Today, game media GameSpot editor Grace Benfell published an article titled "Halo: Infinity Battle Pass Undergoes Disturbing but Clear Improvements."
Halo: Unlimited multiplayer was launched earlier than the campaign and is completely free. However, after its introduction, the game's player progression system linked to battle passes, as well as the excessive price of in-game virtual items, were criticized by many players.
Over the past period of time, passes have been steadily updated and improved, making it easier for players to level up. The Event Pass was also improved in the second week, giving players more challenges and more cosmetic rewards.
Improvements to these multiplayer games have been very slow, and while not much has changed, Grace believes it is still "a firm step in the right direction." But she also said that even the best changes can't obscure the fundamental problems with the in-app purchase system in Halo: Infinity. No matter how gorgeous the in-app purchases and packaging of the game system, the way games are monetized still relies on forcing players to spend more time and money than in other games.
Grace says that while the quest system has been improved, the quests themselves are still locked into the corresponding game mode. Most of the time, players can only try to complete one mission at a time, and are also bound to complete weapons they don't like or game modes that they don't have interest in.
In addition to improvements, the game itself still has fundamental problems that cannot be solved with a better mission challenge system or content. The game's Player Progression is bound to the quest system and refreshes daily/weekly. Sometimes it's hard for players to earn a level in the next game when they want to continue playing without a mission, and when players feel they've had enough today but the challenge isn't done yet, they may feel like they've missed a lot of experience.
In addition, the price in the store is still not improved, and it is still too expensive: the "Cat Ears" combo costs $10, but only includes one accessory and one color. Not only that, but the game itself comes with very little customization content, and if the player doesn't complete the challenge to unlock, or buy from the store, they can only use very basic skins and weapon appearances.
Grace concludes by saying that many of these issues are common to all of the game's pass systems and accessory stores. There will be a clear difference between those who consume and those who do not. Battle Passes bind players to spend a lot of time in the game and can't enjoy the game according to their mood and time. She argues that in-game microtransactions are essentially an exploitative economic model, and halo infinity's multiplayer mode has not escaped the curse of most "free to play" games on the market.