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
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  1. Doktor_Vehicl3
    Oct 29, 2015
    6
    Halo 5 is all in a polarizing experience. One the one hand you have a finely enhanced formula that allows for spectacular feats of gameplay, and on the other hand you have a by-the-numbers single player experience and a multiplayer component that takes a step back for every step forward. While Halo 5 continues where Halo 4 left off and expands on it in a number of ways, the final productHalo 5 is all in a polarizing experience. One the one hand you have a finely enhanced formula that allows for spectacular feats of gameplay, and on the other hand you have a by-the-numbers single player experience and a multiplayer component that takes a step back for every step forward. While Halo 5 continues where Halo 4 left off and expands on it in a number of ways, the final product never escapes a level of being simply passable, failing to transcend itself to greatness.

    The single player begins by cruelly cauterizing the open plot threads left by Halo 4's single player and Spartan Ops modes. The state of the Covenant leadership, the situation with Halsey and ONI, Cortana's death, Master Chief's newfound augmentations from the Librarian - all of these elements see an abrupt halt to their existence with one exception that I won't spoil, which has been re-purposed here. It should be noted that the marketing campaign for the single player, hinting towards conspiracy, political intrigue, and confrontation between the game's two pivotal characters Locke and the Master Chief, sees the most minimal development and feels the most shoehorned-in aspect of the single player. The plot is largely forgettable, and squanders the potential the rich Halo universe could have provided here. In place of mystery, intrigue, and the nature of an evolving humankind is a predictable, by the numbers affair filled with one dimensional characters, banal dialogue, and a villain so disappointingly superficial and evil as to evoke the Sith characters from George Lucas' Star Wars prequels. While the game manages to pack in quite a bit of lore from Halo materials far and wide, the result is rather soulless as 343 is in pandering mode almost the whole way through.

    It is surprising, then, that the Master Chief and Blue Team see the least development. Rather than assigning compelling personalities to the most decorated and fearsome soldiers humanity has ever seen, Blue Team simply exists to uphold the co-operative mechanics (for providing real friends different bodies) in place, while Locke's team sees the most screen time and dialogue, with just as little personality. Fred in particular exists almost as a ghost - this Spartan, who is in his skill set the most similar to Chief, doesn't have a moment in my memory where I even remember him speaking.

    Where the story may not be able to keep your interests, the gameplay will probably suffice. Halo 5 makes some fairly well implemented changes to the formula, which results in a more mobile brand of Halo's kinetic action. Level design in the single player works best in the game's "corridor" sequences, which put players at the top of a sloped, wide corridor filled with platforms and corridors of varying elevations, goodies to pilfer, and collectibles to unlock. The artificial intelligence across the board seems to have been simplified, probably to create for a more freely flowing experience whose pace is dictated by the player themselves. While the addition of collectibles into the missions is a nice touch, the developers could have used some restraint to avoid crippling the pacing of the game more than the mission structure does so already.

    Of the fifteen missions in the single player, there are a number of fairly short intermission sequences that allow the player to explore a small environment and get their healthy dose of exposition and worldbuilding. The unfortunate result is a product that is no more effective than the environmental storytelling and ambient worldbuilding found in the preceding Halo titles. I feel that 343 wanted so badly to cement its universe by packing it so densely with lore that it overused this liberty and vacated any sense of mystery or intrigue in its world. While there is some cool lore to chew on from time to time, these sections could have been foregone in favor of a better traditional experience. Instead, the single player never feels like it leaves its first act, simply dumping the player off of a cliff the moment their intrigue is sparked.

    The multiplayer component is similarly hit or miss. While the new 12v12 Warzone mode can provide some tense moments and exciting action, the scoring system in the AI infused mode is easily exploitable, and the lack of variety in maps sorely hurts the experience. In regular modes, social playlists are lacking entirely, leaving a roster of small team competitive modes and a currently broken free-for-all mode. The map designs in Arena are fitting of the mode's name, but feature visually bland designs and not many of them. While 343 plans to add free DLC content, the custom map editor forge is missing from launch, and a number of the total maps promised for Halo 5 will be created using said tool. I believe maps generated in forge are no substitute for in-house content - whether the content is free is no excuse.

    In the end, Halo 5 plays it safe and expects its fans to wait patiently for things to improve. I feel many won't.    … Expand
  2. Lumpy999
    Oct 30, 2015
    6
    Halo 5 is solid game but is the most disappointing entry in the series. The multiplayer has improved from past games but the multiplayer is the only thing that this game has improved on in any way.

    Halo is about its universe and this game has the worst story in the entire series. 343 has put so much focus on the multiplayer they have forgotten what made Halo so great in the first place.    Halo 5 is solid game but is the most disappointing entry in the series. The multiplayer has improved from past games but the multiplayer is the only thing that this game has improved on in any way.

    Halo is about its universe and this game has the worst story in the entire series. 343 has put so much focus on the multiplayer they have forgotten what made Halo so great in the first place.

    I still feel this game is worth a play but it is recommended you not buy the game just rent it.

    Somehow Halo 5 manages to make Halo 4 seem like a masterpiece. Despite this games many flaws it does still have some neat moments but very little makes this game worthy of the Halo franchise.    … Expand
  3. llMasterBetall
    Oct 29, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. TL;DR Campaign 4/10 | Mutiplayer 7/10 - - Overall 5.5/10

    Review (Campaign) The Halo 5 Campaign had a very good start especially when 343i showed Hunt The Truth. The idea of having all of these intertwining problems (Civil War, Promethean Threat, the Return of the Flood, etc.) sped up the hype train very much. It was also cool to see 343i go back to the roots of Halo 2 by having a second main character in the campaign. Unfortunately at release, it all fell apart. The problems with Halo 5's campaign fall under two categories, the gameplay and the story, with the latter being the worse of the two.

