Despite being on shaky ground with some fans, 343i does anything but play it safe with the latest addition in the Halo franchise with Halo 5: Guardians. Featuring a new hero, very little Master Chief, new squad-based combat, new gameplay elements, redesigned multiplayer and the loss of split-screen, you can’t help but admire 343i for their bravery.

This new entry marks the second game in the Reclaimer Saga and like Halo 4, is very much based around the Prometheans. A strange new threat has emerged in the Universe, with little understanding of what it is or why, your job is to unravel the mystery and save humanity once again.

Halo 5: Guardians features two groups of Spartans: Blue Team led by Master Chief and Fireteam Osiris led by Agent Locke. Despite being our new hero, Agent Locke proves difficult to warm up to. His personality is basically a very generic and bland soldier, lacking in a certain legendary aura that Master Chief has. The only likeable member of his team is Buck, voiced by and based on Nathan Fillion (that guy from Firefly). I can’t actually tell you anything about the other two members of his team as they contributed so little to the game that nothing left a lasting impression on me.

Following his loss in Halo 4, Master Chief has decided to link up with three of his former Spartan II members that he grew up with. While their personalities aren’t developed much on screen, playing as such legendary Spartans led by Master Chief does feel every bit as epic as it should.

For reasons I do not wish to spoil, Master Chief and the rest of Blue Team decide to disobey UNSC orders and set out on their own mission. In response, the UNSC sends Fireteam Osiris to bring Master Chief home.

Halo 5: Guardians is not Master Chief’s story though. He is playable in just 3 of the 15 missions. Even then,the primary purpose of all three of those missions seems to be to form context for the next Fireteam Osiris mission. Having waited 3 years to play along in Master Chiefs next adventure only for him to play a more supporting part was a huge disappointment to me and I’m sure will be to many fans. Seeing his role in this latest escapade to save the Universe go from hero to zero is unfortunately not the only discourteous role longtime fans of the series can expect in the story.

If you can get past this shift, the Campaign is without a doubt of the same high quality that we have come to expect from Halo. Trying to piece together what is happening and what will happen will keep you hooked right through to the last mission. Though lacking in the epic moments the franchise is known for, the Levels are still consistently solid.

As soon as I completed the Campaign I wanted to up the difficulty, jump back in and play through all the amazing Levels again.

The story sees you travel to numerous drop dead gorgeous locations ranging from a futuristic alien city to a long forgotten alien planet long since overtaken by lush overgrowth of vegetation. Halo 5: Guardians is without a doubt the most visually stunning game I have played. On countless times throughout the game I found myself lingering in an area to absorb the awe-inspiring sites around me. The level of detail put into character models, environments, weapons and vehicles in the game is truly unmatched.

Despite an upgrade in hardware, the size of the Levels are very similar to that of previous Halo installments if not a bit smaller.

Generally, things shuffle along in a reasonably wide sized corridor rather than open battlefields. One of the big improvements in Level designs come from the multiple paths available. More so than in previous games, there are numerous paths, some hidden some obvious, which you can take to get to different vantage points.

With the addition of having fellow Spartans following you around comes the ability to issue squad orders. Despite the lone-wolf nature of previous games, commanding a squad fits in surprisingly well into the feeling of the game. Issuing orders comes in the form of a context sensitive button press. Point at a downed ally will have someone revive them, point at an enemy will have them focus their fire, point at the ground will have them go to that general vicinity and pointing at a weapon will have them pick it up.

You can’t tell them to go to specific places and sometimes they can’t figure out how to get somewhere properly and end up with the ‘close enough is good enough’ mentality.

Issuing squad orders does allow for a more strategic approach to combat, allowing you to pull off flanking maneuvers and attack from strategic locations and even have them carry along that useful weapon you found but don’t really feel like using at the moment.

You, along with your Spartan teammates, can now be revived on the battlefield, assuming of course you don’t get disintegrated by one of the more epic Promethean weapons. After being downed you have a certain time limit to be revived before you bleed out and are taken back to the last check point. This in combination with having a squad does make many parts of the game slightly easier than it otherwise would be. This didn’t prevent me from dying more often than I would have liked to admit.

This is due to opponents in Halo 5: Guardians generally being tougher and more intelligent than in previous entries. Throw a grenade at a Hunter and he will knock it back, get too close to an Elite and he will pull out his energy sword, try to shoot a Promethean and you may find yourself shooting nothing but a Promethean Watcher spawned shield. Fighting more admirable foes makes getting through battles feel more meaningful and rewarding.

