343i on Halo Infinite's graphics: 'We have a lot of work to do'

For a next-gen system-selling game, Halo: Infinite has been criticized for its lackluster and rather current-gen graphics. Now 343 Industries delivers an official comment on the matter, promising to take all feedback very seriously.

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Mechanically, Halo: Infinite looks like a great game. But the visuals are bogged down by the new dynamic lighting system, which takes the definition out of textures and models that're in shadowy areas. Will this change before launch? Possibly.

343 Industries says they'll release a ray tracing update post-launch, which will add much-needing lighting to make the high-end textures really pop. But now the devs talk more about their plans.

343 Industries recently published a Waypoint update that acknowledges Infinite's current shortfalls. The devs note the recent gameplay footage is a weeks-old build, and that a lot of the game's graphics effects and features are still being touched up. They're closely examining Infinite and considering every dimension of visual representation, but there's no actual game plan just yet.

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Read Also: Why Halo: Infinite's graphics look the way they do, and how 343i can fix them

"Negative feedback in this area includes comments around characters and objects appearing flat, simplistic and plastic-like, lighting feeling dull and flat, and object pop-in. We've read your comments, we've seen the homemade examples of retouched content, and yes we've heard the Digital Foundry assessments.

"In many ways we are in agreement here - we do have work to do to address some of these areas and raise the level of fidelity and overall presentation for the final game. The build used to run the campaign demo was work-in-progress from several weeks ago with a variety of graphical elements and game systems still being finished and polished.

"While some of the feedback was expected and speaks to areas already in progress, other aspects of the feedback have brought new opportunities and considerations to light that the team is taking very seriously and working to assess.

"We don't have firm answers or outcomes to share yet but the team is working as quickly as possible on plans to address some of the feedback around detail, clarity, and overall fidelity. The team is committed and focused on making sure we have a beautiful world for players to explore when we launch."

Read Also: Halo: Infinite runs at 4K 60FPS on Xbox Series X, but ray tracing could lower resolution

The update also mentions Halo: Infinite is coming to Steam, which of course it is, and re-affirms 343i probably won't be able to hold beta testing flights before launch.

Halo: Infinite will release this November on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. It's also coming to Game Pass.