Thanks for watching! Next video will involve orange jumpsuit men and scary situations.

This ain’t 88 hours long wtf

You hit the nail on the head when it comes to weapon variety. Choosing the DMR as the first weapon to add to Infinite's sandbox is... an interesting choice

Bricky your warhammer videos got me into the warhammer hobbie. This isn't a thank you. I am going to be painting Genestealer cult for the next 5 months because of you

"Its so over" "We're so back" The life cycle's of the halo fanbase

I'm playing for the campaign for the first time and you absolutely nailed how im feeling about the weapons.

A thing you missed regarding battle passes is that 343 doesnt build upon FOMO in that case. You can buy any old battle pass and level it up which is great. It should be industry standard in my opinion to just go back and level another battle pass because you like the cosmetics more. I dont know if the grind is still crazy because im not playing Infinite at the moment but this retroactive battle pass thing doesnt get talked about enough. If they add this in Destiny i would be soooooo happy, since i got burned out the last seasons but i would love to get the cosmetics at a future point.

I like to visualize the state of 343 Industries as a bunch of passionate developers wanting to fix issues and add cool new things to their game, at the same time however they're struggling to think and move at their desks because it's the responsibility of their bosses to be constantly choking and bodyslamming their employees so they can't work too efficiently

I'll tell you exactly why Infinite feels like it has fewer weapons: 343 was too committed to balancing absolutely everything for multiplayer, especially for basic multiplayer combat. When that happens, weapon variety *in practice* decreases quite a bit, because basic multiplayer combat is a limited scope and does not leave a great deal of room for weapon gimmicks. Halo 3 had the Mauler. And it was okay with having the Mauler. 343 would not be okay with having the Mauler.

The thing about SBMM is that it's more noticeable when you start playing more. No matter how well you play, you will be forced to play with really bad players while the enemy team is completely full onyx rank players. Exceeding expectations makes the SBMM worse, the game thinks you WILL perform like that every round, making things even harder

I love it when Bricky spreads our cheeks open with another video.

The most reasonable and educational SBMM conversation I've heard in a while. My playstyles normally revolve around helping my allies rather than personal glory, and assisting my team into having an easier time with SBMM is usually an exotic gaming experience. If anyone's struggling with SBMM, try using niche/supportive stuff in your games. it'll take you "Skill" down without you deliberately throwing and having a backup game plan when you're just not confident in your basic skills is comforting.

one thing not mentioned but that im really glad theyve added, is that in custom games and some matchmaking playlists you can use the campaign variant versions of weapons. some of these are absolutely insane and make some useless/average weapons into absolute powerhouses (calcine disruptor and arcane sentinal beam for example). it definitely helps add to the weapon variety in those game modes

24:10 Halo 3 and Reach solved the SBMM issue by tuning it to different degrees depending on what you were playing. Social modes were very lossened to non-existant SBMM. While ranked modes were more strict. But even then, it was never as strict as modern games. Nobody said the existence of SBMM is an issue. It's when it's tuned to absolute sweet fest absurdity that's the issue. If modern shooters want to fix it, look how older Halo, Cod, and other FPS games did it.

The sidekick feeling capable of being a primary and the AR being a secondary is a thought I remember having way back during the closed testflight/beta or whatever it was called.

An overpowered pistol, boy that's old school halo for you

The reason why you feel their are less weapons in Infinite is because of the fact their are still very few good Covenant/Banished weapons. Here's hoping either a Spiker or Plasma Rifle get added, or the Fuel Rod Gun or Brute Shot.

15:33 The main issue with the Halo 3 maps is that almost all Halo 3 weapons were projectile based, meaning that it was incredibly hard to cross-map with BRs due to the fact you had to lead the shot and be dead on with your leading since there was no aim assist at beyond red reticle range. Map makers knew this and made their maps with this in mind. In Halo infinite, a lot of the weapons seem to be either hitscan or extremely fast projectiles that are effectively hitscan. Making cross-map kills with precision weapons much easier. This is why most of the Halo 3 maps feel off. Maybe this is a hot take, but I think all precision weapons that aren't in the sniper role should be projectile based.