It isn’t just your enemies who have seen improvement, Spartans are now decked out with a whole new range of abilities to use at any time. The most useful of which is the Thruster Pack. This enables you to use a short burst of your thruster to quickly dash off in any direction allowing you to dodge incoming bullets or quickly hide behind cover. Other abilities allow you to float mid-air and shoot, slam down on the ground, shoulder charge enemies as well as grab onto ledges.

The integration of all these new Spartan abilities enables Halo to shake off that decade old feeling that it has carried through over the years and embrace a more modern gameplay style that is much more enjoyable.

All these additional elements make the gameplay in Halo 5: Guardians the best yet in the series.

What is a shooter without good gunplay and thankfully Halo 5: Guardians delivers in spades.

There is no game changing new additions in this entry but instead its strength comes from bringing us a diverse and balanced selection of weapons. Fan favourites like the battle rifle and surprisingly powerful pistol make a return. With the one exception of the SMG, there wasn’t a single weapon I encountered that I didn’t enjoy taking enemies does with.

While the Campaign is what gets me to the table, it is the multiplayer in the Halo series that keeps me from leaving. Halo 5: Guardians boasts a diverse range of multiplayer modes targeting a broad range of gamers. For your more typical Halo players there are modes like Team Slayer (aka team Death Match), Capture the Flag and Strongholds (aka capture points).

All these modes deliver the experience you would expect.

For the more competitive fast-paced online shooter fans there is SWAT and Breakout. With no shields to protect you, both these modes focus quick reaction time and accurate shooting with headshots being the key to winning. For those with the skill, these modes will provide you with a challenging but rewarding online experience.

The biggest new multiplayer addition in Halo 5: Guardians comes via way of the fun new 12 v 12 multiplayer mode called Warzone. These epic matches, taking place on massive maps, feature a mix of different game mode elements. Points are awarded to each team for capturing bases, taking down one of the extremely tough AI or capturing and holding bases.

While I have always found Halo’s multiplayer to be focused more on individual triumphs, Warzone is based solely on working together as a team. Instead of feeling like an epic Spartan, the increased difficult of AI opponents and large number of players makes you feel like just a soldier on a battlefield.

While this is certainly different from the typical Halo vibe, I actually found this multiplayer mode more gripping. I found myself having fun even when not playing well or contributing much which is certainly different to how I feel in one of the other online Halo modes.

All the great new improvements in the gameplay have been fully utilised in the in the layout of the multiplayer maps.

Making use of the ability to climb ledges, the maps feel more like an open 3D environment than a series of flat vertical Levels. The care that has gone into creating the small details like the layout of the objects and that extra path or area off to the side makes each level feel great. While aesthetics isn’t usually a big focus on multiplayer, 343i has to be commended for showing the same outstanding level of care in the visual design as the physical.

The Campaign in Halo 5: Guardians, minus a few plot elements that didn’t sit well with me, lives up to the standards the series has set.

The overall gameplay has improved, now feeling modern and generally more enjoyable. The addition of squad based gameplay adds a new strategic element that fits well into the overall gameplay. The multiplayer has also seen improvement through the superb Level design and addition of the fun new multiplayer mode Warzone.

Between the great Level design, stunning graphics, exceptional gameplay, awesome multiplayer and an engaging story, Halo 5: Guardians proves why Halo is the juggernaut it has become.

The post Halo 5 Guardians (Updated) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

[Reviewers Note: This is a review in progress as at the time of writing I was not able to play enough of the multiplayer. Once the game releases and the online community builds up I will update this review. In the meantime feel free to check out my early preview of the two Halo multiplayer modes Arena and Warzone]

Despite being on shaky ground with some fans, 343i does anything but play it safe with the latest addition in the Halo franchise with Halo 5: Guardians. Featuring a new hero, very little Master Chief, new squad-based combat, new gameplay elements, redesigned multiplayer and the loss of split-screen, you can’t help but admire 343i for their bravery.

This new entry marks the second game in the Reclaimer Saga and like Halo 4, it is very much based around the Prometheans. A strange new threat has emerged in the universe, with little understanding of what it is or why, your job is to unravel the mystery and save humanity once again.

Halo 5: Guardians features two groups of Spartans: Blue Team led by Master Chief and Fireteam Osiris led by Agent Locke. Despite being our new hero, Agent Locke proves difficult to warm up to.

