Ahead of this week’s Halo Infinite Flight, the beta testing period that pits players against one another (or against bots for the first time in Halo), The Nerds of Color got to catch up with one of 343 Industries’ 3D artists to talk shop — but mostly to gush over how incredible the game looks and feels. Hunter Young had a lot of jitters leading up to the reveal of Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer mode this past summer, but when the hype calmed down and the dust settled, he felt even prouder to be part of the team ushering in a new era of Halo.
Since Halo: Combat Evolved dropped in 2001, Microsoft Studios and Bungie (the original developers of the game) have introduced players to some of the franchise’s most hype trailers, commercials, and in-game missions and moments that stood the test of time. When the short CG spot “Starry Night” showcased online in December 2006, there was no question the first-person shooter genre was pretty much in the palms of John-117’s enormous hands.
The trailer was some of the first real cinematic narratives we’d seen play out in FPS games at the time, and it left a lasting impression. Equipment reveals in Halo always brought the hype (and heartache) — from the Bubble Shield in that same “Starry Night” cinematic, to the infamous Ground Pound and Spartan Charge of Halo 5, the developers were never afraid of experimenting with elements of the game to try and appeal to more players.
Fast forward several more titles and spin-offs, and the switching hands of Halo from Bungie to 343 Industries in 2012, and the fact remains this franchise has had some of the most significant impact on games the last two decades. Halo Infinite, set to drop December 8 this year, is the latest installment that again pushes the envelope and expands on mechanics that veteran and new players had the chance to experience with the latest Flight.
Hunter sat down with the NOC to talk about his lifelong dream working on Halo finally coming true, as well as the overwhelmingly positive response to the multiplayer mode revealed by 343 during the summer. You can find our full conversation below and be sure to pre-order Halo Infinite on PC and Xbox consoles ahead of its holiday release.
