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FYI - I would actually give the game 4.5 stars, but that is not an option, so I rounded up.
Halo 5 is a great, fun and extremely ambitious game that, unfortunately but ultimately, collapses under the weight of its own ambitions. It is by no means perfect, but it is a great game, and mostly certainly is not nearly as bad as the reviews would suggest. Of all of my X-Box One games, I have probably put more time into this game than any other (with the exception of The Master Chief Collection). But Halo 5 has a lot in common with Halo 2, in that the gameplay is great, but the marketing for the game made you think the story was going to be different from what it was. Also the ending leaves you wanting more, and not necessarily in a good way.
The game mechanics have been greatly improved. You can aim, run, charge, ground-pound, climb, and have limited use of thrusters. While the controls take some getting used to (I keep hitting left trigger to throw a grenade, which is now used to aim, and can't seem to get out of that habit), they are significant tighter. The weapons have all been tweaked so that everything has its pros and cons. Some are more versatile than others but each feels unique and more utilitarian. So, for instance, the run-of-the-mill assault rifle has a more controlled spray, but it is still not as refined or exact as the battle rifle or a good pistol. The Promethean weapons, which previously just felt like minor variations of human weapon counterparts, are all now substantially more distinct.
The maps are... different, and I am not entirely sure if that is a positive or negative. The one thing I always liked about Halo games were the sheer size of the maps: how they could be linear, but were so large that they never actually felt linear. In Halo 5, the maps are significantly smaller, in both size and the length of time it takes to beat that particular level; I would say each is on average probably half or even a third of the size and length of time of the average map in Halo 2 or 3. But the offset is that they are somewhat less linear; the game rewards exploration, as you can find hidden passages that allow you to flank your opponents in ways that you never could before.
The plot follows the trend of Halo games, in that the storylines grow increasingly incoherent. If you don't keep up with secondary sources (and I don't), you may not necessarily know why Master Chief all of a sudden has three Spartan buddies (I always assumed he was the last of his kind) following him around everywhere, or why Dr. Halsey is a one-armed fugitive (there's a joke there that I don't have the time to look for), or who Locke is and why we should care. You may not know that humans previously had been an interstellar species, that they had had a war with Forerunners, that they lost, and that the Forerunners took their stuff and left them on earth to be a primitive species again. I have never considered understanding the storyline to be integral to enjoying Halo, but I do like to know what's going on, and that is what wikis are for. Suffice it to say, the main point of the game is to go where the arrows tell you to go to, shoot what needs to be shot, and save the universe.
The major letdown for me in comparison to previous games is how short the campaign mode is, given the increasing shift toward multiplayer online gaming. I would estimate that, all other things being equal, I could play through Halo 5 in slightly more than half the time that it would take to get through Halo 1 through 4 (Halo ODST being the obvious exception). And considering the fact that it is the campaign mode that I really buy the game for more than anything else, that is a problem. I like single-player campaigning and split-screen multiplayer. If you're going to force me to use online multiplayer, at least have some story going on, as with Spartan Ops. But Spartan Ops is gone.
There is Warzone, which is really just two big teams of players going at it. I'd like Warzone if there was more variety to the maps, but I just get the same map over and over again. I'd like to assume there are more, but the game isn't particularly helpful in showing newbies who aren't used to online gaming how to get the most out of the experience.
Much has been said about the loss of the split-screen option. I am not going to join the chorus of people complaining about it, except to say that I do miss it because I like playing with my wife or kids. But the option of playing through the campaign mode with up to three friends online is very cool. I have an old friend from high school who now lives in another state; I haven't seen him face-to-face in years, but we played through the campaign mode for 5 hours straight last night. And it was then that I decided that I really do love Halo 5.
So overall, Halo 5 is a brilliant game at what it does: it's just that what it does may not have been what you wanted it to do. The graphics are a huge leap forward, the gameplay is greatly improved, and in general the game is a crapload of fun. It is definitely a different experience from other games that are out there, which is great, but the fact that it is so different from its own predecessors is what is garnering a lot of negativity: some of it deserved, some of it not so much. If you just want a game that feels like the original Halo, or the more recent Halo 4, you should know that there are a lot of changes, some of which you won't like. For me, Halo 5 is a beautifully flawed game that doesn't accomplish everything that it sets out to do but still manages to be better than most of what is out there.