Very interesting to hear the explanation about SBMM. It's why I stopped playing Apex, as much as I enjoyed that game. I remember coming back after a season or two of skipping it, getting a couple of wins, and then all of a sudden the next Champion squad was three Apex Predators. It's why I'm interested in Ubisoft's XDefiant, when that eventually comes out, as the devs have said the game will have no SBMM whatsoever.

Came back a few weeks ago after a long break and immediately went in a 13 kill tear with the bandit. It was probably just dumb luck but the way that thing handles just speaks to me for some reason. Some how all these years later I have a new beloved in Halo.

16:52 Reflection is actually a reskinned halo 2 map, Ivory Tower... Because, yet again, Halo 2 is the GOAT

Love when bricky puts another video out to edge too, now I’ve got 88 hours

As a giant fan of halo I was depressed with how halo infinite was during launch. Now it’s finally looking good! However until that armor core system is changed I don’t have any intention in returning. Even spent $10 on the first battle pass because I belief in 343

I'm honestly so happy they brought back the marines, they were one of the best parts of the halo series.

I still think they should give a universal armor coating every primary rank-up (bronze to silver, etc.) I also think that the weekly challenge rewards need more or just better. Also, the armor cores do have a nice detail that they have different style prosthetics. That feels worth it to me keeping the cores, and just making the pieces cross core. They also kinda act like saves for armors.

My only complaint about the game itself (exluding the entire monetisation system) is that the SBMM overpowers the connection strength of the sever, leading to a lot of frustrating deaths due to dam near constant rubber banding after 7 matches.

yeah about that... its wild how AC6 isnt even nominated in Score and Music category or Audio design seeing how vital audio cues were, given how counterintuitive HUD/counters were hugging the corners of the screen and was intrusive w/ how exhilarating and chaotic combat is.

Couldn't agree more with every point made in this video. I played Infinite a TON when it first came out, but as you said that first year or so was agonizing as they tried to fix a lot of the half baked stuff. Who knows maybe I'll hop back in - it seems like they've really been working to rectify a lot of those issues. Great video man!

I love your vids so much Bricky! Keep it up you're wonderful

I like loose SBMM because I get matched with people closer to my level where MY impact matters more. Most veterans dislike SBMM because they want those relaxing games where they dunk on hapless noobs, like me. Getting into 10 random games over the course of a day and each one has half the enemy team being veteran/pro players that proceed to get 125 of the 150 score needed to win and me and my team have 30 score? *Yeah, screw that.*

I miss Halo 3 rank progression. It's like the cherry on top that is missing from modern halo games. It's so close.

I agree with your overall sentiment that the weapon sandbox feels like it could use something more, but I think what I'd like to see it get is 1-2 more "weird" weapons. The new weapons they added are mostly very buttoned down and conservative in design, probably because they were painstakingly balanced for competitive play. I'd like to see a new weapon or two in the vein of the Needler. Shouting out the Forerunner weapons in Halo 4 and 5 is surprising, because a lot of people hated them precisely for what you said about Infinite's sandbox - they fulfilled archetypes already filled by existing weapons, and felt superfluous.

Great video! I’m super glad someone with a large following can bring attention to the SBMM issue on infinite. It’s really ironic that there are multiple playlists with the title “Social” yet has very aggressive unbalanced matchmaking

9:20 I think the issue is that the game lacks a general Covenant precision weapon. The Stalker rifle is supposed to be the sniper equivalent for the covenant. It makes the precision weapons feel samey when they are all UNSC based.

Bricky, I salute you on your crusade for good, fun progression systems. Overwatch 1 had a real simple system with its player portraits that became more intricate every 10 levels, and you got a lootbox with some random toys in it every level. Overwatch 2 got rid of that for... a blatantly obvious reason. Not just the free shit, the player portraits and levels too. It took them a YEAR to come out with a proper system again, and now I really love it. You have XP and levels for every game mode, role, and hero, with a pretty badge every 10 levels, and profile icons/name cards/titles for big milestones. So, you can see a player with the "Mythic Monk" title and know that they really like Zenyatta. It's fun to see what everybody's favorites are. Take a look at it sometime.

For 1 of your points about remakes. You mentioned Guardian playing the best, that's because it was scaled with a few new areas to make it work better in Infinite. Side note: The armour core system is gradually being removed so all items work on everything.

Great video as always Bricky. I know for me, I’m not touching the game until the core system is gone, but I’m super excited for when that happens. CBT in video games is one of the most important aspects of a game to me.

