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. Kury
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    It is a very good game of the series with many innovations:
    As war zone and dedicated servers, but not all rainbows and methamphetamine Because it has errors as a short campaign mode (although it is the best in the series) and no split screen.
    conclusion:
    with many errors and defects halo game five in my opinion the best game of the saga WHORE
  2. abprof
    Nov 3, 2015
    3
    I would say same old same old. But, It's worse with missing stuff. Where is split screen co-op? Why cant I play with my roommate? Single player is same spunkgargleweewee(ref. ZeroPunctuation)
  3. tginick
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    With the exception of the removal of split-screen...343 really nailed it. The campaign is great, they brought back skulls and collectables to find & co-op is better than ever in Halo 5. Multiplayer is fun & addicting. The gameplay is smooth and fast-paced. Warzone is incredible and I'm a huge fan of the REQ system. It's different yes...but I personally like some of the changes. Of courseWith the exception of the removal of split-screen...343 really nailed it. The campaign is great, they brought back skulls and collectables to find & co-op is better than ever in Halo 5. Multiplayer is fun & addicting. The gameplay is smooth and fast-paced. Warzone is incredible and I'm a huge fan of the REQ system. It's different yes...but I personally like some of the changes. Of course there's a few things I would change, but every game has them. Halo 5 is a great buy for new & old Halo fans alike.… Expand
  4. Brandondwn
    Nov 3, 2015
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is not what the commercials said we had in store. There's no big fight between the 2 Spartans and it focuses on Locke who no one cares about. The campaign is shorter than destiny, a lot of elements and names for things seems copied from destiny and it's just not fun. It's 4 in better frames but not graphics. I think the PVP was mostly better and had less issues but for long time fans who like the story they will be very disappointed. The end itself is a mask in the face and for the amount well I'm very upset I dropped so much money on it... I wouldn't even buy this for 30 bucks if I was you. 343 showed promise with 4 but lost it completely with 5. I think Microsoft messed up a lot and missed out on any chance at "goty", I know that's hard with exclusives but in the past it anyone had a chance it would've been halo. I honestly see Microsoft giving up on console gaming in the next 3-5 years. They're not doing well and their biggest exclusive is ruined.… Expand
  5. 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.
  6. GrimLooters
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    Once again, 343i's Halo proves to be a hate magnet, that much is clear. And it's frustrating, it really is, because you know those 298 negative reviews virtually all came from people who had their opinions long before the game was released. You know how it is - pick up the game, play the first mission on Easy, get destroyed in a game of multiplayer, return the game in a fit of indignationOnce again, 343i's Halo proves to be a hate magnet, that much is clear. And it's frustrating, it really is, because you know those 298 negative reviews virtually all came from people who had their opinions long before the game was released. You know how it is - pick up the game, play the first mission on Easy, get destroyed in a game of multiplayer, return the game in a fit of indignation and ruin the day of some poor Gamestop employee with their incessant blathering.

    Well I'm here to tell you one thing, and one thing only - do not, under any circumstances, listen to them. If you're a Halo fan, if you want to give a fun new shooter a fair go, do not. I've been down that road.

    Instead, read this, a review from someone who's loved Halo ever since CE dropped and understands what makes Halo what it is.

    Halo is a fantastic step in the right direction, and I'm eager to see what they do next. Obviously, the point of greatest contention is the new Spartan abilities, first and foremost amongst them the new Smart Scope. If someone calls it ADS, immediately stop listening to them - it's not. Smart Scope is a system which allows you to zoom in to various degrees with basically every weapon to reduce spread and shoot with greater precision - if you do this whilst in the air, you will hang in the air for several seconds. This accommodates long range combat on the larger maps that 343i has gone with. There are two main catches - the first is that, in a departure to the typical ADS mechanic of your CODs and Battlefields, Smart Scope does not 'snap' to the target closest to your reticle. The second and most obvious catch is that if the player receives any damage in this state, they will be kicked out of ADS and dropped to the ground if they're hanging. This makes it absolutely impractical to use in CQB, unlike your run of the mill ADS.

    I'd run you through the other abilities, but I've got a character limit xD

    Be assured, however, that the abilities work very well together, particularly the new melee abilities, ground pound and charge. You feel much more like a super soldier when, once the ammunition runs dry, you can literally turn yourself into a weapon, smashing aside vehicles and knocking fools out from above. Sprinting has been balanced after Halo 4 to prevent escaping from combat - sprinting prevents your energy shields (effectively health) from regenerating. Fight is usually preferable to flight.

    The other major point which these people make is the story - granted, it is a little convoluted. In fact, maybe knock a point off my score if you haven't played all the games and read the books. But I assure you, as a fan of the series, the story makes perfect sense and is wonderfully fan servicing. Blue Team in particular have been a long time coming. The constant twists and turns the story took were beautifully crafted, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The people that complain about the ending and the length of the campaign just secretly want more, I assure you.

    I could write more, but my score speaks for itself. If Halo 5 isn't one of the all time greatest Halo games, then I'll be damned. Thanks for reading.    … Expand
  7. Tre4
    Nov 3, 2015
    4
    Overall this game was quite a boring campaign, mashed with a extremely competitive side. I there is no casual about this game, and to a standard player's point of view there is no fun for anyone but a competitive player. That just doesn't make a game fun.
  8. oDjento
    Nov 3, 2015
    5
    For all those who are angry about the lack of splitscreen fear not, there is a petition that you can sign online to add splitscreen into the game. Go sign it!
    Now quickly:
    +Warzone is awesome
    +Nathon Fillion
    ~Graphics are decent, but kinda unsatisfying
    ~Mediocre plot for campaign
    -Campaign is technically a teaser for Halo 6
    -No splitscreen
  9. Krade
    Nov 3, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll start with this: I'm a huge Halo fan. I've been playing since Halo: Combat Evolved back in 2001.
    That being said, I'm going to break my review down into categories:

    CAMPAIGN: I think this campaign deserves a commendation as the worst in the entire series - which is saying a lot 343, because Bungie sucks at story-telling - #Destiny. Halo 5's marketing campaign advertised this game with a pretense that Locke and Chief would be in a feud the entire game while Chief finds a way to save Cortana, leading up to some kind of final showdown...

    ...But that never actually happens.

    Instead, Chief and Locke have only a brief 60-second fist fight, and Cortana becomes the main antagonist. I suppose we have to give 343 some effort on the plot twist. However, the story is a chaotic and confusing mess, leaving much to be desired and even more unexplained - unless maybe you are familiar with the novels. Locke is a monotone military dog, making him forgettable and unrelatable (I wish there was a bit more back story to him) and his "fireteam" doesn't add much to that equation. On top of this, we only get to play as Chief 3/15 missions, the fewest times in the series (referencing Halo 2, mostly). And where/when the hell did John 117 reunite with his long lost "Blue Team?" Are we just supposed to assume that while he was out saving the world/universe the past few years that they were simply on vacation? The story ignores this major question among many others.

    The Halo series has very little to do now with the Halo rings, and more to do now with the Forerunners and their influence in the galaxy. I playfully suggest that the series should be renamed "Forerunner" - or something of that nature - before we hit a Halo 9, or some ridiculous number, and are continuously being let down because these games fail to live up to their predecessors. Many AAA titles are suffering that fate already. But at least this campaign ended with a cliffhanger, leaving 343 an opportunity to do better next time around. Also, come on, Halo is known for its stellar multiplayer, not its campaign. So let's move on.

    Final Score: 4/10

    GRAPHICS: Players running in the distance (in multiplayer) look like 2-D characters from the SNES era. Backgrounds and environments just seem stale and not very immersive. Seems like 343 had to sacrifice a lot of detail to keep the game running at 60 frames-per-second. However, the CGI cutscenes are totally stunning. Nicely done.

    Final Score: 8/10

    SOUNDS: I feel 343 tried too hard to make the game sound futuristic when they should have kept it simple and memorable. #classicbattlerifle

    Final Score: 7/10

    MUSIC: Wait, there was music? Bring Back Martin O'Donnell!

    Final Score: 6/10

    MULTIPLAYER: First of all, I view gameplay and multiplayer as two sides to the same coin. 343 had said numerous times that making this game a great multiplayer experience was the #1 goal when building the game, and that meant getting down to the mechanics and gameplay. They wanted to bring Halo back to its roots while still making it progressive in gameplay, and they did this without flaw. They did away (mostly) with armor abilites, which just brought unneeded variables and imbalance to the games. They did away with reticle bloom, which frustrated most players. Weapon swapping is now nearly instantaneous. They kept sprint, added ledge grabbing, and added thrusting for engaging/disengaging in combat - all of which add speed and flow to Halo's already iconic gameplay. 60 frames-per-second is where it's at for shooters now, and it makes Halo feel like a totally different experience as a shooter. There are more symmetrical maps, which is a necessity for balance and fair competitive play for the hardcore player. Not to mention: this is by far the best game in the series in terms of weapon balance. Literally any weapon is viable at most ranges and engagements. There is not really a clear superior weapon in the game, which is an incredibly hard thing to accomplish in a FPS. Shooters need less variables and more balance to be great. Not the opposite. Also, Warzone is just ridiculous, chaotic, wicked fun. A blast every time.

