How Halo Infinite Communicates Emotion Without Taking Off Master Chief's Helmet

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The latest mainline entry in the beloved Halo franchise may have its controversies, but regardless of its faults, Halo Infinite still provides a story bursting with heart and humor despite its protagonist's famously stoic presence. Believed by many to be the best the franchise has been in years, Halo Infinite had a lot going for it when it was initially released. Issues around an unclear roadmap and co-op disappointments have tainted its reputation, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Halo Infinite is a great game.

Alongside the familiar FPS trappings, fast-paced action, and classic science fiction elements, Halo Infinite manages to craft a compelling and surprisingly touching story with the impenetrable Master Chief at its center. For a franchise known mainly for its badass main character and dedicated playerbase rather than its emotionally nuanced storytelling, Halo games as a whole still manage to pack an emotional punch from time to time, which is particularly surprising given the fact that gamers never actually see Master Chief remove his helmet.

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For all intents and purposes, Master Chief's entire identity is his armor. It's instantly recognizable and practically all the player ever sees of him, becoming so interwoven with his character that he doesn't really exist beyond it. Master Chief's face is completely covered, which presents plenty of problems when it comes to showing off how he's feeling at any given moment.

Halo Infinite navigates this in several interesting ways, showing that although Master Chief may seem impenetrable and emotionless, that isn't actually true at all. With Master Chief's lack of expression to rely on, Halo