It's been a long time, but Chief's back in town. Halo Infinite is finally here, and it brings with it an exciting new campaign and multiplayer modes that bring all those late night LAN parties to mind. And while much has changed over the years since we first met everyone's favorite Spartan, Halo Infinite feels like coming home and settling in with a familiar landscape and characters that we look back on fondly. Halo Infinite has even more to do this time around, with a lengthy open-world story to explore as well as multiplayer mayhem that you'll want to spend hours competing against others in.

But to be fair, for many of us, it's been some time since we've played Halo. Don't worry, we've got your back. We've lined out some important things to consider when jumping back into the lore-filled world of Halo, and how you can gear up with useful equipment to make sure you stay on top of your game, no matter what your skill level at Halo is. Whether you’ve been playing through the classics in Halo: The Master Chief Collection to prepare for Halo Infinite or you need a bit of time to get caught up, with our help, you’ll be ready to kick butt and take names the next time you jump into that famous sage Spartan armor.

What to expect from Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite is the storied return of Master Chief, as the Halo series continues on past the story previously established in Halo 5. Master Chief is recovered by a UNSC pilot, who stumbles upon him in deep space. The newly-revived Chief has a mission to do: save humanity. He's also got to figure out what happened to the previously rampant Cortana, all with the help of the UNSC pilot he's befriended and a new AI companion called "The Weapon". With his new allies at his side, Chief is ready to take on the Banished, a raucous army looking to eliminate humanity.

It's an intriguing tale that's well worth jumping into and completing, even if you typically only play multiplayer games. You can expect plenty of open-world territory to explore, as well as a bit of a tweak to the same-old, same-old Halo mechanics. While the game begins in a more linear fashion as you battle through wave after wave of Grunts, Brutes, and Elites, it soon opens up into something dramatically different, but very, very interesting.

For instance, Chief's Grappleshot is a fun addition to the mix. It lets you maneuver weapons to bring them to you as well as scale heights and chasms without breaking a sweat. There's also a wide variety of additional abilities at your disposal that you'll unlock access to as you complete the campaign, like new gear. You'll have to take the time to capture Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) as well if you want to earn Valor points, which let you call in special equipment like vehicles, weapons, and allies. All the while, you’ll be unlocking bits and pieces of the story, which will play out in a much more interesting way than you might be expecting

What to expect from Halo Infinite multiplayer

Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode was a surprise release ahead of the campaign, so it's been available to play for some time. And while it's brought a few new changes with it, it's still just as satisfying as the classic Halo multiplayer games you've enjoyed over the course of your time as a gamer. And if you're just getting started, you won't have too much of a learning curve. This multiplayer mode is free-to-play, so even if you don't purchase the game, you can play with others who have. It features cross-play and cross-progression, so you can feasibly start on PC and take your progress to your Xbox, or vice versa. It comes with a variety of maps, nine to be exact, and four game types: Slayer, Oddball, Capture the Flag, and Strongholds.

There are also four options for matchmaking: Bot Bootcamp, Quick Play, Big Team Battle, and Ranked Arena. Contrary to popular belief ahead of the game's release, there was no battle royale mode added to the multiplayer option. But there's one massive change this time around: a Battle Pass that you'll need to understand in order to make any real progression.

The Halo Infinite Battle Pass gives you a variety of rewards as you play multiple rounds of the game. There are both free and paid tiers, with weapon and armor customization for you to change up the gear you collect. To earn XP, you need to complete weekly and daily challenges, such as playing specific playlists, earning a certain amount of kills with a specific weapon, and even winning a certain amount of games.

All of this contributes to your overall experience with Halo Infinite, so the more you put into the game, the more you’ll get out of it. If you want to earn better cosmetics, equipment, and other goodies, the answer is simple: keep playing, and you’ll have the coolest, most powerful Spartan this side of New Mombasa…eventually.

How KontrolFreek gear can help you be a better Spartan

Now that you have an idea of what to expect when you jump into Halo Infinite, let's talk about how we can help you become the best possible player you can be. KontrolFreek has a variety of gear you can use to help level up your prowess as a Spartan.

But there's something you can do before you ever pick up any gear to make sure you come out on top. You can, in fact, tweak your controller to improve your aim. This is free, of course -- you just have to change a few settings. Here's what you'll want to alter:

● Set Axial Deadzone to 0
● Set Center Deadzone to 0
● Set Acceleration to 1
● Set Sensitivity to a higher setting (your preference).

These suggestions can help you to approach changing the way you aim mechanically instead of the way you specifically hold the controller or maneuver your way through the game. When it comes to aiding you in terms of KontrolFreek equipment, however, there’s more you can do to prepare.

You'll want to pick up the KontrolFreek gear here to improve how you can aim as well as keep you on top of your game in general.

FPS Freek Inferno Performance Thumbsticks: Some of our staple products at KontrolFreek include our Performance Thumbsticks line. If you're jumping into Halo Infinite, there's a particular version you'll want to pick up: the FPS Freek Inferno. They offer a vibrant red-on-black color scheme and a spiral pattern originally seen with the FPS Freek Vortex thumbsticks. It's all meant to help your game improve, as the harder you play, the harder the thumbsticks work. They add 9.9 mm of height to your analog sticks' radial distance by 47%, and offer an arc distance increase of 135.5%. This all ensures you'll be able to make smaller, more precisei in-game movements. When combined with sensitivity and movement tweaks within Halo Infinite, FPS Freek Inferno thumbsticks will offer enhanced grip, increased accuracy, and added height for comfort and control.

Performance Grips: Pair your Performance Thumbsticks with Performance Grips in the color of your choice for Xbox Series X|S. They're advanced controller grips that use a combination of proprietary materials to offer gamers better grip as well as support and comfort. They're not only easy to apply, but they're simple to reposition and remove if necessary if you want to swap them out and change to a different color. They use a moisture-wicking combination of materials to ensure you're able to grip your controller and keep your cool, no matter what kind of situation you get into in Halo Infinite, multiplayer or otherwise. There's also a foam cushioning layer with the Performance Grips that acts like memory foam to conform to your palm. The harder you grip, the harder the grips work, and they’ll help you make sure you’re calm and collected in the middle of battle.

Now get out there and be the best Spartan you can possibly be!