Halo 5: Guardians

 Xbox One
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3713 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,945 out of 3713
  2. Mixed: 747 out of 3713
  3. Negative: 1,021 out of 3713
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Roditronx
    Oct 29, 2015
    4
    This game is a embarrassment. The graphics are a joke. Campaign is boring. This game is not Halo at all.
    It was tough to play especially when it got intense with multiple enemies and explosions the resolution drop to a point where it was just blurry. The A.I. is very bad and most of the time just stand around lol. Spartan Locke could have been a cool character but fell short. Master Chief    This game is a embarrassment. The graphics are a joke. Campaign is boring. This game is not Halo at all.
    It was tough to play especially when it got intense with multiple enemies and explosions the resolution drop to a point where it was just blurry. The A.I. is very bad and most of the time just stand around lol. Spartan Locke could have been a cool character but fell short. Master Chief felt like a side character. I would wait for a price drop, I wish I did.    … Expand
  2. Quietlionmusic
    Oct 28, 2015
    4
    Buying this game I had no expectations. I have been a long time Halo fan since Halo: Combat Evolved back in 2001. I have probably logged more hours in Halo games than any other game. That having been said, this game looks like Halo, has iconic characters and guns from Halo, but this game does not feel like Halo. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Little things really. For example, whenBuying this game I had no expectations. I have been a long time Halo fan since Halo: Combat Evolved back in 2001. I have probably logged more hours in Halo games than any other game. That having been said, this game looks like Halo, has iconic characters and guns from Halo, but this game does not feel like Halo. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Little things really. For example, when you fire the Battle Rifle it almost seems as if it is not burst firing because the fire animation seems so much more rushed than the old Battle Rifle. Just the subtle smoothness of weapon handling does not feel the same. Grenades feel rushed as well and are much harder to predict where they will go than they were before in previous Halo games.

    As for the story, it was underwhelming as well, but the more I play this Halo, the more I feel like playing The Master Chief Collection instead. I think much of the problem is this game was not developed by Bungie- It is just a Microsoft franchise now and they don't have the experience to pull off what Bungie did for years.    … Expand
  3. jibbyman
    Oct 29, 2015
    1
    This game is an incomplete mess. At launch this game is missing a ton of gametypes as well as missing split screen, lan, and forge mode. The graphics are sub-par with flickering shadows, a resolution that is constantly wavering between 720p and 1080p, and a framerate that is only locked at 60fps when you are in close range, enemies that are mid to long range will stutter around at 30fps orThis game is an incomplete mess. At launch this game is missing a ton of gametypes as well as missing split screen, lan, and forge mode. The graphics are sub-par with flickering shadows, a resolution that is constantly wavering between 720p and 1080p, and a framerate that is only locked at 60fps when you are in close range, enemies that are mid to long range will stutter around at 30fps or lower.

    Halo 5's map selection was advertised as the largest and most varied for any Halo game to date. This is untrue,many of the maps that came with the game are just forge maps that took no effort for the dev team to make. Besides that we are given 5 true arena maps, 3 of which are just remixes of midship, if midship were 3 times larger and filled with clutter. I haven't bothered to play any of the warzone maps, due to that mode's use of microtransactions.

    The story is just bad and plays out like fanfiction. I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers.

    Other gripes: aiming feels clunky due to deadzones and aim acceleration, ranking system does not match players by rank, Master Chief is only in 3 out of the 15 missions, weapon sounds seem weak. ADS blocks part of the screen when zoomed in on certain weapons despite functioning the same as previous games, effectively making this mechanic a downgrade.

    I don't know what is going on at 343 but the fact that they continue to release broken and unfinished games every year is a major problem. Their we'll fix it later mentality will kill this franchise. It's beyond my understanding how Bungie was able to release fully functioning Halo 3 way back in 07 filled with features and customization options after 3 years dev time, yet 343 with a larger staff and an equal amount of time can ony manage a game with about half the content of H3.    … Expand
  4. Rysmit789
    Oct 28, 2015
    0
    Why is its terrible.

