Oct 28, 2021

Halo Infinite - 343Andy

Welcome to our latest installment of Inside Infinite – our monthly blog series devoted to celebrating some of the tremendous work happening to bring Halo Infinite to life. So much has happened since we kicked this off back in December and we’re so grateful to have you with us on this journey. We’ve covered a lot of ground together over the past 9 months digging into Halo Infinite’s development and getting to know some of the talented people across the team. We’re super eager to be in the final stretch now, with our December 8 launch quickly approaching, but there are still stories to be told.

This month we’re excited to welcome members of the UXUI and Character Teams to share insights about their work on Halo Infinite. But, before we jump into that, if you haven’t yet seen the recently released Campaign Overview video, you should stop what you’re doing and give it a watch!

If this is your first time joining us, be sure to check out our past blogs to learn even more about the work going into our most ambitious Halo game yet:

For even more Halo Infinite goodness, be sure to check out our recent PC Overview or if Competitive Multiplayer is more your speed, don’t miss the Competitive Settings/Gameplay Reveal!

To kick things off, we’re joined by several folks on the Halo Infinite Character Team to talk about their approach and process to create some of the familiar and brand-new characters seen in the Campaign Overview video. Then, we’ll switch things up and hear from members of the UXUI Team to learn about their broad range of work and contributions to the game. Lastly, to wrap things up, we’ll get another quick rundown of Tales from the Trenches and welcome back Joseph Staten, Head of Creative, for some closing thoughts.

This month we really are pushing the limits of “how much blog is too much blog?” so, get comfy - we’ve got another heaping dose of behind-the-scenes info and beautiful visuals in store, so without further ado, let’s talk characters!

Character Study

Whether it’s our favorite super soldier, a menacing cloaked Elite, supportive Marines, or wise-cracking Grunts, the characters of Halo connect us to the stories, adventures, and gameplay we’ve come to know and love for nearly 20 years. This month we sat down with a few members of the Character Team at 343 Industries to learn more about their work, their approach, and how they are bringing familiar and brand-new characters to life in Halo Infinite’s expansive Campaign. Please note: the high-res renders below are the source models captured in-engine using our development tools and don't necssarily represent exactly how they'll appear when encountered in-game./i]

Hello, Character Team friends! Please introduce yourselves and tell us what your role is at 343 Industries and what you’re responsible for on Halo Infinite.

Steve (SD): Hi there, I’m Steve Dyck and I’m the Character & Combat Director on Halo Infinite. I’m responsible for design direction and creative direction for AI combatants. This involves the way they look, the way they behave, how tough they are, etc. This is all part of the work my team and I are responsible for.

Bryan (BR): Halo there, my name is Bryan Repka, and I am the Character Art Lead for Infinite’s Campaign. My team is responsible for the character visuals that show up in Infinite’s Campaign. This includes AI Combatants like Grunts, Jackals, Hunters and Brutes, as well as the many Narrative characters that make up the game.

JuanCarlos (JC): My name is JuanCarlos Larrea and I’m the animation lead on the Character team. We are responsible for gameplay animations for all non-playable characters.

Nick (NA): Hey I’m Nick Avallone, Senior Animator on the Character team. I like long walks on the beach and mangling Banished bodies with keyframes and math.

A render of UNSC Marines, which will join Master Chief as he battles across Zeta Halo. (Or, drives off a cliff.) [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_marines-4k-e82acf27d7a04c2c9ed8a50985a25c93.png]click here[/url].]

We’ve spoken with a variety of teams across Halo Infinite and they’ve each shared some version of pillars or goals that help inform and inspire the work they do. What does that entail for the Character Team?

SD: These are the high level goals the Character / Combat team keeps in mind while making decisions on AI combatants and measuring if we feel we have been successful in our delivery.

Create compelling AI Combatants:

This is addressed by both aesthetic and gameplay. We want clear reasons around the role of our Ai and why a designer would choose to use a Grunt vs a Brute, Jackal or Elite. Each one of these characters should bring a unique experience to combat. This differentiation is most important when we look at our base level enemies, for example a Brute vs. an Elite vs a Grunt vs. a Jackal and so on. Within each one of those base characters, we also create variants that support different roles and gameplay challenges. Another thing we talked about early in production was “embracing the sci-fi”. What is meant by this is with Halo being a sci-fi franchise, we have an opportunity to try different things with different Alien species that a lot of other shooters do not.

