Halo Infinite Forge - Hard Landing
Hard Landing is a Halo Infinite Forge map created in 5 months. My Main goal of this level was to capture gameplay beats and design philosophies from the original Halo trilogy. This level mixed traditional foot and vehicle combat, which are the features of some of my favourite Halo levels (Delta Halo, The Ark). I also aimed to create visually pleasing vistas that made the player feel small, but also evoke emotions of wonder and mystery around the location.
Research:
To achieve my goals of creating an authentic Halo level, I did some research into Halo design philosophies. This was done by watching every Halo behind-the-scenes documentary, paying particular attention to what the game and level designers had to say about the Halo sandbox:
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Combat with the AI, not just against the AI - friendly marines help you out, they follow the player and help them to achieve their objective
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Have fun, memorable encounters (3 - 5)
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Have a really fun and cool finale to a level.
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Keep players thinking, make them feel that they can take multiple routes, even though it's linear - allow
players to take multiple routes to an objective. -
Each new situation presents a new problem for the player to solve, or different tools to solve it.
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Make the player feel that they are the only one that can do what they are doing - to feel like
a super soldier.
Likewise, I also went back to some of my favourite Halo levels and broke them down and asked myself, "Why do I love these levels so much and what makes them so much fun?" Below are 3 examples of great Halo levels and what they do that makes the levels so much fun and memorable:
Halo: CE - The Silent Cartographer
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Immediately starts with a large-scale battle, giving the player an adrenaline rush, which then scales back to tight close-quarters combat later on.
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Gives the player freedom to explore the level at their own pace without forcing them down a linear route at the start.
Halo 2 - Delta Halo
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Gives players access to a hard-to-obtain weapon at the offset (rocket launcher), then a few minutes later, a scorpion tank, giving players a nice power trip for several sections of the level.
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Features a well-designed late combat section with a short but sweet sniper section within a rocky valley, making great use of elevation and enemy positioning, which proves to be a good challenge on harder difficulties.
Halo 3 - The Ark
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Slowly ramps up the tension from small-scale infantry fights to ending with a large-scale multi-vehicle battle, even involving a scarab fight.
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Reacts to players completing an objective in a different order (clear the Dawn's landing sight or the Forerunner door)
What these levels shared:
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A mix of on-foot and vehicular combat.
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Iconic set pieces / beautiful vistas.
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Large amounts of friendly AI support that back the player.
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Well-paced combat encounters with plenty of room for the player to breathe.
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Not all combat encounters have to be massive; sometimes they can be quieter and more intimate.
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Tension is built naturally, not forced out of nowhere.
Level Design - Narrative:
Hard Lanking features a simple narrative, with the level taking place during the events of Halo: CE. While on a routine patrol, UNSC forces are ambushed and shot down by a newly deployed Covenant AA gun. Expecting easy pickings, the local Covenant forces soon find that the Master Chief was among the survivors. Not out of the fight, the Chief's goal quickly moves from gathering survivors into a strong counterattack to disable the AA gun to get rescued by other UNSC forces in the area.
On the final polished gameplay video, I included cinematics and audio cues that I felt naturally fit the level and to help further sell the authenticity of this level.
Level Design - Sandbox Ruleset:
For this level, I chose to stick with a core sandbox ruleset. This was to keep each section of the level consistent with the others, as well as to give the feeling of taking part in the original trilogy:
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The player was unable to sprint but had increased jump height and a slower walking speed (akin to Halo CE)
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Access to weapons that were typically found in the original trilogy (AR, BR, Snipers, etc.).
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Enemy types encountered would only be "Elite Covenant-based", meaning there would be no Brutes. I strongly feel that having Elites and Brutes on the same side attacking players does not flow well in gameplay. In my opinion, it should be one or the other, or unless they are on different sides, such as in the level "Gravemind" in Halo 2.
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As is typical with Halo, Elites command their own squads of 3 -5 grunts, Jackals and Hunters appear in pairs, and Wraiths are placed in tactically advantageous positions (such as height). Each squad has a purpose and isn't just placed for no reason.
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Energy shields of the player take slightly more damage but recharge much quicker.
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Reload speeds for all weapons have been slightly reduced, giving each weapon a more weighty feel and preventing players from rushing the enemy, making every shot count.
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Combat should be broken up with short "quiet moments" - this is to allow for the player to scavenge for weapons, allow the narrative to continue, and to allow players to breathe and not feel overwhelmed with constant combat.
Level Design - Rough 2D Layout:
Gameplay Beats:
Encounter 1: Crash Site
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The opening encounter establishes the setting, the stakes and the core sandbox.
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The player fights small squads of Grunts led by Elites, supported by allied Marines who survived the crash.
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The space provides ample weapons and ammunition, allowing players to experiment early and build confidence.
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A Phantom drops reinforcements mid‑fight, introducing Jackals as a new threat and escalating the encounter naturally.
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The section concludes with the player gaining access to a Warthog, creating a smooth transition into the next, more open combat space.
Design Intent:
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Introduce the player to the level’s tone, allies and enemy hierarchy while keeping the difficulty approachable. The Warthog handoff sets up the next encounter naturally.
Encounter 2: Vehicle Combat
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This encounter expands the battlefield, giving players the freedom to drive, flank and support a larger number of friendly forces.