    -no split screen Split screen is one of the core selling points of halo, its been in every halo since the beginning but for some pathetic reason 343 chose to get rid of split screen in favour of 1080p graphics and 60fps, despite the majority of halo fans preferring lower frame rates and worse graphics like there always has been. -boring single player The single    Why is its terrible.

    -no split screen
    Split screen is one of the core selling points of halo, its been in every halo since the beginning but for some pathetic reason 343 chose to get rid of split screen in favour of 1080p graphics and 60fps, despite the majority of halo fans preferring lower frame rates and worse graphics like there always has been.

    -boring single player
    The single player in this game is not a scratch on the stories that bungie were able to produce, the new characters are boring as is the short story, that ends on a terrible cliff hanger, very unlike halo 2's cliff hanger ending which made me desperately play more, halo 5's makes me want to forget this completely    … Expand
  5. forthenco
    Oct 29, 2015
    0
    I don't have the time to enjoy multiplayer, and the campaign story wasn't just bad, it was abysmal, I beat the campaign on heroic in 7 hours of straight gaming and in the end I wanted to grasp some hope that the ending was gonna be good but instead all I felt was that the narrative could not have been more disjointed and **** up then it was. It is nothing like hunt the truth, it isI don't have the time to enjoy multiplayer, and the campaign story wasn't just bad, it was abysmal, I beat the campaign on heroic in 7 hours of straight gaming and in the end I wanted to grasp some hope that the ending was gonna be good but instead all I felt was that the narrative could not have been more disjointed and **** up then it was. It is nothing like hunt the truth, it is nothing like the ad campaign, they never really wanted to hurt the chief there was no stress about locke and the chief really hashing it out. In the end they portrayed locke as if in equal standing to the chief and made one of my most favorite characters a villain who made positively no sense. The end of the game left me both mystified and tremendously frustrated as all it made me feel was that the whole campaign was the prolouge to halo 6. This review is based on the campaign experience which is honestly why I bought the game and I cannot be any more angry with how **** the campaign is.… Expand
  6. JJJS
    Oct 28, 2015
    0
    Dropping features such as split screen that where core to the series makes it a no buy.