Player Comprehension

This is also addressed by both aesthetic and gameplay. We strive for the player to understand who they are engaging in battle with and why one target may be more important to take out than others. We do this with a combination of art, animation, design choices, and behaviors.

In addition to this, player feedback is an especially important factor when addressing this goal. Whether it be the scale of a hit reaction, FX feedback, or what an AI says, it should all contextually make sense to the player and help them understand if what they are doing is effective or whether they need to change tactics.

Render of a Banished "Spartan Killer", a formidable foe ready to face off against Master Chief. [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_tovarus-4k-ed1f3cdea4164a0ca3a6502b4cad39f6.png]click here[/url].]

With nearly 20 years of history to pull from, how did the team strike a balance between staying true to legacy character designs while also ensuring they ‘fit’ within the visual and design language of Halo Infinite? How does the game’s overall approach to “Spiritual Reboot” apply to characters?

SD: The spiritual reboot actually made it easier for us to incorporate some more legacy designs into the characters. One of the best examples of this are the Elites, Grunts and Jackal who all have a much more “legacy” design to them than we had in Halo 4 or 5. In terms of which part of the legacy we looked to for inspiration, we settled most around the Halo 3 / Halo: Reach timeframe and then incorporated the Banished aesthetic where it made sense along with the Halo Infinite art direction.

BR: From an art standpoint, we knew early on that we wanted to spiritually reboot our characters and that meant taking a look at ALL of our characters. Every character in Infinite was redesigned in some way. Like Steve mentioned, we really relied on the designs of the past. We wanted to get back to the legacy designs that made Halo characters iconic, but we didn’t just want to just up-res them. We wanted to add our own flair while staying true to the 20 years of history. I will use the Elites as an example – in Halo 4 and Halo 5 the Elites were big and bulky. We ended up scaling them down a bit and giving them more of a sleek look. We wanted them to be fast, agile, and intelligent. We knew this would also be a great contrast to the big hulking Brutes. I couldn’t be happier with how the Elites look and perform in Infinite.

A render of an Elite - looking better than ever, still agile and deadly. [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_elite-4k-25a66b29fcd44157922bd7c0a3dbc17d.png]click here[/url].]

The return of Brutes, and the Banished in particular, surely presented new challenges and opportunities – how did the team approach bringing these enemies to life in Halo Infinite?

SD: The return of the Brutes was a challenge the team was very excited to pursue as they are a great adversary in the Halo Universe. We wanted the Brutes to feel very aggressive but not like “dumb space monkeys.” We talked a lot about the desire for Brutes to feel more visceral as well. The player will experience this in everything from the way they attack, how their armor can be shot off, and the VO (voice-over) they use. Brutes as an enemy are a nice juxtaposition from a character like the Elite that tends to be more composed and tactical. The Brutes are all about “Brute force” for lack of a better way of putting it, and this shows through in the gameplay. For example, where an Elite might peel off from combat and take cover, a Brute will be more likely to charge the player in a rage.

BR: Ah yes… The Brutes!! Who doesn’t love them some Banished Brutes! The team rose to the challenge with these bad boys. There was a ton of legacy here that we wanted to stay true to but also find ways to push the boundaries.

One of our main focuses, from the player's perspective, was to create a sense of visual damage that set the Brutes apart from the other enemies. As you fight the Brutes you will see all kinds of armor and debris flying off them from shoulder pad to thigh pads to helmets shooting across the map. Knowing this, we knew we had to design the armors in such a way that facilitated this. We designed the Brute techsuit with various attachment points so that we could modularize the armor plates so that they could be shot off. Funny enough, early on one of the challenges that we had with this approach was in certain cases, by the time you finished off a Brute he would be pretty much naked and bare. This is why they flaunt a full body techsuit. 😊 The team had an absolute blast working on them.

JC: The Brutes have this commanding presence and they don’t all fight the same way. They are extraordinarily strong, carry a lot of weight around, and they have this pent-up anger that needs to come across clearly as they fight you. That gave animators a chance to explore their physicality in different situations and with different weapon types. They can be explosive, and while they are not as agile as Elites, they are just as dangerous. It really is fun to animate them.

Render of a Brute Berserker. Be warned, they are angry and they will charge. [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_brute-4k-77f3cb8cd8ff4c57a5a99954b2df65fa.png]click here[/url].]

And speaking of Brutes, we have to ask – how’s Craig doing? Up until this week's Campaign Overview video, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen or heard from him. We see he’s received quite the glow-up since last July. What are some of the key areas the team has been working on since last year’s demo?