I was scared when bricky mention SBMM but he has genuinely the best take I've heard from a gamer.

Not all helmets are cross-core. There are a few they have forgotten like the Zvezda I bought when Infinite launched, a few others too I've noticed that are now locked in "archive." But for the most part the helmets are cross-core. I wish it would be expanded to other armor modifications as well, with the exception of some items (Fracture frames should keep their exclusives to their armor set as its supposed to be a themed core in the first place)

The opening Spartan line-up could be great at the end of a match to highlight MVP, Most Kills, etc.

32:50 this was proven false way way back after the beta ended when the OG bot bootcamp mode was still in the game. Bots could be seen wearing cross core helmets, shoulders, chest, even prosthetics from different cores as well as unreleased items such as JFO helm and other various pre-event items. It's not a technical limitation its a design choice.

i think when you end up being competitive at something, especially after years of it, when you try to play something "casually" you are still not really playing casually. This is because muscle memory is a thing, Thought processes change at higher ranks, so on and so forth. In so many games i play when playing unranked i can clearly see some high tier tactics or very optimal combos and stuff because it is just ingrained in a person to do this after so many years of doing so. I just wished that the higher skilled people would stay up there over loosing a lot then going back down and creaming everybody so that need to be fixed. Lots of bias here obviously but i just wanna play with other scrubs like me over highly skilled people that wanna play "casually"

As a casual player that plays FPS games from time to time when I'm in the mood, SBMM is the savior of shooters for me. Ya I may have 1 bad game once in a blue moon, but 90% of the time, its just run around and shoot some people. As someone that played mostly FPS back in the MW times. I can tell you, nothing is less fun then having someone stomping an entire lobby single handed. For both teams.

That's actually one of the most refreshing takes on Destiny 2s cosmetics I've heard and I'm glad you said it.

I hope this vid will invite more players to tha game. Thanks Bricky.

SBMM is why I refuse to even think about playing FPS PVP games anymore. I'm just the epitome of "aggressive mediocrity" at FPS games, I'm okay in some situations, but I'll be basically the dead weight on the team when it gets to a situation I'm not the best in, which makes the game harder on everyone else. That's not fun for me to just be carried like luggage, and its not fun for the person carrying me. Therefore, just...no more FPS PVP for me anymore. Not to mention, its hard to actually learn anything about how to play when I'm not put up against players that force me to not make my standard set of mistakes and improve, which is what's really fun.

As someone who was too young to experience the prime of Halo, the gameplay of Infinite feels like what I missed out on.

Great Video Bricky glad to see you talk about Halo again! Would love to see a classic custom game night maybe in the future?

i feel like people hate using the sidekick cuz of how its designed. Not only does it just look like a regular ass gun, but its got really weak sound design. When you pick it up it immediately FEELS like the halo 2 pistol: quiet, piddly, and a giant step down in power from the CE pistol. Now the sidekick is way better than 2's pistol, it having a good ttk is evidence of that, but it shows just how important good sound, visual, and tactile design of weapons in games can be. Its a great weapon, but it feels like a shitty sidearm upon first use so most casual people drop it and hate it. If it had a more crunchy report id wager itd be more popular

3:45, but the older halos weren't sluggish or unresponsive at all. They are really smooth at 60fps.

Love that Cage remake! One of my favorites for 1v1s 26:58

“I find the bandit a bit weak” shows him trying to 1v1 a banshee😂

Quite the interesting video, dude! IMO, terms of weapons lacking "variety" I think the difference between Infinite and Older games is that Infinite is more careful with how structured its weapons sandbox is I mean sure, older games had a flashier variety of different weapons, but in actual gameplay they tended to get overshadowed by less than 5 specific weapons - usually some precision weapon of some kind and weapons that enable it alongside power weapons in Infinite all the weapons have a niche even if they fall into similar categories - Bulldog is solid close up damage but suffers at range, Heatwave can do ranged "shotgun" pellet bursts and farther spreads that both bounce and pass through targets, but the travel time and slower ttk means they play different in different ways and most importantly dont render one another useless. The same applies to all the pistols (even plasma pistol, surprisingly), the automatics, snipers, etc. But because of this the weapons themselves are less distinct - they dont look cool first, play good after, its the inverse. So even tho there's roughly the same amount of faction visual styles in game (UNSC, Forerunner (heatave, sentinel, cindershot), Banished, Covenant) they dont feel as different Personally its hard for me to say that this is a bad thing - I personally prefer Infinite's sandbox over previous games. I genuinely feels like I can literally pick up anything off the floor and do well with it unlike older games, and I notice I get killed by a wider variety of weapons too. I think the real Killer then is perhaps map weapon availability - weapon spawns are tied to certain respawn points which are roughly equivalent (weapon category wise) but alot only show up on one side of the map or the other. Because of this, even if a map had every weapon on it with multiple spawns, you might only see half or less of them unless you get your spawns flipped. Its the same with the whole vehicle spawning thing but with weapons. It has its pros and cons but definitely I feel is what is contributing to the point you made earlier

