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. punkzu
    Nov 8, 2015
    7
    Been a big Halo fan since I picked up CE in early 2004. Halo 4 was a disappointment for me and I saw this as 343s shot at redemption.

    CAMPAIGN -The campaign is not as advertised. The whole epic Locke hunting Chief around the galaxy and having a stand-off campaign as shown in the commercials (even suggested on the cover art!!) simply isn't the storyline. -In fact, there's barely a    Been a big Halo fan since I picked up CE in early 2004. Halo 4 was a disappointment for me and I saw this as 343s shot at redemption.

    CAMPAIGN
    -The campaign is not as advertised. The whole epic Locke hunting Chief around the galaxy and having a stand-off campaign as shown in the commercials (even suggested on the cover art!!) simply isn't the storyline.
    -In fact, there's barely a storyline to admire and of what there is, like with Halo 4, it requires a knowledge of the EU to understand the background/characters which is a bad decision imo (this hampered Halo 4 too).
    -Playing as Locke for 80% of the time is also something I wasn't invested in. The Master Chief IS Halo. -Ultimately it's forgettable, the first Halo campaign imo to be so. I didn't like Halo 4's campaign but at least it was quite memorable. Makes me wonder what the hell 343 have been doing for 3 years.
    -Level designs, like the story, are also pretty boring/repetitive, no major set pieces to enjoy like the double scarab takedown level in Halo 3 for example. Again this is was a similar problem in 4.
    -Didn't care for the squads who were pretty unintelligent AI with 0 character investment.
    -(I read about all of the above before playing so I was at least prepared for the disappointment and was conscious of it as a consolation).
    -Also very short, 6 hours ish, for being 15 levels long.
    -It does look great visually however, very slick. Prometheans are more enjoyable to face than in Halo 4. That's honestly all I can say is good about it.

    MULTIPLAYER
    -Multiplayer is much better than in 4. The Spartan abilities are a welcome addition to the series (campaign too I should add), nice and fresh idea. Good way to solve the unbalanced armour abilities in Reach and 4. -343 have separated old from new too: Old style Halo is back - balanced, same loadout, weapons around the map type gameplay in Arena. And indeed it generally does feel like the old Halo days thank goodness with the new feature of Spartan abilities fitting in nicely.
    -And then Halo 4 style unbalanced craziness in Warzone, taken to the next level with REQ packs, different gun sights as an example etc. This works in Warzone because the maps are huge, AI plays a part and it's 24 players hence the in-your-face, skill based competitiveness of Arena doesn't really come into it - it's more of a social experience so I think things being unbalanced actually helps the vastness of the maps become more hectic, more varied and hence more enjoyable on a casual level. Put simply, I like it.
    -I'm pretty neutral on REQ packs
    -Lobbies are horrible, no gamertags visible. I didn't think lobby design could get worse than 4 but 343 somehow managed to top it.
    -Maps are visually very samey, hence boring and repetitive to look at. And a mere 3 Warzone maps. Some decent layouts however, particularly to suit the new abilities.
    -Armour customisation aesthetically looks slightly better than in 4, again pretty bad though compared to Reach and 3's artistic approach.
    - Very few gametypes - why on earth so few I don't know.
    - Overall I like but don't love halo 5's multiplayer. I did not like 4's.

    SUMMARY
    -Ultimately with 4 and now definitely 5, Halo has become an odd parody of its past self.
    -Terribly disappointing campaign - I honestly have no interest in what's to come in Halo 6. None at all.
    -Multiplayer is a decent outing which I will certainly play again and more than 4 but not religiously like I did with 3 and Reach (didn't have Live for 2), it's just not polished enough overall like the latter 2.
    -I truly don't think I will buy Halo 6 until at least a year or so after it comes out when it's half price and then it will only be to see what has come of the franchise, not because I really want it as a fan anymore which really saddens me.

    I never did a 4 review, would probably give that 5/10 for reference. The other main series games (CE, 2, 3, Reach either a 9 or more likely a 10). For this, I'd say 5/10 for campaign, 8/10 for multiplayer (7 overall is me being generous I'd say).    … Expand
  2. Cale
    Oct 31, 2015
    7
    Good: Excellent story and graphics. Squad commands well-implimented. Destiny-style controls allow Guardians to jump right in without learning new controls. Better implemented weapons than 4, including the best iteration of the assault rifle in the entire franchise.
    Bad: Rare to non-existent UNSC weapons and ammo in story mode, the story is not complete in itself and has quite a bit of    Good: Excellent story and graphics. Squad commands well-implimented. Destiny-style controls allow Guardians to jump right in without learning new controls. Better implemented weapons than 4, including the best iteration of the assault rifle in the entire franchise.
    Bad: Rare to non-existent UNSC weapons and ammo in story mode, the story is not complete in itself and has quite a bit of padding. Multiplayer suffers due to insane sniping ranges, unavoidable sniper alleys and no way to know there is a sniper at all. Way too easy to kill and be killed. PvE elements seem like an afterthought and aren't very persistent. Spawn-camping is very easy to set up and maintain. REQ system makes little sense and leaves you vulnerable.
    Verdict: While I enjoyed myself a great deal, I prefer Destiny's crucible when it comes to multiplayer, which is pretty much the main reason anyone plays any halo game longer than a few weeks. Weak replay value except for completionists and hardcore fans of the series, and still no solo content outside of the campaign. While much better than 4 and the whole of the CoD franchise, it still loses to Reach and ODST within it's own.    … Expand
  3. NDiggy
    Oct 31, 2015
    7
    I found the campaign to be quite enjoyable and found the story to be excellent. I concede that it might be confusing if one hasn't kept up with the Halo universe outside of the games (books and comics, etc.). However, the story and the pacing felt great to me. Granted I'm coming into the game from Destiny: Taken King, which still doesn't have much of a story to speak of, so that may beI found the campaign to be quite enjoyable and found the story to be excellent. I concede that it might be confusing if one hasn't kept up with the Halo universe outside of the games (books and comics, etc.). However, the story and the pacing felt great to me. Granted I'm coming into the game from Destiny: Taken King, which still doesn't have much of a story to speak of, so that may be coloring my opinion somewhat.

