Halo 5 Forge dev created one of Halo Infinite's best features

The TACMAP, one of the best new features of Halo Infinite, is being developed by the same studio who made Halo 5's Forge mode.

Halo Infinite's TACMAP transforms the game from a linear FPS into something more like Far Cry. Now gamers have an in-game map with icons, missions, and high-end visual topography they can use to trace out their path through Zeta Halo. It's the single most important new feature of Halo Infinite's campaign and one that's instrumental to the wide open-world scope of the game.

Apparently the feature was also developed by SkyBox Labs, the same team that brought Halo 5's Forge mode to life. SkyBox is also co-developing other portions of the game, too.

Halo Infinite senior visual designer Omer Younas confirmed the news in a recent Halo Waypoint post:

"We spent a lot of time and care developing the TACMAP due to it being closely tied to the core of Campaign's gameplay loop. We worked closely with our external partner team SkyBox Labs to bring this to fruition.

"Its look was adapted to the rules we had established for the VISR OS. A careful balancing act between many moving parts; multi-state mission icons against terrain, roads, hex-walls and lighting to name a few. Mission Info panel, Mission list and collectibles all had to display over the map, with clear readability... my mind exploded the first time I grasped the full extent of the content we needed to show."

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Younas confirms the TACMAP will pop up very quickly while in the game--no clunky Pip-Boy animations here. Gamers will be able to check the map as they go at any point.

Whether or not the new TACMAP will be a boon or a bane remains to be seen. Ubisoft games are filled to the brim with waypoints, bases, objectives, and other icons that really overwhelm players. Hopefully Halo Infinite won't fall into that same trap...but it doesn't seem too likely from what we've seen so far.

Halo Infinite's campaign and free-to-play multiplayer releases December 8, 2021 on PC and Xbox Series X/S/Xbox One.