I just don't understand why they removed the brute shot ._.

Thank you bricky! I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels like infinite hasn’t got a large arsenal, despite the fact it’s actually does!

The description of SBMM was so spot on. People that used it as a scapegoat for them being bad make it impossible to start an actual discussion about it's downsides without someone just assuming you're "mad cuz bad". As someone who has regularly played COD MP these last few years, it's just not fun when you do well for a match or 2, and then suddenly you get dropped into a lobby full of sweats that are playing the game like it's ranked. SBMM should really just be enforced in Ranked, and maybe implemented a bit lighter in casual game modes

The thing is with skill based match making, whenever you are asking for a relaxed match, you are basically asking to be put against worse players than you that you can destroy to relax. (Which is obviously bad for those players which will feel like all their games are the super high intensity game you want to avoid)

I’m a hardcore Halo fan who likes to play relatively casually. Infinite makes it nearly impossible to properly enjoy the good aspects of the game. I’ve always viewed Halo as a party game with competitive aspects (like smash or Mario kart) but heavy SBMM forces me to play with extra sweat on my nuts, the complete antithesis to why I play Halo multiplayer. If I wanted to sweat I’d hop on ranked, not fucking Fiesta… Edit: Also RIP Campaign DLC 😢

So many great points and great presentation of the pros and cons of not only this game, but highlights may others. This took me back to your pringles CS:GO cheater story from a long while ago.

By far the most level headed and logical opinion on the state of SBMM I've heard recently. Bravo again Bricky McBrickerson. Loved it as always.

My problem with SBMM is that you either need to always play at 100% if you want to keep up and have fun, or you need to be completely relaxed and just fuck around. There is no inbetween and bad players wont get better because they will have a good game or two and they are feeling better, but then they are forced to play against max level sweatband users who demolish them without contest. I think that was a big problem with MWII because you were stuck playing against tryhards constantly so they countered by playing broken meta loadouts like the Kastov 74u or any shotgun while ratting in corners.

I really wanted to give this game a chance, but the bad netcode and desyncs mean that having any sort of high ping makes the experience feel very very bad. Especially since I played on a region with less players, so I'd often get matches outside it, making the problem worse. So I cannot consider returning until they fix the netcode. And even if they do, the multiplayer population might never again rise to a playable level for me.

The mark V is iconic but also Really plays into the aesthetic that people want. I don't have to elaborate on how a lot of the helmets aren't exactly "cool"

Literally one of the best feeling halo's gameplay wise but held back by its lack of content, at least before. After playing again it's certainly a lot more fun now that more modes and forge is available and im having fun which is nice to say about halo again.

I love the Sidekic, and while I agree it's a bit too strong, rather than nerf the damage and/or RoF I think increasing the max bloom and bloom per shot would help reign it in. Let people spam at close range - but risk missing shots and/or the final headshot due to larger bloom, or force them to temper their trigger finger to ensure accuracy at medium range.

The warning signs for me was the horrific campaign in 4 and worse yet in 5. If they can't get anywhere close to previous highs in that respect, who knows how bad the future looks. Sure enough, it went the direction of every AAA game in the industry, which is heavy monetization and nostalgia baiting.

Brick went from what i recall from past videos for the main content to suddenly feel like my manufacturing professor talking about a hobby for the outro this new perception will be ignored hereafter

Thank you for all the Seinfeld references, they are priceless. lol. "Someone attacked the bubble boy!!"