    The multiplayer is a mixed bag for me thus far. When I'm matched with players around my level, it's great. Sadly, much of the time I'm matched against players far better than myself (even after my first 10 placement matches), which makes for a frustrating experience. Facing off against platinum players with 200+ games under their belt when I've got 12 games under my belt and I'm a silver/borderline gold player is frustrating. Hopefully this will improve as I learn the maps and more players finish the campaign and begin entering multiplayer.

    Warzone is fun, but the requisition packs are frustrating. A player that spends money on these packs can gain an advantage over one that doesn't. That should NEVER happen in any pvp game, and I frankly expected better from 343 after how much I enjoyed Halo 4 multiplayer. In addition, the requisition packs are a little confusing. Some seem to get used up after one use, while others stick around no matter how often they're used. There also isn't any way to tell if it's worth keeping duplicates of a card, or if it's better to sell them for REQ points. Does keeping multiple cards give me any benefit? Sadly, there is no way of knowing. It seems microtransactions are going to be a fact of life for gamers going forward, even when we're shelling out $60+ for a game. If Star Wars Battlefront or Call of Duty Black Ops III can offer better multiplayer without microtransactions, there won't be anything holding me to Halo 5 when they're released.    … Expand
  4. Ecto1
    Oct 29, 2015
    7
    Its certainly not a bad game. However, the staples for me are not there any more. No split screen, not a great SP campaign or story and the multi-player just doesn't feel like Halo any more. That said, I'm loving the new mp game types quite a lot, especially the arena based one (except for warzone odly enough, thought I would have liked that the most)

    I don't regret my purchase, but I    Its certainly not a bad game. However, the staples for me are not there any more. No split screen, not a great SP campaign or story and the multi-player just doesn't feel like Halo any more. That said, I'm loving the new mp game types quite a lot, especially the arena based one (except for warzone odly enough, thought I would have liked that the most)

    I don't regret my purchase, but I don't think I'll be buying Halo 6 at launch, nor do I think I'll be playing Halo 5 for much longer.    … Expand
  5. Understated
    Oct 29, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "Oh John!" ....... "Cortana?" Some fighting. "Cortana, is that you?" ....... "John". And more fighting and battling. "Cortana, where are you?" ....... "Johhhhn!" And more fighting. Around this point in the game I couldn't help but laugh a little and wonder to myself just how much more convoluted and lacking creativity and inspiration could this series get in its story telling and lore. I mean is this it? The further adventures of an augmented modified hero and his love affair with a neurotic self-aware transcendant turned goddess computer program? 343 is, or has backed itself into a 'virtual' story telling corner. There are certainly interesting 'elements' in the story fabric, but it is not knitted together well. And while the fighting and production value ramp up the heat, the story does not or is it lore I would tell sitting around any campfire. Being an artist/painter I am amazed at what is being done graphically digitally in gaming and this developer has designed an attractive illusion. It was fun to look around in some of the environments, explore a little. Actually, one of the more touching moments in the game was during one of the none fighting missions later in this 'saga'. You are in an encampment with Dr. Halsey, the Arbiter, your team, and numerous elites, grunts, and a few humans gathering and sharing intel and plans for the next operation/mission. Just walking around and listening in as the grunts and elites banter was fun. The music is very good, so much so that at times I felt it overpowered everything else going on in the game. Beethoven experienced this when composing his overtures and oratorios. His musical efforts became stand alone pieces. I completed the campaign in roughly 10 hrs. in normal mode (a bit of looking around for skulls, data caches, and environmental vistas and detail), 1400 kills, and a few deaths caused by falling off some of those beautiful vistas, being pushed off in one instance by team members, and killed by enemies. At times I felt as though I was playing alone due to the 'behaviors' of my team members. Most notably during combat. Sometimes they would just stand around doing nothing behind an obstruction or even out in the open during the heat of action. And of course the enemies would zero in on me primarily. I can't really grade the multiplayer, although I tried to play it. Don't care for micro transactions utilized in competitive modes in any game where it gives advantages other than skill. I enjoy playing Halos' multiplayer modes when it is with known friends only (there continues to remain for me an absurdity in these times that people attempt to destroy each other in the virtual world globally in a game and they don't have any knowledge of who those others may be, and for what?). I played this game in two 5 hr. sessions. A kind of mini-marathon. I have no interest in playng it again. When the next installment arrives, I will probibly play it. But I will be reticent based on what I have experienced with this 'episode'. The story, like the production values, needs to evolve. The writers, like their 'Arbiter', need to have a little grit, courage, risk, and exercise some creativity and not pander to the previous successes, expectations, and influences. How about a story ''arrived at' rather than one 'expected'. There is plenty of nerdy goodness in this fifth episode but little Shakespeare. There could have been some real pathos, but it is only hinted at.… Expand
  6. Maxson
    Nov 1, 2015
    7
    Not the best halo game in my opinion. The story was weak compared to Halo 4, but everything else was good. The graphics are much better than Halo 4, and the levels are much bigger and grander. Gameplay wise, the game plays better than Halo 4. As for the multiplayer, it's nothing like the Master Chief Collection. There's no lag or any online issues, which is a huge plus for all the halo players.
  7. captainkane
    Nov 18, 2015
    7
    Halo 5 exceeded my expectations. After the MCC debacle, everyone was worried that 343 and Microsoft would screw up the Halo 5 launch too. Quite the opposite. 343 gave us a pain free launch. I’ve seen a lot of talk that Destiny is the best shooter out right now, but it has devolved into a blatant cash grab. And the multiplayer is a laggy mess. No thanks. COD is stale, and it’s arcady, campyHalo 5 exceeded my expectations. After the MCC debacle, everyone was worried that 343 and Microsoft would screw up the Halo 5 launch too. Quite the opposite. 343 gave us a pain free launch. I’ve seen a lot of talk that Destiny is the best shooter out right now, but it has devolved into a blatant cash grab. And the multiplayer is a laggy mess. No thanks. COD is stale, and it’s arcady, campy gameplay appeals to the bottom denominator. For gamers sick of the COD, Destiny, and Battlefield bandwagon, Halo 5 is a solid alternative.