    In Halo 5 Guardians, you have access to squad commands, this is where the person playing as Locke or Chief can command his AI allies to move to position, to attack a target, pick up a weapon, or to revive a fallen teammate. The problem with this though is that the AI do not respond to threats and only follow the specific orders. For example, if you get downed, you can call an ally to revive you. Most of the time, they won't sprint towards you and they won't avoid hostile fire. They're very slow and very very stupid but this can avoided if you do coop. Humans > AI always.

    There are a number of problems however with the story itself. The first is that the Master Chief is not a main character of Halo 5 Guardians. If we consider Locke and Chief as main characters, they should both have an equal amount of game time. Out of the 12 actual gameplay misssions (15 total but 3 are just walk around cutscenes for Osiris), only a 4th of the game has Blue Team involved. I feel like 343i wanted to replace the Master Chief which is very hard to do. Bungie did a very good job at making the Arbiter a main character by giving him good dialogue, good background, and good story revolving around the covenant. Locke on the other hand is a very bland ONI agent that doesn't really get me to have any emotional attachment whatsoever. Campaign is pretty short for a Halo game but it's really the reveal of the villain which sucks the most. A lot of people wanted the flood, mendicant bias, and/or insurrectionists in this Halo and all we get is more prometheans, this time with Cortana as their leader. Most people were tired of the cheesy love story between Chief and Cortana. To top it all off, they end the game in a cliffhanger that doesn't really get the feeling of a good (But annoying) cliffhanger like Halo 2 "Sir, Finish this Fight.". In short, Characters are bland, the story is bland, and the cliffhanger is disappointing. I guess 343i is really related to Bungie (See Destiny).

    Final Score: 4/10

    Review (Multiplayer)

    Unlike the abysmall launch of Halo: Master Chief Collection, Halo 5: Guardians had a very solid launch with little to no server issues (EAST US). As a person who bought MCC day one, I felt that 343i didn't do a satisfactory job at fixing the game (With coop not even having a stable frame rate above 10). I was really concerned that the same may happen with Halo 5 but luckily I was wrong. With that being said, the game doesn't really innovate beyond Warzones which is the redeeming factor of the game.

    Almost all the spartan abilities (Thruster Packs, Ground Pound) were either already in the game or are just gimmicky and unnecessary. There is no real use for Ground Pound and for Spartan Charge whatsoever and yet people claim that these changes are innovative. It feels as if that 343i couldn't add in anything new to improve the game but tried to balance what features were already in Halo 4 (Thruster Pack [AA] and Sprint). Due to this, grenades are much more powerful and you die much faster than in other Halo which is disappointing. Despite these changes, Warzone is without a doubt the most innovative addition to the Halo franchise and I love it a lot.

    Warzone is a 12v12 game mode that pits 1 team vs 1 team vs neutral enemies. This forces players to not only kill the enemy team and secure bases, but to work with others at taking out AI enemies that spawn in. There is a problem with this which whoever gets the last hit takes all the points (Someone can snipe an enemy from a mile away and take all the points) but it is a really cool idea. I loved it the moment I saw the game mode at E3. If 343i can fix some of the balance issues in the game and make more warzone maps (Or even allow us to make them in forge), they've got a really good game ahead of them.

    Final Verdict 7/10

    Conclusion: Halo 5 is another divisive game just like Halo 4. There are the fanboys on Metacritic who give the game 9's and 10's blindly buying whatever 343i gives them and the haters who give this game a 0. I don't think either of them should be allowed to review games because Halo 5 needs criticism but not hatred. 343i is improving Halo but I do not believe that this is the game that will turn the franchise around after Halo 4/MCC. Hopefully they'll get it right next time with Halo 6. Good luck Spartans!

    Final Verdict 5.5/10 - Better luck next time!    … Expand
  4. bennibop
    Oct 29, 2015
    6
    The worst Halo for me and cannot understand any publication giving this game 9/10 as this game is definitely not nearly perfect. I play Halo for the story and its rich universe and this is the weakest entry yet. The plot is convoluted and you spend little time as the main character which is just bizarre. Graphics are just OK, as game contain low res textures, poor lighting and have seenThe worst Halo for me and cannot understand any publication giving this game 9/10 as this game is definitely not nearly perfect. I play Halo for the story and its rich universe and this is the weakest entry yet. The plot is convoluted and you spend little time as the main character which is just bizarre. Graphics are just OK, as game contain low res textures, poor lighting and have seen lots of pop-in. Multiplayer is the games saving grace but warning to any new Halo players it is very competitive. The lack of local co-op is also very annoying as it has been a staple of my Halo experience for years. IF you buying Halo 5 for the campaign AVOID, if you are buying for multiplayer it maybe worth your time if you are very good at fps.… Expand
  5. Falleax
    Oct 27, 2015
    7
    General game play:
    -Movement feels decently fast and fluid.
    -Almost every gun is viable and worth using in a variety of encounters, yet lack the "oomph" that makes firing a gun fun. -Vehicles are durable and easy to control, with the exception of the Scorpion tank, which has awkward turning. -The HUD is very clean and informative, but some of the HUD's sound elements are annoying. Too    General game play:
    -Movement feels decently fast and fluid.
    -Almost every gun is viable and worth using in a variety of encounters, yet lack the "oomph" that makes firing a gun fun.
    -Vehicles are durable and easy to control, with the exception of the Scorpion tank, which has awkward turning.
    -The HUD is very clean and informative, but some of the HUD's sound elements are annoying. Too many bleeps and bloops for dealing and receiving damage.

