The campaign for Halo Infinite has at last arrived, and word on the street says it’s pretty damn good. This is the most ambitious Halo game by developer 343 Industries. It combines many classic elements that players have come to love, while adding enough new features to make the gameplay feel like a fresh experience. Whether it’s your first time as the Master Chief or the 20th, we have a beginner’s tips and tricks guide to help you get the most out of your time in the Halo Infinite campaign.
This is a living guide, so bookmark it and come back for any updates.
Difficulty
You cannot change difficulty during the game
Much like with prior Halo games, your difficulty of choice is locked in once your space boots hit the ground. If you want to up the challenge after following the previous tip, go back to the Halo Infinite menu, find your save, and press Load Game (not Continue). Once done, you will have two options: one for difficulty, and another for Skulls. Click on Difficulty and pick your challenge.
Forget Cortana, the Grappleshot is your new best friend
Whether you call it the Holy Trinity or the Golden Triangle, Halo‘s combat style of guns, grenades, and melee is enhanced spectacularly with the Grappleshot. One of the Master Chief’s new pieces of equipment, the tool will send out a grappling hook that can be used to latch onto an enemy and reel the chief in for some close combat. You can also use it to escape overwhelming situations by pulling yourself behind cover, or up a ledge and away from the enemy’s crosshairs. Weapons on the ground or flying through the air can also be picked up and immediately equipped.
Have the right weapon equipped before using the Grappleshot
It’s a lot of fun to zip up to a surprised enemy using the Grappleshot, but not so much if you’re unprepared. Getting close to an enemy this way is a double-edged sword. You can melee for a large amount of damage, but the enemy can do the very same. To keep it from being a gamble, make sure you have a close-quarters weapon in hand before violating social distance rules. A Bulldog shotgun, Energy Sword, or Gravity Hammer are among the best ways to end any uncomfortably close argument. Have one of those equipped before saying hi.
Don’t panic and fire or melee too early
I learned this lesson the hard way. Once you latch onto an enemy, unless you want to cancel the move, do not fire or melee while getting close. Doing so will cancel the Grappleshot pull, and you’ll be left hanging in the air. Naturally, this makes you a target, and you’ll suddenly find your plans up in smoke. But a couple of upgrades may help…
Upgrade the Grappleshot before anything else
I can’t explain enough how useful the Grappleshot is in the game. But for another tip, you should spend your Spartan Cores on it first in Halo Infinite. Don’t worry about getting that first buff to your shields — the extra 15% won’t mean much right away. The first upgrade grants it an electrical charge to shock enemies into place. So, even if you’re not fully prepared for a close engagement, you can do some damage before ducking out. The second upgrade for the Grappleshot reduces the recharge time by 40%, making it far more useful.
Swing around walls and boost your speed
The Grappleshot doesn’t just pull you or weapons straight on. Latching onto a corner will let you swing around like that one spider dude. It’s a fantastic mobility tool, so be sure to practice. You can also use it for a burst of speed. Halo Infinite is not fully open world, but it uses elements from the subgenre. As such, it provides big, open environments. If you’re trying to get somewhere nearby quickly and you don’t have a vehicle, latch the Grappleshot to the ground and jump once you make contact with the earth. You’ll find yourself getting to where you need to be rather fast. On that, you can also use this move to escape Brutes wielding Gravity Hammers. These beasts tend to leap toward you before slamming their hammer down, dealing a massive amount of damage.
The Grappleshot can’t latch on to everything
The Grappleshot is an amazing tool, but it’s not omnipotent. While it can easily grab onto shielded enemies, it can’t grab anything made of Halo-brand hardlight. That includes the Jackal shields. If you try and grab a Jackal with the Grappleshot, the hook will bounce off. However, hitting their shield will stun them. A failed Grappleshot will be instantly recharged, allowing you to get in on the Jackal. You can also fire at their feet or a nearby object (like a crate or wall) if you need to get up close. The Grappleshot can also let you instantly take over vehicles. However, like with older Halo games, latching onto a Wraith tank will have you set out to destroy it instead. Try not to grapple the front if there’s a gunner in the seat, otherwise you’ll end up like ground beef. You also can’t commandeer a dropship. I tried.
Get used to the new weaponry
Grenades and their uses
Halo Infinite includes four grenade types. Three have made their way into Halo in the past, but there is one that’s completely new. Grenades, as mentioned above, are an integral part of Halo combat. Perfecting them is an art, so here are some tips for when you pick them up in your Halo Infinite campaign run.
Frag grenade
Ah, the classic M9 frag grenade. In Halo, you often start with a couple frag grenades already in your arsenal. In the campaign, they’re great for killing weaker enemies like Jackals, while softening up some of the bigger boys. Use the environment to your advantage when using them, as the grenades can be easily bounced. You can get them around corners by bouncing them off walls, or throw them at an angle off the ground so they end up right in your target’s face. They can also be bounced up ramps and stairs. Have fun.
Plasma grenade
The plasma grenade doesn’t pack the biggest punch, but it certainly has its uses. They can stick to most enemies, bouncing only off Jackal shields. This is a great way to dish out a lot of damage, but don’t get too close when they go off. Plasma grenades, however, are not like the M9s, and will bounce like a three-day-old water balloon. One good tactic is to use them to drive enemies out of cover, as they will dive away before the incoming explosion.
Spike grenades
Like a blend of the frag and plasma grenade, the spike grenade can stick to enemies, and using them is like an art. The difference between its stickiness and that of the plasma grenades is due to it being covered in, well, spikes. You can stick them to enemies, walls, ceilings, and floors. When they detonate, they send a blast of white-hot spikes that ricochet for a short time. These are great at clearing small rooms.