    There’s a caveat. People not versed in Halo lore will be lost playing the campaign. But I didn’t buy Halo 5 to play the campaign because it’s overrated. I purchased H5 for the multiplayer.

    Will Halo fans like the campaign? Maybe. Reactions will be mixed for sure. Halo fans have been completely inconsolable since 343 took over the franchise. So I’m sure many fans will launch into “worse Halo ever” rants. The campaign is OK, but it verges on uninspiring. With the exception of franchises like Fallout, Bioshock, and Half-Life, shooters are poor mediums to tell stories. If I rated H5 on just story, my final score would be much lower. That said, it’s still better than the trash Activision throws at us.

    The campaign features co-op, so friends can enjoy it together. Be warned Halo fanboys(and girls), there is no split screen. 343 announced that Halo 5 would not feature it months before launch. So this isn’t news. I’m surprised how many gamers purchased H5 not knowing this. The lack of split screen isn’t a deal breaker since a proportionally small number of people use it.

    H5’s graphics are unimpressive. It suffers from screen tearing and aliasing. Shadows are jagged. Textures are low quality. Pop in’s plague environs. Visually, H5 isn’t an improvement over Halo 4 except for one big difference: Halo 5 hits 60 frames per second. All 360 versions of Halo were 30fps. Competitive games perform better at higher frames, and 343 desperately wants Halo to reemerge as the de facto gold standard for competitive console gaming. There’s no doubt that visual sacrifices were necessary to maintain that level of performance. Still, Halo 5 doesn’t look all that great. The “dynamic” adjustments 343 talks about come with big sacrifices in graphic fidelity that are evident to anyone who plays it. The lack of split screen is another sacrifice.

    Despite the above, H5 runs silky smooth. From a performance perspective, H5 is the best multiplayer experience on nextgen. Hit detection is accurate and consistent. Framerates hold steady, even in larger game modes. The move to full-time dedicated servers was the right choice, and ALL developers should be making that move. But servers are only as good as the netcode, and H5 delivers there too. In comparison to all the other major fps titles on nextgen, none rival H5 in performance or hit detection.

    How about multiplayer? Well, it’s good. Darn good. For players wanting a casual shooter, don’t play here. H5 is brutal and the skill gap is much wider than COD. The gripes I’ve read about gun balance, spawns, etc. are over exaggerated. Those players want to complain because they couldn’t score 30 kills a game on day one. So they blame the game, not their lack of skill and patience.

    H5’s multiplayer is divided into 2 modes: Arena and Warzone. Arena is reminiscent of older Halo’s. All play is ranked play. All players start with the same weapons and abilities. Power weapons spawn at set points on the map. Controlling these points can turn the tide of every match. There’s no voting. Penalties are imposed for quitting early among other things.

    Breakout is the best game mode. It combines some round-based, tactical play with player elimination. So if a player dies in a round, he can’t respawn until the next round. Old school gamers will like this mode because it relies on precision, tactics, and teamwork. COD run and gun tryhards will hate it. In fact, the ones I’ve talked to do. That’s OK, Halo 5 is for the adults.

    The much hyped Warzone is OK, but AI enemies are sparse and nothing more than bullet sponges. Titanfall is still king of this style game mode. I prefer Warzone Assault which dumps the enemy AI, so it’s more like Big Team Slayer.

    The REQ system allows players to purchase/earn powerups for the Warzone mode only. Perks are easy enough to earn without spending real money. Perks can’t be used in Arena.

    Of course the biggest perk is free DLC!! A grossly underrated novelty by Halo fans. Since launch, 343 has already released new maps and game mode.

    My verdict on H5? It’s the best game multiplayer game on Xbox One because it focuses on things that matter: Connectivity, performance, and balance. Butthurt Halo fans need to shut up. H5 may not be the prettiest car on the strip, but its mp performance is second to none. 343 showed us it’s willing to learn and delivered the most balanced, competitive multiplayer on consoles I’ve seen in years    … Expand
  8. LTR
    Nov 3, 2015
    7
    This is a pretty good Halo game. It has good gameplay, great music and pretty good story. The main reason this game didn't score higher with me was because of 343 adding some other feautures from other fps games that I felt like didn't fit in Halo like aiming down sights.
  9. HaloFever
    Jan 11, 2018
    7
    In all good conscience I cannot give Halo 5 a pass because of how much I love the Halo franchise. This game is a bad Halo game, the absolute worst of the series and elevates Halo 3: ODST. As far as shooters go, it is ok. There are some fun times to be had in the Warzone Mode, and if I can ever finish game with a positive k/d, I'm sure I could come to love it. New players be warned, afterIn all good conscience I cannot give Halo 5 a pass because of how much I love the Halo franchise. This game is a bad Halo game, the absolute worst of the series and elevates Halo 3: ODST. As far as shooters go, it is ok. There are some fun times to be had in the Warzone Mode, and if I can ever finish game with a positive k/d, I'm sure I could come to love it. New players be warned, after more than two years of the Halo community honing their skills, you will be cannon fodder.

