What happens when you take the entirety (minus one or two) entries in one of the most popular shooters ever and make them available for everyone to play? You get Halo: The Master Chief Collection, of course. Los Santos is an ever-evolving city that attracts all walks of players, and it’s every bit as addictive as the regular, narrative-based game. With Rockstar Games continuously adding new content as the months go by, there’s always something new to see and do when you dive back in a month or even six months later. It's the next best thing to partying down in a big city, and best of all, all your friends can jump online to experience it with you. There are special heists to undertake, clubs to visit, and even RP groups to join to make it truly feel as though you're a member of the city. With customizable characters, denizens can explore the city at their leisure, buy their own sports cars, and even own land and nightclubs in-game for private use. Players can jump into the virtual version of Los Santos and live their lives as they see fit. Much of that popularity can be owed to GTA Online, its online multiplayer component. Grand Theft Auto 5 is consistently one of the best-selling games of each year, even though it's been out on the market for some time. Time will tell but either way the core gameplay of Halo Infinite is familiar and fantastic. It’s certainly not the best free-to-play environment out there, but the quick response shows that the game’s developers may put players first.

When the multiplayer for Halo Infinite first dropped, the progression system drew a ton of ire from the gaming community, but 343 Industries staff did promise continued improvements to make the system more rewarding and fair. Unfortunately, free-to-play games are often plagued with bad in-game economies that can pressure players to continually buy digital goods with inflated prices. Usually it only takes a few minutes for a Halo veteran to get a grip with Infinite, which is usually followed by them saying, “ Halo is back!”

Classic Halo modes and features are accentuated by punchy sound design and new items. While the game’s campaign is compelling and different from any other Halo, the free-to-play multiplayer is what will likely keep the game going. Halo Infinite has only been available for a short while, but already fans are lauding it as the return to greatness the franchise has been needing since Bungie passed the torch to 343 Industries.

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