Halo 5 Guardians has definitely been a great game to kick off the 2016 gaming year, but has it really been what we wanted it to be? I’ve been looking forward to the next sequel of the Halo Franchise since seeing the teaser way back in E3 2013. What was the large forerunner machine, what is going to happen to Cortana? Ever since the lead-up to H5 I’ve been nothing but hyped. But has it really been worth it? Halo 5 seems to stray farther and farther from the traditional sense of “halo” as we know it. While it may remain fun as a shooter, Halo 5 just doesn’t seem to fill that space as all the other games did.
Today I decided to hang out with some of my fellow Halo-lovin’ buddies. We partied, had a great time, shared some laughs, and decided to start playing xbox. We thought about what we wanted to play and decided on Halo. However, due to the new restrictions of H5 we ended up playing by switching the controller every few deaths. While it was my buddies’ turns to play, I had some time to think. I realized that this is what Halo has become. 343i has decided to cater to MLG and fall into the same cycle that Call of Duty has. What is being focused on in Halo is no longer the fun memories that can be made with your friends, or the camaraderie of working together. Halo is now about fitting the role of a futuristic sci-fi game for mlg. While the community still can enjoy many aspects of Halo, it is being made for eSports. No longer will be toil for hours on end trying to complete the campaign on legendary with all of your friends, or all be able to share a couch and enjoy this game. Halo 5 has been fashioned for MLG, while leaving those who wished for a fun, community Halo game in the dust. While being able to play online with your friends at 60fps 1080p is “good-looking,” the majority of halo players would prefer being able to play with several people on the same couch.
Not only is Halo being fashioned towards MLG, but it is also becoming another money-maker for Microsoft. The game launched with only campaign, multiplayer, and custom games. It currently lacks a forge mode and the multiplayer is lacking in variety of game types. While I understand future game-types and forge mode are coming in the future, Halo 5’s launch options are pretty limited if you take a look at what’s actually being given. Typical multiplayer playlists such as Infection, Grifball, and BTB were all cut from launch. Those playlists were some of the top in previous Halo games. So why has 343 taken such a long time to release a game with limited multiplayer playlists and without forge? 343 has given gamers a good first-person-shooter standalone, but as a Halo title, they are lacking in what the players want.
This post is not to be taken as a rant on Halo 5, but more of reminiscing about the past. There are several features of Halo 5 that 343 did great on. Warzone is an all out 12v12 battle that I enjoy playing almost every game. I’m also glad the REQ system isn’t pay-to-win, but things you can earn in game. Other new game-modes such as breakout have been interesting additions to the multiplayer playlists. Similar to S & D from COD, Breakout has a flag placed in the middle of the map that must be pushed back to the enemy base in order to win, other than enemy elimination. This take on s&d provides a new fun for Halo 5.
While waiting for forge and several other game-types will be a drag, it is better to have a fully functional game come out over a period of a few weeks than a non-functioning game release too early. Halo 5 has been a fantastic, exciting new addition to the FPS genre with plenty of fresh additions such as warzone and breakout. While it may not fill the role of the Halo we remember, overall it is a solid game. Here’s to the future that Halo will bring us.
I don’t think that there is enough meat on the Halo 5 bone, because as of right now, there is not enough for me to do. Beat the Campaign, and while I am probably un the minority of people that thought it was ok, I hated that Chief only got, what, 3 missions? I like what the story was trying to tell, but the big problem with it is that they used all this marketing to play up a non existent narrative. All this Chief being a Traitor crap was thrown out the window as soon as soon as…oh wait, it was never a part of the dialogue.
Now the Multiplayer. Look, I’m 50/50 on the Multiplayer at this point. While I feel that it is better than H4, H4 wasn’t a tough one to top. I don’t like that I’m only seeing 4 maps in the Arena rotation, and I don’t like that as I look at the map list there are I believe 6 maps that were made in Forge! Warzone is fun for a couple of matches, but now it’s just serving as filler after a couple of Arena matches, and just as a mode that I play when I want to justify playing the game just because it’s Halo.
I don’t really mind them focusing on ESports stuff, since Halo was the first big MLG game, and if I was between 16-20, I might eat that stuff up. However I’m a 32 year old filthy casual these days, and I just feel like this game needs another option like Firefight where I can get in, do some cooperative stuff, and just have fun, instead of cruising through the Campaign, and then playing a half baked Arena, or Warzone mode.
Dude, stop using “MLG” as a scapegoat.
Competitive gaming isn’t the reason the game lacks features such as splitscreen, and Halo 5 isn’t a competitive player’s ideal game either. Lack of forge, customs, etc effects EVERYONE, and if anything Warzone is a giant bone thrown at the casuals.
> 2533274819302824;3:
> Dude, stop using “MLG” as a scapegoat.
>
> Competitive gaming isn’t the reason the game lacks features such as splitscreen, and Halo 5 isn’t a competitive player’s ideal game either. Lack of forge, customs, etc effects EVERYONE, and if anything Warzone is a giant bone thrown at the casuals.
Agreed.
Spartan Abilities make it impossible to take this game seriously in terms of being competitive. It’s too random, hectic, and clusterfudgey. It’s impossible to properly strategize.
> 2533274819302824;3:
> Dude, stop using “MLG” as a scapegoat.
>
> Competitive gaming isn’t the reason the game lacks features such as splitscreen, and Halo 5 isn’t a competitive player’s ideal game either. Lack of forge, customs, etc effects EVERYONE, and if anything Warzone is a giant bone thrown at the casuals.
speak for yourself, not everyone.