    My primary gripe with Halo 5 is the campaign. Replaying the campaign solo or in co-op was a major part of the Halo experience. Halo 3 was the high water mark of the campaign, and Halo fans like me would replay just to hear the different voice lines. Halo 5 starts off badly by removing split-screen co-op. You can play co-op with buddies on-line, but this far after release that is not realistic. Playing co-op with my son at home is be a no-brainer, if 343 hadn't screwed up so badly. The campaign itself is a mediocre sprinkling of enemies and weapons between point A and point B. There is none of the pacing and fun moments that set Halo apart from other games. With the weakening of the Spartans' shields, you might as well be playing a re-skinned Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. The campaign is further hurt by the decision to sideline Master Chief in favor of a new protagonist, the terrible voice acting of the new protagonist, and the cut scenes that show you moments that are much more exciting than anything you play in the game.

    The multi-player is a mixed bag. It's nice to have Big Team Battle back and the 24 player Warzone is a nice idea. However, I find myself having trouble with the shooting after 3 years of Destiny. You know Destiny. It's that Bungie game with the great gameplay and terrible story. Bungie used to make Halo and I remember when Halo had great gameplay that just felt good. I feel like 343 made the gameplay worse to increase the skill gap, i.e. to make multi-player more competitive and less casual friendly. I have 3 months of Xbox Live Gold left, and that might be enough time to adjust.

    Fair warning to anyone with internet in 'Murica, the game is an outlandish 100GB download. I am now one tenth of the way toward my monthly cap. I cannot see how the game is so big when the graphics are so ordinary. Some of the canyons on the Elite home world look nice, but most of the textures are smooth metal and glass that show you how much worse the art department is at 343 compared to Bungie. Maybe I've been spoiled by the likes of Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Star Wars: Battlefront. As a showpiece for the power of the Xbox One, Halo 5 is a total failure.

    I want to end this review on a positive note. The Forge mode looks fantastic and the Forge maps section has more maps than I could ever hope to play. If you can wrangle the friends to play this 2 year old game, I think you could have more fun goofing around on custom Forge maps than you would have in any competitive shooter.    … Expand
  10. 80sChild
    Apr 19, 2021
    7
    I feel sorry for Halo 5. If the marketing hadn't been an outright lie, if the writer hadn't pulled a Rian Johnson and completely ignored Halo cannon, character traits (important events from Halo 4 Spartan Ops), people might have had proper expectations.

    As it was, it even managed to disappoint me, and I'm a fanboy. The story isn't horrible (leagues better than Anthem or Mass Effect    I feel sorry for Halo 5. If the marketing hadn't been an outright lie, if the writer hadn't pulled a Rian Johnson and completely ignored Halo cannon, character traits (important events from Halo 4 Spartan Ops), people might have had proper expectations.

    As it was, it even managed to disappoint me, and I'm a fanboy. The story isn't horrible (leagues better than Anthem or Mass Effect Andromeda, Destiny, etc) but its the weakest in the franchise thanks to a writer who fumbled the ball at every opportunity.

    Gameplay is very Halo with the new ability to aim down sights, boost and clamber over ledges. Great variety in locations and some really epic fights but overall a little more restrictive in level design when compared with, say, Halo Reach. The Halo sandbox is still there and you can have different encounters every time you play.

    Don't care about PvP, its not why I play Halo. Warzone firefight is fun but REQ packs (MTX's) keep it from being great - Heroic level enemies with very large health pools require vehicles/special weapons... which requires REQ packs. You can earn these but there's a moderate grind to do so. It keeps a lot of people from getting hooked on the mode.

    Overall good game, fun to play, great in co-op. No split screen. Marketing was nothing short of a lie and the story was a bit lackluster (they pull a "Halo 2" with this game).    … Expand
  11. thedirtyrussian
    Oct 30, 2015
    7
    While a seven out of ten may seem only mediocre, I can promise you this game is highly entertaining and will give you many hours of fun gameplay. However, there are just one too many mistakes made to give this game anything higher than a seven for now. Let's cover the good and the bad.

    Let's start with all the good in this game. First, the graphics are very nice, and the frame rate is    While a seven out of ten may seem only mediocre, I can promise you this game is highly entertaining and will give you many hours of fun gameplay. However, there are just one too many mistakes made to give this game anything higher than a seven for now. Let's cover the good and the bad.

    Let's start with all the good in this game. First, the graphics are very nice, and the frame rate is always steady. the soundtrack of course is amazing, and the customization goes deep this time (like it always should have been). Although yes the small micro-transactions in-game are a bit sketchy, it's nothing too game altering or invasive. The multiplayer is as fun as ever, and warzone is a much better tweaked version of the previous FireFight mode. Warzone incorporates large team battles with A.I marines to capture and defend bases with vehicles and all. It's a very glorious game mode indeed. Theater mode also makes an appearance and proves once again to be a key feature.

    Now for the bad. These are the things that hold the game back from being rated any higher. First off, no split-screen local play. Seriously? Halo essentially invented co-op online play, and it has also been a key feature separating it from Battlefield or other Call of Dutys. If you have a friend over, you can no longer play split-screen. Shame on you, 343. Another thing that disappoints is the campaign. I'm going to be honest, I haven't finished it yet...and that's because it is not very compelling to say the least. Only getting to play as the Master Chief sometimes isn't very fun, and the character development is non-existant once again. Why do I care about any of these other Spartans? They are made of cardboard and have zero personality. Also shooting hordes of robots doesn't have the same effect as fighting flesh and blood creatures. The cutscenes are also lame and over the top at times; the campaign I truly did not care for. Maybe the last missions are amazing though? I wouldn't know. Another nagging issue that holds this game back a bit - no map veto's for online multiplayer. Ready for Swatnums on Orion again? Because ya can't veto the map selection. Also no forge mode...what's up with that?