His personality is basically a very generic and bland soldier, lacking in a certain legendary aura that Master Chief has. The only likeable member of his team is Buck, voiced by and based on Nathan Fillion (that guy from Firefly). I can’t actually tell you anything about the other two members of his team as they contributed so little to the game that nothing left a lasting impression on me.

Following his loss in Halo 4, Master Chief has decided to link up with three of his former Spartan II members that he grew up with. While their personalities aren’t developed much on screen, playing as such legendary Spartans led by Master Chief does feel every bit as epic as it should.

For reasons I do not wish to spoil, Master Chief and the rest of Blue Team decide to disobey UNSC orders and set out on their own mission. In response, the UNSC sends Fireteam Osiris to bring Master Chief home.

Halo 5: Guardians is not Master Chief’s story though. He is playable in just 3 of the 15 missions.

Even then,the primary purpose of all three of those missions seems to be to form context for the next Fireteam Osiris mission. Having waited 3 years to play along in Master Chiefs next adventure only for him to play a more supporting part was a huge disappointment to me and I’m sure will be to many fans.

Seeing his role in this latest escapade to save the universe go from hero to zero is unfortunately not the only discourteous role changelongtime fans of the series can expect in the story.

If you can get past this shift, the Campaign is without a doubt of the same high quality that we have come to expect from Halo. Trying to piece together what is happening and what will happen will keep you hooked right through to the last mission. Though lacking in the epic moments the franchise is known for, the Levels are still consistently solid.

As soon as I completed the Campaign I wanted to up the difficulty, jump back in and play through all the levels again.

The story sees you travel to numerous drop dead gorgeous locations ranging from a futuristic alien city to a long forgotten alien planet long since overtaken by lush overgrowth of vegetation. Halo 5: Guardians is without a doubt the most visually stunning game I have played. On countless times throughout the game I found myself lingering in an area to absorb the awe-inspiring sites around me. The level of detail put into character models, environments, weapons and vehicles in the game is truly unmatched.

Despite an upgrade in hardware, the size of the Levels are very similar to that of previous Halo instalments if not a bit smaller. Generally, things shuffle along in a reasonably wide sized corridor rather than open battlefields.

One of the big improvements in Level design comes from the multiple paths available. More so than in previous games, there are numerous paths, some hidden some obvious, which you can take to get to different vantage points.

With the addition of having fellow Spartans following you around comes the ability to issue squad orders. Despite the lone-wolf nature of previous games, commanding a squad fits in surprisingly well into the feeling of the game. Issuing orders comes in the form of a context sensitive button press. Point at a downed ally will have someone revive them, point at an enemy will have them focus their fire, point at the ground will have them go to that general vicinity and pointing at a weapon will have them pick it up.

You can’t tell them to go to specific places and sometimes they can’t figure out how to get somewhere properly and end up with the ‘close enough is good enough’ mentality.

Issuing squad orders does allow for a more strategic approach to combat, allowing you to pull off flanking maneuvers and attack from strategic locations and even have them carry along that useful weapon you found but don’t really feel like using at the moment.

You, along with your Spartan teammates, can now be revived on the battlefield, assuming of course you don’t get disintegrated by one of the more epic Promethean weapons. After being downed you have a certain time limit to be revived before you bleed out and are taken back to the last checkpoint.

This in combination with having a squad does make many parts of the game slightly easier than it otherwise would be. This didn’t prevent me from dying more often than I would have liked to admit.

This is due to opponents in Halo 5: Guardians generally being tougher and more intelligent than in previous entries. Throw a grenade at a Hunter and he will knock it back, get too close to an Elite and he will pull out his energy sword, try to shoot a Promethean and you may find yourself shooting nothing but a Promethean Watcher spawned shield.

Fighting more admirable foes makes getting through battles feel more meaningful and rewarding.

It isn’t just your enemies who have seen improvement, Spartans are now decked out with a whole new range of abilities to use at any time.

The most useful of which is the Thruster Pack. This enables you to use a short burst of your thruster to quickly dash off in any direction allowing you to dodge incoming bullets or quickly hide behind cover. Other abilities allow you to float mid-air and shoot, slam down on the ground, shoulder charge enemies as well as grab onto ledges.

The integration of all these new Spartan abilities enables Halo to shake off that decade old feeling that it has carried through over the years and embrace a more moderngameplay style that is much more enjoyable.  All these additional elements make the gameplay in Halo 5: Guardians the best yet in the series.

What is a shooter without good gunplay? Well, thankfully Halo 5: Guardians delivers in spades.