SD: Haha, the team has sort of a love-hate relationship with Craig. While it was fun to see the community gravitate towards Craig, he unfortunately represented some content and systems that were not ready for prime time in that demo. The positive outcome of Craig was that he was one of the factors in gaining some more time to finish work and get Brutes to a place where the team is happy with them. This is one of the many positive examples of 343 working with and aligning with the Halo community around expectations. Players who look hard enough will still be able to find some evidence of Craig in Halo Infinite, his spirit lives on!

BR: Craig is in good hands, trust me! He has gone through some changes, but I am here to say that he has glammed up. He is feeling very good about himself and has fit back in well with the rest of his Brute friends. He has also picked up a new hobby and has done well for himself. Long live Craig!

Render of an incredibly detailed Brute. Craig did indeed get quite the glow-up! [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_brutecloseup-4k-ddc79b7e0aa246f6860393aaf69f5e78.png]click here[/url].]

Walk us through the high-level process of how a character goes from idea to living, breathing, entity on Zeta Halo. How does art, animation, design, and audio all come together to deliver a fully realized character? Does gameplay drive character creation or does a cool character concept drive gameplay direction?

SD: We try to drive AI combatant / character creation from a gameplay need as much as possible. We will look for a role that we are missing or is underrepresented and that we think would be interesting to fight from a player perspective. We talk about what will make this character unique from other AI combatants and try to develop what we would often refer to as a character’s “special sauce.” If a new character did not have “special sauce” and was just an analog for an existing character in the game, then there isn’t a lot of justification for making that a “new” character. For example, there aren’t a lot of characters in Halo that put the player back on their heels. The Elite Zealot is a good example, but you don’t see them a lot, which is part of their appeal. So, we look at that and say, are there other characters that can fill a similar role, should we add more? These discussions ultimately lead to things like the Brute Berserker, which fills a gameplay need and is a strong fit for the Brutes’ aggressive personality.

Once we have a role defined, a paper design, we will start working with concept on very loose sketches and start doing rough in game prototypes to help establish silhouette, proportions etc. that in turn inform concept. If a prototype is fun and compelling, we will continue to refine across the board with higher fidelity art, animation, and start adding some audio, FX, etc. If the prototype isn’t fun, then it’s back to step one to discuss where things went off the rails and if we can get them back on track. If we are going to fail, we want to do so as quickly as possible before we start bringing in more disciplines. The most important thing at this stage is it’s ok to have a prototype fail as long as the team is learning and making more informed decisions as we move forward. As we go further through the process, eventually we will get into full production on a character where the team is working on content, design tuning, and code that will be part of a shipping character.

Narrative characters can be a little different where they are driven more from a story need as opposed to a gameplay need. The Pilot is a good example of this where his role fills many narrative needs but is much lighter on the gameplay side of things. With that said, the same amount of diligence and rigor goes into making these narrative characters a reality.

Render of the Pilot, a new narrative character and ally of Master Chief. [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_pilot-4k-fc16b9d25f8b489bb7b15f10fa5bba47.png]click here[/url].]

What are some of the key differences between returning characters in Halo Infinite vs. prior Halo titles? Does the evolved sandbox and gameplay in our most expansive Campaign ever have any impact on character design?

SD: There has been a lot rebuilt from the ground up for Halo infinite in terms of AI behavior that absolutely takes the evolved sandbox and more open gameplay into consideration. For example, those new Fusion Coils the player can grab and throw can also be thrown by Brutes….at times a Brute may even toss a Grunt at the player. The other thing we need to support on the character side is the effectiveness of things like the new equipment vs. characters. The evolution of the sandbox has given the player more options in combat. For example, the Grappleshot will pull you to a Brute, be deflected by a Hunter, and not attach to a Jackal but will pop their shield to the side so the player can get damage onto the body. Another evolution that may surprise players is some of our smarter AI will upgrade their weapon, when possible, by grabbing a better weapon off a rack, the ground, or even a Grunt Mule.

The more open nature of the combat also meant our engineering team had to do a lot of work on behaviors and systems to account for the 360 degrees of combat so the player still feels like Master Chief and can wade into combat without feeling overwhelmed. With the bigger more open combat spaces we wanted to maintain that Halo feel which means allowing the player to be aggressive and remain on the offensive, as opposed to feeling like they are playing a cover shooter.