    Performance:
    -You will need to download a 9 GP patch on day one.
    -The game runs at a consistent 60 frames per second for the most part. Unfortunately it sacrifices resolution, texture quality and animation to achieve this.
    -The textures themselves are pretty bad, texture popping is everywhere and things in the distance are blurry.
    -Load times are surprisingly fast.

    Audio:
    -Halo 5's music has no identity. Most songs are either poorly made remixes of older Halo music, or just wander aimlessly until they end.
    -Voice acting is poor. This is not the fault of the voice actors, they clearly have talent, but whoever directed them did a poor job to capture my attention.
    -Grunt voices are annoyingly high pitched and try too hard to copy the humor of the grunts from the original trilogy. Jackals sound like cartoon birds.
    -General sound effects are pretty good.

    Campaign:
    -Halo 5's story is a confusing mess. It relies far too heavily on the assumption that the player is familiar with the expanded universe from the novels.
    If you haven't read any of the books, you wont have a clue who half the characters are. It just meanders along until it ends abruptly, almost as if a final level was cut.
    -The characters in the story are boring and lifeless, they never have anything clever or memorable to say and provide little reason to care about them.
    -Level design is mediocre. Most environments consist of hallways that lead into large open hallways with platforms to climb on.
    -There is a very good amount of enemy variety. The Forerunner enemies are especially improved since Halo 4, as are their weapons.
    -Enemy AI is nothing particularly impressive, yet some mechanics are very welcome. For example, a Hunter will now go berserk when their bond brother dies, becoming much more aggressive and powerful.
    -The 3 AI teammates are incredibly stupid and basically worthless.
    -You only play as Master Chief for 3 levels out of 15.

    Mutliplayer:
    -Most maps are too small and have poor map flow.
    -Spawning needs some work, especially for FFA. Too often have I spawned right next to an enemy player, or even in the middle of a gunfight and gotten killed.
    -Warzone is very fun. The maps for this gametype are very large and have a variety of paths to choose from to reach the objective.
    Fighting NPCs along with enemy players is a refreshing experience and very tense. Teamwork is especially important in this mode, though almost nobody every uses a mic to communicate with their teammates.
    -The matchmaking lobby is awful. When you join a lobby, nobody's name is visible, only their emblem. It's impossible to mute players in the lobby as well, so if someone is eating their mic, you have to wait for the game to start to mute them.
    -Matchmaking is pretty fast and runs on dedicated servers, so game ruining lag is rare.
    -Forge will not be in the game until December.

    Overall, Halo 5 is an alright game by itself, but a poor addition to the Halo series.
    It lacks the love and care that was put into the original trilogy and suffers from 343 Industries' attempts to make their version of Halo unique to the original Halo.    … Expand
  6. diehard-gamer
    Oct 28, 2015
    6
    Its graphically very pretty, but the maps feel close and confined not open and epic. The audio is good and the voice acting is good, but the characters spout a lot of gungho militaryish jargon one liners. The game plays fast and smooth.

    Unfortunately for me, I play games for the stories and characters not the AV bling or multiplayer bragging rights and, several missions in, I'm yet to    Its graphically very pretty, but the maps feel close and confined not open and epic. The audio is good and the voice acting is good, but the characters spout a lot of gungho militaryish jargon one liners. The game plays fast and smooth.

    Unfortunately for me, I play games for the stories and characters not the AV bling or multiplayer bragging rights and, several missions in, I'm yet to be hooked by HALO 5.