There is no game-changing new additions in this entry, but instead its strength comes from bringing us a diverse and balanced selection of weapons. Fan favourites like the battle rifle and surprisingly powerful pistol make a return. With the one exception of the SMG, there wasn’t a single weapon I encountered that I didn’t enjoy taking enemies does with.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get much time with the multiplayer before writing this review. This was due to a lack of online community prior to the official release making it difficult to find matches. I will update this review with final impressions after official release.

What little time I did get with the multiplayer, though, left me impressed.

The Campaign in Halo 5: Guardians, minus a few plot elements that didn’t sit well with me, lives up to the standards the series has set. The overall gameplay has improved, now feeling modern and generally more enjoyable.

The addition of squad based gameplay adds a new strategic element that fits well into the overall gameplay. Between the great Level design, stunning graphics, exceptional gameplay and an engaging story, Halo 5: Guardians proves why Halo is the juggernaut it has become.

*Stay tuned for a more indepth review shortly.

The post Halo 5: Guardians Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Following the world premiere of Halo 5: Guardians gameplay at E3 2015, developer 343 Industries has further elaborated on the story of the hotly-anticipated Xbox One exclusive.

During a jam-packed panel at San Diego Comic-Con, 343 Industries expanded on their bold and ambitious vision for Halo 5: Guardians. They also detailed how the game’s epic narrative is being enriched by interconnected stories told through other parts of the franchise, including the “Halo: The Fall of Reach” animated series, and a second season of the critically-acclaimed “Hunt the Truth” audio series.

What goes into the creation of one of the year’s biggest and most highly-anticipated video games? 343 Industries takes you behind the scenes in a new video documentary (ViDoc) that provides an in-depth look at the development of Halo 5: Guardians and the team’s creative vision. Built from the ground up to take advantage of the Xbox One and Xbox Live, Halo 5: Guardians features the franchise’s most ambitious campaign and multiplayer experiences yet, all running at 60 frames per second.

New Documentary Highlights Ambitious Vision for Halo 5: Guardians.

The entire ViDoc is available on the “Halo Channel,” which for the first time can now be downloaded on iOS and Android devices. The “Halo Channel” is also available on Xbox One, Windows 8.1 PCs and tablets, and a version for Windows Phone is currently in development and will be available at the launch of Windows 10 Mobile.

To download it from the iOS store, click here.

To download it from the Android store, click here.

To download it from the Windows 8 store, click here.

“Halo: The Fall of Reach” Animated Series Explores the Origins of the Master Chief and Blue Team.

343 Industries revealed the teaser trailer for “Halo: The Fall of Reach,” an animated adaptation of the beloved Eric Nylund novel of the same name. Told in three connected acts, the high-quality animated production is included with the Digital Deluxe Edition, Limited Edition and Limited Collector’s Edition of Halo 5: Guardians and can be viewed via the “Halo Channel” with the launch of the game on Oct. 27th, 2015.

The animation is produced and directed by SEQUENCE, the award-winning Vancouver-based animation studio responsible for the “Terminals” featured in Halo 4 and Halo 2: Anniversary, and this marks their most ambitious and high-fidelity Halo animation yet.

“Halo: The Fall of Reach” tells the dramatic tale of the origin and intrigue behind the SPARTAN program that propelled characters like the Master Chief and Dr. Catherine Halsey into the pantheon of “Halo” lore. The story reveals the events that brought Master Chief and Blue Team together, including their Spartan training and their daring mission to strike back at the Covenant during the first days of the deadly alien invasion.

Season Two of the Critically-Acclaimed “Hunt the Truth” Audio Series Launches in Spring 2015

 Season two of “Halo’s” popular “Hunt the Truth” audio series will launch this fall. When “Hunt the Truth” launched in March 2015, it took the “Halo” community by storm, generating more than 5.5 million podcast listens across its 13 episodes while garnering massive critical-acclaim from fans and media worldwide.

For those that haven’t tuned in yet, season one of “Hunt the Truth” was hosted by Benjamin Giraud (Keegan-Michael Key) and focused on his investigation into the Master Chief, humanity’s greatest and most mysterious hero.

As inconsistencies in the story emerged, Ben was faced with a choice to toe the government line or cut rank and break the conspiracy wide open. The first season of “Hunt the Truth” can be listened to here.

The post Details Revealed for Halo 5: Guardians Story appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Halo 5: Guardians is shaping up to be the biggest leap the series has taken yet. While many are uncertain whether the leap has been in the right direction, through a mix of presentations and hands on time with the game, I am very optimistic about the upcoming launch.