Render of two different Jackals. Shield or not, these wily enemies are no push-overs. [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_jackals-4k-09ae2723c9cd4d40a39f474571a91757.png]click here[/url].]

Historically we’ve seen the same species have different roles in combat, which is usually denoted by different armor styles, color of armor, or weapons. Why, from a gameplay standpoint, do members of the same species wear different armors and colors throughout the game?

SD: This is a great part of Halo’s legacy and I think is equally as impactful now as it was 20 years ago. The use of vibrant color to help the player identify threats or variations of enemies is a key part of Halo. I can still remember in Halo: CE when I first saw a Gold Elite and was like “Who’s that!?” This is a legacy we are continuing with Halo Infinite as it is great for player feedback and Halo as a game. From a gameplay standpoint, in a shooter at times your target can be small on screen, and it might be hard to know if your enemy is carrying a Plasma Pistol or a Stalker Rifle. This is where color and silhouette can be informative to the player in terms of target prioritization and support gameplay at the same time as supporting a rich visual set of enemies that is iconic to Halo.

Fictionally we look at the different armors as being in line with function as well aesthetic distinction of rank on the battlefield. While we go further than say modern military uniforms, it is a distinction of rank within the enemy faction.

BR: From an art side of things, our job is to compliment gameplay and I think the team did a great job pulling it all together! With color and silhouette playing a huge factor in player readability we wanted to really lean into it. To achieve this, we built all of our characters in a modular fashion so that we could mix and match and create large amounts of variants per species. For example, the player will notice multiple armor variants within the Brute minor role - Brute minors with very little armor and Brute minors with a lot of armor, small shoulder pads and large shoulder pads. As far as the color progression goes, like Steve mentioned, it is foundational to Halo and Infinite is no exception to that. Along with the modular swaps you will see multiple colors within the Brute minor rank helping to denote the strength and weapon that that character wields.

With the Banished playing such a huge part in this game, as well as sticking to a legacy pillar, we knew we didn’t want every character to be outfit in the “Banished” red and silver. We still wanted to have yellow Grunts and blue Elites running around Zeta Halo. We struck a balance by keeping those legacy color schemes while sprinkling in some Banished armor sets here and there! A good example of this would be the Grunt Mule. The Brutes outfit this Grunt in a Banished armor set and made them carry their power weapons for them. It just makes sense :)

Render of a Grunt Mule - the Banished equivalent of a Postmates weapon delivery service. [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_gruntmule-4k-9323d42f196a4010a06c5fae141ea8b3.png]click here[/url].]

We’ve already gotten glimpses of some new, super awesome characters, called “Spartan Killers” – how did these come to be? Where did the team draw inspiration for these new designs?

SD: From the start of Infinite one of the things we wanted to pursue were more “Boss” or “Mini-Boss” type characters. This evolved into conversations around how these could manifest themselves in the game. The Spartan Killers were an early theme around an elite force of Banished that could go toe-to-toe with a Spartan, and win! From there we started talking about who they would be, what species, and what they could do that would set them apart from their factional counterparts in both gameplay and aesthetic. As funny as it might sound, we talked about the A-Team (TV show from the 80’s) when it came to the red and black color theme of the Spartan Killers, we just didn’t give them the sweet van to ride around in. :)

BR: When the design brief for the Spartan Killers came to us, it was hard to contain the excitement. A group of an elite Banished force that was head hunting Spartans? Uh yes please! We wanted to find a way to set this group apart from the rest of the enemies but at the same time make sure that we have cohesion within the group itself. We went with the black armor theme with splashes of red blades. Each Spartan killer is unique and has its own story and battle trophies. That’s all I will say about that!

Render of another menacing "Spartan Killer", Jega 'Rdomnai. Shout out to our fellow Jega stans! [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_jega-4k-ebcd40e3a6b04326bab0b0de9464e73b.png]click here[/url].]

We know you likely can’t provide too many specifics, but are there new species you can encounter in Halo Infinite?

SD: Yes, there are new species as well as new variants and combat challenges that are unique to Halo Infinite! One of the new enemies we just revealed in the Campaign Overview is the Skimmer. While I won’t give away everything about them, what I can say is they are a mid-tier combatant, sort of on the level with the Jackals and higher tier Grunts. They aren’t full flying enemies but have hover packs to allow them to move around quickly and provide unique challenges and opportunities to the player while on foot or in a vehicle. We didn’t want to pursue a full flying enemy as we found in an FPS flying enemies can get a little frustrating and disorienting as the player is forced to look up. Skimmers, like their namesake, move around by just skimming above the ground. We can’t talk too many other specifics before release, but we are just beginning to scratch the surface of the mysteries this ring holds and that includes enemies. We can’t wait for fans to get their hands on the game and discover the new goodies.

