Today I want to discuss the impact Forge will have on Halo Infinite because in all the hype and excitement some have been claiming it will save Halo Infinite. I dont think it will…..but I do think it will save the community. Lets get into it…………..
The leaks in Forge have been really fun to look at and play around with. The number of weapon combos and map ideas which have been put together is really incredible. The level of detail in these maps is crazy to think about, expecially when you consider that there are no modelling tools and these pieces have all been kit bashed, scaled and rotated together to create something new.
The level of creatvitiy here is off the scale and Im looking forward to seeing what happens when the entire player base is given access to Forge in September. We should also remember these guys are putting this maps ans scripts together without the ability to save their work so it really is a labour of love and we should take our hats off to them for their hard work and dedication.
We’ve seen the upside down, doom inspired levels, weather effects, frogger, bombing runs, destructible environments and mystery boxes. Personally Ive been messing around with weapon combos and there are plenty of possibilities to create crazy game modes that are going to provide us with endless game types and scenarios.
Will Forge save Halo?
With all the excitement in having any new content Halo fans have been saying Forge will save Halo Infinite. Yes it gives us a ton of new content and we can see from the work that has gone in so far that new maps and modes can be crafted that look as good or better than those that shipped with the game.
Its not going to fix desync, cheating, poor narrative events, poor progression system and a lack of fan favourite modes so what do we mean by save Halo Infinite?
Do we mean bring back players numbers to the levels we saw at launch? Thats never going to happen. You get one chance to make a first impression and 343 bungled the launch of this game so thats out the window.
Do we mean bring some players who see some hype around custom games and want to try it? Yes that might happen but customs are subset of the main game and as such have a more limited appeal. Yes it might bring back players in limited way but will you notice? Probably not. Yes custom games are fun. Yes mods and crazy modes are fun. Yes new levels and maps are fun. But that doesnt keep people coming back day after day. These arent sticky features that keep casual players coming for more. These are fun extras for dedicated Halo players who want to blow off steam or play something different whilst still playing Halo. Forge is for players who have a creative streak, who want to see their work in the game. Players of other games might check out a custom game or two but is it going to make them switch games or spend lots more time in Infinite?
The only case I can make for Forge having any impact on player numbers is if fan created content is rotated in to the game so that casual players can experience it with out the need to search custom games or be plugged in to the halo community to know what they should be checking out. But the pace for 343 approving maps or fan content will need to be quicker than it is for patches to the main game. So far these have been slow in coming out and even the “monthly” drop pods have been underwhelming or straight up missing so far.
For me right now the biggest problem this game has is a lack of maps. The lack of variety makes each play session feel old really quickly, especially if you are playing ranked, which outside of the battlepass is the only way to really see any kind of progression in the game. So often when playing ranked ill play the same map on different game types 3 out of 4 matches and thats because there are so few maps. So while in theory Forge will give us many more maps unless 343 rotates these in to the main game I cant see them making a huge difference to player numbers.
Will it save the community?
Absolutely yes. There has been a lot of negatvitiy around Halo since it launched and this has now given way to apathy for a large number of Halo players. There has been some acceptance of the problems the game has and the amount of time its going to take 343 to fix them. Forge will give current Halo Infinite players the maps and content that is missing from the full game, it gives everyone a creative outlet and given everyone something to discuss and given 343 a much needed win.
In between drop pod patches the dedicated Halo fans can be playing their favourite old Halo maps remade in the Halo Infinite engine. Or experiencing new game types or creating new maps for themselves. We know from the leaks that there are blank canvas map types to play around on and one of these is set in space. Halo Infinite could be turned in to a space based shooter which I personally am very excited to see.
Two features of Forge should have us all really excited and these are Scripting and collaboration. We have all seen the node scripting available and much of the impressive work we have seen for has been becuase of this. In game objects can be manipulated until they no longer resemble their intended purposes and I can see forgers doing some really amazing things with this given time. I dont think its too much of a stretch to say that we will Garys Mod levels of creativity once forge launches and that can only be a good thing.
You may not have seen the collaboration settings available for Forge which allow a numbers of users to come together and work on a map or mode. We have already seen forge groups pop up and with specialists working on the different elements of a map, and with the increased item count and memory available we could see really complex, massive maps which really push the boundaries of what we have experienced in Halo so far! How long will it be before someone creates a Battle Royal like mode using Forge? Or what about a battlefield like assault mode where one team must defend an objective whilst the other attacks?
Whats it going to take to save Halo?
When a game has fun core gameplay mechanics there is always hope but this game needs a lot of work and Halo fans need to get used to the fact that this game isnt going to be in any great shape for at least another year. Looking at the pace of change for the game so far the number of problems is going to take a long time to get anywhere near finished. Season 3 might be the start of the turn around with the release of Forge and Co-Op but there is a lot more work to be done.
Decent narrative events
We really need to see something of the live service because right now Halo Infinite is live service in name only. Narrative events really need more time and thought put in to them because the last two have been poor. Samey trailers with some in game cutscenes and dialogue tied to an armour core but to earn that you have to grind one particular game mode that isnt even a variation of that mode. Give us a special time limited mode or throw in fiesta games or other custom settings. Make the matches a little crazy for a week to get players back in and having fun. The events as they are just arent cutting it, they arent bringing people back and there is zero hype for the event or the rewards at the end of them.
Maps
More official maps or maps from forge in the main rotation. You can play ranked matches and end up on the same map for different game types from one game to the next. This game needs maps badly. I have some hope that the Forge council has been working on maps for so long now that when Forge does release, their non discloser agreements end and they can show case their work we will see vastly more maps added to the game. But these need to be added in to the regular rotation of maps or it isnt going to make much difference to the player base.
Progression system
As fun as Infinite is i dont get much satisfaction from playing it. Ranked matches only provide one metric for tracking your progress and if that is your focus there is little reason to play social games. And the lack of an in game service record is frankly embarrasing when you consider what the community has been able to pull together.
Playlists
Whilst I would prioritise maps I think next up needs to be play lists. Why there are no individual playlists for ranked game types is beyond me. No ranked Slayer or CTF this long after launch? Its this kind of thing which makes me think that 343, at an organisational level, is in real trouble. The pace they are deploying changes is far too slow and is contributing to the dispondancy we see in the coummunity. They need to pick up the pace or at least publish a road map of features so that fans know what is coming and when.
If they can fix these things then a turnaround might be possible but its sad to say it but I think Halo Infinite might be done as game with any real impact outside of those who play it. As someone who enjoys Halo and will continute to enjoy it for what it is this makes me a little sad. One thing is clear from all this and that is that the next game, be that a BR or Warzone style mode, or even the next single player campaign had better launch properly and be feature complete or this franchise will be in serious trouble.
Is forge mode fun. Absolutley yes. Will it “save” Halo? The juries out.
Twice the bits 
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