I think the reason why it feels like we have fewer weapons is is because in halo 5 each weapon have a couple of variations for each one plus they also had the promethean weapons as well. Even they im pretty sure infinite has more weapons then 5 theres not much sense variety in every gun fight. We know that the enemy is gonna have a only a couple weapons to choose from so we can “plan” accordingly but in 5 there was no planning for a explosive saw or the blackhole plasma pistol.

In Halo 3 the weapons felt distinct. When you have the BR, Commando, and now DMR...you've got 3 guns that are supposed to be your mid range weapon where you break shields and finish with a headshot (all with a human aesthetic to boot). You can argue there's 4 given the Magnum, but that's at least visually different. Then you have the stalker rifle which is basically the same thing just slightly tweaked and an alien aesthetic. Weapons like the Ravager feel like a pain to use unless you spent a decent amount of time learning its quirks. We have two, weaker shotguns that cannot one shot with that satisfying boomstick feel. Oh I hit you with two shells and finish you with a melee? That's not the Halo shotgun feel. The disruptor weapons feel like they were anti-vehicle first and foremost and then given a quirk to make them kind off good against personnel, but in an unintuitive way (shock rifle is a "burst one shot" and the pistol has a bleed effect if you stack enough shots). The mangler was just a camp to one tap+melee weapon prior to its changes. Now I'm a boomer, so much so that I think 3 was the zenith and the DMR is bad for Halo (it's too good in too many situations and makes the BR struggle in its niche) so take this with that disclaimer. It really feels like a lot of Infinite's weapons are clutter more than anything else. Weapons in Halo 3 at least felt fun even if they weren't meta and were generally intuitive. So many weapons in Infinite have quirks or unintuitive design (e.g. ravager has a spike but isn't something you fight in close spaces with) that it feels easy to use them wrong. Others just don't have a real niche to fill and makes the space feel cluttered with junk, not full of choices.

I also agree that Armored Core should have been nominated for GotY. Like come on. Besides that great video as always! Stay Bricked up!!

*Buys Brickle t-shirt, loves it* *sees Brickle Christmas t-shirt* "Why have you forsaken me God"

I hate FTP but SBMM is the only thing I hate more in gaming...

Yeah my love for Halo has been killed in 2021. Theres nothing 343 can do to win me back.

I honestly thought I subscribed ages ago my bad bricky haha. You have deserved it since I first seen your video about Warhammer factions lol. Keep up the good work brother ;)

But this is just 33 Minutes of Halo Infinite! Never thought Bricky would get to this point of clickbait!

Everyone loves to dunk on SBMM, but off of my own experiences it's better then the alternatives, and even at it's poorest it's on par with a 'free for all' matchmaker. SBMM is worse for the outliers (the very good or the very bad), but a SBMM that has minor changes to the player's rank in it's ranking system and a narrower MM zone is significantly better for the average casual player. Most games that I've played though don't go for quality MM games though, they're aiming at getting players as fast into games as possible, because of how negative the perception is having a longer matchmaking queue is (cue 'dead game' memes for matchmaking taking longer then 20 seconds).

Mint Blitz cameo is an automatic L. Especially when you later talk about people who stomp noob for clips

its so bizarre how bad 343 managed to screw up the easy stuff, yet absolutely nail the gameplay perfectly. There is a reason everyone was blinded by the lack of content at its release and its all because of its amazing gameplay