Dynamo grenade
The Dynamo grenade in Halo Infinite has become an easy favorite of mine. When thrown, it sends out an electrical charge, shocking everything around it. The damage is powerful enough to cause Grunts to burst like popcorn. However, these are most effective against shielded enemies. For the most part, foes will try and dive away from grenades. However, the Dynamo doesn’t care. The Dynamo doesn’t give a shit. Its electrical arcs deal damage over time, so enemies get hurt even before they try and leave. But it works best against enemies larger than grunts, like Elites and higher-ranking Brutes. The dynamo will paralyze and preventing them from moving for a short duration. They’re also good at disabling vehicles.
Weapons to use on vehicles
Vehicles in Halo Infinite are tough to handle, but here are some tips. Electrical weaponry, such as the Disrupter, Dynamo grenade, and Shock Rifle, can disable vehicles long enough to get close enough for grappling on. But there are other weapons that can destroy any pesky Ghost or Banshee. The SPNKr rocket launcher is an obvious choice, but you need to have faith in your aim. You can also use the Hydra, which carries six rockets and lock onto vehicles. However, you may also want to consider taking a Skewer along, which is a new weapon introduced in the game. The Skewer is what I suppose Brutes consider a sniper rifle. It fires a spear at long distances, and is able to shred most vehicles.
Make note of the new and improved weapons
Halo Infinite includes 11 new weapons, and most are quite viable (most, as in, not the Ravager). The UNSC Commando is an automatic rifle that can nail headshots, but it sits somewhere between the trusty Battle Rifle and Assault Rifle. As such, it’s not the best at long range. Keep enemies at medium range and you should do fine. Experiment with some of the new weapons, including the Heatwave, which has two firing modes and can bounce around corners. Also, don’t cast away the Sentinel beam like you probably did back in Halo 2. This thing shreds in Halo Infinite, and it may become your favorite late-game weapon.
Work for the better weapons and vehicles
In Halo Infinite, you can earn weapons and vehicles at Forward Operating Bases, or FOBs. However, in order to get better equipment, you must earn something called Valor points. These are points doled out by rescuing stranded marines, destroying propaganda towers, or destroying Banished outposts. The more you earn, the better your equipment gets. You can see what your Valor status is in the menu, and check out what you’ll unlock next.
Weapons and vehicles are available at the start, but you need to work for better ones. Power weapons like the Sniper Rifle and rocket launcher are locked away until you earn enough Valor. There are also special variants of each weapon, which will sport altered abilities. The Bulldog shotgun variant, for example, fires in a tighter cone for increased distance. You’ll start off with a Warthog at any FOB, but later you can unlock the Gungoose, Scorpion tank, and Wasp. So, don’t ignore the UNSC in need.
Use your marines
How to recruit your marines
The proud infantry of the UNSC have returned in Halo Infinite, and they’re happy to fight by your side. After you retake a FOB, you will get a small squad of marines who can join you for your battles. There are two ways to recruit them: stand close by until they acknowledge you, or ping the ground near them to get their attention. When they’ve joined the Chief, they will have a small blue circle above their heads. If you want to have them ride alongside you in a vehicle, get in something like a Warthog or Razorback and honk the horn. They’ll get the memo.
Equip them for battle
While you’re at a FOB, you can equip your marines by using a weapon crate. Simply pick one out, equip it, and then get near a marine to ask for a swap. This way, you can fill you Razorback with mostly rocket launcher-toting marines. No Banished outpost can stop you now.
There are limits to weapons, though
Doing the above method, I believe you can only have so many special weapons spawned. I can’t recall the amount, but I don’t believe you can spawn in more than four of any special weapon before the game stops you. But that doesn’t mean you can stop handing out power weapons. If you so choose, you can give your marines as many rocket launchers as the game is willing to provide before handing out something like sniper rifles. In fact, I suggest the latter weapon, as snipers can soften up the enemy as you make your approach.
You’re rewarded for exploring
Halo Infinite is far more open than previous Halo games, and I have some tips to help you discover what it holds. On that note, there are plenty of things to discover when exploring its vast spaces. Taking over a FOB will show nearby points of interest, from marines that need rescue to Spartan Cores. The cores themselves are needed to upgrade your equipment, so don’t skip on looking around.
Multiplayer cosmetics can be found in the world
Yes, there are cosmetic items found in the campaign which you can equip for the multiplayer. These include armor color variants and weapon charms. Just look for Mjolnir Lockers scattered about. And yes, they show up on the tacmap near a FOB you’ve reclaimed. Our sister site Destructoid spotted some images of the kinds of cosmetics to expect.
Can’t find that UNSC audio log? Look around, not in
Audio logs fill in the backstory of what happened before and after the UNSC defeat at the hands of the Banished. These come in two flavors, offering glimpses into the backstory from the UNSC or Banished perspective. Normally, Banished outposts and missions will show you in the tacmap if there are audio logs nearby. But sometimes they’re tough to find in outposts, especially those of the UNSC. You can search all over an outpost, but sometimes come up empty. That’s often the case, because these audio logs can be found near the outpost, but not directly inside. Look around the outposts for hidden caves, or climb up nearby hills for sniper nests. Listen for the telltale beep of the audio log, that way you know you’re close.
Assassination targets award you with upgraded weapons for FOBs
In the Chief’s quest to clean the Banished off Zeta Halo, he’s offered a chance to take out its captains. Assassination targets dot the land, providing optional boss battles for a shiny new toy. These are named boss fights, featuring regular enemies but with shields and a lot more health. Defeating them can be tough, but once you do, you are given an upgraded enemy weapon for your troubles. If you’re dreaming of a Skewer that fires explosive spears, then you can unlock it through one of these fights. You will also be able to spawn them at any FOB.
That’s it for our beginner’s tips and tricks for the Halo Infinite campaign. This article may be updated in time, so be sure to return if you’d like to learn more.
