Microsoft surprised everyone with an early launch of the multiplayer component of Halo Infinite a few weeks ago.

Now they've released the launch trailer for the upcoming single-player component.

You have one bullet against an entire army.

It's enough.

We didn't count precisely but it looks like he fired a lot more than one in this trailer.

Meanwhile the free-to-play multiplayer has been shrouded in what we can only call entirely expected controversy.

Microstransactions.

The total cost for cosmetic microtransactions just for the first season has been calculated to exceed $1000.

Free. Yeah.

Outrageous cash shops are almost ubiquitous in free to play titles, and several of the biggest game developers thrive on this model.

But many players wouldn't go anywhere near those titles precisely because of their method of monetisation and trying to incorporate those methods into an existing franchise is a holy grail several other developers have chased after but not yet caught.

And this isn't a purely free-to-play title. This single-player campaign carries the typical price for a big budget game.

As revealed last year, while previous Halo games allowed players to freely apply colours to their equipment, this popular feature was dropped in favour of something the developers are more excited about.

The ability to offer players limited preset colour schemes and charge money for many of them.

Coloration, along with materials and patterns, will now be baked into the coating, taking the place of the primary/secondary armor color options found in prior games. While we understand that many players are fond of the previous color system, we’re very excited about the breadth and scope of armor, weapon, and vehicle customization options that will be available in Halo Infinite because of the coating system. Additionally, players should expect more robust per-piece armor customization choices akin to what was available in Halo: Reach vs. what was offered in Halo 5: Guardians. And, as we expand our customization capabilities with armor geometry, materials, colors, and textures, it’s important to the team that players are given even more opportunities to express themselves within the game itself (more on that later!).

Interestingly we had to rely on the WayBack archive for this one. Seemingly this developer update has disappeared from their website just this month. WayBack last snapshotted it on November 1.

SOMETHING'S MISSING HERE

It sure is.

Halo Infinite (Campaign) will launch on PC and Xbox on December 8.

[ Main Image: Halo Infinite Campaign Trailer. Credit: Microsoft via YouTube. ]

References

HALO (December 1, 2021). Halo Infinite | Campaign Launch Trailer. YouTube.

Ivan, Tom (October 26, 2020). 343 addresses ‘confusion’ over Halo Infinite’s new customisation system and microtransactions. Video Games Chronicle.

McNulty, Thomas (November 22, 2021). Halo Infinite Season 1 Microtransactions Calculated To Be Over $1000. Screen Rant.

343 Industries. (October 22, 2020). Colorful Column. Halo Waypoint via WayBack.