Today, game outlet GameSpot editor Grace Benfell published an article titled Halo Infinite Battle Pass undergoes disturbing but definite improvements. Halo Infinite multiplayer launches ahead of the campaign and is completely free. However, after its launch, the game’s player progression system linked to the battle pass, as well as the high prices of in-game virtual items, have been criticized by many players.
The article said that in the past period of time, the pass has been steadily updated and improved, and players can upgrade more easily. The Event Pass has also been revamped for the second week, offering players more challenges and more cosmetic rewards.
These multiplayer improvements have been slow, and while not much has changed, Grace still thinks it’s a solid step in the right direction. But she also said that even the best changes can’t hide the fundamental problems with the in-app purchase system in Halo: Infinite. No matter how fancy in-app purchases and game systems are packaged, game monetization still relies on forcing players to spend more time and money than other games.
Grace said that although the mission system has been improved, the missions themselves are still locked into the corresponding game modes. Most of the time players can only attempt to complete one mission at a time and are also bound to complete weapons they don’t like or game modes that they’re not interested in.
In addition to improvements, the game itself still has fundamental problems that cannot be solved by a better quest challenge system or content. Player advancements in the game are bound to the quest system and refreshed daily/weekly.
Sometimes when the player wants to continue the game but there is no quest, it is difficult for them to get a level in the next game; and when the player thinks that they have played enough for the day but the challenge has not been completed, they may feel that they have missed out lots of experiences.
Other than that, the prices in the store haven’t improved, and they’re still too expensive: the “Cat Ears” bundle costs $10, but only includes one accessory and one colorway. Not only that, but the game itself has very little customization. If players don’t unlock challenges or buy them from the store, they can only use very basic skins and weapon skins.
Grace concluded by saying that many of these issues are common to all game pass systems and cosmetic stores. There is a clear distinction between players who spend and those who don’t. The battle pass binds players to spend a lot of time in the game and cannot enjoy the game according to their mood and time.
She believes that the in-game microtransaction system is essentially an exploitative economic model, and Halo: Infinite’s multiplayer mode has not escaped the curse of most “free-to-play” games on the market.
