I’d like to start by saying Halo is a great franchise, I’ve been playing it since the original. I’ve been playing Halo 5 for the last few days and I have a few gripes about this new iteration.
First gripe is an overall game design issue. I know it’s already been mentioned, but it’s worth saying it again. Why was local multiplayer removed from the series? This was a core feature of the series. I believe in giving the player options, not taking them away!
I would like to see this feature in both multilayer and campaign. I guess the new focus is on the online multilayer experience. This is ok, I guess, but the single player experience is based on team mechanics. This brings me to my next gripe. I think they are flawed.
Why are the AI bots on campaign and multiplayer so poor? There is also limited options for controlling your AI squadmates. AI bots try to shoot through walls to hit targets, they drive/stand in front of moving vehicles and they are completely suicidal when it comes to reviving you or another squadmate. These are a just few issues I’m seeing, I’m sure there are more.
The game design is for the player to work with your team throughout campaign. When playing with the AI bots it feels like they are just a hindrance. The only control you have over your squadmates is to have them move up and/or shoot at certain targets. There is no sense of your team being a well-oiled fighting machine like the opening credits portray them to be. I would encourage the design team to look at Star Wars Republic Commando from the original Xbox for inspiration in creating well designed squad driven combat/missions.
There should be more options for your team members to stay in one location, use cover, flank and use granades to flush enemies from cover.
I think the team mechanics are truly flawed. If the idea was to have squad based gameplay, then there should be some emotion involved. Perhaps feeling some emphathy for fellow squadmates over the course of the game could be achieved by creating a system where one squad member’s skill set is more suited for your play style or you felt that your team just got more bad -Yoink- through the course of the game. No of this exists.
This is a AAA title! If you are going with a campaign using AI bot squads, there has to be more polish and better basic design. Squad member’s need certain gameplay skill sets and there should be an RPG element where you improve your teammates through the course of the campaign. If these features are left out then I think the whole idea of team based gameplay needs to be removed. The game should have stuck w/ a single Master Chief game design in that case. Go big, or go home.
End of rant.
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