    HOWEVER: I must say that the controls are clunky to me and a little sloppy for a Halo game. Perhaps because I've been playing too much Destiny? - which has stellar mechanics. Anyway, it takes some getting used to. A steady connection helps vastly, which is much easier now because of dedicated servers. Overall, the multiplayer is a huge improvement from Halo 4, and I would say that it is about on par with Halo 3 in terms of gameplay quality and multiplayer experience.

    Final Score: 9/10

    How I rank the Halo titles (in terms in multiplayer):

    1. Halo 2 / H2A
    2. Halo 3 / Halo 5:Guardians
    3. Halo: CE(A)
    4. Halo: Reach
    5. Halo 4

    Not counting "Halo: ODST"

    Overall, I give Halo 5: Guardians a 8/10. I put most of the weight from my rating into the multiplayer alone, making this game a definite buy for any Xbox One owner.    … Expand
  10. Yevn
    Nov 3, 2015
    4
    It feels like Halo 5 is trying to be like Call of Duty and other high paced first person shooters of the modern era. From making enemies kill you in a few shots to cover based shooting it no longer feels like it belongs in the Halo franchise. AI teamates fail to preform even the most basic of functions oftentimes acting more like cannon fodder than actual allies. This becomes even moreIt feels like Halo 5 is trying to be like Call of Duty and other high paced first person shooters of the modern era. From making enemies kill you in a few shots to cover based shooting it no longer feels like it belongs in the Halo franchise. AI teamates fail to preform even the most basic of functions oftentimes acting more like cannon fodder than actual allies. This becomes even more agitating during the Warden fights making you have to exploit the game (unless you play flawlessly) in order to get by him. There are also numerous scenes where music suddenly stops and dialogues overlap to the point where you can't make out what the characters are saying.

    The multiplayer introduces micro transactions and a card based play system for warzone creating massively lopsided matches, multiple tanks can easily be spawned for the enemy team while you have little to no access to counters (plasma pistol needs to be requisitioned in and cost 2 req points which build up slowly). In addition to this the amount of HP you have is reduced so low that even the magnum will take out any player in a few shots (think of it like the DMR from Reach). Another annoying aspect to warzone is that req builds up based on kills (the rich get richer) almost always resulting in a no comeback game.    … Expand
  11. 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
  12. plesiroth
    Nov 3, 2015
    9
    Best multiplayer in the entire series. Well balanced with good variety in the playlists for both casual and competitive players alike.

    Great level design within the campaingn makes each playthrough a fun experience since there are new routes and secrets to find. The story while, quite a bit disjointed definitely has it's moments, especialy the battles on Sanghelios, and the ending    Best multiplayer in the entire series. Well balanced with good variety in the playlists for both casual and competitive players alike.

    Great level design within the campaingn makes each playthrough a fun experience since there are new routes and secrets to find.

    The story while, quite a bit disjointed definitely has it's moments, especialy the battles on Sanghelios, and the ending leaves the series at a rather unexpected point in the story, which you may either love or hate    … Expand
  13. MooseSpoon
    Nov 3, 2015
    6
    Good but not great.

    The game has some decent graphics, but at the same time very poor graphics with low res, bad lighting, and pop in. The campaign lets you play as two characters, but the story line is very stretched and convoluted. Campaign levels though very beautiful (particularly Genesis) feel very linear. The campaign also is relatively short. Multiplayer is pretty good. It    Good but not great.

    The game has some decent graphics, but at the same time very poor graphics with low res, bad lighting, and pop in.

    The campaign lets you play as two characters, but the story line is very stretched and convoluted. Campaign levels though very beautiful (particularly Genesis) feel very linear. The campaign also is relatively short.

    Multiplayer is pretty good. It is chaotic and has new game modes. If you're a fan of Halo multiplayer, you will not be disappointed.

    Overall, this game is a solid addition to the halo universe but not one with a lot of luster.    … Expand
  14. seand88
    Nov 3, 2015
    4
    Played multiple hours of the game in campaign and multiplayer. The #1 thing is that the multiplayer aiming system is 100% broken and they have not fixed it. 2 years of testing to bring this? The game aiming also functions different on large/small tvs which is very strange.
    The campaign is lackluster and ending is terrible. Game with this budget should have hired a better writer.
    Very    Played multiple hours of the game in campaign and multiplayer. The #1 thing is that the multiplayer aiming system is 100% broken and they have not fixed it. 2 years of testing to bring this? The game aiming also functions different on large/small tvs which is very strange.
    The campaign is lackluster and ending is terrible. Game with this budget should have hired a better writer.
    Very disappointed guess am just looking forward to fallout 4 now.    … Expand
  15. Coldfreeze
    Nov 3, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. All right lets start with the story, yes it is a bit short, but it is very well done, action everywhere and an incredible story, but there are some flaws as well with the story, you see I a huge lore geek and Halo is no exception, most of what happens in the campaign wasn't new to me at all. Most of what I thought would happen did indeed happen, with the exception of one thing.

    This drives a wedge between people that know the lore and people that don't most people that don't claim to see an incoherent story, most people that do can fill in the gaps of the story because they no what happened outside of the games.

    The balance between Blue Team and Team Osiris is a bit off, I figured that would annoy me, but it didn't, Team Osiris carries it's own weight pretty well and Spartan Locke is one of the best characters I have seen in Halo, mostly because he isn't some gruff super soldier, but because he is respectful, friendly, clear minded and a great natural leader. Nathan Fillion fills the role of Buck from ODST, and he delivers some of the best voice acting I have seen in ages.

    But back to the missions itself, Like I said the balance between teams in terms of missions is off here, while Osiris has more missions most of them are a lot shorter and while Blue team has less missions, most of them are a lot longer.

    The balance could have been better and with the way the story went, it sometimes feels as if Osiris was put in there as a plot device. The missions itself is what you expect from Halo, so no new things there with the exception of a mission or two which were incredible.

    The Multiplayer has changed a lot, Halo 5 goes arena all the way, movement is key and with the new abilities I feel like a Spartan, the game is incredible fast paced and the controls are very smooth.

    Warzone brings a mode I have been hoping for since I started playing the games, all out warfare with AI mixed in, there are some flaws in my opinion, for instance AI's aren't spawned at random but always arrive in the same order and after the warden eternal no more enemies spawn.

    Random AI enemy spawns would make it better in my opinion and having some AI on the map at all time next to the marines would make it more warfare like. There is a lot of potential here, I can definitely see some more type of enemies and a map based around the flood with those things crawling everywhere could be an incredible experience.

    My conclusion is simple, if you are a Halo fan and liked the previous games with a mix of new game play elements thrown in and like a new type of Halo multiplayer, get this game.

    If you rather like the old games without any changes or any new stuff stay away, buy the Masterchief Collection.

    Halo 5 feels like a fresh new entry in the series and takes what is good from the old games and places them in a new package, being a Spartan never felt this good.    … Expand
  16. Irfaan77
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    This game is amazing the game has great graphics gameplay and multiplayer the people hating on it are just butthurt bungie fanboys. 343 is doing an amazing job with halo I can't wait for the next one they release.
  17. Lycria
    Nov 3, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Coming from the Master Chief Collection, this is another disappointing games from 343. On legendary if you have played the previous Halos, the game will take between 6-8 hours depending if you play solo or coop. The single player campaign seemed to be designed around coop only, as your teammates seem pretty useless. If you use the team commands and focus targets it does resolve some of the issues, but if you get downed you will frequently find yourself with one of your teammates standing next to you or stuck on a wall refusing to revive you. They don't seem to know how to use cover at all, as when you assign a target they will run right into the heat of battle and die pretty quickly on legendary. It just feels tacked on as it was worked on by the people who did Republic Commando.

    Another issue is the boss fights, or fight I should say. One of the bosses - one of 2, is recycled about 3 or 4 times, the last being a difficult encounter due to the fact that there are multiple copies of him and he has 3 abilities that will kill you in 1 hit. He has a single weak point, overly aware of where you are at and will always target you over that of your AI teammates whenever possible. This makes for a very frustrating fight, and not in the Dark Souls kind of way. It just feels cheap and is a pretty big difficultly curve.

    Overall the story is lackluster and left me not caring. You will spend most of your time playing as Locke and Osiris Team, rather then the games staple hero Chief and Blue Team, though with Blue Team having no backstory or as far as it seems interesting characters outside from Chief you wont care much. I've been told they have a great backstory in the extended canon, but extended canon should addon to the story, not be where the story is located. This makes it hard to care about Blue Team, which you only play for 3 of the 15 missions anyways.