NA: Like Steve was saying, the engine treats these guys like ground combatants, so the character animation team was tasked with making them believably “hover” above the ground. We have a few techniques for doing this, like changing their height and jetpack orientation based on how fast they want to move and rotating their bodies as they slow down to simulate “braking.” A lot of work went into the unique way they interact with vehicles, and I’m really excited about how that turned out. (Keep your tanks clear.) When they’re emoting and taking damage, we found the biggest challenge was balancing where their weight was supported at any given time. It was definitely one of the more difficult characters I’ve had to shoot reference for and have since blasted all of that footage into a decaying solar orbit.

Render of a new species you'll encounter on Zeta Halo - the Skimmer. [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_skimmer-4k-2a257818bb194fd0b3eebc8c62c31c1d.png]click here[/url].]

Ok guys, thank you so much for sharing some Character Team insights with us today! Before we let you go - what’s your personal favorite character in Halo Infinite and why? (No Spoilers!)

SD: Without giving spoilers I’d say the Brute Captain (Officer) is my favorite without spoiling any new additions. His usage of the Jetpack leads to tons of unique and fun combat situations. Aesthetically he also looks badass and has fire shooting out of his back. It’s super satisfying to blow up their jetpack and take them out! I know you asked for just one, but I have to give a special shoutout to the Grunt Mule. Think Treasure Goblin but in Halo. This variant of Grunt scours the battlefield picking up weapons and grenades and has them attached to their back for either the Banished to use or the player to use. Grunt Mules can be a great way to get power weapons in Infinite!

BR The Grunts for me have always been a favorite and being able to work on them was a surreal experience. They have always been such a comedic character in the Halo universe, and we held nothing back in Infinite. Just camp around some Grunts and you can listen to their VO for days. You won’t be disappointed!

JC: I have to go with Grunts too. They have personality and they are a great vehicle for levity. Their awkward proportion and weight distribution gives animators a lot of room to try things that you wouldn’t try with any other character.

NA: I think it’s the Jackal. They force you to use more finesse and patience than usual, but in the end their gameplay loop feels really rewarding to me. I also get a lot of joy out of their maniacal, broken language taunts and weird chicken-like death throes.

Render of two different Grunts. What they lack in intimidation, they more than make up for in wit. [For the above image in full res, [url=https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-Oct2021/haloinfinite_grunts-4k-fae5d33201174aed8432e9d6fdd4c754.png]click here[/url].]

Thank you Steve, Bryan, Juan, and Nick for the insights and the awesome high-res renders showcasing some of the team’s fantastic work in Halo Infinite! Next up – we’re talking user experiences, user interfaces, and checking out some great design with members of the UXUI team.

UXUI FYI
The “UXUI” (“User Experience” and “User Interface”) Team at 343 Industries spans a variety of critical, and sometimes nuanced, facets of the Halo Infinite game experience that all work together to drive immersion, accessibility, and fun while unifying it all in the Halo Universe. From the HUD we experience in first-person to how we engage with our Spartan customization to fictional detailing on our weapons and a breadth of accessibility features – the hard-working folks on this team are, in many ways, the glue that binds the entirety of the experience together. This month we’re joined by several members of the UXUI team for a deep dive into their vision, approach, and a closer look at some of the key work that’s been done in Halo Infinite.

Hello! Please introduce yourselves and tell us what your role is at 343 Industries / what you’re responsible for on Halo Infinite.

Vincent: I’m Vincent Hui, the UX Design Lead on Halo Infinite. My job is to enable all the awesome people I work with to make amazing experiences for everyone to enjoy. I also dive deep into every piece of feedback the community delivers to make sure that all our players – new, legacy, fans, pros, console, PC, content creators, viewers, etc. - are satisfied with their Halo experience.

Chad: Hello! I’m Chad Mirshak, UI Art Lead on Halo Infinite. My role covers a broad spectrum of visual direction - driving the high-level 2D/3D presentation of our UI to collaborating with other art teams on in-world design and storytelling elements to aligning our design language across ecosystem-level marketing and transmedia efforts. We are joined at the hip with UX and partner with all the various feature teams across the studio to ensure a consistent, polished presentation for our players.

To read the rest of this blog, please check Halo Waypoint.