    All in all, this game is very good, and I would recommend it to anyone. There are some small issues here and there, but with more practice, 343 I'm sure will one day make a Halo masterpiece.    … Expand
  12. DirtyDave
    Oct 30, 2015
    7
    Halo widens it's abilities with impressive additions, but at the same time losses focus and creativity. New modes and gameplay are right up the series ally. At the same time it adds mechanics from other games that take away the 'halo' feel. Still a good game, but at the cost of split screen it makes me worry if 343 industries really knows what the core of Halo is that we love.
  13. 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
  14. BrosephStalin
    Nov 10, 2015
    7
    Pros:
    - Well polished game, no problems at launch
    - Action is faster and more intense than previous Halos - Multiplayer is VERY solid, especially new modes such as breakout and warzone - Visually stunning, this game looks beautiful plus a consistent 60fps - Variety in campaign gameplay - Incredible sky-boxes - Fantastic sound design and music - Cutscenes are well directed Cons:    Pros:
    - Well polished game, no problems at launch
    - Action is faster and more intense than previous Halos
    - Multiplayer is VERY solid, especially new modes such as breakout and warzone
    - Visually stunning, this game looks beautiful plus a consistent 60fps
    - Variety in campaign gameplay
    - Incredible sky-boxes
    - Fantastic sound design and music
    - Cutscenes are well directed

    Cons:
    - Weak story
    - Campaign is surprisingly short
    - Locke is used too much, 85% of the campaign is Locke the other 15% is Chief
    - Other fire team members are not well fleshed out, can be forgettable
    - REQ packs and the microtransactions
    - Disappointing cliffhanger ending that isn't deserved
    - No Forge
    - No Firefight or Spartan Ops modes
    - No splitscreen
    - False build up of Locke vs Chief
    - Recycled boss battles

    The game has some new interesting features however the campaign is a huge let down. REQ packs fell kind of forced for Warzone. This games is worth owning if you're a major fan of the series however it won't attract the casual fans or bring more people into the fanbase. Final Verdict 7/10    … Expand
  15. CreamyyStreams
    Nov 10, 2015
    7
    It's a big step up from Halo 4, but still not the return to glory I'd hoped for.

    Campaign is bland and uninspired, features as much padding as it does actual gameplay and somehow - I've no idea how, since Halo has traditionally been great it this, even since the developer switch - the sound design is all mixed up. None of the music seems to 'fit' what you're doing. My other half was in    It's a big step up from Halo 4, but still not the return to glory I'd hoped for.

    Campaign is bland and uninspired, features as much padding as it does actual gameplay and somehow - I've no idea how, since Halo has traditionally been great it this, even since the developer switch - the sound design is all mixed up. None of the music seems to 'fit' what you're doing. My other half was in the room while I was playing the final few missions and she commented on it despite not really paying attention. Locke is an unlikeable edge fest and his character reads like an antisocial tween's Deviantart power fantasy.

    Warzone is nice. I'm not sold on the Requisition system but it's not overly intrusive and the whole thing brings back memories of chaotic Big Team Battle games on Halo 3. The scoring system is a little off, it's possible for a team to control all the bases for the entire game and still lose because the enemy was just farming AI kills, but for a bit of lighthearted fun there's nothing wrong with it.

    Arena is not competitive Halo, the maps are not designed well - they're far too big for 4vs4 and I think they've been deliberately enlarged to compensate for the continued existence of sprint. It doesn't feel like an arena shooter and the playlist name just rubs it in your face.

    If you like Halo and already own an Xbox One, it's probably worth your time. Absolutely do not go out and buy an Xbox just to play this game, you'll be wasting your money.    … Expand
  16. aidanpscott
    Oct 28, 2015
    7
    Basically, this game does almost nothing Halo 4 did completely wrong, but does a whole lot of new things to mess up!

    - 1 for having no splitscreen and having only 3 blue team missions! This is ridiculous

    and

    -1 for incorporating microtransactions and the Halo 2 ending redux!!!!!!
  17. 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
  18. AverageJames
    Nov 2, 2015
    7
    Good Points
    - Stunning Visuals
    - Great Production Value - Excellent Multiplayer - Warzone a Great Edition to Halo Franchise Bad Points - Lackluster and Over hyped Story and Campaign - Terrible AI Team mates - Can Speedrun most missions - 3 of the Missions are only 2 minutes Long - Some Cut scenes would have made pretty Good Boss Battles (Dont Understand 343 Industries    Good Points
    - Stunning Visuals
    - Great Production Value
    - Excellent Multiplayer
    - Warzone a Great Edition to Halo Franchise

    Bad Points

    - Lackluster and Over hyped Story and Campaign
    - Terrible AI Team mates
    - Can Speedrun most missions
    - 3 of the Missions are only 2 minutes Long
    - Some Cut scenes would have made pretty Good Boss Battles (Dont Understand 343 Industries Decision Making there)

    If you play Halo just for the Multiplayer then i Serously Recommend Picking this up but if you play for the story and are still going to get this game, Set your Expectations a little lower than you thought otherwise you might be dissapointed.

