Here’s my OPINION on Halo 5 Guardians as a whole. (Perspective of an old school Halo fan boy.)
Rating:7/10
Campaign:7/10
Multiplayer:8/10
Explanation: I like Halo 5. I think it’s a better game than Halo 4. That being said, good job 343 on taking steps in the right direction. I do, however, have some pet peeves. I’ll explain in detail in the paragraphs below for those who care to read.
Campaign: Let’s start with the good and then move on to the bad. I like that Blue team is finally in a game. It’s good to actually see and hear the beloved Spartan II’s that we know and love. I also like the new movement system. It’s very fluid and allows for a sense of continuity and control that I haven’t felt before in a Halo title. Another check in the like column: the squad based combat. It’s nice to have a team with you whether it’s Blue or Osiris; it was very lonely as Chief, even with Cortana, in Halo 4. The level design is pretty amazing as well. It compliments the new style of movement and also if visually impressive.
Now to the bad: first of all, there is a major lack of Blue team. Underneath it all, the story is still about Chief and Cortana. Trying to superficially change that with the addition of Osiris and playing their missions for most of the campaign…bad idea. Next: the lack of new and engaging enemies. At this point, I’m kind of tired of fighting the Covenant. Sure, they may not be in the next game, and that’s cool and all…but the Prometheans haven’t really become any more of a challenge since the last game. Soldiers were a nice addition, but they don’t change the fact that the enemies we fight in Halo have become stagnant. Third: the repetitive fights with the Warden Eternal. Not really much to say about this except…why? Was it needed?
Multiplayer: Let’s break this down between Arena and Warzone.
Arena: this part of the multiplayer is very solid. It may be the most well rounded and balanced Halo multiplayer since Halo 3. Sure, some of the maps aren’t that great. Yeah, the CSR right now is kinda wonky. The gameplay, though, is fantastic. The weapons feel good, the Pistol is back to where it needs to be (for the first time since CE) and Breakout is my new favorite playlist. I really like Arena…alot.
Warzone: this needs balanced. More so mainstream Warzone instead of Warzone Assault, but it needs balanced none the less. The energy costs for certain vehicles and power weapons should be revisited. I often play Assault more than regular Warzone so that I can avoid the one sided matches that generally ensue. It’s too easy to get certain power weapons and vehicles. Sometimes, it feels a little too easy to accumulate energy. But hey, it may just be me.
Misc: -the Req pack system is pretty solid. Totally ok with Micro transactions as long as I don’t get punished for not buying things.
-free DLC! Need I say more?
-Forge in December! Looking forward to it.
-More flying vehicles in campaign and MP. I miss the Hornet and Falcon.
-the Soundtrack is really good. Very well done, in composition and execution. Cudos, Kazuma.
- Some of the old emblems are gone, cant rock the Clan symbol I’ve been using since the Halo 3 days. Pet peeve, really.
-the different variations of beloved weaponry is definitely a good change; I like that alot.
Side-note: it seems as if 343 has been trying really hard to turn things around…especially after the drop off of Halo 4 multiplayer and the fiasco that was MCC’s multiplayer at launch. It definitely does show. However, you can’t please everyone, and I feel like that’s what 343 is trying to do. They want to appeal to us old heads and keep things fresh for the new schoolers. I can respect that, but it’s bad business. Halo 5, like it’s predecessor Halo 4, has ended up in a weird gray area; at least in some ways. Halo doesn’t feel the same anymore. I’m not saying that’s bad in and of itself…what I am saying, is that if your going to reinvent the series, then you either go full bore, or you don’t change anything at all. Trying to make Halo relevant going forward (6 main title games and counting) is going to be difficult. It’s a big load to bear when your developing the games for Microsoft Xbox 's flagship series. Hopefully 343 can somehow either find that middle ground they so desperately seek, or the can reinvent this series into something that works for years to come. Halo 5 is not bad, it’s pretty solid, but it’s not the Halo that is was extremely excited for. War and peace, over.