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The player engages in light vehicle combat across a large open area, using the Warthog to support Marines pushing from friendly to neutral to enemy ground.
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The encounter introduces Ghosts, adding faster-moving enemies and unpredictability to the fight.
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Multiple Covenant squads are active simultaneously, creating a layered battlefield without overwhelming the player.
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The encounter culminates in a short wave-defence sequence, where the player and Marines repel several dropships of reinforcements while securing a Covenant outpost overlooking the valley.
Design Intent:
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Deliver a classic Halo “combined arms” moment: infantry, vehicles, allies and open‑ended combat. The player feels like part of a larger push rather than a lone wolf. Players should feel the payoff of keeping more Marines alive.
Encounter 3: Forerunner Interior
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Leaving the open valley behind, the player enters a Forerunner structure carved into a cave system.
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Friendly AI remain behind, shifting the tone to a more isolated, intimate combat experience.
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The interior layout features multiple rooms and varied encounter spaces, encouraging weapon swapping and improvisation.
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Enemy composition becomes more challenging: higher‑rank Elites, Jackals, and Grunts with heavier firepower, such as manned turrets.
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The encounter peaks with the player’s first Hunter pair, marking a clear escalation in threat.
Design Intent:
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Contrast the openness of Encounter 2 with tighter, more tactical engagements. This section tests the player’s adaptability and reinforces the level’s rising difficulty curve.
Encounter 4: Sniper Overwatch & Heavy Vehicle Threats
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Exiting the cave system, the player emerges onto a high vantage point overlooking a valley of stranded Marines.
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The player provides sniper support from above, controlling the flow of combat and shaping the battlefield from a distance.
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A Rocket Hog becomes available, giving the player a powerful new tool for the next phase.
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The encounter escalates with the first appearance of a Wraith, forcing the player to dodge artillery fire while dealing with harassing fast‑moving Ghosts.
Design Intent:
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Give the player a moment of empowerment through elevation and long‑range control, then immediately challenge that confidence with a heavy vehicle threat.
Encounter 5: Full‑Scale Counterattack
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This is the level’s largest combined‑arms moment and a deliberate power spike for the player.
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The player links up with a large Marine force, creating the feeling of a coordinated UNSC counterattack.
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Access to heavy weapons (snipers, rocket launchers) and a Scorpion tank dramatically increases player power.
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The battlefield features a mix of infantry, Ghosts, turrets, and a Wraith acting as long‑range artillery from a plateau.
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The encounter ends with another Hunter pair, which the player can now dispatch easily using the tank, a deliberate contrast to their earlier difficulty.
Design Intent:
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Deliver a satisfying power fantasy while maintaining tactical variety. This encounter reinforces the Halo principle of “earned empowerment” after a series of escalating challenges.
Encounter 6: AA Gun Assault
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The final encounter is a multi‑phase battle designed to test everything the player has learned.
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The opening phase is a heavy vehicle engagement featuring two Wraiths, multiple Ghosts, and infantry squads.
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The player must manage positioning, threat prioritisation and Marine survivability as well as keeping the Scorpion alive.
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Eventually, the terrain forces the player to abandon the tank, transitioning into close‑quarters infantry combat.
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The final push up the winding, elevated path to the Covenant AA site places enemies on the high ground, creating a tense uphill battle.
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The level concludes with the destruction of the AA gun and the player’s extraction.
Design Intent:
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End the level with a layered, escalating challenge that blends vehicle combat, infantry pressure and verticality. The finale is designed to feel earned, cinematic and authentically Halo.
Tension Vs Difficulty Scale:
It's very important to create quiet moments of transition into the next combat encounter. Otherwise, the player will feel overwhelmed with constant combat. These moments also allow players to scavenge and explore the areas to gain more ammunition or swap weapons. Furthermore, these quiet moments allow for the narrative to continue with dialogue from characters, for example.
Community Comments:
Posting this video on social media sites such as Reddit and YouTube garnered over 3,000+ views, which blew away my expectations. I also received some very kind comments from the Halo community. From some of the comments left, I felt very accomplished in my work and goal to create a authenic and believable level set in the original trilogy.
What I Learned:
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How to make use of Halo Infinite's forge visual scripting system (which was quite familiar to UE5 Blueprints)
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Creating quiet moments for players is just as important in making combat fun and engaging.
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Gradually increase the difficulty while giving players access to equipment to tackle the challenge, without making it too easy or too hard.
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Having each combat encounter be different, by mixing enemy types, local and weapons, helps keep the level experience fresh and engaging rather than being too repetitive or boring.
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Height variation is such a massive part in level design which an easily make a combat encounter harder or easier for players.
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(If you haven't noticed yet, Halo 2 is my all-time favourite game, with Delta Halo being my favourite level in all of gaming.)
Improvements:
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Use more effective means within the scripting. I felt that some of my code was a little too messy; it did the job, but upon further inspection and more learning, many improvements here could be made.
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I was quite stop-start with this level; often going several months without working on it, I would forget what I left off, forget what my code did, etc.... While this allowed me to come back with fresh new ideas, often going back and changing a lot of my previous work, I feel I could have been more consistent with working on this level, but that's life, it happens.