    343 seems to have already long track word of saying one thing and then doing another, here's hoping they retcon halo's 4 and 5, then Master Chief wakes up from cryo-sleep. with a relieved sound in his voice saying "oh thank god it was a terrible dream"
  7. cdd
    Oct 27, 2015
    2
    Halo 5 has lost everything that was halo, playing with your friends in one room and yelling at the guy next to you for assassinating you or screen peeking. and 2 people jumping on the guy with the tank so the other guy can kill the tank in game. its fun to play for one single person but because you cannot play splitscreen, in my opinion 343 industries you have ruined the HALO experience.Halo 5 has lost everything that was halo, playing with your friends in one room and yelling at the guy next to you for assassinating you or screen peeking. and 2 people jumping on the guy with the tank so the other guy can kill the tank in game. its fun to play for one single person but because you cannot play splitscreen, in my opinion 343 industries you have ruined the HALO experience. Just go back and look at your favorite halo games, halo 2 and halo 3, halo 2 had one of the best stories ever and this story doesnt match up, not even close. halo 3 has forge and crazy splitscreen local playability. i remember the first map me and my brother made and played together, he was always building these intricate race courses and i would test them for him. but it never got boring. there was always something different. and you could always call a friend to come over and have a game night and play some halo together, not anymore. HALO 5 is no longer HALO it is now RANDOM SPACE-AGE SHOOTER 5. I will not be buying this after playing it at a friends house expecting to play halo, was extremely dissapointed.… Expand
  8. TrevMizer
    Oct 28, 2015
    0
    Another rushed Halo game. No surprises here, but it's also unfinished. Pitiful number of multiplayer maps, no big team battle, no forge mode. Custom games are pretty much impossible because of this. I'm also not happy with the agenda 343 have. Campaign is just terrible and filled with sjw dribble. The shills are trying really hard to keep the fake reviews up.
  9. TheLastBandit92
    Oct 28, 2015
    1
    Absolutely disappointing. The campaign is weak and the multiplayer became nothing but Call of Duty clone. What was once a unique experience is now just a memory replaced by this garbage. Wait to get till it's $40
  10. Viltgance
    Oct 28, 2015
    0
    This game is a big let down for long time Halo fans. The pure fact that there is no local co op and no online guest is absolutely absurd for a Halo game. You cannot have get togethers with your buddies IRL anymore and have Halo nights at a friends place....hell you can't even have 1 friend over and play together now. Also this game is lacking in game modes, basically there isn't manyThis game is a big let down for long time Halo fans. The pure fact that there is no local co op and no online guest is absolutely absurd for a Halo game. You cannot have get togethers with your buddies IRL anymore and have Halo nights at a friends place....hell you can't even have 1 friend over and play together now. Also this game is lacking in game modes, basically there isn't many options to choose from right now, and on top of that there is no forge. Seems to be the normal in this gen to have minimal content at launch and add more later with DLC and microtransaction. Halo 3 is still the definitive Halo game to play in the series and I'd make sure to play this game somewhere before running out and blindly purchasing it....you may be disappointed.… Expand
  11. xbox44ever
    Oct 28, 2015
    3
    343 has finally killed one of the best games that was created, much like treyarch killed COD. When the game is not your creation (baby) than you give less attention to it and don't care if it is a joke. First of this is a review of the single player and not multiplayer (simply because I play halo for SP). The story is all over the place and does not make any sense. I get it they are trying343 has finally killed one of the best games that was created, much like treyarch killed COD. When the game is not your creation (baby) than you give less attention to it and don't care if it is a joke. First of this is a review of the single player and not multiplayer (simply because I play halo for SP). The story is all over the place and does not make any sense. I get it they are trying to go in a different direction but my god couldn't they have found a better formula. Locke was boring and just seemed liked a robot who takes orders and rarely questions. You rarely play as master chief and the ending is just a joke. Thy tried to pull off a shutter island type of ending which makes you think but the only thing I thought after that ending was NO HALO 6 for me. Oh for a game that I bought for 40 quid I smashed the game in 5 hours. Might replay it once more and then sell it on.… Expand
  12. fallouts
    Oct 28, 2015
    0
    A very boring story campaign that feels too similar to Halo 4, although the gunplay is somewhat improved. The graphics are better but not by much, still looks like Halo 4.5. There are better FPS games out there. See my other reviews to find out about other good FPS games.
  13. ufc77
    Oct 28, 2015
    1
    A very boring story campaign that feels too similar to Halo 4, although the gunplay is somewhat improved. The graphics are better but not by much, still looks like Halo 4.5. There are better FPS games out there. See my other reviews to find out about other good FPS games.
  14. 3dYoumad
    Oct 27, 2015
    0
    Is Halo up to the Challenge?
    On the levels where most games operate, it is. Here we get two interweaving stories – or perhaps one story told from two perspectives – as the game shifts perspective back and forth between Blue Team, led by the Master Chief, and Team Osiris, led by the ex-ONI agent, now Spartan, Jameson Locke.
    Not everything works perfectly. There's an absolutely awful    Is Halo up to the Challenge?
    On the levels where most games operate, it is. Here we get two interweaving stories – or perhaps one story told from two perspectives – as the game shifts perspective back and forth between Blue Team, led by the Master Chief, and Team Osiris, led by the ex-ONI agent, now Spartan, Jameson Locke.