    Overall the story and single player experience is a 4/10 for me.

    As far as the multiplayer experience goes, the game basically has 2 modes - Arena and Warzone.
    Arena is the closest thing you'll get to class halo, though its been "Call of Dutyfied" with sprinting, aiming down the sites and able to grab ledges. It makes the game faster paced then any of the previous Halos, seeing a lot of people running and gunning. Now it inst as bad as call of duty, and the smaller teams of 4 do make it feel more like a Halo then a Call of Duty game where everyone is playing on their own, but the maps do not seem to accommodate the change in game play making it feel a bit cramped. The gunplay all feels really good, except the aim down the sights for me, at least, feels like a tacked on feature kinda like Destiny where I like how Halo was original and didn't have that up until now, but its a minor complaint that some will absolutely like.
    Warzone is the new game mode for Halo 5 where it is PVPVE. It feels a lot like Titanfall for those who played it with a 3rd component, the Covenant that you will face for points. It is 12v12 with friendly AI "grunts" that are kinda like fodder, which helps to fill up the massive map. There will be random boss spawns that can be killed for points along with capturing points and getting normal player kills. The game mode is fun, but also comes with the new requisition system where you will need to buy packs with in game credits or real money to buy packs with will give XP boosts, vehicles, power weapons, weapon skins and armor pieces. Now this does not unbalance the game, but it feels like a cheap gambling simulator once again like Destiny where armor and weapon skins are no longer earned by doing achievements in single player and multiplayer, but just by luck. The time it will take is between 600-800 hours or about 1000 USD if you want to unlock everything, and once again this is not based on leveling up, or any type of skill or achievements, its only done via luck on what you get in each pack.
    The multiplayer experience is a 7/10 for me, being a bit faster paced and some of the weapons like the AR being made a bit more useful will be a godsend to newer players that cannot use the BR or DMR. The game will feel more newer player friendly then the previous Halos, but if you're a fan of Halo 2 or 3, this will most likely not be the game for you, i'd say stick with the Master Chief Collection.    … Expand
  18. LORD-GORRE
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    O jogo ficou muito bom, campanha esta ótima, gráficos muito bons, o som, ambiente, etc. O game tem uma imersão muito profunda, foi o melhor fps que já joguei no Xone, tem muita ação. Belo trabalho a 343 e a Microsoft, continuem assim.
  19. Eg0Centric
    Nov 3, 2015
    4
    Halo 5 has been released, intentionally, half complete.

    Content and customisation options available in the previous titles at launch, are now gated behind microtransactions, and many key elements such as big team battle and split-screen are missing altogether.

    A very disappointing effort from 343.
  20. Ravenlord7
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    I were positively surprised.
    Blue team + Osiris combination worked better than I hoped, and master chief were handled with veneration he deserves.
    Some may argue story of campaign did not go anywhere, but I think it stages future for good. Multiplayer and warzone particulary is great fun. My score of 10 stands on promise of 12 free maps for everyone that 343 has promised, because    I were positively surprised.
    Blue team + Osiris combination worked better than I hoped, and master chief were handled with veneration he deserves.
    Some may argue story of campaign did not go anywhere, but I think it stages future for good.

    Multiplayer and warzone particulary is great fun.

    My score of 10 stands on promise of 12 free maps for everyone that 343 has promised, because multiplayer and warzone needs variety to come.

    Req system is fun and addicting. There is plenty of cards for everyone without microtransactions, and your match performance makes you able to use them, so does not feel pay to win.

    Lack of splitscreen is huge blow for series, since it is something we have always loved in Halo, but technical performance of campaign and multiplayer makes for it.    … Expand
  21. BenTyr85
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    Halo 5 got mixed reviews but to my taste, despite high expectations, it scores very high and is an outstanding experience. Controls and gameplay feel smooth. The graphics are beautiful but not the best there is. The campaign lives off an great production with action packed sequences between missions and great voice actors. Fire team Osiris gets the most attention but the suspenful storyHalo 5 got mixed reviews but to my taste, despite high expectations, it scores very high and is an outstanding experience. Controls and gameplay feel smooth. The graphics are beautiful but not the best there is. The campaign lives off an great production with action packed sequences between missions and great voice actors. Fire team Osiris gets the most attention but the suspenful story line compensates Masterchiefs absence in those missions.
    The difficulty increases rewardingly with each step and on legendary the game demands good teamplay in co-op or endurance in single player.
    The MP is near perfection. Warzone is fun and delivers on action and Arena is pure e-sports.
    All in all I highly recommend this game to annyone who enjoys FPS!    … Expand
  22. EinShteinV2
    Nov 3, 2015
    10
    The most epic campaign in my life! Fantastic work, thanks to 343i.
    Multiplayer is awesome, it feels like the best moments Unreal Tournament 2004. GoTY.
  23. Dalworth
    Nov 3, 2015
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo 5 is not a good game. It's not terrible and doesn't deserve a score of zero but it certainly isn't worth 9 or 10.
    Yes it looks reasonably pretty and it runs at 60 fps. Personally the 60fps bit is nonsense to my mind. I would rather play an 8-bit game that looks awful but is fun to play than this, which simply isn't enjoyable. After the 3rd hour it actually became a chore and that has never happened in any other Halo game.

    The campaign story was basically written by taking the script for I, Robot and changing the names of the characters. The plot is exactly the same, AI protects people by removing their freedoms. A tired and well trodden trope of Sci-fi story telling.

    The new spartans (apart from Buck) are a dull and uninteresting lot and the scripting for them is woeful.
    For example, the blue team call 117 "chief", this is very confusing since he calls all of them by their names, including Fred-104 who is apparently a lieutenant and should by rights be called Sir. This is simply ludicrous when you consider that they were all tortured together since they were 6. I doubt ranks mean much to them when they are alone and yet not one of them ever calls him John.

    The uproar after Halo 2 where Bungie were berated for forcing you to play half the game as the arbiter has apparently been forgotten within Redmond. In this game you play 3/4 of it as some dull random bloke who has all the charisma of a dose of clap.

    However that is saved by the fact the actual play time of the game is 4-5 hours with 1.5 hours removed for cut scenes. It means that the pain of playing this game is lessened because it is insultingly short.
    It took the same amount of time to install the game and the 9Gb update as it did to complete.
    After Halo 4 I recall some random 343 mouth saying they wanted 5 to provide a longer campaign experience after the feedback they received about 4 being short. They obviously forgot that too in the quest for cash. This is shorter than 4.
    The reclaimer trilogy is no longer a trilogy apparently so 6 will obviously be the second half of this game story spun off to make more money.

    Which brings me on to this. I don't do mutli-player at all but the cynic in me does not believe the removal of split screen is due to the 60fps nonsense touted around in interviews. The introduction of the squad based model and removal of split screen smells like an underhanded way to increase xbox live sign ups for 4 player campaigns.
    The only thing 343 care about now is multi-player because xbox live sign ups are where the money is. The campaign is now a side line that they have to throw together to keep the people who play it happy. The story line, script and production values of the single player campaign reflect that lack of interest by 343.

    Essentially what they have done here is taken the point of Halo, thrown it out and made a short, unimaginative, dreary CoD squad shooter clone.
    If I wanted to play a boring squad shooter I would play CoD, and cut out the middle man.

    The only reason I'm not angry about this game being a complete let down is because it came free with the xbone I bought to play Fallout 4 next week. If I had actually spent my money on it I would be livid about how disappointing it was.

    This is not Halo and is not deserving of the title. I feel embarrassed for the people who worked on this that actually care about Halo and the universe around it. The executive decisions that led to this pathetic excuse for a game being released has done them and all the gamers that love Halo a disservice.
    343, get your heads out of your collective holes and face the fact that this is a sub-par campaign and no matter how many 9/10 reviews you buy in the game "press" it will not change the fact that gamers can tell good from bad.
    Halo 6 had better be a good, long stunner of a campaign because you have a LOT of ground to make up if you hope there is chance anyone will care about, or buy, 7.    … Expand
  24. partyintheback
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    Halo 5: Guardians has some of the very best level design and multiplayer in the series to date. Those rating this poorly must have lost their minds because as someone who has been with Halo since 2001, Guardians is exactly what I wanted,
  25. Alex283zs
    Nov 2, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo 5: Guardians representa la evolución más grande y más arriesgada que 343 industries pudo haber tomado, riesgos que Bungie no se hubiera atrevido a tomar, lo cual se agradece. Sin embargo, fueron sus mismos verdugos al prometer una campaña espectacular, la más ambiciosa hasta el momento y la más oscura de la saga. Desde los tráiler y la campaña publicitaria de Hunt the truth, Halo 5 nos presentaba un panorama completamente terrible para cualquier fan de la historia del Jefe Maestro, presentándonos al nuevo personaje, el Spartan Jameson Locke, el encargado de cazar y matar al Jefe Maestro. Y como fan de Halo, esta campaña es la más espectacular y a la vez, más decepcionante de toda la saga.

