My first experiences with the Halo 5 beta have ultimately remained quite positive since deep down I had an underlying feeling that the matchmaking and connection would not work well as thousands of people began to flock onto the servers at one time. However I was shocked to find that I could actually get into a game quite easily, the only exception would be when someone leaves and you and your party are unable to back out during the “waiting for players” screen. The gameplay feels new but familiar and I have had quite a bit of fun in just the first 24 hours it has been out. So bravo 343.
So here is my feedback for the various weapons, maps, mechanics etc.
Maps
Truth
- Not sure I like the fact that you can jump to the center platform from the bases just by going up on the balconies, jumping + thruster and clamber up on the ledge. I feel like you should have to either approach the platform from the towers or up through the center only.
- Almost seems like there are too many weapons on the map in particular the smg and br spawing right beside each other at the towers. Maybe when more weapons are added it will be more unique though in the full game.
- Should not be able to jump down the opening where the lifts are under the bases. At least not right in front of the lift, beside it is normal.
Overall I like the map with all the new routes and access points.
Empire
- Feels a little cluttered at times and many gunfights in my experience have taken place in the tower where one of the snipers spawn.
- Snipers feel out of place for a map such as this. I suppose they are limiting weapons for the beta but this has been addressed but others as well.
- The ability to escape and recharge your shields is fairly easy since there are many paths and different jumps you can take. A good or a bad things depending on who you ask
- Weapon spawns seem a lot more organized than “Truth” but again the sniper is just very unfitting.
Weapons
I can tell at a very early stage that Halo 5 is going for balance. No more will the BR be the sole weapon that people will need to either pick up or begin a match with. This is a good thing. There is no sense in making 1 gun the staple of an entire game and making every other gun feel useless. I am a big fan of the BR but I want variety and I found that I could get kills with any weapon depending on the situation. There are not many power weapons available yet but I’m enjoying it so far.
Assault Rifle
- The range needs to be slightly tweaked.
- The smart scope should be less affective especially since it doesn’t have any sort of scope to begin with.
- Damage seems fitting (more on this later) but could be reduced if possible
SMG
- Insane damage output at close and even medium range.
- Range should be reduced even more than the AR, just not to the point where the gun feels almost useless.
- Smart scope seems fine (since it has a scope)
- Perhaps add more recoil so gun is less effective at longer ranges.
Pistol
- Reminds of the Halo 2 magnum and the damage output it almost equivalent to dual wielding them in Halo 2 which is nuts
- I often resort to the pistol over the AR all the time which I think shouldn’t be the case. Its a backup weapon for when your low on ammo, not a primary. It’s almost worthy of being a map weapon over a starting weapon.
- Smart scope seems okay, but gets in the way a little.
Battle Rifle
- Damage feels less than normal compared to other Halo games. (Take this with a grain of salt)
- Smart scope seems less effective at long and medium ranges and the sight sort of hinders your view.
DMR
- Feels very similar to the BR but seems to be a little more precise in my experience
Sniper Rifle
- Only has one scope magnification??? More simplistic but less options on the battlefie…erm I mean simulation
- Hit recognition seems very good…
- Snapshots seem to be much easier to do but that may just be me
Prophets Bane
- Awesome!
- Speed boost seems acceptable
- Makes you feel powerful yet at the same time easy to take down if your charging at an enemy when he sees you coming.
Grenades
Another gripe I have is the ability to just get bombarded by grenades. I get it, it’s always been a Halo thing. However it still seems a little excessive. What I do like is the ability to dodge and get away from them which has been absent from most other Halos. Chances are if I see a grenade coming I can dodge it if I have the ability available. Before if you were in a room with 2 enemies throwing grenades at you, you didn’t have a chance. This brings me to the next topic
Mobility
I think 343 has taken the right direction when it comes to bringing Halo 5 into the modern fps genre. Many Halo fans still wish to have no sprint and no abilities but in all honesty there is no way 343 would make it like the older games. There just simply wouldn’t be enough going for the game if you simply had the ability to move, aim and shoot. Nostalgia should remain nostalgia and they did that with the MCC. It’s an ongoing struggle with the MCC but its still there…
The sprinting feels solid as well as the clamber and thruster. The ground pound though I feel is the least effective. The only time I see people doing it is when they are in parties trying to prove they actually killed someone with it to their friends. I’ve done the same thing. I feel it to be a less natural part of the game but rather something you try and fail at many times until you finally luck out and get a kill. There are exceptions of course but for the most part it seems much easier to shoot enemies. It makes for some good laughs though!
Health
I agree with many posts that the rate at which you die from full shields is a bit high. Its a touchy topic though because in order to change theses sorts of things, many other things have to be overhauled as well like weapon damage, mobility and even how maps are designed. From what I’ve seen the damage from the BR and DMR seem right but everything else seems to kill you a little bit to quickly. This might be intentional though because the pace of the game has increase substantially. Halo always felt a little floaty because of the mechanics but that is what made it feel like Halo. The pace of action was slower back then therefore spartans took a bit more damage to be taken down. In turn, now that the pace is faster, they die a little quicker. It makes sense when you think about it but its just hard to wrap your head around it because its not what we are used to.
Do I feel you die to quickly? Yes. Do I know how to fix the issue? No. There are so many variables when it comes to this.
Spartan Victory Scene
I feel like this is a good idea it just seems a bit cheesy the way it was done. I think they need to look more like they have just won a battle and not scored a touchdown in football. Maybe incorporate some thruster movement or something that is a little more badass than fist pumps and waving.
Technical Issues
Just a beta so I can accept these, but if it could be updated that would be great.
- Fix the “waiting for more players” screen and allow parties to back out if players aren’t able to found at a reasonable time
- Armour colour is always pink
- Textures in the Spartan Hub are always blurry and the shading seems to be really dark
- Issues where you hit “X” to join either party chat or game chat from the scoreboard in game and you are unable to go back to party chat without going through the dashboard
- Resolution seems to be sub par. Feels like its being player at 720p with quite a few jaggy lines and blurriness.