    I'm playing on for 'the Chief''s sake because we go back a long way and I want him to look good to inspire his squad. Locke, well he just feels like just another generic supersoldier and I don't really care how many times the aliens shoot him down and he squeals for his bros to save him.    … Expand
  7. Andre_Antunes
    Oct 28, 2015
    6
    Worst campaign in the series, poor resolution and texture quality (Sub 1080p). No Split Screen...Good Multiplayer and performance (60Fps all the time).
  8. EasyTab
    Oct 27, 2015
    5
    Really? Really? This is what i have been hyping up for? Jesus. Never have i been this disappointed in a game. Im a big Halo fan, i absolutely adored all the Halo's up to reach, i even liked Halo 4 to an extent. Then along came Halo 5. The story is stale, flat and mediocre, the characters are weak, the multiplayer feels boring, heck the split screen co-op is gone too! This game just doesn'tReally? Really? This is what i have been hyping up for? Jesus. Never have i been this disappointed in a game. Im a big Halo fan, i absolutely adored all the Halo's up to reach, i even liked Halo 4 to an extent. Then along came Halo 5. The story is stale, flat and mediocre, the characters are weak, the multiplayer feels boring, heck the split screen co-op is gone too! This game just doesn't make you wanna play it. Man, if i had to some up this game in 1 word it would be "pretentious". Just because it sticks itself with the "Halo brand" doesn't indicate that it is anything special, well atleast this game doesn't.… Expand
  9. ExecutionDHG
    Feb 29, 2016
    5
    This is the most frustrating halo game ever.I had hopes for this aspecialy for campaign.But 343i disaipointed me once again.Lets start with campaign.Hunt the truth made me hype for this game.There was a conspiracy going on about oni and how they hide the truth about master chief and spartan II project from public.And Live action trailers showing rivaly between chief and locke and unscThis is the most frustrating halo game ever.I had hopes for this aspecialy for campaign.But 343i disaipointed me once again.Lets start with campaign.Hunt the truth made me hype for this game.There was a conspiracy going on about oni and how they hide the truth about master chief and spartan II project from public.And Live action trailers showing rivaly between chief and locke and unsc announcing chief's dead.Made me hype for H5's campaign then its mutliplayer.But guess what we didnt see any of these in campaign.No rivaly,no conspiracy nothing.Not to mention levels are too short.All of the levels are feels rushed and two levels are hub levels where you just talk to 2 people.I expected a bigger campaign but it was slightly bigger then halo4.Although level design is 2x better then halo4.And art direction was amazing I personaly enjoyed the campaign but it was too short and story was disappointing.Soundtrack is amazing.Kazuma Jinnouchi did a great job by bringing classic halo theme back and making new ones even better.Remember when 343i first revealed main menu of the game?And they said they worked hard for it?Guess what they f***ing lied.It feels like menu of a f"""ing arcade game.Remember when they said they made it halo 5 for hardcore halo fans they f"""ing lied agian.This game is made for newcomers.343i seriously doesnt know what "if ain't broke don't fix it" means.Beta's aim system was awsome but they f"""ed up in final game.Now because of their f"""ed up aim system i cant aim properly and now they bring up this stupid aim acceleration.I know old halo's had it too but it wast f"""ked up like this.And i noticed even with this f"""ed up aim system i can get one shoot sniper kills and it not suprising because everybody can aim in this game.Arena maps are garbage they are basicly like cod maps .There are just too many covers to people hide and avoid getting killed.Also who ever tells you that thuster adding new strategies to the game they either 343i fans or they are just keep escaping from battles.Thrusts are free ticket to get out of bad choices.When my oponent is one shot he/she just thursts away and escapes.Whic its doesnt awards skilled players that took good positioning.Now they are showing where the power weapon spawns whic help noobs to know and rush to the power weapons.I know power ups and shotguns or hydra are not shown but most sinces maps are too s"""ty and small everybody can know where power weapons are know.And since maps are too small and s""ty you cant doge grenade's.And now because of this everybody just smaping grenades and getting kill free kills just like cod and now since ttk is low and maps are small and s""t like cod maps when somebody shoots you first you are done.There is like low chance of you getting that reversal kill just like in cod.That was not the case with previous halo's.When somebody shoot you first you had chance of reversal.Warzone had potential but there were like 2 f"""ing maps at launch.And both of those maps are garbage feels like they just mixed bunch of maps.Speaking of maps Halo 5 has the lowest content of any halo game whic explains the free dlc and its just funny those free dlc maps are just remakes of maps.And they removed the split-screen.Split f"""ing screen.Splitscreen is the must feature for any halo game.And they just **** removed it so that we can buy more console to play this game.But guess what.Halo 5 is not worth geting xbox one.instead of buying this garbage buy mcc or black ops 3.Or continue playing halo reach.Even 3arc would have done better job then stupid 343i… Expand
  10. Crussh
    Oct 28, 2015
    6
    Halo 5 is what any Halo fan will need this winter. I'll split up my review in 2 parts.

    Single Player The single player is nice. It plays well from the beginning. The storyline is somehow simple, but keeps you on your feet. I really liked what they did with both teams and the fact that Osiris is looking for Chief was interesting. The only sour note, is we don't see as much of    Halo 5 is what any Halo fan will need this winter. I'll split up my review in 2 parts.

    Single Player

    The single player is nice. It plays well from the beginning. The storyline is somehow simple, but keeps you on your feet.
    I really liked what they did with both teams and the fact that Osiris is looking for Chief was interesting.
    The only sour note, is we don't see as much of masterchief. Locke is taking much space, but I quickly come to like
    his character. I would have liked more missions with Masterchief. Also, note that the campaign is short, but legendary mode
    is super difficult. So if you're like me and want to enjoy the story without getting too much trouble, play on normal. Give it
    a second hardcore pass on legendary to make sure you satisfy your needs afterward. I won't give any spoilers, but the ending
    will give alot of avenues to explore on Halo 6.

    Multiplayer

    What a surprise. After Halo 4 and MCC, I wasn't looking for something great to be honest. Halo 4 had too many power weapons
    and I really didn't appreciate the multiplayer experience in a whole. Anyone who has bought MCC knows that it was broken for
    a long time after the release. Halo 5 however is a gem. The gameplay is so smooth. It plays very well. They purified the
    weapons (there's some power weapon left, but they take less space then in Halo 4). The navigation will seems complexe at the
    beginning, but as soon you play a few time, it will come second nature and really enjoyable. The ranks are giving a competitive¸
    side I had never seen before on a Halo game. I must say, being placed in a league after 10 games is better then a simple number
    next to your name. Your rank will go up really fast when you win. The maps are beautiful and really fun to play in. But there's
    a mode that will take alot of your time once you'll buy the game; Warzone. This mode is just addictive.
    You play against NPC and players alike while you must complete objectives on both side. I don't want to take much time explaining
    it, but it is really, really, really incredible.