    Campaña (Sin spoilers)
    La campaña es dirigida para los fans de Halo, quien no este relacionado con los libros, el comic de escalation y demás, puede perderse en el transcurso de la trama, sin embargo, la historia se desarrolla muy rápida, durante mi paso por las 15 misiones de la historia, que no solo fueron decepcionantes en cuanto a lo prometido, si no que aun en la dificultad Heroica se sienten muy cortas. En cuanto a la dificultad legendaria, esta a la altura del mismo Halo 2. ¿Recuerdan el tráiler anunciando la muerte del jefe? ¿Las 2 verdades, tanto del jefe como de Locke? Nada de esto pasa en la campaña. La rivalidad que se nos fue prometida no solo no cumple, si no que ni siquiera existe en el juego. Y, para terminar de darle el golpe final a un fan de Halo, el legendario Blue Team solo participa en un 20% de la campaña, sin embargo, tienen las misiones más complicadas de no solo el juego, posiblemente de toda la saga.
    El equipo que te acompaña durante las misiones esta bien balanceado, no hacen todo el trabajo por ti, pero tampoco están de adorno, la opción de darles ordenes tanto para atacar como para ir a un lugar especifico hace el juego un tanto más táctico, sin embargo, la IA de estos puede llegar a ser frustrante.
    Los escenarios son enormes, con muchas zonas para explorar y mucho para investigar.

    Se podría decir que la misma publicidad del juego fue el principal problema. Al final resulto ser un fraude. sin embargo, es una campaña que, como fan, disfrute de principio a fin.

    Multijugador.
    El multijugador recoge todo lo bueno de los anteriores juegos de Halo, lo justo para hacer que un veterano se sienta a gusto en las nuevas mecánicas. Adictivo y a la vez muy competitivo.
    Las nuevas habilidades ofrecen mejores formas para enfrentar a los enemigos, estas también ayudan a balancear el juego. A pesar de que el juego tiene pocos días de vida, el contenido que se ira adicionando sin duda lo hará mejor.

    Warzone.

    Warzone es sin duda la carta más fuerte del juego, el modo de juego más adictivo. Las luchas de 12vs12 y los enemigos de la IA lo hace un juego frenético y lleno de acción en cada esquina de los ya enormes mapas. Los cientos de objetos para desboquear, las cientos de variantes de armas y el balanceo del competitivo hacen que este juego pueda estar presente por muchos años. Sera una tarea casi imposible desbloquear todo lo que ofrece Warzone.

    En definitiva Halo 5: Guardians es un buen juego, pudo ser mejor, su pecado fue apuntar muy alto, ofrecer lo que no tenia y entregarnos una historia que no le llega ni a los talones a lo que se especulo con cada tráiler antes de su salida. Sin embargo, el futuro de la saga luce prometedor. El final del juego nos hace ver que la verdadera trama oscura puede venir en Halo 6.
    Como fan de Halo, es un juego que debes tener, a pesar de la decepción, sin duda pasaras un buen rato. Aunque si lo que esperabas era la lucha entre Locke y John, lo mejor será que revivas una y otra ves los trailers, acostarte e intentar no llorar... Y llorar.

    Halo 5: Guardians, como fan, se merece un 8 en general. Juzgando solo la campaña, sin duda seria un 7.    … Expand
  26. hiruu
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    Had a great time with Halo 5, and I'm a lore guy for the expanded universe, so the story was good, imho. I'm looking forward to seeing how this all wraps up!
  27. AbsolvedHeretic
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    I enjoyed the game very much. Both in campaign and multiplayer, though it has its faults. No split-screen was a problem at first but eventually overcame due to past experiences with having to focus on half a screen with older titles. I am not a huge fan of the requisition system and would prefer it to devolve to award myself and other players for our achievements rather then grinding toI enjoyed the game very much. Both in campaign and multiplayer, though it has its faults. No split-screen was a problem at first but eventually overcame due to past experiences with having to focus on half a screen with older titles. I am not a huge fan of the requisition system and would prefer it to devolve to award myself and other players for our achievements rather then grinding to get what we want. Though there are other aspects of classic Halo that I miss.I enjoyed it nonetheless. With time, Halo 5 will iron out the rough spots and will be a great addition to the franchise.… Expand
  28. eduardonic
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    the Game IS spectacular and Shows That IS STILL saga alive and deserves respect , although ITS notes are not SO Game Shows que EVEN WITH resolutions of problems we STILL Build An Alliance Between pve and pvp
  29. luckymachete
    Nov 2, 2015
    4
    Story is subpar. It is very obvious that little time into developing it. Warzone is ruined by REQ packs and, despite 343 claiming otherwise, they DO have an effect on the game. Being able to unlock power weapons simply because you unlocked a card is not fair or balanced. Arena is plagued by horrible and broken spawn points. Does 343 know how to do matchmaking? Because this is just aStory is subpar. It is very obvious that little time into developing it. Warzone is ruined by REQ packs and, despite 343 claiming otherwise, they DO have an effect on the game. Being able to unlock power weapons simply because you unlocked a card is not fair or balanced. Arena is plagued by horrible and broken spawn points. Does 343 know how to do matchmaking? Because this is just a cluster F*** of people mixed together and not based on skill in any form. Why even put people into ranks? It has zero impact on the matchmaking. As far as I am concerned, Halo died years ago on Reach with the rest of the spartans. Do yourself a favor and avoid this game.… Expand
  30. splitpolygon
    Nov 2, 2015
    8
    Amazing game play, smooth and visually spectacular! Campaign was a lil short and not enough chief, but with the knowledge of a grander scale with the story line i feel forgiving.
  31. Sabin190
    Nov 2, 2015
    0
    I love halo games, but this, oh my god, graphics old gen, bad gameplay and multiplayer, i don't have words, this game is a trash. the campaing i talk nothing, but is bad too
  32. green-and-blue
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    The good:

    - Great additions to the game, keeping tradition in making it feel different enough to be a different experience, just like all previous Halo titles. - Amazing gameplay. - Stunning visuals. - Many "wow" moments. - Best multiplayer in a Halo game yet. - All weapons feel useful now. - Vehicles are much beefier. - Great multiplayer gamemodes and solid content, including    The good:

    - Great additions to the game, keeping tradition in making it feel different enough to be a different experience, just like all previous Halo titles.
    - Amazing gameplay.
    - Stunning visuals.
    - Many "wow" moments.
    - Best multiplayer in a Halo game yet.
    - All weapons feel useful now.
    - Vehicles are much beefier.
    - Great multiplayer gamemodes and solid content, including maps and custom games customisation.
    - REQ system is fun, new and innovative to Halo.
    - Very replayable.
    - Music and sound is outstanding, a big step up.
    - Alien worlds that actually feel alien and immersive.
    - Many fun Easter eggs to be found.
    - Constant 60 fps with dynamic resolution.
    - Great ranking system.
    - New 4 player co-op campaign system.
    - Introduces fun new characters to the plot of Halo. (And reintroduces some old)
    - Talented voice work.
    - Forge (appears - not released until December) to be extremely innovative and fun.
    - An actual challenge on legendary (compared to Halo 3 or 4)
    - Enemies are fun to fight. (Yes even the Warden, who is extremely overused, although it makes sense story-wise.)
    - Creative weapon and vehicle variants.
    - New armour system which makes it so Spartans don't look stupid, overly bulky or out of place.
    - Best level design in a Halo game to date.
    - New Spartan abilities give the player more choice and more options.
    - Very competitive Arena mode.
    - Warzone is 10/10 addictive and fun.
    - A very well done Legendary ending.
    - Nathan Fillion.
    - Funny dialogue. (Especially with the iwhbyd skull.)
    -

    The bad:

    - Weak characters. (Some are anyway)
    - Heavily reliant on lore. (Can be a good thing)
    - Repetitive boss fights.
    - Texturing issues.
    - Minor bugs.
    - Map rotation is kind of broken.
    - Radar is way too close-range.
    - Not enough Chief missions.
    - Shortest campaign yet. (Even though extremely replayable especially with a friend)
    - Confusing advertising may be misleading.
    - Theater downgrade.