Couple of random points:
- On the whole, I like the shift to squad-based play. The conversations are interesting to listen to, especially since it gives a reason for exposition. But the offset is that there is no longer a feeling of isolation the way there usually is in Halo.
- The game has several parts where the combat goes into a cut-scene. The most notable, and annoying, part of the game where this happens is where you have to take out the Elite boss that is holding Dr. Halsey hostage. You do not get to fight him, at all. I assume the point was to have a scene that shows the player how badass Locke is - but we know Locke is badass, because he is a Spartan with all of the same abilities of Master Chief.
- A lot of people make a really huge deal out of the deceptive marketing. It's true that the gameplay really does not make much use of the plot conceit, which is that Master Chief is rogue, and that the Spartans are hunting him down. At no point in the game do you, as a player, get to face off against another Spartan, or anyone who could otherwise be considered a friendly. This echoes the marketing of Halo 2, which had trailers showing the Covenant invading Earth. It didn't bother me much, but it would have been cool to have a confrontation that amounted to more than one 30-second cut scene.
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Halo 5: Guardians (Certified Refurbished) $18.61 & FREE Shipping
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From the manufacturer
The Next Evolution of Halo Combat
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Hunt the TruthA mysterious and unstoppable force threatens the galaxy, the Master Chief is missing and his loyalty questioned. Experience the most dramatic Halo story to date in a 4-player cooperative epic that spans three worlds. Challenge friends and rivals in new multiplayer modes: Warzone, massive 24-player battles, and Arena, pure 4-vs-4 competitive combat. |
Your Team is Your WeaponChoose how to achieve objectives while playing solo with AI teammates or with friends in a 4-player cooperative experience using your Xbox Live 14-day Gold trial. |
WarzoneNew, massive-scale multiplayer mode that supports 24-player battles with both friendly and enemy AI dropping in. It’s nonstop action when you confront Spartans, Covenant, and Forerunners while trying to complete a variety of objectives. |
Halo 5: Extensive Multiplayer Content
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Warzone ModePrepare for nonstop action with Warzone. This all-new, massive-scale multiplayer mode features 24-player battles (12-vs-12) with both friendly and enemy AI dropping in to pump up the mayhem. The first team to score 1,000 points or destroy the other guys wins. |
Fireteam AI SystemFireteam AI adds a new level of drop-in/drop-out co-op excitement by keeping four Spartans active at all times. It's designed to be completely autonomous, and when controlled by AI, your teammates support you by navigating the environment and reacting dynamically throughout combat. |
Arena MultiplayerHalo's legacy of pure, skill-based 4-vs-4 competitive combat lives on in Guardians' thrilling Arena multiplayer mode. Rely on your smarts and work with your teammates as you go for the kill and assert your dominance. |
Peace is Shattered
When humanity's greatest hero goes missing, a new Spartan must hunt the Master Chief and solve a mystery that threatens the entire galaxy.
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Customer Review: Halo 5 is simply not that great of a game
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 20, 2015
Platform: Xbox OneEdition: StandardVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 14, 2018
Platform: Xbox OneEdition: StandardVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Kyle Parkyn
Perfect
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on March 22, 2022Platform: Xbox OneEdition: StandardVerified Purchase
mathieu.b.jeanson
C'est parfait merci beaucoup!
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 24, 2022Platform: Xbox OneEdition: StandardVerified Purchase
Jason Mallett
Came early
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 15, 2019Platform: Xbox OneEdition: StandardVerified Purchase
J. Carlos Dávalos
El más mediocre de la saga
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on November 16, 2017Platform: Xbox OneEdition: StandardVerified Purchase
Juan Jesús Hernández Morales
Muy entretenido
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on December 30, 2020Platform: Xbox OneEdition: StandardVerified Purchase
