10 Best Video Games Of 2021

2. Halo Infinite

The best-feeling Halo of all time is nothing to sniff at.

While Infinite's development was a notably messy back n' forth of potential ideas, overhauled narrative beats and ultimately 2/3 of the project being stripped back, what remains only got polished to a mirror sheen.

It's evident most in multiplayer where that signature experimental feel is only encouraged more than ever. Splitting what would be loadout equipment into on-the-field pickups is a genius extension of what Halo 3 started. It means at any moment you'll be chaining together kills, only to snag a grappling hook and jack a vehicle out the sky. Moments later you and some friends can be bounding towards the objective in an all-wheel drive Warthog, or taking on an entire enemy team with an energy sword, securing a deathmatch victory in the closing seconds.

Thankfully, all this transplants across to the open-world campaign where Chief gets the majority of equipment and levels it up. You'll be taking over outposts and helping marines outdoors, then diving into more traditional Halo levels underground to move the story along.

While that messy development is felt most in how the story and cutscenes are handled, there's no denying that Halo Infinite as a package - and tip of the spear for what Xbox has been planning for years now - is utterly essential.