Watch the first gameplay trailer for Halo Infinite

Credit: 343 Industries / Microsoft

• Microsoft and 343 have released the first gameplay trailer for Halo Infinite.
• The Xbox Series X and PC title represents a massive visual upgrade.
• There’s also a grappling hook, a portable shield, and other new twists.

You no longer have to wonder how Halo will fare on Xbox Series X. Microsoft and 343 Industries have released the first gameplay trailer for Halo Infinite, showing off nearly nine minutes of action from the sci-fi shooter as the Banished hunt you down on a Halo ring.

Not surprisingly, the graphics are the highlight of the demo. The Series X console delivers a massive visual upgrade, with much richer environments that are “several times” bigger than what you saw in the last two Halo games put together. It’s sharper overall, too, with the campaign running at up to a 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. It’s also notable that you don’t see any loading screens or other pauses despite the expansive environment.

The gameplay, meanwhile, is classic Halo — with a few important twists. In addition to a wider array of weapons and enemies (including the Banished), you now have a grappling hook to get closer to enemies as well as a portable shield to temporarily fend off assaults. Halo Infinite also weaves cutscenes more seamlessly into the gameplay, whether it’s reassuring your high-strung pilot or confronting a vicious Brute War Chief, Escharum.

The 343 team is promising a game designed to expand “well beyond launch.” And don’t worry if you’re a PC player. The developers are planning a “best-in-class” experience for Windows 10 players with platform-specific features.

Halo Infinite still has a generic holiday 2020 release date, and it’s not clear if the game will be available at the same time as Xbox Series X or shortly afterward. However, it’s already apparent that the game will serve as a technical showcase for the new console.