    Not everything works perfectly. There's an absolutely awful section in a mining colony where you can eavesdrop on characters that are supposed to tell you nothing from a distance of two-feet away; a sequence that's perhaps supposed to remind you of Locke's background in intelligence, but leaving you wishing 343 had exercised more of theirs. There are two other missions later on where you do almost nothing bar wander somewhere and speak to an important NPC.
    With less experience we're even less inclined to say much about Warzone, except that it's mix of large-scale Battlefield-style warfare and almost Destiny-like co-op skirmishes and boss-battles has a lot of promise, with the action escalating nicely as new weapons and vehicles become available through the requisition system. We'll cover both Arena and Warzone in more depth, and look at server and matchmaking stability, in an update after launch.

    The Verdict:

    Halo 5 make a promise to the future, in Competitive mode.    … Expand
  15. VideoGamePlayer
    Oct 28, 2015
    0
    Graphics are pretty bad for what’s supposed to be a showcase for the Xbox One. Multiplayer matchmaking is very weak because of the limited choice of game modes to choose from. Multiplayer maps are very uninspired! Guns are underpowered and extremely stale compared to other games. Movement system is also lagging behind the competition now because it’s too basic compared to what you see inGraphics are pretty bad for what’s supposed to be a showcase for the Xbox One. Multiplayer matchmaking is very weak because of the limited choice of game modes to choose from. Multiplayer maps are very uninspired! Guns are underpowered and extremely stale compared to other games. Movement system is also lagging behind the competition now because it’s too basic compared to what you see in other games. Single player campaign is not epic and this is Halo so it should be! Clearly this is not the next gen Halo we were all hoping for!!!… Expand
  16. rocketsniper
    Aug 10, 2018
    0
    The campaign is absolutely terrible. It tries and fails at every turn. Part of that is due to the misleading market. None of the characters are fleshed out, there is no development, the storytelling is awful and lackluster. From an ordinary storytelling perspective it's baseline average but this is a HALO game. Honestly 343, what the hell happened? Now the multiplayer is a littleThe campaign is absolutely terrible. It tries and fails at every turn. Part of that is due to the misleading market. None of the characters are fleshed out, there is no development, the storytelling is awful and lackluster. From an ordinary storytelling perspective it's baseline average but this is a HALO game. Honestly 343, what the hell happened? Now the multiplayer is a little conflicted. 343 tried a little too hard to be competitive and as a result we lost a lot of casual fun. Instead of armor abilities, every player has dash, spartan charge, and ground pound, which makes for a more fast paced game-play. Game modes like Warzone were very experimental and fun but 343 decided to monetize the weapon sandbox for it. Forge was incredible. 343 really outdid themselves. It was easily the best forge we've ever gotten in a Halo game, also THANK YOU 343 FOR ADDING A CUSTOM GAME BROWSER!!! The maps and gun-play are pretty dang good and 60 fps game-play makes for some fast paced fun, but it just doesnt feel like Halo to me. Also theater is an absolute joke. So many glitches in the theater I'll probably never use it. Overall the campaign is trash, the multiplayer is fun, and I WOULD give this game a 7/10. But there is something keeping me from doing that. 343 did something that pissed me off so much I have to give this a 6.5/10. They removed split-screen co-op. A feature that had been in every Halo game before it and is one of my favorite things about the franchise. The ability to play with your friends on the same xbox and on the same TV was gone, all so they could sell more xbox's and charge you for xbox live. Thankfully 343 listen to the outrage and Halo Infinite is going to have split-screen. Overall grade: 6.5/10.… Expand
  17. HaloVeteran
    Jun 2, 2020
    0
    Says Halo when you launch the game but is in fact, not actually a Halo game
  18. Persona9999
    Nov 21, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Badest halo game..and fu. K mAster. Chef bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad abad bad bad bad bad halo is babd babdbdbdbsbbabbdbdb ...... ..… Expand
  19. Omran121
    Jun 21, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo is garbage … Expand
  20. ronaldomds
    Jun 12, 2020
    0
