Shroud explains why Halo Infinite having “classic” gameplay is a big mistake

Michael ‘Shroud’ Grzesiek believes 343 Industries has made one big mistake when it comes to Halo Infinite ⁠— leaning too heavily on “classic” gameplay from past titles instead of modernizing the iconic franchise.

Halo Infinite multiplayer hit shelves 24 days early on Monday, after months of teasers, trailers, and early leaks, in an Apex Legends-style surprise release.

The shock debut shot hype for the new Halo through the roof, clocking up Xbox and Steam records in the process. Players have been pouring into the 343 Industries game since Nov. 15, and top stars like FormaL and Dr Disrespect have given Infinite their ticks of approval too.

Shroud, however, has been less than impressed.

The Twitch star had several complaints about Halo Infinite multiplayer on day one, and now he’s taken aim at 343’s design choices regarding gameplay.

Shroud’s complaints loomed large in his early Halo Infinite matches, as the human aimbot repetitively landed several headshots against an opponent, only to lose the gunfight regardless. He laughed, asked Twitch chat if headshots do anything, and was soon told they work the same as past Halo titles.

“That’s crazy,” the Twitch star said. “10/10 feature.”

The streamer’s attention soon turned to Halo Infinite’s gameplay in general. Shroud admitted that he wasn’t surprised 343 had leaned heavily on the nostalgic feel of past games in the franchise, but claimed it was still a “big mistake” to make.

“I know it was like this in [the] classic games, but it’s not a good design choice, at all,” he continued. “It’s 2021, man! Nobody wants that anymore. Every shot should matter [in FPS games], not just the very last one.”

• Read More: Is Dr Disrespect getting his own Halo Infinite skin?

“I get that it’s Halo, it’s mindless like Call of Duty, Battlefield 2042. And, I get why people would want [to keep old gameplay designs], but I just think it’s wrong.”

Shroud did add that he’s liked one thing about Halo Infinite so far; the Twitch star was blown away by the game’s graphics and level designs. He said, “The game does look really nice. I’m on low [settings] and it looks awesome.”

Outside that, the aimbot has been relatively scathing about the 343 Industries release, admitting he probably won’t play much more of the multiplayer, and will instead wait for the campaign to drop. “I just want to play that, it’s interesting. That and maybe some cool custom maps.”

• Read More: Halo Infinite devs unveil Battle Pass changes after backlash

Others have had high praise though, in particular, notorious grump Dr Disrespect, who said he has “high hopes” for Halo Infinite after its launch day success.