    Not Happy with the Microtransactions on the REQ System but im reviewing the Game not 343 or Microsofts Practices.    … Expand
  19. wtrego
    Oct 28, 2015
    7
    The game is awesome and graphics are wonderful, but seriously, no guests online? I can understand no local offline split screen.. but no guests online for coop or multiplayer is just wrong. Now I can't even play Halo with my girlfriend and she was just as excited to get this game as I was! On the plus side, at least Warzone is a lot of fun and the weapons seem pretty well balanced so far.The game is awesome and graphics are wonderful, but seriously, no guests online? I can understand no local offline split screen.. but no guests online for coop or multiplayer is just wrong. Now I can't even play Halo with my girlfriend and she was just as excited to get this game as I was! On the plus side, at least Warzone is a lot of fun and the weapons seem pretty well balanced so far. If you play strictly online with no family or friends playing as your guests, then I would absolutely recommend buying H5.… Expand
  20. Toophat82
    Oct 29, 2015
    7
    Honestly very disappointed for an exclusive and got hyped for nothing while halo 5 isn't a bad game per say it's nothing great either and surely nothing special like it was hyped to be and should being an exclusive and all. It's not suppose to be just another average shooter like CoD or other shooters on the market that you can play across multiple platforms it's halo a title that isHonestly very disappointed for an exclusive and got hyped for nothing while halo 5 isn't a bad game per say it's nothing great either and surely nothing special like it was hyped to be and should being an exclusive and all. It's not suppose to be just another average shooter like CoD or other shooters on the market that you can play across multiple platforms it's halo a title that is suppose to be more and draw people over to Xbox one. At end of the day they took more steps back then forward and tried to play it safe and copy and pasted other shooters on the market versus what they at least have done with past sequels and did with halo 4 where while not mine or most halo fan's favorite with halo 4 they at least tried moving forward with more customization and progression then ever before while still maintaining that halo feel but just was poorly executed in the end. With halo 5 they decided to remove a lot of that customization and progression that they added to multiplayer and instead went backwards while copying and pasting from other shooters on the market and it shows as it's not only nothing new and special but lacking in comparison to last halo 4 for sure. Even cod bo3 will have more customization and progression with its multiplayer and campaign then halo does now which is sad considering the story and lore behind halo that devs could use to draw creativity from with everything and not just story.

    For example Spartans should not all be identically the same and they should have some form of different progression towards each Spartan that makes each Spartan and character feel like who they are lore wise like they tried to do with classes in halo 4 but just poorly executed the idea and could have been fixed and improved upon with halo 5 instead of taking the easy route like older shooters normally do and just make everything identical and the same. This is suppose to be Xbox one's biggest exclusive and they not only remove spilt screen which was one of its biggest draws that set it aside from a lot of today's games and shooters but they developed a poor story and campaign that is just average and what you expect from other shooters but not the halo franchise and honestly it isn't nothing special visual wise for next gen consoles that is for sure as I own both Xbox one and PS4 and honestly halo 5 looked like halo 4 visually in my opinion but just slightly better which I am sure had to do with the decision to go with 60 FPs versus better visuals at end of the day. Honestly not like people game at 4k resolutions no matter what gaming platform as the average person/gamer games on 1080p for the most part or even 720p for some so anything 30 to 60fps would have been more then fine on the average TV and still run smooth while looking good.

    Bottomline while it is smooth running and still halo it is nothing special with a sub par campaign and story that does nothing to draw you in and a multiplayer that is lacking and just a copy and paste job of other shooters in the gaming market and considering the the track record of 343 studios and the mess that MCC was I would say Microsoft needs to hire new team to take over Halo franchise before it's too late as 343 studios clearly not fight team of devs for halo franchise. Even the new microtransactions in multiplayer are a copy and paste job lol. So unless your fanboy who has halo goggles on you will be better off looking for another shooter and it pains me to say this since I disliked both ghosts and advanced warfare and wouldn't normally reccomend this franchise but you gonna be better off with Black ops 3 from the beta I played and what I have seen and read about the campaign or this fun and pretty successful franchise of Rainbow six with titles siege and division that's for sure.    … Expand
  21. leopoldo
    Nov 20, 2015
    7
    Halo 5: Guardians is an exclusive that promised much but accomplished little. The story of the new Halo had a great proposal, however, was very poorly built in the game, the rivalry between Master Chief and Lockey, which was presented in the trailers was very poorly crafted as well. It was a weak story, but at least the gameplay is great, works great and adds positive points in the HaloHalo 5: Guardians is an exclusive that promised much but accomplished little. The story of the new Halo had a great proposal, however, was very poorly built in the game, the rivalry between Master Chief and Lockey, which was presented in the trailers was very poorly crafted as well. It was a weak story, but at least the gameplay is great, works great and adds positive points in the Halo saga. Visually, it's one of the nicest currently is beautiful as well as its soundtrack. The multiplayer is the best thing in the game, but the game has micro-transactions, and it almost forces you to buy, and that's the worst thing in the game.Overall, Halo 5 could be one of the best titles of Xbox one, but the weak story and micro-transactions prevented it, at least the visuals, the soundtrack and multiplayer are great. 7/10.… Expand
  22. melonboy
    Dec 31, 2015
    7
    okay I am a Halo fan boy but I have to point out a few things first forge is **** for some reason blocks automaticly parent and you can't unparent it so if one block is on a slite angle you have to delete the whole wall that took you 4 hours to make and make it again second multiplayer is awesome but the gun goose is **** when ever I shoot some one with it it does jack **** but when someokay I am a Halo fan boy but I have to point out a few things first forge is **** for some reason blocks automaticly parent and you can't unparent it so if one block is on a slite angle you have to delete the whole wall that took you 4 hours to make and make it again second multiplayer is awesome but the gun goose is **** when ever I shoot some one with it it does jack **** but when some shoots me with a gun goose it kills me instantly. these problems need to be fixed NOW!… Expand
  23. dacritic82
    Oct 31, 2015
    7
    Halo 5 is a big disappointment for me in many ways.  Having spent many hours in multiplayer mode, and being almost about to complete the campaign for the second time, I have to say that 343i has learned barely nothing in all these years.

    Let's first talk about the good. - Playing as a fireteam. I truly like it. I'm personally not too fond of the whole 'one guy saving the universe'    Halo 5 is a big disappointment for me in many ways.  Having spent many hours in multiplayer mode, and being almost about to complete the campaign for the second time, I have to say that 343i has learned barely nothing in all these years.

    Let's first talk about the good.

    - Playing as a fireteam. I truly like it. I'm personally not too fond of the whole 'one guy saving the universe' thing we've seen over and over so many times, so this was a great addition. AI works as well as you can expect, so I hope they stick to this for future releases.