    Perdi meu tempo nessa porcaria! Chato demais, não tem emoção, essas armas de brinquedo são um tédio, só não é pior que a campanha!
  21. Not_Ur_Momz
    Jun 19, 2020
    0
    The campaign sucks, there is no split-screen, the graphics make it hard to see things. It just does not feel like Halo.
  22. Elanonimous
    Jun 20, 2020
    0
    Fue una gran decepción pero de todas formas a mí nunca me llamaban la atención los juegos halo j
  23. dark_hox
    Nov 16, 2020
    0
    such a bad story looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooioiooooooooooooooooool
  24. StudentCritic20
    Apr 7, 2022
    4
    Only good thing for awhile is multiplayer. Campaign was horrible, it took me years to finish it, not because it was challenging, but because it was so bad I didn't want to play. They changed a lot of gameplay into what feels like another game entirely.
  25. KingZander23
    Dec 11, 2020
    0
    halo five story was boring. But the gameplay was decent enough to play the time.
  26. jhongams2014
    Oct 18, 2021
    3
    the Halo series is based around master chief but in halo's 5 campaign you only get to play as him for 3 missions . then that added the others that follow you around and shout random things . the multiplayer was 343's main focus to get their players to play for all of the loot box type systems, the multiplayer is not all that fun if you don't play with friends.
  27. HanTrooper23
    Apr 11, 2022
    4
    I mean don't get me wrong it is a halo game and they are really good but this one it's boring. but it is fun though, it has good graphics and there are lots of Easter eggs but the same time i haven't really finished it. The controls are confusing, the story did make sense. here is just one of the few videos about why it is so bad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwwyb_5jJHc.
  28. neighborprism
    Mar 27, 2017
    0
    When I saw Halo 5 for first time I was completely hyped but three-for-three flush the faith for me and Halo right down the toilet stories bad multiplayers raging the only good part is the forge that's it
  29. Olabi5
    Feb 15, 2021
    0
    No fue el mejor halo hasta ahora la historia es no muy buena las misiones se repiten haciéndolo aburrido lo único bueno son sus gráficos y nada más, esperemos que con el siguiente halo sea bueno
  30. UDontKnowwatURt
    Nov 2, 2015
    4
    This game is so broken and I have xbox uploads for evidence. It constantly glitches, teleports me in random spots of the map in campaign and multi-player. The animations are broken on the character and enemies. When the enemies die they get frozen standing up or they slide across the map. A lot of content is not in the multi-player, it is really basic. Are telling its okay to pay for DLCThis game is so broken and I have xbox uploads for evidence. It constantly glitches, teleports me in random spots of the map in campaign and multi-player. The animations are broken on the character and enemies. When the enemies die they get frozen standing up or they slide across the map. A lot of content is not in the multi-player, it is really basic. Are telling its okay to pay for DLC that should already be in the game such as odd ball, king of the hill etc, which!!! is not in there? This is all because of fan boys the downfall of today's gamers and their I.Q.… Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best Xbox One Game of 2015
1
#1 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2015
1
#1 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 101 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 101
  3. Negative: 0 out of 101
  1. The Jimquisition
    Jan 20, 2016
    65
    Halo 5: Guardians is okay. Its campaign is rubbish, but the multiplayer is solid thanks to the foundation it’s built upon. Warzone is a really enjoyable experience, and while combat is still mostly about tossing grenades and hitting the melee button, the whole Requisition gimmick adds some much-needed flavor to proceedings.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Jan 12, 2016
    75
    The latest Halo is a big deal only for hardcore Halo fans. For me the single player campaign was unbearably pompous and despite 1080p and 60 fps the visuals are not as breathtaking as they once were in Halo 4. The game builds a solid foundation for Halo 6, but it’s not one of those games you absolutely have to play. [13/2015, p.48]
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Jan 4, 2016
    91
    With a more accessible and engaging story and solid new designs for the Prometheans, Halo 5 is a major improvement over Halo 4. Warzone is a great addition to the multiplayer, though the mode seems to have some game balance issues. [Nov 2015]
See all critic reviews »