    All in all, this game is a masterpiece. Yes, things could have been better like the inclusion of splitscreen for example, but seeing a feature like that in a game as complex as this is hard to imagine. A great title and definitely one to continue playing until the next instalment in the franchise. Peace!    … Expand
  33. dragunov37
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    I'm new to Halo Universe. I bought The Master Chief Collection like, 2 months ago.
    I very liked Halo's 1 to 4, those are brilliant games with interesting, fascinating story, addictive gameplay.
    First Halo games got their specific themes, they got something which makes Halo Halo. Some people here, criticizing Halo 5 Guardians, can't accept the changes, they are just sentimental about    I'm new to Halo Universe. I bought The Master Chief Collection like, 2 months ago.
    I very liked Halo's 1 to 4, those are brilliant games with interesting, fascinating story, addictive gameplay.
    First Halo games got their specific themes, they got something which makes Halo Halo.

    Some people here, criticizing Halo 5 Guardians, can't accept the changes, they are just sentimental about the series. Guys, world is changing, devs are making easier games, with tons of DLC, which is full of bugs, busy servers. Why just can't you, all the whiners accept those changes and enjoy VERY good game which Halo 5 is for sure?

    If you, dear reader, are fond of Halo, you will find new (343) Halo which is excellent game, with stunning sights, addictive gameplay, with a bit complicated story which you need to get to know with. I strongly recommend this game to all Halo (true) fans.    … Expand
  34. thegamerfromhel
    Nov 2, 2015
    2
    this game isn't terrible but it does not deserve the 9s and 10s that it is getting. The campaign is about 4 or 5 hours which you mainly spend playing as a dull and uninteresting spartan Locke. The story won't make any sense unless you now a lot about the halo expanded universe, but even then the story is weak and forgetful.
    I also had some pretty crappy glitches. They took out split    this game isn't terrible but it does not deserve the 9s and 10s that it is getting. The campaign is about 4 or 5 hours which you mainly spend playing as a dull and uninteresting spartan Locke. The story won't make any sense unless you now a lot about the halo expanded universe, but even then the story is weak and forgetful.
    I also had some pretty crappy glitches. They took out split screen which was one of the only reasons I even bought halo 4. The online isn't terrible but it doesn't do anything really new or special. This game isn't terrible what worries me is the fact that none of the big gaming review sites want to call them on their **** I love halo and they can do better then this and that is what us fans need to demand! Buy the game if your a halo fan but people need to acknowledge the games faults and apparently all the trusted review sites are sucking 343s dick their is something seriously wrong with gaming journalism. It is up to us fans to call **** Oh the ending is also total sequel bait.    … Expand
  35. Vielsten
    Nov 2, 2015
    0
    Fluid it might be, "Halo" is still it's name..but it's complete garbage to me. No split screen whatsoever? I played Halo all these years to sit down and play with friends.

    Garbage.
  36. NickNardashian
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    Amazing game-play and just has a super smooth feel to it. PS4 players seem angry so I tried to even the score with a higher rating when its more around a 9 in my opinion.
  37. UDontKnowwatURt
    Nov 2, 2015
    4
    This game is so broken and I have xbox uploads for evidence. It constantly glitches, teleports me in random spots of the map in campaign and multi-player. The animations are broken on the character and enemies. When the enemies die they get frozen standing up or they slide across the map. A lot of content is not in the multi-player, it is really basic. Are telling its okay to pay for DLCThis game is so broken and I have xbox uploads for evidence. It constantly glitches, teleports me in random spots of the map in campaign and multi-player. The animations are broken on the character and enemies. When the enemies die they get frozen standing up or they slide across the map. A lot of content is not in the multi-player, it is really basic. Are telling its okay to pay for DLC that should already be in the game such as odd ball, king of the hill etc, which!!! is not in there? This is all because of fan boys the downfall of today's gamers and their I.Q.… Expand
  38. njoshi03
    Nov 2, 2015
    8
    As a long time Halo fan, it hurts to give a Halo game a score this low but the truth is that the story was simply too boring. It felt like they were setting up for some major events in the campaign but for most of the game, there weren't really any major events. My biggest issue with the campaign is that there were only three missions in which you actually played as the Master Chief. OnAs a long time Halo fan, it hurts to give a Halo game a score this low but the truth is that the story was simply too boring. It felt like they were setting up for some major events in the campaign but for most of the game, there weren't really any major events. My biggest issue with the campaign is that there were only three missions in which you actually played as the Master Chief. On the bright side, the soundtrack is brilliant, as you'd expect from any Halo game.
    There were parts of the campaign that were great, but overall, I would give it a 7/10.
    Multiplayer: This is what saves the game. In Arena, the game is very competitive and mobile, which makes it very intense in every match. My only complaint is the lack of BR/DMR starts, but the Magnum is very effective and like the previous games, there are plenty of BR/DMR spawns on very quick spawn timers, which keeps me content. Another great thing about this MP is that nearly every weapon is actually effective. The new armor abilities also change up the combat in a very interesting way. The gametypes include classics like Slayer (deathmatch) and capture the flag) while also including new gametypes like breakout and strongholds.The multiplayer also includes Warzone, a 12v12 multiplayer gametype that features AI enemies and bosses.    … Expand
  39. lilant135
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    The ebst overall halo in over a decade, the campaign is setting up halo 6 to be truly great. The mp is the best the industry has ever seen. An easy 10 from me don't belive these stupid sony troll fanboys.
  40. Elitist1945
    Nov 2, 2015
    8
    To make it brief, Halo 5 has perhaps the weakest story/campaign in the mainline series (that being Halo: CE, 2, 3 and 4), as well as being a very short ride (in my experience). The multiplayer, however, is perhaps the best Halo multiplayer in quite some time with Warzone.
  41. Exocraze
    Nov 2, 2015
    8
    DISCLAIMER: My review is solely for those looking for input about Halo 5 from a competitive multiplayer standpoint.

    I've never written a review on Metacritic before, but I figured I would do so as someone that only plays Halo for multiplayer purposes. Most of the negative reviews on here (if not all) are people that complain about lack of split-screen or a poor story. For someone like    DISCLAIMER: My review is solely for those looking for input about Halo 5 from a competitive multiplayer standpoint.

    I've never written a review on Metacritic before, but I figured I would do so as someone that only plays Halo for multiplayer purposes. Most of the negative reviews on here (if not all) are people that complain about lack of split-screen or a poor story. For someone like me, those have no effect at all. The gameplay in the multiplayer is really quite great, and the movement is quite smooth, even with clamber. Sprinting is balanced by not allowing shields to regenerate while sprinting, and ground pound is hard to pull off.

    From a pure multiplayer standpoint (especially if you're like me and focus more on competitive multiplayer), Halo 5 is actually surprisingly great, in my opinion. I could not care less about Big Team Battle or the lack of split screen because that's not why I play Halo. If you play Halo for these reasons, I feel bad for you guys because it's a real shame considering those definitely are core aspects of Halo in the past. However, I am writing this for those that really only play FPS games for the competitive multiplayer.

    Gametypes and Maps:
    The classics are still there, minus oddball (this will probably change). King of the hill has been replaced with strongholds (sort of like domination from cod or three plots, but you have to hold two plots to gain points), and the new Breakout mode is really hit or miss for some people. I personally don't like it much, but I may as I learn the maps and weapon placements more. It's quite competitive though. The maps are alright, and that's always a pretty subjective thing. I personally think coliseum is the great map for this game, but others are great as well.

    TL;DR: Halo 5 is a great game from the competitive multiplayer standpoint. The ranking system is a nice compromise (and it's decently fun), the gameplay and movement are smooth, and the shot registration is great. Breakout is really hit or miss for some people, and the maps are DECENT, but we'll see what the new maps bring. It's a nice change of pace, and it's a great shooter to own for any FPS gamer on Xbox One that wants a competitive game to play.    … Expand
  42. Warrenk
    Nov 2, 2015
    9
    The gameplay is amazing and tons of fun. The story is a builder, and it reminds me a LOT of halo 2 in that way. Regardless, the way they build on the universe changes a lot of what is happening.
    Excited for Halo 6 already!!
  43. Averix_
    Nov 2, 2015
    6
    Anyone who is reviewing the campaign as "fantastic" or "amazing" can't be a long time Halo fan or is too delusional to call it what it is. The campaign is a truly lackluster story that flips back and forth between two semi-generic fire teams. You only get to play the Blue Team (Master Chief) in a small number of missions. I really have no idea why they felt the need to split this into twoAnyone who is reviewing the campaign as "fantastic" or "amazing" can't be a long time Halo fan or is too delusional to call it what it is. The campaign is a truly lackluster story that flips back and forth between two semi-generic fire teams. You only get to play the Blue Team (Master Chief) in a small number of missions. I really have no idea why they felt the need to split this into two teams since the story would have been far more effective with one. The full story of this game could have been compressed into 5 missions max. Then they could have actually fleshed out the story and done the rest of it in the other 10 missions rather than string us along for Halo 6 and recycle the same uninteresting "boss" 5 times. The graphics are a great improvement over previous Halo games, but still suffer some really poor textures on things like rocks and walls. Go look inside the Argent Moon at the walls as a prime example of some terrible compression textures. Overall, a very disappointing and lackluster campaign with a drawn out story that has no climax.
    Multiplayer is where the game shines. Everything feels pretty balanced and definitely a blast to play. I just don't want Halo turned into another Titanfall where the story is just an afterthought.
    While I applaud 343/MS for saying they will provide DLC maps to everyone without charging, they're making up for it with the horrible "pay to win" REQ packs. Warfront is run by people spending a ton of money to get the equipment to win. This may be the future of multiplayer transactions and that is not a good thing.
    Bottom line, if your prime focus is multiplayer, buy the game and enjoy it. Spend your REQ points sparingly so you don't end up breaking the bank. If you're looking for a good single player or co-op campaign, hold off for a Thanksgiving weekend sale.    … Expand
  44. Guin2514
    Nov 2, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok so lets start with the pros of this game:
    The game play is smooth the 60fps really does pay off