    Overall, the game is a success. It does change course from other Halo games, but I don't mind at all. It will be a nice winter,
    with new Halo memories.    … Expand
  11. vgmkyle
    Oct 28, 2015
    6
    I know some still love the series, but I find each new installment more boring than the last. The Halo 5 campaign is the worst yet. It's one of the most linear games I've played, and with no split-screen offering I can forget popcorn and dew with my homie on the couch next to me. The new multiplayer experience is okay... War Zone is by far the best element of this game. Even with thatI know some still love the series, but I find each new installment more boring than the last. The Halo 5 campaign is the worst yet. It's one of the most linear games I've played, and with no split-screen offering I can forget popcorn and dew with my homie on the couch next to me. The new multiplayer experience is okay... War Zone is by far the best element of this game. Even with that said, there are actually way better games to choose from on the Xbox… Expand
  12. JoshLuck1995
    Oct 28, 2015
    7
    Finished Halo 5 on Saturday. Here is my thoughts -- don't worry no spoilers.
    ill give my thoughts on the story. Its good but does not live up to its potential and I believe the ending will be quite divisive.
    Positives - + Nice graphics & beautiful cinematics. + Beautiful audio + Locke + Super fast loading times + Fireteams add a new feel to the game Negatives - - Not enough play    Finished Halo 5 on Saturday. Here is my thoughts -- don't worry no spoilers.
    ill give my thoughts on the story. Its good but does not live up to its potential and I believe the ending will be quite divisive.
    Positives -
    + Nice graphics & beautiful cinematics.
    + Beautiful audio
    + Locke
    + Super fast loading times
    + Fireteams add a new feel to the game
    Negatives -
    - Not enough play time as Chief
    - Parts of the game feel VERY repetitive
    - No STAND OUT enemies/ enemy fight. (Not saying there isn't one)
    - Fireteams can be very dumb at times
    - Misleading trailers prior to release

    Multiplayer aspect for me isnt a positive or negative, its OK but it doesn't stand out in my opinion.

    Overall the score I would give the game is a 7.5/10.    … Expand
  13. DJ-Clazzi
    Jul 22, 2020
    6
    The gunplay is absolutely amazing, pretty much one of the best fps experiences on console, fantastic work 343, can't wait to get more time into th fnatastic MP mode this weekend

    The campaign is absolutely embarassing tho
  14. chaddaddy
    Oct 28, 2015
    7
    So many people who complain about the story.. well, let's be honest here, Halo never had a really good or amazing story, it was always simple and ok at best.

    The reason why I play Halo is the gameplay, and if you played the game, you just can't say that Halo 5 is bad. Sure, the story is a bit more complex and harder to understand for newcomers or people who don't care about the lore,    So many people who complain about the story.. well, let's be honest here, Halo never had a really good or amazing story, it was always simple and ok at best.

    The reason why I play Halo is the gameplay, and if you played the game, you just can't say that Halo 5 is bad.
    Sure, the story is a bit more complex and harder to understand for newcomers or people who don't care about the lore, but in terms of gameplay or multiplayer, this is easily the best Halo game to date and as a result, also the best FPS game since 2001.    … Expand
  15. Idlemind
    Jan 24, 2016
    6
    Focus is just not on the weapons. Pistol is hand downs the best weapon in the game and you start with it, reducing the value of most other weapons on the map. Anyone who argues differently need only turn up their speakers to hear the pistols going off non-stop.

    Short radar range is crippling. Thrusters are gimmicky. Clamber is annoying. Sprint speed builds up over several seconds,    Focus is just not on the weapons. Pistol is hand downs the best weapon in the game and you start with it, reducing the value of most other weapons on the map. Anyone who argues differently need only turn up their speakers to hear the pistols going off non-stop.

    Short radar range is crippling. Thrusters are gimmicky. Clamber is annoying. Sprint speed builds up over several seconds, also annoying.

    Save your money, buy old copies of Halo 2 or 3 instead.    … Expand
  16. Borgees
    Sep 25, 2016
    5
    Esse e The Order andam de mãos dadas. As maiores decepções de 2015. O Marketing totalmente voltado para a luta de Chief x Locke e quando você chega na batalha é uma completa decepção, a campanha foi extremamente fraca. Única coisa boa do jogo foi o Online porque de resto...
  17. ChaseInY0Face
    May 27, 2016
    6
    Disappointing, 343 hasn't lived up to Bungie at all. I bought this game thinking it would occupy a lot of my free time like Halo 3 or Reach, and I was optimistic after Halo 4 even though it wasn't as good. Then they release this mediocre game that has no real point of existing. The campaign is the worst Halo campaign I've ever played, the multiplayer while good, doesn't have the addictingDisappointing, 343 hasn't lived up to Bungie at all. I bought this game thinking it would occupy a lot of my free time like Halo 3 or Reach, and I was optimistic after Halo 4 even though it wasn't as good. Then they release this mediocre game that has no real point of existing. The campaign is the worst Halo campaign I've ever played, the multiplayer while good, doesn't have the addicting feel of 3. I bought int the hype of this game only to be massively disappointed.… Expand
  18. shipoopy
    Jul 21, 2020
    6
    Weak story. The whole thing being after master chief saved humanity half dozen times now he is being hunted as a fugitive and cant be trusted is stupid. I am sure half the people buy it for the campaign and it is just terrible.
  19. Blindpilot20
    Jan 23, 2017
    6
    This game is nothing but a micro transaction mess and a slap in the face to all fans of the Halo series. Do yourself a favor and never play this game.
  20. VeryShway
    Mar 26, 2016
    5
    Halo 5 Guardians was a HUGE disappointment. The only redeeming thing it has going for it is the gameplay for MP is actually fun. Overall the story was a complete mess and all over the place. In Halo 4 they had a beautiful ending with Cortana but now it seems that means nothing because she has a cyber suit and is ready to "RULE THE GALAXY" I wish I was joking but she actually says that inHalo 5 Guardians was a HUGE disappointment. The only redeeming thing it has going for it is the gameplay for MP is actually fun. Overall the story was a complete mess and all over the place. In Halo 4 they had a beautiful ending with Cortana but now it seems that means nothing because she has a cyber suit and is ready to "RULE THE GALAXY" I wish I was joking but she actually says that in Halo 5. Brian Reed has completely butchered the Halo story and needs to be replaced ASAP if 343 has any common sense. The story can still be patched if given to someone like Joseph Statin or Eric Nylund who actually knows how the Halo universe works. As for the MP it is tons of fun but sadly the graphics were a huge step down. Halo 5s graphics are comparable to Halo 2 classic and even Combat evolves dare I say it. I think this may have been due to the first time trying to get the game to play at a higher frame rate. So if you want a game for story play the MCC but if MP is all you care about and graphics isn't an issue then Halo 5 is worth a try.… Expand
  21. SparkzPlayzGame
    Jan 20, 2018
    5
    The Game is something

