Halo Infinite released in late 2021, and the game is a glorious return to the series’ acclaimed roots, with a wide-open Halo ring to explore and plenty of aliens to slaughter. With the new game came plenty of new weapons–the Skewer is an instant classic–but it also left out plenty of classics. That makes sense, of course, as it could be overkill to have every past gun in Halo Infinite, but there are still several we’d like to see make a return. Given the evolving nature of the game and 343 Industries’ plan to support it for years to come, that means we could potentially actually see some of these wishes come true. These are the classic Halo guns we want to see added to Halo Infinite. And no, don’t worry–garbage-tier weapons like the Suppressor, flamethrower, and Brute Spiker have not been included.
DMR
Why would I pick that up? I have a DMR!
First, the assault rifle was removed in Halo 2 in favor of the battle rifle and that mistake was never made again. The same thing happened with the battle rifle in Halo: Reach, and it appears the DMR–or designated marksman’s rifle–is the latest weapon to go unappreciated. Though it does serve similar functions to the battle rifle, the DMR is perfect for those who like to pick their shots carefully and efficiently take down a few targets. It also helps to bridge the gap between the extremely long-range sniper rifle and the other UNSC weapons.
SMG
On the other extreme is the SMG, a weapon first introduced in Halo 2 when the assault rifle had gone missing. The “bullet hose” was capable of firing a tremendous barrage down narrow hallways and was best used in conjunction with a plasma pistol or plasma rifle to first strip a target’s energy shield. Sure, the assault rifle’s rate of fire makes it a good close-quarters choice in Halo Infinite today, but having to fear that another player had an even better short-range option would add a layer of anxiety and strategy to every gunfight.
Classic shotgun
Close-range pain
The Halo shotgun has varied drastically in effectiveness over the years, ranging from an unstoppable short-range killing machine to a nearly useless hunk of metal. The bulldog shotgun serves a bit of a different purpose in Halo Infinite, offering rotary-style fire that’s closer to fully automatic–you can hold down the trigger and keep firing–but without the stopping power of the original game’s weapon. Making it a power weapon with the same scarcity of something like the sniper or rocket launcher would allow it to serve a different purpose and avoid replacing the bulldog.
Plasma rifle
For whatever reason, Halo’s development team has never seemed to actually want the plasma rifle to be in the game, offering a whole bunch of alternatives over the years that are usually nowhere near as effective or fun. The latest of these is the plasma carbine and… it’s not useless, but it’s pretty close. The plasma rifle served as the best counterpart to the assault rifle in the original game, and it made it feel like there was a reason the Covenant had dominated the UNSC in battle up to that point. Especially for taking down targets with an overshield, it would serve a key role in multiplayer.
Scattershot
A Promethean weapon–and thus a tricky fit into a game that, as of now, doesn’t feature that enemy–the Scattershot is one of the most interesting weapons in the series to date. At close range, it functions much like a normal shotgun, but where it differs is in its bouncing projectiles. This makes it ideal for locking down a choke point or keeping enemies at bay when protecting the flag carrier, and its lower damage compared to other close-range weapons means it wouldn’t be overpowered in multiplayer. Plus, since the multiplayer is canonically a training simulation, does it really matter that the Prometheans aren’t in it?
Spartan Laser
One shot, one huge explosion
One thing that makes Halo different from many other first-person shooters is its many vehicles–even in several arena-style maps. But another thing that separates Halo from its peers is the many ways there are to destroy those vehicles. One of these, the mighty Spartan Laser, was capable of destroying nearly anything in just a single hit. The Skewer comes close in Halo Infinite, but knowing the tank you’re in can probably still escape danger makes it lack the complete terror that the Spartan Laser instilled in the wielder’s enemies.
Brute Shot
One of the only weapons that felt downright criminal to exclude in Halo Infinite was the Brute Shot–the main villains are literally Brutes, and it was their primary weapon for much of the series’ existence. The grenade launcher serves as both an excellent crowd-control tool and works well as a melee weapon because of its enormous blade. Thus far, the Brutes’ weapons don’t strike much fear into enemies, and the crowd-control Ravager gun is nearly useless in most scenarios. It’s about time the Brutes actually have something formidable with which to crush the Spartans’ spirit.
Incineration cannon
There’s nothing like hitting an enemy with a weapon and watching them literally disintegrate into nothing. The hardlight-based weapons like the Cindershot and the Heatwave can do this now, but they like the same immediacy as the incineration cannon. Hitting a target directly with this death-dealing monster is difficult, but it also makes the kills more rewarding and would serve as a good counterpart to the imprecise Cindershot’s bouncing projectiles. It would also give clever players an effective foil to melee weapons–especially the Gravity Hammer.
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