    The gun play is nice and smooth

    The traditional fps controls make this game nicer to play for new players

    The story is well written and told even though the ending is controversial

    The multiplayer is more fun than campaign

    Cons:
    The campaign is in my opinion the shortest of all the halo's so far

    There is no split screen co-op mode !!!!! This is what halo is known for you can always have fun with your friends in split screen co-op so they should of kept it

    Forge mode is currently not present and should of been from the start again its another core piece of halo

    There is only 15 missions 3 of which is go talk to some Npc for an achievement which is pretty weak

    You play as Locke for a majority of the game the Master chief is pretty much non existant this game was advertised as Master Chiefs story with some amazing trailers and non of it really happens apart from a punch up between Locke and Master Chief that isn't really exciting

    The AI are not the best they can be pretty dumb at times

    Last but not least Micro transactions are in the game i am not a fan of them full stop in any game

    As a long life halo player and fan i must say this game let me down a whole bunch and its sad to say that after all the success halo had with bungie in the original trilogy    … Expand
  45. Tubey
    Nov 2, 2015
    6
    Desperately disappointing. What was billed as a system seller instead turns out to be a mediocre offering in terms of a lacklustre campaign that screams "we're not arsed" from the developers, a mess of microtransactions and a plethora of removed features - crucially, no local split screen, which will kill the game right off the bat for many who adored this series for being able to have aDesperately disappointing. What was billed as a system seller instead turns out to be a mediocre offering in terms of a lacklustre campaign that screams "we're not arsed" from the developers, a mess of microtransactions and a plethora of removed features - crucially, no local split screen, which will kill the game right off the bat for many who adored this series for being able to have a drink and play with their mates.

    A semi-decent online multiplayer saves this game from being actively bad.    … Expand
  46. macker2298
    Nov 2, 2015
    5
    It is a bit repetitive, you never have a spartan fight which makes the game deceptive, graphically it is good but there are sections where you see very low res. The multi is ok however the micro transactions ruin it a bit; seems like a bit of a cash grab.
  47. th3crown
    Nov 2, 2015
    4
    4 hour campaign, no split screen, completely forgettable story, exactly the same enemies as in halo 4? I hate the direction where games are going about making everything about the multiplayer and totally neglecting the campaign. Totally disappointed with this title, and that is sad because I grew up loving the halo franchise .
  48. 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
  49. savionen
    Nov 2, 2015
    3
    They effectively took all of the bad elements of Halo 4 and made them worse. Less customization, barely any multiplayer modes, no BTB at launch, no split-screen COOP, stylized poor graphics, and the addition of micro transactions.

    Halo 4 had its problems, but this is the first in the Halo franchise I regret buying. 343 is the worst thing to happen to Halo.
  50. YokoMan
    Nov 2, 2015
    4
    No split screen is unacceptable, its as if they forgot what truly made Halo fun and popular. The graphics looked pretty nice and online was pretty cool i guess but i already saw people hacking
  51. NathanRav
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    This review is 9.0/10. I hate to be that dude but I have to counter these stupid 0 reviews. It makes no sense that a game could score so low.

    Anyways here are my thoughts. This is Halo done right for the consumer. The multiplayer which is what will keep you coming back is great. Best the balance has ever been. Sure the lack of splitscreen is a bummer but it actually improves the quality    This review is 9.0/10. I hate to be that dude but I have to counter these stupid 0 reviews. It makes no sense that a game could score so low.

    Anyways here are my thoughts. This is Halo done right for the consumer. The multiplayer which is what will keep you coming back is great. Best the balance has ever been. Sure the lack of splitscreen is a bummer but it actually improves the quality of the games. Only 1 player of the 3 in a splitscreen would play relatively well as they had the bigger screen. This made games unbalanced and annoyed me when I'd get teamed with parties. Now it upsets me that I can't play with my wife for campaign but it's something I got over quickly as I noticed how great the game feels and looks having sacrificed the couch coop feature.

    While I don't like the req system as well as I enjoyed halo:Reach's unlock system it definetely makes the game more enjoyable with the promise of free content, an issue that past halos suffered from with population splitting.

    I love Angry Joe but he is misinformed with a lot of his issues with the game. This games great and only will get better. Shame that the company stuffed the story with weak characters at least the overall plot is great. One last tip, try to ignore Microsofts PR **** trailers, they lie to you.    … Expand
  52. Aflyinavocado
    Nov 2, 2015
    5
    I love this series too much to write a fully blown harsh review, so I'll just give footnotes.
    Pros: Great visuals, New game play mechanics are fun, set pieces are large and breathtaking, mo-cap and voice acting are splendid, chief's story gets interesting, warzone is hella fun, arena is fast paced and hearkens back to halo 2 multiplayer, guns sound amazing and feel great, New weak spots    I love this series too much to write a fully blown harsh review, so I'll just give footnotes.
    Pros: Great visuals, New game play mechanics are fun, set pieces are large and breathtaking, mo-cap and voice acting are splendid, chief's story gets interesting, warzone is hella fun, arena is fast paced and hearkens back to halo 2 multiplayer, guns sound amazing and feel great, New weak spots on enemies are cool, Nathan Filion is the best thing to happen to halo since Keith David.

    Cons: NO SPLIT SCREEN!!!! (wtf 343), the presence of the blue team is never explained (it's assumed that you kept up with the outer lore), the game is way too easy, recycling one boss way too many times, MICROTRANSACTIONS IN MULTIPLAYER!!!!!!, 20% of the game is walking and talking (no literally 3 of 15 missions=20%), only 20% of the game is spent as master chief who is a million times more interesting than Locke!, stabilizers are jarring rather than useful, no truly stand out moments in campaign, capaign is ony about 6 hours long, cliff hanger ending, using cutscenes rather than gameplay (Jul Mdama I've wanted to kill you since spartan ops, but why did it have to be a cutscene?), watchers still exist, there's no real stand out moments in the game like 2's scarab battle or 3's final mission or even 4's pelican ride, smart scope is practically useless, gungoose is just a hard to aim version of the ghost, MICROTRANSACTIONS IN MULTIPLAYER!!!!! (needed to say that twice).

    P.S: Exuberant Witness beats Guilty Spark any day.
    P.P.S: MICROTRANSACTIONS IN MULTIPLAYER!!!!!    … Expand
  53. Falstad007
    Nov 2, 2015
    8
    While Halo 5’s campaign may suffer from being a lackluster bridge installment of the Reclaimer saga, the chaotic multiplayer and new Warzone gametype is enough to warrant a purchase if you’re a fan of the series or multiplayer in general. Otherwise, it’s much easier to recommend waiting for a sale or pick up a used copy, when the additional multiplayer content has been patched in.
  54. SydTheDog
    Nov 2, 2015
    6
    Halo V's story mode was very mediocre and a bit boring for me and just found myself having to grind through it. But the multiplayer is not to bad as been having so great fun on it
  55. y2jarmyofficial
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    Such an amazing job 343 has crafted. From graphics to story and to multiplayer. This is the best fps of the year and last years was my fav fps was titanfall..yeah mcc didn't make it to my fav but still a good game.
  56. stardude692001
    Nov 2, 2015
    9
    Great game. Definitely a departure from the standard halo formula for single player. A squad based shooter makes more sense with the overall Halo lore but it doesn't fit with all the other core games to this point so I think it will upset a good deal of fanboys.

    Overall the campaign felt short, but I believe that a lot of this was dude to the squad revive system keeping you from    Great game. Definitely a departure from the standard halo formula for single player. A squad based shooter makes more sense with the overall Halo lore but it doesn't fit with all the other core games to this point so I think it will upset a good deal of fanboys.

    Overall the campaign felt short, but I believe that a lot of this was dude to the squad revive system keeping you from having to reload checkpoints often. Story didn't end on a cliffhanger like halo 2 but definitely didn't finish the plot arc, but that is to be expected in a trilogy.
    Graphics, great.
    Sound, amazing.
    Gameplay, fairly good.
    Story, good.