Going through all my thought I think two big changes could definitely spice up the game but also be such a big attraction for player. 1. We have the SBBM and it’s been around since the early games. However, the big change we have in Infinite is that every match is a constant change of players. Not change of teams or the occasional new face from drop outs but it’s always constantly changing. I seriously believe if 343 implemented the old lobby system of 2,3 and especially Reach era (the ability to vote on maps and look at peoples record and armour and files and everything) they have such a resurgence not just in game but community. It would also completely destroy the whole “SBMM” moop. Skilled sweaty player can find the lobby they want with a mix of hardcore player but also simple starts - not enjoyable for the later but it’s there. You have your casual lobbies as casual players will generally group together and stick around more - if everyone finds themselves in a nice even match group, it’s very likely they remain playing together with the only occasional need for a drop in. Poor players - will have the ability to jump lobbies and find ones which they either have some skill in or can improve in. Meaning they either can remain their poor level of play but have fun or actually improve slowly but at their level of time and pace vs getting annoyed at the toss in of super players every now and then. 2. Here’s talking on the new Battle Pass. I’m not actually here to talk about the pass itself but the idea the pass entailed but never really done much with. The combined arms idea it gave and showed consistently in art was a Spartan operating alongside elites and jackals. Imagine instead of just waisting that potential 343 actually played into that. Imagine instead of just the H3 remake maps, you get maps where you spawn in you get accompanied by elites, grunts and jackals. Play into the new forge features along with your AI. Have new death races where you actually spawn into the race with two AI in your vehicle (say marines) and they actually fight between your vehicles as you drive for the win. Or even bigger which you can say could be unrealistic for 343 at the moment. Being back Spartan Ops. But instead do just focusing on Crimson Team, we get small chapters that focus on different teams and groups across the rings and universe. You can have one where we are a set of Spartans and Marines landing on the ring in those new ancient ruin maps holding off banished hunting parties while trying to figure out what the places are/mean. We could even have one where we follow Spartan mercs (we know mjolnir armour is now available in black markets and such based on MJ2 designs) so with that new needler map, have a small story of a Spartan merc team working alongside Jackal and Elite pirates/splinter groups collecting these supply’s for their ship/profit while maybe holding off a new local species or something.

Hot take I love SBMM because I'm a fairly casual player and if I do great in a match I'm gonna start fighting the better players but if im sucking ass im gonna play against the suck ass players. Theres nothing wrong with playing with people your skill level so that you can just vibe and have fun with the game. The problem is that you don't have to sweat to enjoy sbmm because every match feels comfy because thats the point. I don't find getting my ass handed to me by idiots who spend 15 hours a day playing a game when I just want to play a few rounds after work fun.

nONONONONOOON; I will NEVER support the forerunners aesthetic; it was abysmall, looked like plastic diy airsoft with workshop LED packed on it and it completely destroyed the gritty/serious look of halo. I am SO HAPPY that they are gone.

It’s good to have content creators who aren’t directly in the Halo scene make videos like this for Halo. The game is in a significantly better spot than release and it’s only going to continue upwards. But it still has its problems that need to be solved for it to truly take over again.

“I activated Mountain Dew”

Great video as always. Infinite really has come around to being one of the best Halo titles in my opinion. Gameplay is the best its ever felt to me, lots of weapons and equipment to use with even more coming, firefight is getting added a little later this season, and it now has the most maps of any of the Halo games. I've stuck with the game for every season since launch with 324 hours in the game now and I think anyone who has though about playing or dropped it after launch should definitely check it out

17:39 Never apologize for watching Seinfeld, it’s a timeless treasure.

88 hours on the 8th Halo FPS. The blood of the Banished fuels a much greater evil

Hi bricky I’ve been rewatching a bunch of your older content and you’ve very quickly become one of my favourite KZfaqrs 😊😊😊

You're the real gift this holiday

Nothing like getting bricked up on a Thursday afternoon for some Halo content

I will say it's a pretty good sign that now just a few weeks after this video came out several of the complaints have now been addressed either fully or with band aid fixes and stated plans for full fixes

The Disrupter is the white-scars of Halo weapons. Everybody sleeps on it, but I’ve demolished so many people and vehicles with this gun. The upgraded version is even scarier with the increased tick damage, 3 shots is all it takes to kill!

Just wanted to tell you that I found your channel thanks to your match on Play On Tabletop and especially because of how beautiful your Night Lord army looked.

got ma cup of tea and new bricky video. life is gud

I have played this game religiously since launch. I feel like a fish who just took the bait, and I am being reeled toward the surface at a high speed, but I never get to the surface and they just keep reeling me toward my certain death when the game is finally finished at the same time that the next halo is released.

Woo! another bricky video another happy day

Adding to in-game purchases segment: After buying just 1 battle pass (and completing it), Infinite asks you "Congratulations you've finished the battle pass. Would you like to buy the current pass?" AFTER. EVERY. MATCH.

Why 88 hours of Halo. When you can have 88 hours of Disco Cops.

Nah bro, the Disrupter pistol is an S tier weapon. I'd pick it over most weapons in the game. So versatile for emping vehicles and very quick kill times of players, along with delaying their shield recharge rate and if a group of them are close it does AOE. Massively slept on weapon.

343 was so dedicated to reimagining Halo CE they broke the pistol in this game too