    Graphics=9, Graphics are very good but not the best Music=7, MEH, ok but not very good Story=2, BAD, VERY VERY BAD Replayability/Length=3, Short and not good Gameplay=8, Actually quite good, I enjoy it This leads to a grand total score of ...... 52! Not a halo game, the story is awful and there is no reason to replay and it is short, but the    The Game is something

    Graphics=9, Graphics are very good but not the best
    Music=7, MEH, ok but not very good
    Story=2, BAD, VERY VERY BAD
    Replayability/Length=3, Short and not good
    Gameplay=8, Actually quite good, I enjoy it

    This leads to a grand total score of ......

    52!

    Not a halo game, the story is awful and there is no reason to replay and it is short, but the multiplayer is pretty good    … Expand
  22. CYurk
    Jan 25, 2020
    5
    Lacking in a lot of what makes Halo, Halo. This game is the beginning of a loose grip the developers at 343 are starting to acquire with the Master Chief franchise. The story is uninspiring and dull, the mechanics have strayed far away from its roots and the micro transactions have imposed greed and lacks true commitment to pleasing its fan base. The game still applies an easy andLacking in a lot of what makes Halo, Halo. This game is the beginning of a loose grip the developers at 343 are starting to acquire with the Master Chief franchise. The story is uninspiring and dull, the mechanics have strayed far away from its roots and the micro transactions have imposed greed and lacks true commitment to pleasing its fan base. The game still applies an easy and some-what enjoyable play through of the main story, it still graphically climbed new heights, and added some new interesting game-modes that can still be kind of fun. Sadly, the multiplayer is not what halo used to be. If you take away split screen multiplayer, add micro transaction, and make the Master Chief a sensitive wimp with human like traits... Then you have just made a recipe to kill that Halo magic that made us all get an Xbox in the first place. This is by far the worst Halo game ever in my opinion.… Expand
  23. twinklyten
    Jan 25, 2020
    5
    Although the shooting and movement mechanics are the best in the series everything else drowns this title in mediocrity. Awful campaign, no loadouts in multiplayer, lootbox systems, pay to win systems and no split screen.
  24. DarkReaperV3
    Jun 29, 2016
    5
    los graficos son excelentes, es lo unico bueno que puedo decir del juego, desde que Bungie dejo se producir esta saga se volvio malo con halo 4 y ahora con halo 5 aun peor pues su modo historia es aburrido y el multijugador pesimo!!! ultimamente industrias 343 ha tratado de cambiar el modo de juego en el mando y tratando de agregar el estilo de juego de call of duty y al hacer eso halo 4 ylos graficos son excelentes, es lo unico bueno que puedo decir del juego, desde que Bungie dejo se producir esta saga se volvio malo con halo 4 y ahora con halo 5 aun peor pues su modo historia es aburrido y el multijugador pesimo!!! ultimamente industrias 343 ha tratado de cambiar el modo de juego en el mando y tratando de agregar el estilo de juego de call of duty y al hacer eso halo 4 y 5 dejo de ser halo.....… Expand
  25. Cjreviews11
    Nov 12, 2015
    5
    I don't why people find this game excellent PLEASE STOP FANBOYING over this!!!. First I want to explain the Campaign, I didn't find it that good at all because the story was weak and underdeveloped. The ads for this "story" was a LIE completely mislead, it is short, I manage to complete it within 4 hours and 20 mins on normal. The boss battle was a joke, it kept on repeat on and on, It wasI don't why people find this game excellent PLEASE STOP FANBOYING over this!!!. First I want to explain the Campaign, I didn't find it that good at all because the story was weak and underdeveloped. The ads for this "story" was a LIE completely mislead, it is short, I manage to complete it within 4 hours and 20 mins on normal. The boss battle was a joke, it kept on repeat on and on, It was **** I really find this the worst campaign in the Halo Franchise I was truly disappointed. Lets talk about the multiplayer oh boy get ready for a rant for the REQ System, I find 343 a money grabbing company who doesn't give a **** about anyone who don't like the system, I got news for you 343 F*ck you with that video you put on YouTube, your attitude is UNACCEPTABLE!!. Why can't you just earn these things by going up in Spartan ranks but no they decided to be like FIFA and use a terrible card system that is Microtransactioned and only for WARZONE. That's another thing I want to talk about Warzone was depressing, that all I have to say. Last thing I want to talk about before I say the only good things about the game is that the map rotation is weak and bland. Good things is the graphics, classic modes, gameplay, voice acting and sounds/music. This is game that is one big LIE to the Halo fans, learn your MISTAKES 343!!… Expand
  26. HaremJesus
    Nov 29, 2015
    7
    Halo 5 was just dissapointing.
    The game has fantastic graphics. That's a given. The gameplay is pretty solid and the pack opening reminds me a ton of CS:GO. However, this won't be able to hold your attention for long. The story is relatively boring and almost non-existent. But at least you have missions you can play with your friends online. ONLY ONLINE. Here's where my biggest    Halo 5 was just dissapointing.
