This level of delusion is scary
Delusion maybe, but when you really like something it appeals to you more than things you don't like as much. Zelda Breath of the Wild for me looks better than countless xbox one gen and ps4 games because that kind of design speaks to me. To this day people can't tell me Blue Dragon wasn't easily one of the best looking games on 360. Same for Lost Odyssey. Why does Halo need to fit into the same visual identity as other games? Someone can't both find Ratchet and Clank or Returnal visually amazing while simultaneously thinking Halo Infinite looks just as impressive in its own right?
If you ask a generic question of which game is most likely to get praised or awarded for its graphics, that likely goes to Ratchet, Gears 5: Hivebusters, upcoming battlefield, Forza Horizon if they really are showing it and it's releasing this year, and just whatever else other beautiful games are out there. I personally think Starfield will be a real looker. Bethesda's artists craft amazing worlds. And for me I've always been a gamer where if I really like something I don't view it a certain way and think "fuck man, I wish it looked more like Gears 5 or more like this game." Each game is it's own vision, and I try to see if I can get with that vision. Sometimes it doesn't always work for me. I happen to find Yakuza: Like a Dragon to be one incredible looking game.
It has its own identity. It would be boring as hell if every game followed the same exact blueprint. Games need to do their own thing, and I'm glad 343 isn't falling for the pressure and keeping Halo what they feel Halo needs to be.
This may look badass graphically, but I sure as shit don't want Halo to play like or be anything like this.
For story reasons I don't mind getting a little more scripted and linear, but Halo has to be Halo.
I buy into the game developer's vision and just play. This is how I can still play Skyrim Enhanced Edition and it drops my jaw. Or how I can revisit old classics like FF7 and immediately find the game and its world beautiful without a care in the world for all the graphical enhancements that have come since. Calling it the best looking game this year unless starfield releases does seem excessive, because we know there will be plenty of amazing looking games this year, but to think that Halo Infinite won't be in the discussion for among the best looking games this year is probably equally crazy. This game looks fucking good. It really does. I'm not saying the brutes look great. They don't so far. They're merely serviceable for the gameplay. Grunts I think look fantastic, honestly. So long as the look of the play spaces and the look of Zeta Halo altogether when I'm playing doesn't let me down and the cutscenes look great, I'll be a happy camper. The things that most disappointed me in the gameplay reveal were some of the unpolished parts of the opening cutscene whereas other parts flat out look amazing, the pop in and the visual detail at the time not being fully up to expectation, even though I loved what I saw.