is very handy when you (finally) break through Elite shields.
• Hijacking vehicles. When you hit a vehicle with the Grappleshot, you’ll latch onto it and automatically start the hijacking process.

Upgrade Your Grappleshot and Shields Early

Halo Infinite also allows you to upgrade Master Chief’s equipment to enhance the Grappleshot, Shield Core, Threat Sensor, Drop Wall, and Thrusters that you acquire during the first few story missions. You’ll upgrade them all using Spartan Cores.

Without a doubt, our favorite upgrade is the Grappleshot. For just a couple of Spartan Cores, you’ll increase its range and add a stunning shockwave effect to it.

Coming in second is the Shield Core upgrade. Each upgrade increases your shield’s durability by 15% – and extra shields mean you can spend more time shooting bad guys (and ideally dying less).

Explore After Completing Missions

There’s so much interesting stuff happening around Zeta Halo. This includes outposts, collectibles, Spartan Cores (needed for Grappleshot upgrades), cosmetics for multiplayer, and quick combat encounters.

These various side missions and tasks available between campaign missions fill out the world (the ring) of Halo Infinite and give you more experience than just the main story. What’s even more important is that they reward you for your efforts.

Some of these tasks earn you Valor, which upgrades forward operating bases. Speaking of which…

Prioritize Forward Operating Bases

Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) are resupply platforms scattered throughout Zeta Halo in Halo Infinite. At an FOB, you can call in vehicles, resupply ammo and weapons, and recruit Marine reinforcements. As you earn Valor, the number of vehicles, weapons, and Marines available at FOBs under your control increases.

When you first discover an FOB, you’ll need to clear it of the Banished forces that have taken it over. Once you’ve secured it, it unlocks interesting points in the area and becomes a fast-travel location.

Make (re)taking FOBs a priority. It will equip you better (with ammo) for any challenge and allows you to move around the ring with ease.

You’ll also have a backup…

Take Marines on Every Assignment

Once you’ve taken control of an FOB, UNSC Marine squads will return to that area and stay there. If you approach them, they’ll follow you – this means that Master Chief will lead a squad of Marines wherever he goes.

When you unlock the Razorback Warthog option, you can load up to five Marines and drive them anywhere.

In the roughest sense, these Marines are good “bullet sponges” that take some of the heat off you during combat. But they’re also decent fighters on their own. As needed, they’ll pick up more advanced weaponry and can provide valuable firepower in heavy combat.