The Master Chief Collection was a great anthology of Halo campaigns, stymied by buggy multiplayer that took months to fix. We’ll just have to wait a short three years for Halo 6, I guess. There’s room for improvement when it comes to storytelling in the next “Halo” game, but multiplayer modes brilliantly usher in the series to the new generation.
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Master Chief just isn’t himself in Halo 5: Guardians. Arena dials back certain elements that didn’t fit with the series, while adding in very small touches that do. This also allows for four-player co-op throughout the campaign. That explosive 2012 quest hinged on the peculiar relationship between a stoic, silent Master Chief and a deteriorating, suffering Cortana. Multiplayer provides the long-term enjoyment for Halo fans, and in its tenure Bungie had a tendency to build on what came before to create more and more expansive offerings.
But there is such a thing as trying too hard to make it seem original, and that results in a flawed single-player campaign like with Halo 2. This is a standard feature of games like Call of Duty, where it’s essential to success, but Halo has long adopted a more old-school control style that sees you shoot from the hip most of the time. The latter returns from Halo 3: ODST, and is once again played to perfection by Nathan Fillion.
Across the board, Halo 5 presents itself quite well. Locke’s Osiris team blindly hunt a hero, and never really question why with real vindication. They are all genetically enhanced Spartans, after all. Those expecting to play as Master Chief in another exciting adventure will be disappointed to learn that John-117’s role in Halo 5 is minimal.
Layouts are more vertical (read: taller) than they were in previous Halo titles, reflecting a more general trend in first-person shooters in 2015. Clicking the left stick in will sprint, providing a welcome burst of speed. The boost button replaces the Armor Abilities from Halo: Reach and Halo 4. You can jump and climb onto something, which adds a bit more strategy to the experience of play. The new Requisition Packs seem like a great idea, though time will tell, really.
Spartans can execute a raft of new manoeuvres, like a quick boost in any direction or a ground pound. The Spartan will freeze in the air while the player aims a cursor along the ground. Melee options in particular don’t feel like afterthoughts this time around, making for a Halo that feels more full-contact than it ever has. Down also pings for nearby collectibles when playing as Locke’s team.
Those who ordered on and after September 21 prior to the “Halo 5: Guardians” release date should need not worry as they are not expected to face a few problems. Still, you’ve constantly got them at your disposal if you can get good at the timing, and you’ll always have to be thinking about someone else using them. The campaign is a ton of fun to go through and my time spent online in the multiplayer was lag free and ran beautifully.
While I wouldn’t recommend allowing your AI companions to drive often, I thought they did a great job of having a real presence, outside of just being there. It replicates the sense of teamwork you see in competitive matches without any effort on the players part.
You’ve got a host of different modes to fight on, tackling internet rivals and pals alike.
I’m a fan of both co-op and squad controls, so I welcome Halo 5’s new squad-focused campaign. They visibly stall when faced with two players to revive, often leading to player deaths. And who can blame them? The game usually hits its 60 frames-per-second target, and it looks great when it’s running smoothly – however, framerate dips and texture pop-in aren’t all that uncommon, either.
First, the bad news. That said, if this is your first Halo or you’re a bit out of practice with the story, good luck keeping up. The ability to call in bigger guns and gear over the course of a match could have been handled differently. The evolution of relationships has been fascinating to watch unfold and the narrative of Halo 5 Guardians makes significantly definitive steps in pushing them forward even more. Legendary shall be a tough exercise for even the most hardened of Halo players. There’s always something to do, and always players to kill.
Breakout, the other new multiplayer mode, pits teams against each other, but each Spartan only has one life to life per round.
But the biggest surprise was how quickly Arena ensnared me. You spend these points on packs and unlock random rewards. Even Halo 4 attempted more, what with its new enemy type and epic setpieces – Halo 5 can’t even manage those. If two strongholds are held, a team can then score points. You’ll be forced to scavenge weapons from the battlefield, exposing you to Guardians’ entire arsenal – of which both human and Promethean shotguns are particularly satisfying. AI enemies spawn in periodically, providing scoring opportunities and keeping the teams on their toes. You’ll employ giant robots, alien aircraft, and tanks, to get past a few of the game’s grander sections. One team must defend a base while the other team attempts to capture it. The game lasts for a specific period or until the attackers capture the defender’s base. There were also other instances such as a turret trying to pin me down in the distance so I would find a fake wall to destroy and then take that passage to flank the enemy on that turret. The asymmetry doesn’t favor balanced matches, which is further exacerbated by the new REQ system. Nothing to announce at this point… You can also pilot vehicles and special bosses come into the maps as well.
Duplicate or unwanted REQ cards can be sold for REQ Points, the currency used to purchase REQ packs. The extra moves make for a much more dynamic battlefield.
343 Industries and Microsoft are also joining forces with ESL and Phillips to launch a Pro Team playlists challenge for Halo 5, which will see the best 5 teams in Europe fighting against a group of developers for a chance to get prizes and bragging rights.
But as the years have gone by, and more and more of what made Halo unique has been appropriated by games at large, the series has perhaps lost what made it unique. Warzone features bigger maps and several enemies. Just do not forget to crank that difficulty setting up before you begin, Spartan. Additionally, you can also clamber up ledges in the game now.
The REQ Station system inherently imbalances Warzone games.
Halo has always been a franchise with a strong pedigree. The shooting feels just right and nothing can beat that high of winning a tight game. There are no time-attack Achievements, thank goodness.
Environments and backdrops are more detailed and richly textured than ever before. It is worth noting that there are skulls and various forms of intel to collect during each mission. What O’Connor merely meant was that they have not dismissed the possibility of bringing it to the PC, but for now they have no plans to do it whatsoever. “Halo 5” lacks any semblance of humanity within the cast.
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Thankfully, the combat is the best the series has offered so far. You will end up in the same place no matter which path you choose but I did appreciate being able to somewhat pick the path I went down. On one hand, you’ve got a few genuinely interesting pieces of music that totally fit with the situations they’re played in. The story is rather annoying in a way, as it relies heavily on past games to a fault. They’ll even revive each other, if you can’t be bothered. The friendly AI needs more work, especially due to the squad-based nature of the game. The Halo series has rarely had bosses, and Warden Eternal shows exactly why. The fact that this game runs at 60fps makes a huge difference. This is the first proper Xbox One Halo experience, and that shiver of excitement was, for the most part, justified.
