- In 2018, Microsoft unveiled the next ambitious entry in the “Halo” first-person shooter game series: “Halo Infinite.”
- That game launches alongside the next-gen Xbox Series X this holiday season, and Microsoft just showed “Infinite” in action for the first time last week.
- The fan response was highly critical: the graphics were described as flat and unworthy of the so-called “next generation” game console.
- The game’s developer, Microsoft-owned 343 Industries, released a statement Thursday night promising to “address some of the comments about the details, clarity and overall fidelity” of the upcoming game.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
The flagship game for the next generation of Microsoft’s Xbox, “Halo Infinite,” faces strong criticism from fans for its looks.
Since July 23, when the game was unveiled for an hour of a look at upcoming Xbox Series X games, fans and critics have dragged down the game’s footage. They say it doesn’t look as good as previous games, and it doesn’t show off Microsoft’s powerful next-gen game console.
A lengthy Digital Foundry video delves into these criticisms, including “flat” graphics and lack of visual detail:
On Thursday night, the Microsoft-owned studio behind “Halo Infinite” released a long statement intended to address the concerns.
Despite being just a few months away from the game’s scheduled vacation launch, the studio aims to “address some of the feedback on detail, clarity and overall fidelity,” said 343 Industries Community Manager John Junyszek , in a blog post.
“We have heard comments from parts of the community regarding the images,” he said. “While some of the feedback was expected and speaks of areas that are already in progress, other aspects of the feedback have brought to light new opportunities and considerations that the team is taking very seriously and is working to assess.”
In particular, Junyszek spoke of criticism of the game’s “overall art style and visual fidelity”, the two “key areas being debated” by fans. In the case of the former, he defended the choice of 343 to return to the roots of the “Halo” series.
“With ‘Halo Infinite,’ we return to a more ‘classic’ style of art,” he said, “which was a key message dating back to the first revelation that garnered enthusiastic and positive responses.” Although some fans may not like it, Junyszek said “we stand behind this decision and are happy to see it resonate with so many fans around the world.”
But in the case of visual criticism, he said the studio is looking to address those concerns before launch.
This particular screenshot was cited by critics as representative of the game’s lack of imagery.
343 Industries / Microsoft Studios
Regarding the criticism of visual fidelity, Junyszek said: “We have work to do to address some of these areas and raise the level of fidelity and the overall presentation of the end game.”
Remarkably, the version of the game demonstrated last week is not the final version of the game – it’s a “work in progress from several weeks ago,” Junyszek said. This is usually the case when games are shown before launch. An unfinished version of a game is captured on video and used to create marketing. As games are finalized for launch, they often receive finishing touches that should be postponed until the last minute.
In the case of “Halo Infinite”, the game is already being planned as a type of continuous service. “We will rely on flights and continuous feedback and community partnership well beyond launch as we grow and evolve the game together,” said Junyszek.
More specifically, 343 has already announced at least one visual update for “Halo Infinite” after launch: Ray tracing, a lighting technique that can dramatically alter game images.
Check out the full game demo for “Halo Infinite” below, and judge for yourself whether or not it looks like “next-gen”:
Do you have a tip? Contact Senior Business Insider Correspondent Ben Gilbert by email ([email protected]), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep the sources anonymous. Use a non-working device to communicate. Public relations releases by email only, please.
