This is a place where we can break down Halo 5 into what it does well, what it does poorly, and what can be done in the future to ensure that future Halo games, H6 and beyond, create an all-round better mix of player options that will better the series going forward…
I will start by saying that from a gameplay point of view, Halo 5 is great… once of the best in the series in terms of the functional quality and fluidity of the game mechanics. It’s (generally - connection pending) very crisp and an all-round blast to play. Truthfully it’s probably one of the only things about the game that keeps me coming back to play, day after day… the feeling of cross-mapping another player with the Magnum, the “perfect” 4 shot with the BR, hitting nice skill/tactical jumps and propelling yourself with a Boost-Slide into an area at the right time to force a multi-kill… getting a nice pre-nade, nade-shot kill to stay alive when you’re recovering from a 1v1… It’s moments like these where Halo 5 is a total joy to play, but beyond the gameplay itself, we have a lot of issues… Some are big, some are relatively small, but they are notable areas where H6 can improve and some of these will even impact the quality of the gameplay next time around.
- First, the remix map system… which, on one hand, it is a smart design decision from a cost savings point of view (in a game like H5 where it seeks to satisfy ALL kinds of Halo fans, it was a logical move), however when we look at maps like Plaza and Overgrowth, a good chunk of the map plays nearly IDENTICALLY to the other… same with Torque/Stasis, and the same with Truth and Regret… Now <em>disclaimer - these maps are not necessarily bad on their own…</em> But from a full-package stand-point, you are getting repeat content/experiences across multiple MP maps. Some remixes achieve entirely different feels, like Riptide/Fathom… one map is symmetric, the other asymmetric, and both have entirely different flow and ways of approaching encounters. But in other cases, you have to wonder why some of these maps were even remixed at all, when you have 2 maps essentially doing the same things, at their core, as the other. And a lot of maps in the map pool are conceptually the same… symmetical 2 base, 2 tower designs… or 2 base, open/closed side layouts… all square in shape from the general overview.
Halo 6 really needs to diversify when it comes to map design… give the maps some character. Take further advantage of the capabilities of Spartan Abilities… And if you look back, in H2 you had Lockout, a map which a winding layout of catwalks and key structures where falling to your death frequently came into play. Then you had Midship for great 4v4 CTF and Slayer games… Ivory Tower had a much more vertical element, with gravity lifts scattered around and interesting asymmetric encounters… lots of maps varied in size and in their environments. H3 had Narrows, a map that was a giant bridge… Guardian, a map similar to Lockout but felt much different… the maps all had DEFINING characteristics and felt unique. In H5, the maps tend to lack a certain ‘uniqueness’ from one map to another… for a number of (often subtle) reasons, but it’s a very tangible thing for me.
Then you consider WZ… where maps are generally too big and unoccupied where you wonder what 343 was thinking. Bases and capture points were often recycled structures… And at the expense of dev-made BTB maps? For me here, the obvious solution is to get back to producing a more traditional map pool, with dev-made BTB maps that are also capable of supporting WZ modes… geometry will naturally be more diversified, WZ may have to “take a hit” in scale and player count, but IMO, gameplay and player perception of the content would vastly improve. Ultimately H5 maps fill a few needs that a Halo map list requires, but leave more to be desired…
- Second, playlists and game modes… There is STILL a huge lack of game modes in H5. Gametypes that are series staples, from CE (the very beginning), are still missing in MM… Snipers is being removed again, when having the mode at LEAST as an option over Breakout, is far more appealing… In a crucial time of H5’s life, the days following the game’s launch, the playlist structure was AGAIN, like H4, not up to player’s expectations… Doubles was missing, Snipers, Social game modes… BTB, Forge… BIG features, again, missing… You have to wonder now, with just the recent inclusion of Social Playlists, could H5 have been doing much better if the game had just launched with all of these series-established features and playlists?
This CANNOT happen again… the ideal first-impression needs to be made with the early adopter/day one consumer! In terms of game modes, the game is STILL lacking… there are tons of features, too many IMO that spread the community too thin… Arena can sometimes feel under-populated, but with the previously suggested design philosophy of (somewhat) merging WZ and Arena, in terms of how maps are designed and utilized, it would allow for more creativity in the maps and hopefully a wider array of game modes can be effectively supported, and more emphasis and resources could be placed and allotted for game mode development.
I think it would help bring the overall population closer together as well, eliminate the more “segregated” feel that there is sometimes between WZ and Arena players. Content would cross over… meaning the appeal for experiencing the content differently, under a different set of rules, would theoretically grow.
- Third, REQ’s and cosmetics… A very BIG one for me… WE HAVE TOO MUCH COSMETIC CONTENT IN H5… we had too much in H4… too much in Reach… Now it is great to have some options in terms of choosing how you want to look in MP, but ultimately, this DOES NOT impact gameplay, or the quality of your in-game experience. To put it short, DLC and post-launch content should always have the end goal of enhancing and bringing additional value to the quality of players’ experiences IN-GAME… we, the community, want additional maps, we want maps that play differently to the ones that are already available, we want new ways to approach combat and encounters… NEW EXPERIENCES.
Having tons of armor and cosmetics does NOT contribute to this idea… you can wear the Recruit armor set and still have just as great of a time capping n00bs, as you would wearing the precious Recon Gen 1. Cosmetics really are NOT a big deal, and if they are to you, I’m sorry, but your priorities are not in line… it’s partially the over-emphasis in cosmetics that is detracting from Halo’s overall quality, because you are allotting time and resources into developing excess content that is NOT CRITICAL, when you could be allotting them towards developing/polishing up content that IS critical. It is a BUSINESS/MANAGEMENT ISSUE… the priorities must be shifted to a degree, going forward. It’s the only way the quality of Halo’s content will improve. Gameplay should be the standard above ALL else…
REQ’s however do a lot of good things, but they should be limited to REQ weapon sales and weapon skins or player emblems. Armor and customization options should be limited, but fully developed at launch, with only a few additions maybe added over the game’s lifespan.
The priority NEEDS to be on getting IN-GAME content… maps/modes… etc. completely right… All killer, no filler… It is ESSENTIAL to the success of Halo.