    But the multiplayer is where Halo 5 really shines. After playing the Beta I expected a COD clone with halo skins but they really made some changes. No loadouts in arena play. More weapons on the field. The sprint melee is a great addition along with the clambering and boost. Lots of options give huge amounts of depth to multiplayer play and allow for many different play styles.

    The biggest downsides for me are, No firefight, sub par graphics on the multiplayer maps and the lack of maps though the current maps are fun to play.    … Expand
  57. JustSayNo
    Nov 1, 2015
    6
    TL:DR
    -Short Campaign
    -Hardly play as Chief -Weird multiplayer (for Halo) -Micro Transaction RNG -$99.99+tax for 3 packs of said DLC and Red+White Assault Rifle!? Did you think this was a game about Locke rescuing Chief's sorry ass? If so I can only assume you work for 343 because that is not at all what the trailers or game play or interviews ever hinted at. First of all the main    TL:DR
    -Short Campaign
    -Hardly play as Chief
    -Weird multiplayer (for Halo)
    -Micro Transaction RNG
    -$99.99+tax for 3 packs of said DLC and Red+White Assault Rifle!?

    Did you think this was a game about Locke rescuing Chief's sorry ass? If so I can only assume you work for 343 because that is not at all what the trailers or game play or interviews ever hinted at. First of all the main campaign is abysmally short. I hear all the time that people say "it has to be played on heroic or legendary" that heroic is "the way 343 intended", but even then me (a person who works 9-6 p.m.) was able to beat it on launch day before even midnight on heroic? I call shenanigans.

    The game play is fine I suppose but there are a few things that irked me a little more than they should have. If you've ever played Destiny in pvp I'm sure you are well aware of the titan shoulder charge ability (the one where a titan runs for a bit and gets 1-hit k0's with 0 effort?) Some way or another 343 looked at that and said "LET'S GIVE EVERYONE THAT!" And then there's the levitating while aiming nonsense, which just feels very out of place but can be used to also smash into the ground allowing for another 1 hit ko, albeit harder to pull off so it isn't as widely used.

    For me this game also just didn't feel like Halo, many people praise this game for being fast and fluid I found it to be awkward and clunky more often than not, almost as if they wanted a fast breakneck halo game but didn't want to completely alienate long term halo players. Oh another personal bias here but for a game that I spent $99.99+tax for I feel extremely ripped off. All of my bonus purchases equated to a red and white gun and some micro transaction DLC?    … Expand
  58. villapavo
    Nov 1, 2015
    10
    Excellent story if you're into the Halo Universe. Amazing art. Perfect multiplayer. Probably the best game of the generation, but the only detail is that... if don't know thing about the expanded universe, the story is going to be confusing and annoying. So please, if you want to enjoy the amazing campaign, (or if you're planning to review it) please... familiarize yourself with the backstory.
  59. Halo117
    Nov 1, 2015
    7
    The campaign story is based around the lore, so casual fans ma not understand. The characters are also grossly underdeveloped, and I wasn't very invested in the story, but it's not the worst Halo campaign. As far as gameplay, 343 was able to balance new mechanics and the old Halo feel rather well. Warzone is a nice change from regular playlists, and Arena games are quicker and as exitingThe campaign story is based around the lore, so casual fans ma not understand. The characters are also grossly underdeveloped, and I wasn't very invested in the story, but it's not the worst Halo campaign. As far as gameplay, 343 was able to balance new mechanics and the old Halo feel rather well. Warzone is a nice change from regular playlists, and Arena games are quicker and as exiting as they've been since Halo 2. Each weapon is worth using, and has a given purpose that you can base them around. Apart from a less than stellar campaign, this game is still fun and worth buying for the multiplayer.… Expand
  60. ChanPetrelli
    Nov 1, 2015
    10
    After playing 18h to cooperative campaign, and 8h to multiplayer modes, I can say that this Halo 5 Guardians is the best Halo in years.

    I played the campaign in Heroic, and it is quite challenging. The AI works really good and the enemies try to get cover, shoot and throw grenades to kill you and your team. With other 2 friends we had to try several times to successfully complete some    After playing 18h to cooperative campaign, and 8h to multiplayer modes, I can say that this Halo 5 Guardians is the best Halo in years.

    I played the campaign in Heroic, and it is quite challenging. The AI works really good and the enemies try to get cover, shoot and throw grenades to kill you and your team. With other 2 friends we had to try several times to successfully complete some levels. The history itself, with the two spartans groups, feels very solid and interesting, like if you were reading a Halo novel.

    Arena mode is very fun. I have to say that it has no lag at all playing from Spain. It should receive more game modes as usual, but for now you have the very classic ones: slayer, team deathmatch, swat, capture the flag, free for all. It is important to mention that all DLC will come for free, so that is a good point for 343i

    The new game mechanics and control feel also very fresh and well. You are able to control the Spartan like in the Cinematic intro of the game: jumping everywhere, punching the ground, breaking barriers using a spartan charge, jump and turn around while in the air thanks to the jetpack ... You can make very interesting moves, that make you play faster, avoid better the shoots.

    Graphics are awesome too, some low detailed textures noticed, but in rare situations. The lighting is great, the scene density is high and the enemies are very detailed.

    Sound is really really good. It has been an epic win over the Halo 4 OST, which was simply good.

    I think I will play many many hours to this game, re-playing the campaign mode using skulls and maybe in legendary, and playing much more to the multiplayer mode.    … Expand
  61. sskott
    Nov 1, 2015
    4
    Worst Halo game for its time.

    The aiming is buggy and sensitivity is like no FPS of recent years.

    The colors are far too bright.

    The armor is glossy and far from real.

    The Ai is trash compared to lets say... Destiny.

    The story blows compared to all other Halo games.

