Halo 5: Guardians has finally arrived on the Xbox One and the game looks absolutely stunning. Everything from the landscapes to the weapons, enemies, and even the fluid movements of the main character look breathtaking. Whether you’ve been a Halo fan from day one or you’re new to the series, Halo 5 has something for everyone. The old-school nostalgia is alive and well while the impressive gameplay engine pumps you full of next-gen goodness from start to finish. Needless to say, we think the newest addition to the franchise is excellent and we’d like to share our top 10 reasons why we love Halo 5: Guardians .
Truly Next-Gen Graphics
Did I mention the graphics were amazing? Yes, I’m well aware of my drooling over the aesthetics of this game, but 343 Industries managed to crank out some rather impressive visuals for Halo 5 . The landscapes are much more realistic than any previous Halo version and they perfectly complement the detailed weaponry. A few minutes with 343’s newest offering and you’ll understand exactly why I’m fawning over the graphics.
Classic Weapons, New Abilities
Halo 5 boasts an arsenal of new and old weapons for players to mow down strangers with on Xbox Live. One nice feature is both the visual redesign of a few Halo classics and their upgraded capabilities. The battle and assault rifles in particular are fine-tuned to complement Halo 5 ’s new player-movement abilities. Players can take down enemies with pinpoint accuracy while using the new hover feature as they aim down their sights for a perfect kill.
Ground Pound
Spartan Locke, which is still very weird to say, comes loaded with a few tweaks that players should come to enjoy. The ground-pound in particular is a devastating move that allows players to perform a type of Hulk Smash to destroy surrounding enemies. It’s a relatively easy maneuver to pull off, but aiming will be your biggest challenge.
Classic Melee
I will have to admit, I was a little concerned that 343 Industries was going to remove or completely alter the classic melee attack, especially after the months of rumored changes. Thankfully, the melee attack is still accessible for players to use. In fact, it appears the beat down button has been given a bit of a boost as players are dying in much more hilarious and epic ways. Either that or I’ve been deprived so long of crushing opponents skulls that I’m simply loving every minute of it. Either way, the melee is back and it’s still the best way to humiliate your enemies in multiplayer mode.
Acoustic Atmosphere
An often overlooked aspect of game design, the audio in Halo 5 is certainly something to rave about. The entire musical composition contained within the game was done right. The soundtrack deeply immerses players into the campaign experience, even if it the storyline is less robust than expected, and the sounds of weapons discharging and bullets ricocheting off objects is truly authentic. The great game modes wouldn’t be as great if the audio wasn’t up to snuff. Thankfully, Halo 5 delivers some sweet tunes for your alien-killing pleasure.
The Search for Master Chief
Players might be freaked out when they learn that Master Chief is not the main playable character in Halo 5 . Whoa, what? No need to panic, guys. Without giving away too many spoilers, searching for Microsoft’s greatest hero is actually a twist I thoroughly enjoy. Building a storyline that indirectly revolves around Master Chief is a unique way to approach what could have been a recycled version of the previous Halo offerings. Despite mixed reactions about the storyline as a whole, players will enjoy the idea of saving their favorite Halo hero.
Warthog
Everyone’s favorite death machine on four wheels is wreaking havoc across Halo 5 multiplayer. The Warthog comes packed with a devastating turret for laying waste to anything in sight. Cool, but no reason to get all excited and place the vehicle at number four on our list, right? Wrong – players now have the ability to switch from gunner to driver and vice versa on the fly. No more stopping and disembarking in order to change seats with your buddies, which often leads to death. This not only provides an epic experience for all players to enjoy, but it also offers a huge strategic advantage to operating the Warthog.
Multiplayer Balance
This one may seem like a copout to some of my more aggressive critics, but the truth of the matter is Halo 5 ’s multiplayer offering finally returns to its glory days. Dare I say the new multiplayer system feels a lot like Halo 2 and 3 in the way it’s shaped and balanced? Some clever engineering definitely went into the redesigned multiplayer modes as they actually hold some sense of balance. The maps as a whole have been flushed of dead zones, respawn flaws, and general multiplayer annoyances that can turn any player off.
Four-Player Co-Op
Yes, you read that right – four-player co-op has made its way to Halo 5 , and it’s glorious. Cooperative gameplay has always been a difficult platform for developers to hammer out, especially when you add in an additional third or fourth player. Halo 5 seems to flawlessly execute the co-op option by scaling both the difficulty and number of enemies depending on the number of players engaged within the mode. No longer will you have to sprint ahead just to record a few kills before your buddy, who destroys everyone at first-person shooters, nabs up all the points.
Warzone Multiplayer Mode
The Warzone multiplayer mode is fantastic and rightfully claims our number one spot. Warzone, which reminds us a lot of Big Team Battle, pits 24 players against one another in a massive war setting. Players are tasked with a number of objectives to claim victory and have several unique ways to achieve it. Weapons are earned, not dashed for, and winning presents a few options for teams to shoot for, literally. The maps designed for this game mode provide players with the option to choose their combat style as well – go all in with guns blazing or perch off in the distance for some sniper headshot action. The choice is yours in Warzone.