    - Warzone. It's great to have a PvP mode with ads storming in. Unfortunately, I've been able to play this mode only twice because of the crappy servers.

    - Weapons sounds. They really sound nice.

    Now, the bad.

    - Graphics. Though the visuals are good, the graphics seem rather outdated. Come on, it's 2015 and most of the metallic surfaces look plastic. Also, some weapons look like toys. There's a general lack of details, which makes look the game a couple of years old.

    - The story. To be honest, it's rather underwhelming (and predictable). The trailers were misleading in a lot of aspects, but I'm not going to go into too many details so I don't spoil anything for you.

    - Microtransactions. This is something very discouraging for a lot of people, me included. When you introduce the pay-to-win concept into your business model, it unbalances the game. Fortunately, it only affects Warzone, so if you want to stay out of it, just play Arena.

    - Couch co-op is gone. Yeah, it's gone. You can kiss the evenings with your pals goodbye. 343i said they were doing this because they were prioritizing graphics quality. I honestly believe it's a ton of horse crap. The graphics are barely acceptable, so I don't see how split screen could possibly harm the quality.

    - Lack of content. After you complete the main campaign, which should take you around 10 hours, you are left with nothing but the multiplayer mode. There's absolutely no end-game content. I know 343i announced content is on the way (probably by December), but I just can't overlook the fact that they shipped the game knowing it wasn't complete.

    - Customization. During the main campaign there's absolutely nothing you can customize. I know this is something that all the Halo share, but I think it's about time to do something in this department. For PvP you can customize your ID, weapon skin (only the color) and pieces of armor, but you can't configure loadouts. I wish we could select the weapons to spawn with from a basic armory (nothing acquirable from REQ packs).

    - A feeling of general underdevelopment. After spending several hours with the game I got the feeling that A) there's little innovation when comparing to Halo 4. B) Most of its competitors have a lot more to offer technically and in terms of content and features.
     
    I can only think of 2 possibilities for this half-assed release: either it was rushed out the door, or this is the best the designers had to offer. In any case 343i should have known better.    … Expand
  24. Ham_Critic
    Apr 15, 2016
    7
    I haven't played this game for a long time so don't fault me.

    On to the review, every game is supposed to make a good first impression and this game doesn't. The advertising for this game made it seem like it was a very story driven game, but that is not the case. For a person who has never played a Halo game before, this story can be very confusing. The campaign is very short if you    I haven't played this game for a long time so don't fault me.

    On to the review, every game is supposed to make a good first impression and this game doesn't. The advertising for this game made it seem like it was a very story driven game, but that is not the case. For a person who has never played a Halo game before, this story can be very confusing. The campaign is very short if you play on easy or normal. Legendary difficulty is pretty fun if you play with a couple of friends, but it can get boring if no progress is made. The biggest complaint I have with the campaign is the way the AI is, it seems too artificial compared to other games. The campaign for me is a 5/10.

    The multiplayer is a lot better than the campaign. Warzone is fun with friends. Custom games is a blast. Arena is ok. But the req packs are a scam, it's just another company trying to steal money from you. The multiplayer mechanics are good, and are made for a competitive play style. But the mechanics get boring after a while .

    Overall, this game isn't terrible but isn't good too. The campaign is what ruined the game for me.