    The game has fantastic graphics. That's a given. The gameplay is pretty solid and the pack opening reminds me a ton of CS:GO. However, this won't be able to hold your attention for long. The story is relatively boring and almost non-existent. But at least you have missions you can play with your friends online. ONLY ONLINE. Here's where my biggest disspointment stems. No local couch multiplayer. No forge mode either. The two best things about Halo 3 and Reach are gone. It's so sad to see these features removed. Just play Reach or Halo 3 if you want to play with your friends without playing online. Overall, the game is a bit over average and if Halo 6 evers shows up, let's hope these features return.    … Expand
  27. ShakyWanderer1
    Nov 3, 2015
    6
    As a Halo fan this game is really disappointing both the campaign and multiplayer. Similar to Halo 4 this campaign itself is decent in terms of game play but the actual story that is there is very boring compared to Halo 4 which is due to the main character being Locke. The multiplayer on this game isn't very good compared to past Halos due to it being very unbalanced with so many littleAs a Halo fan this game is really disappointing both the campaign and multiplayer. Similar to Halo 4 this campaign itself is decent in terms of game play but the actual story that is there is very boring compared to Halo 4 which is due to the main character being Locke. The multiplayer on this game isn't very good compared to past Halos due to it being very unbalanced with so many little things constantly bugging me when I play and if you play in the higher skill ranks (diamond and platinum) some people use some of the cheapest tactics on a Halo game. People just constantly spam grenades which are massively overpowered with a huge blast radius and high damage, the maps are very bad compared to past Halo games with teams just camping in one room during entire matches in slayer, you can't recharge shields during sprint which wouldn't be so bad if you didn't in like a second when people use precision weapons, you zoom out every time you get shot so if the enemy is far away you almost always lose the battle and it's essentially like call of duty first shot wins almost all the time rather than skill based like previous Halos and whilst this zoom out when shot feature has been in previous halos it was bad then too but now it's made worse by the fact that precision weapons kill you in 4 shots to the head. The only good game mode appears to be capture the flag considering it's mode people camp the least on.… Expand
  28. funkymonk18
    Nov 12, 2015
    6
    Halo 5 is a step forward from the tragic halo 4 game play and brings the series back to familiar territory for old fans and the controls are surprisingly smooth. However the story is poorly written sure 343 have acknowledged the lore of halo but it doesn't make up for bad writing a plot twists that aren't congruent with the Halo universe and neither does Nathan Fillion with all hisHalo 5 is a step forward from the tragic halo 4 game play and brings the series back to familiar territory for old fans and the controls are surprisingly smooth. However the story is poorly written sure 343 have acknowledged the lore of halo but it doesn't make up for bad writing a plot twists that aren't congruent with the Halo universe and neither does Nathan Fillion with all his charming roguishness. The overall length of the campaign is poor although there are 15 levels 2 of them are just talking to people it shouldn't take more than 4 - 5 hours to complete. The level design is better but still no levels seem iconic or even memorable, there are no flood or brutes and very few covenant levels leaving us to battle the Prometheans t this time around they are much better enemies to fight and no but sadly still not that fun or engaging. The campaign frequently forces you to pick up Promethean weapons like the suppressor and boltshot guns which have heavy auto aiming features and it just kind of feels like the games holding your hand. In multiplayer mode the lack of splitscreen options is disappointing as well as the lack of arena game modes missing out lots of standard Halo game types like big team battle, doubles, zombies, multi team, invasion i could go on. The multiplayer maps seem like they repeat and all tend to feel similar to each other again nothing really iconic. The Warzone game mode is pretty fun it has moba elements and you can score high on the leader board by simply playing objectives you don't even need a good k/d. Warzone is also the best way to score requisition points for your rng packs that have some variety and add depth to the whole Spartan customization of halo mp sadly the best way to get req points is warzone so you will find yourself grinding warzone to get weapons so you can play the same 3 maps on warzone ... it becomes shallow very quickly. The thing that bothers me about Halo the most is that Halo used to be at the cutting edge of fps shooters each game was genre defining and pushing the limits of what console fps games could do from halo 1 through to Reach Halo used to set the standard but now after it's adoption by 343i halo is no longer ahead of other shooters as 343 struggle to find their take on halo whilst doing right by the fans they are borrowing ideas from other shooters instead of creating ideas and adding content that other fps games will copy later they are not ahead of the curve anymore and that is why Halo is no longer as great as it once was.… Expand
  29. Bertoflyingfox
    Nov 14, 2015
    6
    Been a Halo fan since the beginning and campaign-wise, I would say Halo5 is the weakest the franchise has ever gotten. Clambering barely works, the teamAI that are supposed to be "spartans" are no more than blind fools who toss grenades at grunts you can two shot with a handgun. This isnt "artificial intelligence" it's just 3 dumb ragdolls that follow you around and get in the way.

