Halo 5: Guardians Reviews
Halo 5: Guardians it's a versatile FPS with a high value for any fan of the genre, including the campaign and the multiplayer equally. It definitely keeps most of the essence of the franchise, sadly, the split-screen is highly missed.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Halo 5 is a first-class sci-fi shooter with a great campaign and varied multiplayer modes.
Review in German | Read full review
The fifth regular chapter of the Halo saga will certainly leave long-time fans satisfied, for some time looking for a multiplayer sector capable of rivaling that proposed by the historical trilogy. Abandoning the Armor Abilities and returning to focus on a pure and clean gameplay, Halo 5 performs a small miracle: it manages to distance itself far enough from the two "giants" that have saturated the market in recent years, demonstrating not only a strong character, but also the ability to adapt to the needs of a large segment of the public.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A terrific online experience saves Halo 5 from a mediocre campaign, missing features, and a disappointing lack of split screen multiplayer.
This spectacle is impressive on its own merits, but it spins the story's wheels for way too long.
So, back to the original question: Halo 5 is definitely good, but is it great? Well, I'm tempted to err on the side of greatness.
Halo 5 has come through addressing a lot of the concerns that fans had leading up to its launch. The online multiplayer is stable, delivers classic Halo multiplayer, and freshens it up all at the same time. The single player campaign is enjoyable enough for those looking for a classic FPS experience, but not all too bothered about a strong story. However, 343 Industries seems to have missed out on truly filling out the characters on both Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris. What could have been a master crafted experience with a beautifully woven story and blockbuster set pieces falls just short, instead offering a consistently solid performance throughout that is still a credit to the genre.
I think die-hard Halo fans will love Halo 5: Guardians, as it's a game made almost exclusively with them in mind. The rest of us might find ourselves a little lost, a bit let down and wistful for an old horizon that once reached for the heavens.
Lots of little details impress, like the specific way a Covenant jackal will beat off an attacking Promethean crawler with his shield if you watch them fighting, or the swoops of alien bird creatures screeching around the skies. And it all hums along at the high frame rates that certain sections of the gaming populace seem very concerned that it should.
On the flip side, the team takes the approach of "less is more" in the game's multiplayer as it goes, for the most part, back to basics and it quickly transports you to the franchise of old. If this is the title you've been waiting for before making the jump to Xbox One, you won't be disappointed, as it stands, in my opinion, as the best reason to own Microsoft's console.
Though the story is a draw for longtime fans, most people will be stopping in to check out Halo 5's multiplayer, and it's there 343's direction really shines. Warzone is a lot of fun, and Arena's classic inspiration is made all the better thanks to 343's latest twists to core mechanics. It's gorgeous, it's fast-paced, and it's a blast to play regardless of your skill level. Halo 5 is absolutely the flagship title the Xbox One deserves.
The continuation of a new Master Chief saga, the refinement and additions to multiplayer for casual and pros alike, plus a gorgeous presentation made possible by current generation technology—all add up to the makings of a FPS worthy of the Halo series' best iterations.
It's always hard for fans when a new studio takes over an existing, legendary series like Halo, but 343 Industries has done a masterful job of living up to what Halo has been, while progressing it further in their own vision. Halo 5 Guardians is a beautiful, challenging and entertaining step forward for the series both on the multiplayer and campaign front, even despite the decreased role of Master Chief. Trust in 343 Industries, Halo fans.
Halo 5: Guardians is the second game in what looks to be a trilogy from 343 Industries and for the most part, the developer is doing a good job of handling the franchise with care. We'll be sticking around for the next Halo title from 343.
Halo 5: Guardians is great if you're a big fan of its multiplayer modes, but its campaign is the weakest of the series.
Guardians is a disappointingly uneven experience
A short, disappointing tale makes nearly no progress in 343's trilogy, and offers nothing that lives up to the billing of a tense showdown between Halo 5's two protagonists. Thankfully the improved gameplay and consistently great multiplayer shine in Halo's uneven debut on the Xbox One. The multiplayer is fantastic, and the co-op is magical. Bring friends.
Flawless gameplay, one of the best multiplayer experiences on the market and a shiny, new coat of paint make Halo 5: Guardians an easy contender for Game of the Year.
As tired as space marine tropes are to video games, it would mean-spirited of me to deny that "Halo 5" delivers a solid, blockbuster experience best enjoyed with friends.