    6.5/10    … Expand
  25. LittleHastur
    Oct 29, 2015
    7
    The campaign of Halo 5 is a real waste of potential, at the end of the adventure you still don't know anything about the story of the majority of the spartans and the adventure is flat and linear, almost boring (almost).
    Fortunately the gameplay is superb, so good that even if you forget why you are fighting hordes of enemies you will never want to stop killing them.
    The multiplayer is    The campaign of Halo 5 is a real waste of potential, at the end of the adventure you still don't know anything about the story of the majority of the spartans and the adventure is flat and linear, almost boring (almost).
    Fortunately the gameplay is superb, so good that even if you forget why you are fighting hordes of enemies you will never want to stop killing them.
    The multiplayer is well made, just like all the others halo Game.
    Ultimately Halo 5 is a good, solid game but not the masterpiece that I was hoping for...........    … Expand
  26. Termin8ter
    Feb 14, 2016
    7
    Halo 5 Guardians is a decent game, with problems, but lots of things that make up for the problems. The gameplay is perfect, much better than Destiny's and WAY better than Halo 4's. 343 has introduced some new mechanics to the mix, like boosting while sprinting, aiming down sights, and a ground pound feature, which is super fun to mess around with. All these new aspects are a breath ofHalo 5 Guardians is a decent game, with problems, but lots of things that make up for the problems. The gameplay is perfect, much better than Destiny's and WAY better than Halo 4's. 343 has introduced some new mechanics to the mix, like boosting while sprinting, aiming down sights, and a ground pound feature, which is super fun to mess around with. All these new aspects are a breath of fresh air after playing Destiny and Halo 4. The story, however, is nowhere near as interesting as Halo 3's or Reach's. And it has a bulls@# cliffhanger ending. Another thing that pissed me off about Halo 5 is that 343 ripped out split-screen! One of the main reasons people loved Halo, and 343 say, NOPE!! f@# you give me money! Nice,Microsoft. Yet another infuriating thing about this game is that there are now Micro-transactions. Yes, Micro-transactions, anyone who defends Micro-transactions are idiots. Apart from that though, Halo 5 is a step in the right direction for Halo, and I would highly recommend it if Destiny left a bad taste in your mouth.… Expand
  27. Rmiles801
    Oct 29, 2015
    7
    The game play feels pretty good, but I'm only in this for the online ranked play, as fluid as the gameplay feels, the maps are pretty terrible from a competitive standpoint, I'm really hoping some DLC or some forge-type stuff will be released soon because the maps that you currently have to play ranked on are some of the worst designed maps I've ever seen in any FPS game ever, I do likeThe game play feels pretty good, but I'm only in this for the online ranked play, as fluid as the gameplay feels, the maps are pretty terrible from a competitive standpoint, I'm really hoping some DLC or some forge-type stuff will be released soon because the maps that you currently have to play ranked on are some of the worst designed maps I've ever seen in any FPS game ever, I do like the gun balance so far though, grenade blast radius is still a little too high, but I know that's not going to change. I could go on and on about minor things (grenades bouncing funny off different surfaces) but I won't, I hope they continue adding stuff, need more than 2-3 maps.… Expand
  28. breakbacon
    Nov 18, 2015
    7
    Solo campaign has been a fantastic experience. They've really picked the ball up from Halo 4 and put together a real slam dunk. It took about 5 hours to beat on normal which for me is actually the point where I'm getting tired of the mechanic and just want to be finished anyway so no fault there in my opinion. Multiplayer is good, except for some really awful graphical distortion on a fewSolo campaign has been a fantastic experience. They've really picked the ball up from Halo 4 and put together a real slam dunk. It took about 5 hours to beat on normal which for me is actually the point where I'm getting tired of the mechanic and just want to be finished anyway so no fault there in my opinion. Multiplayer is good, except for some really awful graphical distortion on a few of the maps. Could have been a stronger title with a more engaging multiplayer experience overall.… Expand
  29. dogget76
    Nov 10, 2015
    7
    Halo è sempre stato famoso per la campagna in singolo, fin dal primissimo capitolo. Il multiplayer è venuto dopo, non tanto cronologicamente ma a livello di 'importanza'. Non si possono dare voti fuori parametro a un capitolo di Halo solo in virtù di una componente online che funziona (e vorrei ben vedere), quando la campagna è stata chiaramente trascurata e inserita quasi come riempitivo.Halo è sempre stato famoso per la campagna in singolo, fin dal primissimo capitolo. Il multiplayer è venuto dopo, non tanto cronologicamente ma a livello di 'importanza'. Non si possono dare voti fuori parametro a un capitolo di Halo solo in virtù di una componente online che funziona (e vorrei ben vedere), quando la campagna è stata chiaramente trascurata e inserita quasi come riempitivo. Il gameplay/gunplay è eccezionale e tecnicamente il titolo di 343 è solidissimo (al diavolo chi ha accusato gli sviluppatori di aver usato degli escamotage, questo Halo è splendido da vedere): quello che manca è il cuore, un cuore fatto di trama, personaggi e level design.
    A parte un paio di momenti la campagna si trascina avanti a stento e i nuovi personaggi sono piatti, per non dire insulsi. Lo spawning dei nemici, il loro posizionamento e il ritmo sono assolutamente casuali, e il tutto è incanalato in livelli tortuosi ma lineari e mai troppo ampi. Talvolta si ha l' impressione di avere a che fare con livelli procedurali e non creati ad hoc da un professionista.
    Halo è ancora lui, ok, e i miglioramenti sul lato tecnico sono evidenti, ma la campagna così anonima e la mancanza di "cuore" sono assolutamente da punire. E al diavolo il multiplayer online, l' online non è arte, ma rozzo artigianato e Halo merita ben più di questo.    … Expand
  30. Finney14
    Oct 29, 2015
    7
    It's hard not to be disappointed by Halo 5's campaign, the story is confusing, requires an understanding of Halo's extended lore and has weak characters that fail to provide you with any emotional connection.

    The game makes a bold choice and relegates Master Chief to the sidelines for the majority of the game, giving you control of Spartan Locke. Master Chief has been the face of xbox    It's hard not to be disappointed by Halo 5's campaign, the story is confusing, requires an understanding of Halo's extended lore and has weak characters that fail to provide you with any emotional connection.

    The game makes a bold choice and relegates Master Chief to the sidelines for the majority of the game, giving you control of Spartan Locke. Master Chief has been the face of xbox for some time now, so to see someone else take center stage is refreshing... or at least it should be. The problem is Locke is just about the most dull character you could possibly imagine. He takes orders without question and has about as much depth as paddling pool.

    The missions themselves are mostly repetitive rooms full of enemies and cover, not nearly as fun as the wide open of spaces of Halo 3. The game does have a few vehicle based levels with wider spaces and these tend to be more fun. Then theres the boss battles, or rather boss battle, ctrl+c, ctrl+v, ctrl+v, ctrl+v.

    There is however a great selection of weapons, that sound great when fired and have plenty of variety. It's also the best feeling Halo game ever made. You feel more like a spartan super soldier here than ever before with charge attacks, boosts and clambering which all aid in feeling like an enhanced warrior. Oh and the super smooth frame rate is not bad either.

    Whilst Halo 5's campaign falters, the multiplayer generally fairs much better. There are two main multiplayer modes as well as a plethora of others, the two main ones being Arena and Warzone.

    Arena is classic 4v4 and it's great, thanks to the new spartan movement abilities the game is fast paced and tactical, as the abilities allow you to dash in and out of cover and away from grenades etc. The maps are well balanced although they do all have a similar feel, not in the way they look but in terms of layout.

    Warzone is a large 12v12 mode with some AI in the mix too. The large scale, AI and plenty of vehicles make it chaotic fun. It also has something called a REQ system. You gain REQ points for completing matches and with them buy packs of cards containing vehicles and weapons which you can all upon during the game. It seems complicated at first but I got used to it after a couple of games. The REQ system is also where things get mirky as you can also buy the card packs with real money. You can only call upon a limited number of weapons and/or vehicles during each match but still, it is dangerously close to pay to win.

    Halo 5's weak campaign and poor story hurts but most people play Halo for the multiplayer and luckily that's the games strongest area.    … 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 »