    The    Been a Halo fan since the beginning and campaign-wise, I would say Halo5 is the weakest the franchise has ever gotten. Clambering barely works, the teamAI that are supposed to be "spartans" are no more than blind fools who toss grenades at grunts you can two shot with a handgun. This isnt "artificial intelligence" it's just 3 dumb ragdolls that follow you around and get in the way.

    The plot is pure crap, they should've grabbed the writer currently working on the Halo comics. Brian Reed really just sucks at telling a story (Halo4 had a crap story too, and he was co-writing).

    Now for the saving grace of this game, the online portion. Here's where all the good things can be found. I like how REQ packs work and that I dont have to wade through crappy microtransactions to obtain them (although the option is still there, which personally kinda blows). My time with the usual TDM and CTF matches have been a blast, but Warzones is really what surpassed my expectations.

    Overall, a slightly above average game. It could've been better if they nixed my team of blind brainless mice and replaced them with local co-op. And if they made clambering and dodging much more responsive, and actually fun to pull off.    … Expand
  30. liquidy
    Nov 6, 2015
    6
    Let me start off by saying I have owned every Halo game. I have preordered every halo game since halo 3 including this one. I am about as big as a Halo fan as one can get. Now let me review this game the way it should have been reviewed.
    The story is weak. I think 343 went the wrong direction by making the forerunners the main threat in the Halo series now. To me even in Halo 4, which I    Let me start off by saying I have owned every Halo game. I have preordered every halo game since halo 3 including this one. I am about as big as a Halo fan as one can get. Now let me review this game the way it should have been reviewed.
    The story is weak. I think 343 went the wrong direction by making the forerunners the main threat in the Halo series now. To me even in Halo 4, which I enjoyed until the end when you didn't get to fight the boss; don't get me started on that, the forerunner AI knights and whatnot just get boring to kill and the later missions are basically just wave after wave of the exact same enemies. Let's put aside the story. Let's look at the actual gameplay and level design of the story missions. This campaign doesn't play like any other halo, and I mean that in a not so good way. There are missions with vehicles yes, but, 343 is pretty much try to show off their new addition of wall smashing that gives you the advantage of flanking enemies. It's a nice new feature, but not at the expense of not being able to drive around like a maniac in a warthog. There is basically no time at any point in the game you can use your Spartan abilities to commandeer enemy vehicles. If I hadn't played previous Halo’s I would have no idea that you can jump on enemy vehicles and smash them, blow them up, steal them, etc. There just isn't enough vehicles for that to even happen.
    I was expecting this game to be like Halo Reach; I thought Halo Reach campaign was one of it not the best in the series. I wasn't even expecting Master Chief. I had initially thought that 343 would go the route of every other year would be Master Chief. That didn't happen and it hurt the game. Master Chief is seen as a lone wolf throughout the entire series. He works with some people on and off, but, basically they are all fodder and he does everything alone. He is seen as someone quiet and mysterious and suits his character. In this game he is commanding fellow Spartans and constantly talking. He gets downed and he’s like help me up and then he’s like I’m up. His entire unit takes off their helmet and is talking and he just sits there like an idiot with his on. It works when you are lone wolf it doesn’t work when you’re with your peers or as they say in the game “Chiefs family”.
    This game unlike any of the Halo games is designed purely for co-op. Playing this game alone on legendary is extremely difficult. Not because the game is so much harder than other series but because you have to get behind a lot of mobs and flank them which is extremely hard to do when the AI dies nonstop, and if you get downed they all rush to revive you which usually ends with them all dead or them all dragging the mobs onto you. The AI is glitchy. I get that there is a lot for this AI to do. They need to fly, they need to jump, they need to climb etc. but if you’re going to make a game that is so dependent on the AI you better make the AI much stronger and smarter. They are basically the same as you they get hit a few times and they drop like flies. There are bosses called wardens that you need to shoot in the back and as the game progresses you need to fight the same guy over and over with more and more of him at once. You can’t get behind him if the AI is dead; they die with one hit of his sword and they don’t dodge so if you go down they run, at least try to, through him and end up getting downed and you wipe. One great example of the AI being totally idiotic is near the beginning of the game there is a part of the game you need to fly around in banshees and blow up cooling rods and I get hit bad in my banshee so I bail and get downed on a top of a platform. I call for help knowing that I will likely die but it was worth a shot. There is an AI flying around in a banshee and when I call for help she’s like I’m coming Chief and just bails out of her banshee and I watch her fall to her death. Although this is hilarious these types of things happen way too often to find funny as the game progresses.
    The game is glitchy. I encountered many glitches throughout the game. The most I have ever seen in any Halo. One really annoying glitch was near the end one of the missions the screen would go almost all black in the middle of a fight and I would have to push the Xbox button bring up the menu and open Halo in order to fix it, which would result in my dying most times.

    The multiplayer is just as bad as the story. I liked the direction Halo 4 went. They were going more towards a COD style, and I think that's exactly what Halo needed in order to survive. They just needed to take another step towards that in this game but instead they stepped back. They listened to what a small minority, that will never allow this game to be great, and reverted back to a Halo 3 style of MP. Bungie did one thing right and made their "halo" Destiny much more like COD and look how successful that has been, even after **** over their players.

    Out of characters, game =average    … Expand
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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]
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