In terms of campaign, the Halo 5: Guardians has decided to step away from the lone-wolf styled quest as Master Chief.

Instead, 343i has decided to go to a squad based style complete with issuing commands and reviving comrades. The story takes place from two different squads perspectives which changes as the story progresses.

The first couple of Levels begin as Master Chief and three of the Spartan’s he first trained with. After going AWOL following a mission, the UNSC sends Spartan Locke along with three others to track them down.

The team goes with you throughout each mission which looks to provide an experience different to the main series. You are able to issue commands to your squad such as instructing them to take cover, pick up a certain weapon or attack a certain enemy. Another feature introduced into the game is reviving which I am worried will make the game too forgiving and easy.

The cinematics in the game, similar to its predecessors, looked amazing. Unfortunately, the presentation I received didn’t give much more information than this about the Campaign and there was no playable demo for me to try out first hand.

I did however get some hands on time with Halo 5: Guardians new multiplayer mode Warzone. I’ve always been one of those campaign guys when it has come to Halo.

While I have dabbled in the multiplayer, I’ve never been able to be hooked on it. My hands on time with Halo 5: Guardians new multiplayer mode Warzone has convinced me that may change.

The mode is a mash together of multiple modes which strangely combine well to create what looks to be a favourite Halo multiplayer mode yet. The objective of the mode is to reach 1000 points or destroy the enemy core after holding all bases at once. Points are gained for multiple things including killing other players, holding capture points and taking down AI controlled bosses.

The blend of these different objectives made the game chaotic, unpredictable and ultimately really fun.

The game starts out with your team attempting to capture your first AI infested base. Where you go from there is really up to you.

I enjoyed that due to the numerous ways to gain points, and players can select the way they feel most comfortable contributing. If you aren’t too good at taking down other people, you can opt to instead go for the AI controlled bosses or even attempt to hold bases.

Appearing at various stages throughout the Level are AI controlled bosses. Each boss is different and I’m told they have different backstories and names. We will have to wait until later to find out about more about these bosses but their integration into the game adds a new dynamic and definitely makes things more interesting.

Another cool feature of the game mode is the requisition system which is the main way players get access to the more impactful weapons. Players start each life being able to choose from a standard selection of loadouts. More powerful weapons or even vehicles can be purchased each life using a type of in-game points.

These points seemed to recharge automatically over time.

In order to purchase these vehicles and weapons, you first must have a card for them which is consumed after each use. Cards are randomly given in requisition packs which are unlocked through various means in-game or can be purchased with real money. A portion of the money spent on these packs will go to the prize pool of Halo championship events.

The game mechanics in Halo 5: Guardians is very different to the previous instalments.

Spartans have integrated abilities such as ground pound, Spartan charge, slide, smart scope (which is basically just aiming down a sight) and a thruster pack. I was never really into having to equip abilities in the previous entries in the series so I was relieved to see them finally integrated, quite well may I add, into the game.

There really is something for everyone in Halo 5: Guardians new multiplayer mode Warzone. This mishmash of various game modes somehow sticks them together in a way that makes it just work. The Campaign also looks interesting and although I wasn’t able to play too much of it, I cannot wait to see more.

The post Halo 5: Guardians Preview appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

As we draw closer to the release of Halo 5: Guardians on October 27th, 2015, fans around the world continue to unravel new details around the Xbox One exclusive.

As a continuation of the #HUNTtheTRUTH campaign that has captured the attention of fans through multiple live-action trailers (“All Hail” and “The Cost”) and an episodic audio series available on HuntTheTruth.tumblr.com – Xbox fans around the world came together to reveal the cover art for Halo 5: Guardians.

Last week, several cryptic images were released to various online channels across the globe…no instructions, no explanation, no references to the Halo universe.  It didn’t take long forHalo Nation to scour the Internet to piece together the mystery to reveal the cover art for Halo 5: Guardians.

Today, we’re proud to release the final cover art for Halo 5: Guardians, including a special video version that highlights the Spartan fireteams that play a crucial role in the showdown between the Master Chief and Spartan Locke.

Who are these Spartans?  This and many more mysteries will be uncovered as we draw closer to the world premiere of Halo 5: Guardians at E3 2015.  Join us as we #HUNTtheTRUTH.

The post Official Halo 5 Cover Art Revealed appeared first on Shane the Gamer.