Halo 5: Guardians is one of the most anticipated games of 2015, especially for Xbox One owners. It'll mark the next chapter of Master Chief's saga, the first one since Halo 4 released back in 2012. It'll also mark the official sophomore effort from 343 Industries, who took the Halo mantle from Bungie after they made a date with Destiny with Activision. While Halo 4 was a solid effort (solid enough to just narrowly crack Shacknews' 2012 Game of the Year list), many devoted Halo fans were left feeling that the game could have been so much more. Yes, the game was good, but to that point, Halo had been magnificent, worthy of the reverence it receives from Xbox fans.
The weight of the world was on 343's shoulders with Halo 4, with tremendous pressure to duplicate the magic that Bungie had made with the previous Halo games. That was their effort to prove themselves. Halo 5: Guardians will see a different kind of pressure. The studio now has a completed Halo game under their belts, not to mention a massive compilation in Halo: The Master Chief Collection that pieced together Chief's epic tale from the beginning to the present. With the benefit of hindsight, 343 can see where Halo 4 fell short and work to address these issues. Now that they know what worked and what didn't, 343 can put together their masterpiece, one worth of the Halo name.
It also marks the continuation of Master Chief's personal story, which has become surprisingly compelling. Through Bungie's original trilogy, Chief was set up as the ultimate soldier and the unstoppable hero. He was a mighty warrior and a fierce leader. While he still carries that same strength, Halo 4 introduced a new side of Chief, a decidedly more vulnerable one. Through all of his battles, he had his AI sidekick Cortana at his side to guide him.
Then came the tragic reveal that Cortana was dying, as she was undergoing Rampancy, a terminal condition for AI. Aside from stopping the Didact and his forces, Chief's main motivation in Halo 4 was to find a way to save Cortana's life. It was not meant to be, as Cortana sacrificed herself to bring down the Didact and his massive Composer weapon. Though Chief had saved the day, it was one of the few instances that he had truly experienced loss. Because of his upbringing through the Spartan program, John-117 is always driven to win, whatever the cost. This time, the cost was greater than any other, as he lost his closest friend in the heat of battle.
As 2015 has gone on, it's become more evident that this great loss will affect Chief in this new Halo 5 narrative. As noted in last month's hands-on with the Campaign, even Chief's allies in Blue Team are noticing his gradual psychological deterioration. But there's one last mission that's driving Chief forward, one that's something of a mystery to his fellow soldiers and certainly one that has gotten the attention of the UNSC. Details about Halo 5's story have gradually been revealed through the Hunt the Truth podcast and it's a tale that'll come to a head in Halo 5.
Other parts of the story were less effective, as noted by our Chatty community. Many of them remember the original Halo trilogy standing on strength of its narrative, but couldn't feel the same impact with Halo 4. Part of that was a perceived weakness of the new antagonists. Poster Tincan points to the weakness of the Didact as Halo 4's big bad, while thaperfectdrug didn't connect with the Prometheans. While the Prometheans were strong, some posters felt they didn't carry the same menace as the Covenant Empire before them. Other posters like TastyWheat, SAS_Ale, and Mad Brahmin Disease concurred that Halo 4's story didn't quite enthrall them and they hope for a stronger story and more fleshed-out enemy in Halo 5: Guardians.
Those not into the story aspect of Halo have the new multiplayer to look forward to and if Halo 5's beta that closed out 2014 showed anything, it's that it's certainly evolved. The simplicity of the original Halo multiplayer modes appear to be a thing of the past, with Halo 5: Guardians revealing a far more bombastic presentation. Teams get full-blown intros, maps take place in massive arenas, weapons have become highlighted points-of-interest, and individual Spartans now yell out to one another. It almost feels like a completely new Halo. Some of our Chatty posters are pleased with how Halo 5's multiplayer shaped up during last year's beta, with posters maulla and faildorn among those expressing praise for it. In particular, the new mechanics appear to be a hit, with Halo 5 introducing ground pounds, charging shoulder tackles, unlimited sprint, and boosts that can be used for speed or propulsion.
Meanwhile, a more classic Halo-style of multiplayer can be found in Warzones, taking players across massive battles and fighting alongside teams of 16. What's particularly fascinating about this mode is that it also incorporates elements of the campaign, with some of its enemies showing up as objectives. The REQ system incorporates new ideas, such as the collectible elements of games like Hearthstone. The idea also introduces microtransactions, but the hope is that enough REQ points can be earned over the course of gameplay that real-money purchases will ultimately not be necessary.
The crew at 343 went into Halo 4 with a lot to prove. They arguably go into Halo 5: Guardians with even greater pressure on their shoulders, not just to win over remaining Halo fans, but also to help move Xbox One units with Microsoft's premier franchise. The new Halo release will determine whether they can do just that and Halo fans will all be waiting eagerly.
