Halo 5: Guardians, the second main title in the Halo saga by 343 Industries, brings with it fresh gameplay mechanics, a new 15 mission campaign, and the biggest multiplayer since Halo 2. As a long time Halo fanboy, I couldn't wait for Halo 5. For the first time in a Halo game I truly felt like an augmented super soldier. The new gameplay mechanics like the Smart Link, thrusters, new and varied weapons and revamped classics are all welcome additions to the Halo formula. And while the multiplayer is absolutely rewarding, the campaign suffers from a lack of character development, an undeniable reliance on Halo's Expanded Universe, and the most uninspired story in the Halo saga to date.
All of the ad campaigns for Halo 5 were extremely intriguing and I wanted to know exactly what happened to the Master Chief and why he's gone rogue. Unfortunately those ads felt very misleading after I finished the story. Without any spoilers, the storyline of Halo 5 was simply not what I expected and felt very underdeveloped. With two teams of Spartans to control over the 15 mission campaign, Locke's Fireteam Osiris and Chief's Blue Team, 2/3 of those missions are from the perspective of Spartan Jameson Locke. Locke suffers from a lack of motivation outside of a "complete the mission" mentality. Halo 5 needed to be a Master Chief story and it simply wasn't. Perhaps I'm simply nostalgic for Halo 1-3. Halo 5's story has a very hard time standing on its own outside of Halo's Expanded Universe. As someone who has never read any Halo books, I felt lost at times because I think major plot points were lost on me. When it comes to characters, Chief's Blue Team is never really developed in the game. What is his relationship to these other three Spartans? For those of you that have read Halo: Fall of Reach then you already know Blue Team and the characters, but once again, this needs to be able to stand on its own outside those books. On the other hand, Fireteam Osiris has slightly more development and it makes playing as Locke more enjoyable because of the rapport between them. Overall, I only wish Halo 5 had focused more on making this story stand on its own; however, gameplay is a different beast...
Halo 5 has the best gameplay and gun mechanics of any Halo before it, and it may be the best first person shooter on the market right now. As I said earlier, this is the first Halo game where I truly felt like a Spartan super soldier. Chief and Locke both move with a surprising new speed that still manages to maintain that classic Halo feel. New mechanics are introduced like the ground pound and dodge thrusters, as well as a clamber ability, making it easier to reach high areas. This is especially important because this is the most wide open and vertical Halo ever made. The environments are huge and the battle arenas have multiple diverging paths allowing you to flank your enemies to get that extra edge in battle. The shooting mechanics are extremely tight, fluid, and responsive, allowing you to make quick work of your enemies. New guns are introduced as well as the favorite classics like the Assault Rifle, Battle Rifle, and DMR. They have all been given a facelift as well as new sound effects. My favorite has to be the BR. It has just never sounded so awesome! There are a couple new Covenant weapons and Promethean weapons that have been upgraded or given new abilities. Each time you enter a new arena there always seems to be a plethora of weapons for you to choose from. It's sad that the player is only allowed two weapons for their loadout, because there were multiple times where I really wanted to carry way more.
Halo 5 is the first game in the saga to throw out split-screen co-op in favor of 60 frames per second and online 4-player cooperative play. While split-screen is a very significant loss, 4-player co-op is a blast. I soloed the campaign on Heroic difficulty in about 6 hours and I guarantee a team of 4 friends could finish the game on Legendary in 5 hours. 343i has added a difficulty scaling for however many players are in one campaign session so that should keep things interesting although I haven't tested it extensively for sure. While the loss of split-screen cooperative play is significant, 4-player co-op is still a good time.
Graphically the game is absolutely gorgeous with stunning visuals and scale. The motion capture for the different faces is remarkable. Nathan Fillion's character Buck is especially recognizable. The open environments have a wonderful attention to detail and the scale of different areas and enemy types is really really cool. Remember the Scarab from Halo 2? Just wait till you see another massive weapon like that. Because of the lack of split-screen co-op, the game consistently runs at 60 frames per second, though not always at 1080p. I never noticed any terrible or glaring framerate drops but I've read reports that others have.
And last but certainly not least let's talk about Halo 5: Guardians' amazing multiplayer. 343 Industries has brought us the best Halo multiplayer experience since Halo 2. There are two distinct sections: Arena and Warzone. Arena has all your classic modes like Slayer and the headshot-only favorite SWAT. Warzone is the new game mode, and let me say it is the best thing that ever happened to Halo's multiplayer. Warzone functions a lot like a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena(MOBA), with not only online opponents but also AI combatants that you kill to earn points, and three bases to capture and hold. The goal is whichever team of 12 gets to 1000 points first, or holds all three bases and destroys the enemy's Core. At first it can feel overwhelming but after two matches I was hooked. Each match lasts roughly 20-25 minutes and they are exhilarating. Covenant and Promethean Legendary Bosses will spawn throughout the match awarding 150 points to whoever manages to kill it, as well as smaller tier bosses awarding 50 points. The game is exciting, fun, and fast-paced. Throughout the match you will earn REQ levels allowing you to purchase different weapons, vehicles, and power ups that you've unlocked through REQ packs. REQ packs are purchased through REQ points earned throughout matches. The system works well and is somewhat addicting. There are 3 tiers: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The packs contain weapons and permanent unlocks like Armor, Stances, Assassinations, and Helmets. For more on REQ packs watch this video here. Overall, Multiplayer is extremely satisfying, more entertaining than I found the campaign to be.
Halo 5: Guardians is a true testament to the power of the Xbox One. The first person shooter gameplay of Halo 5 is the best on the market right now and the multiplayer experience hasn't been this good since Halo 2 in 2004. The graphics and open environments are beautiful and jaw-dropping. And while the campaign is clearly just set up for Halo 6, that is no excuse for a very short campaign with no clear direction. I certainly hope that they remedy this for the next game in the Halo saga, but until then I'll just be waiting for a remaster of Halo: Reach.
Halo 5: Guardians
8.5
+Graphics and visuals
+Arena and Warzone
+FPS Gameplay is the best in the series
-Campaign was lacking
-No character development
-No split-screen co-op
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