343 Industries previously described Halo Infinite as a "spiritual reboot" of the long-running shooter series. We've heard of reboots, remasters, remakes, and even spiritual successors over the years, but a spiritual reboot was honestly new to me. Fortunately, the latest update to Inside Infinite offers some insight into what it actually means.

"'Spiritual reboot' is the term we use to describe our approach to introducing new ideas while staying true to the feeling of playing a classic game. This is because we want to evolve by creating new experiences and new opportunities, but keeping the essence of the original," explained Sandbox Leader Troy Mashburn.

"Grapple Shot is a great example of adding something new that supercharges something already familiar, like a clamber bar or a brawl. Clambering over two stacks of crates is familiar, but the obstacles in "Infinite" are larger and more organic. Grapple shots allow you to move more quickly to more places with the same fluid motion as a clamber.

Justin Dinges, campaign art lead, said that from an artistic standpoint, the studio wants to lean toward "iconic Halo imagery" that will appeal to new players and longtime fans alike.

"As a prime example, we decided to start the Chief's journey in Halo Infinite in the Pacific Northwest forest biome of the new Halo ring. Another good example is the visual design of the Jackals and Grunts, which is closer to what they looked like in "Halo 3" and the previous films; we want the experience to be nostalgic, like seeing an old friend, as you experience everything in "Halo Infinite."

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Dinges said that the art team focused on the themes of "legacy" and "simplicity" to present players with an experience that they (hopefully) remember well without being buried in "too much noise and design and detail," and to bring those familiar feelings to the new game He said that he tried to evoke them.

"With 'Halo Infinite,' we wanted to take this new adventure back to its roots and create a visually pleasing experience that stands out for its readability and clear artistic composition without overwhelming it with unnecessary complexity. It is not based purely on photorealism, but rather our artistic interpretation of the beautiful world that exists within it."

The update also includes a series of images showcasing Halo Infinite's time-of-day lighting system, which Dinges described as perhaps the biggest graphical feature added to the engine in the past few years. Simple or not, it's very pretty.

"Coming across a mystical Forerunner obelisk during the day might make you feel peaceful and serene. He says, "I'm very happy to be able to do this."

[22] [23] "This allows one to experience a dynamic visual change that one would not have experienced before.

Halo Infinite was originally scheduled to launch in November 2020, but was pushed back to fall 2021 after feedback from a demo released in July of that year. It is still ongoing: both Dinges and Mashburn said their teams are focused on finishing the last of the work before focusing on fixing bugs, balancing, and polishing the game.