    The only positive thing I'll say is that the PVP is somewhat balanced.
  62. Sharkey1337
    Nov 1, 2015
    5
    This game was such a disappointment for my wife and I. We've always played through each Halo game together on the couch via split screen, not so with Halo 5 as 343i decided to gut the feature, which I've always seen as an essential pillar for the series. The mediocre campaign is just no fun playing by yourself, and no matchmaking for co-op absolutely requires you to have friends online toThis game was such a disappointment for my wife and I. We've always played through each Halo game together on the couch via split screen, not so with Halo 5 as 343i decided to gut the feature, which I've always seen as an essential pillar for the series. The mediocre campaign is just no fun playing by yourself, and no matchmaking for co-op absolutely requires you to have friends online to play together. I'd rather be playing with strangers than the brain dead squadmates you're stuck with. Warzone is a fun concept, but in practice I found it incredibly boring as the large map makes fight encounters few and far between. We'll be trying out Black Ops 3 instead this week as Treyarch was able to pull split screen campaign, multiplayer, and 4 player split screen zombie mode!… Expand
  63. maxblaster445
    Nov 1, 2015
    0
    It is garbage. The best it can do is some multi player, but the rest is not worth the money. If it was free to play, that is another thing, however it is not. The full price you expect a lot more campaign, split screen, and a great story line. Well, the campaign is painful. It is plain garbage, the rest I could not give a **** about.
  64. Knuxie
    Nov 1, 2015
    0
    Lets see here... It builds off the gameplay of Reach, instead of Halo 1-3, effectively making it a Call of Duty game, NOT a halo game. Love halo? Stick to the original trilogy and ODST. Anything from Reach and onwards should just be avoided at all costs. Make halo HALO again. Enough of this CoD nonsense.
  65. carlos117kenway
    Nov 1, 2015
    9
    enjoyable campaign, interesting concept but poorly executed, weak characters and bad narrative (Campaign).......(Multiplayer) warzone is the best addition to the franchise and arena is excellent, best Halo multiplayer since Halo 2!, but the lack of splitscreen and fan favorite games modes is a disappointment! enjoy!
  66. kidon0011
    Nov 1, 2015
    4
    It took me less than a day to beat the campaign, and that's just sad. I also felt there was a lot missing from the story (not including all the annoying videos they've been pumping out the past couples years). Every level was just fighting through waves of Prometheans to get to the next level.
    The squad is absolutely useless. It would probably be easier for me to fight things on my own,    It took me less than a day to beat the campaign, and that's just sad. I also felt there was a lot missing from the story (not including all the annoying videos they've been pumping out the past couples years). Every level was just fighting through waves of Prometheans to get to the next level.
    The squad is absolutely useless. It would probably be easier for me to fight things on my own, had enemies not known where I was despite being behind walls. It's basically impossible to flank a hunter now. Speaking of flanking, every difficult enemy in the game has to be shot in the back and the squad does little to aid this. Why are you running around with your pistol out when you have a bigger gun on your back??
    Yes, the game is gorgeous, but much of the environments were pretty repetitive. And you can't even retrace your steps! There was a warning to go back to the battlefield if I went too far.
    I grew up on Halo and love playing with my friend in coop, but this series has just morphed into the inevitable pandering to the multiplayer experience of people who play CoD and Battlefield. I get it, Halo 2 redefined multiplayer online and everyone fell into step. But this game also redefined first person stories on the console. Gone are your companions Cortana and Gunny with wit to add to the dialogue, and now we're left with one dimensional squad characters who are more useless than the marines you fought with against the Flood. I fear I have to turn to RPGs in order to get an actual single player story these days.
    The sick part about this is they left the story wide open for a sequel. Let's reinvent multiplayer again in a new game and go through the same bugs. I would take the scourge of story-DLC over having to pay $60 for another half thought out campaign.    … Expand
  67. PedroVicious
    Nov 1, 2015
    1
    No split screen multiplayer kills this game for me, so if i want to have all my friend in my house to play this we need 4 xbox one.
    Weak campaing, uninteresting characters
    It brings nothing new to the table to the 1st person shooter genre
  68. BetterCallSalt
    Nov 1, 2015
    9
    Although not the best game in the series, Halo 5 is still an addictive, fun and rewarding game that is definitely worth the time. The campaign is quite short, but makes up for it in it's scale. The multiplayer is fantastic for both newer players as well as long-time fans who may find refuge in the arena game types. Warzone is a welcome addition and is similar to big team battle fromAlthough not the best game in the series, Halo 5 is still an addictive, fun and rewarding game that is definitely worth the time. The campaign is quite short, but makes up for it in it's scale. The multiplayer is fantastic for both newer players as well as long-time fans who may find refuge in the arena game types. Warzone is a welcome addition and is similar to big team battle from earlier games. Arena includes several game types such as slayer and free for all that are ranked. These ranks are similar to those of CS:GO, with the player playing several games to get ranked, before playing more games to try and climb higher. Overall a great game but definitely a different feel to classics such as fan favourites Halo 2 and 3.… Expand
  69. CaptainFumbles
    Nov 1, 2015
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 343 centers their stories around "the mantle of responsibility" which is ironic because in a way they have assumed "the mantle" for the halo franchise and have proven over and over that they are unworthy of it. Halo 5 does nothing to shake that feeling from you as you play through the campaign. If anything it just drives the point home as you rapidly watch the story twist and morph into something not even reminiscent of bungies halo. Words cannot convey my dissapointment.… Expand
  70. 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.
  71. NubMcWeaksauce
    Nov 1, 2015
    9
    343i has possibly created the most fun and rewarding multiplayer experience I've had in many years, taking out loadouts yet adding in features that expand on Halo's simple and satisfying game play. The controls of this game feel like an extension of your thumbs, allowing you to make make combat decisions on a whim. New game modes and features are always welcome, and 343i delivered with the343i has possibly created the most fun and rewarding multiplayer experience I've had in many years, taking out loadouts yet adding in features that expand on Halo's simple and satisfying game play. The controls of this game feel like an extension of your thumbs, allowing you to make make combat decisions on a whim. New game modes and features are always welcome, and 343i delivered with the new Warzone mode and Breakout mode which are incredibly addicting and an amazing time to have with some friends online. Although they haven't released Forge yet, from the demos shown and the maps already made by 343i, it looks incredibly promising. The Campaign was awesome and a great co-op experience, although some plot points were left empty and the ending not as satisfying as I would have hoped, there were many moments that lived up to expectations. Overall, Halo 5 has been far better than it's predecessor and we're starting to see what 343i can do with the Halo franchise.… Expand
  72. simoniz16
    Nov 1, 2015
    10
    How could you give a 0 to this game? The real issue I see with this game are the graphics, but that's the compromise for having a rock solid 60fps for campaign and multiplayer. The gameplay is the best of the entire saga, very very enjoyable. Campaign feels short but it is in average for the FPS genre. Soundtrack is perfect. It's an aberration that people gives it a 0, please grow up.
  73. placomaster
    Nov 1, 2015
    10
    This game is a work, impressive campaign full of action, great graphics, great artistic steering, beautiful scenery, excellent gameplay, smooth gunplay, multiplayer best halo, the sound is superb, from the effects to the soundtrack Please do not let sony fanboys and haters who charge his salary, which give 0 votes, this game is spectacular, a safe purchase, please do not listen to theThis game is a work, impressive campaign full of action, great graphics, great artistic steering, beautiful scenery, excellent gameplay, smooth gunplay, multiplayer best halo, the sound is superb, from the effects to the soundtrack Please do not let sony fanboys and haters who charge his salary, which give 0 votes, this game is spectacular, a safe purchase, please do not listen to the fanboys through ps4 or anything like that this game should be already played! you read it? you're missing, I had my doubts and left, the fanboys and be prepared to criticize the next great game, Quantum Break… Expand
  74. Hattrick
    Nov 1, 2015
    10
    This is the best Halo multiplayer. 343 found the perfect balance to modernize the game while keeping it balanced and skill based. Warzone is a lot of fun. Arena is as fair and competitive as ever. The new movement abilities add a new dynamic and actually increase the skill gap. The negative reviews are either fanboys or people who are upset about lack of splitscreen (understandable, butThis is the best Halo multiplayer. 343 found the perfect balance to modernize the game while keeping it balanced and skill based. Warzone is a lot of fun. Arena is as fair and competitive as ever. The new movement abilities add a new dynamic and actually increase the skill gap. The negative reviews are either fanboys or people who are upset about lack of splitscreen (understandable, but doesn't mean game deserves a 0...).… Expand
  75. magnificus
    Nov 1, 2015
    7
    Enjoyable, fast-paced multiplayer and a disappointing solo campaign. Level design is immense and detailed as usual, yet the battles are repetitive and mostly uninspired. Graphically it's not that different from Halo 4 - some levels are stunning (Sanghelios, Genesis), but in some cases there is a clear lack of polish which is surprising for such a big title (last level flat and blurryEnjoyable, fast-paced multiplayer and a disappointing solo campaign. Level design is immense and detailed as usual, yet the battles are repetitive and mostly uninspired. Graphically it's not that different from Halo 4 - some levels are stunning (Sanghelios, Genesis), but in some cases there is a clear lack of polish which is surprising for such a big title (last level flat and blurry background is more in line with Halo 2 than Halo 5). In terms of plot it's one of the weakest in Halo history. Narrative is disjointed, main characters don't have any serious exposition and this whole "greatest hunt" scenario is flat and without any tension.

    However, shooting it's still fun (especially in co-op mode), Promethean weaponry is awesome and multiplayer will keep Your for hours (warzone is great new addition). Just don't keep your story expectations too high this time.    … Expand
  76. mattyiceboy
    Nov 1, 2015
    3
    The campaign is definitely better if you are a fan of the lore. The story its self is good, it just was horribly written and rushed. That being said though the levels are very well designed and are fun to play. If you can play coop because it is alot more fun, and on higher difficulty settings the teamate ai is just dumb. And the muiltiplayer is the best since Halo 2 or 3. It is more HaloThe campaign is definitely better if you are a fan of the lore. The story its self is good, it just was horribly written and rushed. That being said though the levels are very well designed and are fun to play. If you can play coop because it is alot more fun, and on higher difficulty settings the teamate ai is just dumb. And the muiltiplayer is the best since Halo 2 or 3. It is more Halo then you would think. With forge , BTB, and other mp content coming in the months ahead for free, it is definitely worth picking up if you are a Halo fan or FPS fan.… Expand
  77. oresund
    Oct 31, 2015
    4
    Took 4 hrs to install on the sluggish Xbox One and 3,5 hrs to finish the single player campaign. The gameplay is good but if you prefer single player campaigns, forget about it. It's not worth the money. I'm getting tired of the terrible Xbox One platform and consider to throw the ugly piece of s.. out.
  78. 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
  79. MONSTATURKEY
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    This game has become one of my favorite games of 2015. The beautiful story, the intense multiplayer both contribute to making this game a world class shooter that can definitely compete with black ops and battlefront
  80. tigga2000bo
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    Best halo game ever made in my opinion. The nice twist in the story sets up a epic beginning to halo 6....and the multiplayer is by far the best in the series. Halo 5 has brought back the balance of halo 2 and brought in to the modern world..
  81. Youngwings
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    Halo 5 is a major step in the right direction. There are a few minor hitches with spawning mechanics in multiplayer, and weapon balancing, but overall the Multiplayer is perfect 10/10. As for Campaign, the story is amazing, the gameplay is great and the Co-op is flawless thanks to Halo 5's Dedicated Servers. Visually, Halo 5 is amazing, looking better than most games released to date.
  82. 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
  83. Buffycrp
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    A 10 to counter a 0 the game is amazing. Mutiplayer is perfect and 343 have listened to fans. The campaign could have been longer and team ai is lacking. I dont miss split screen as its never been qn issue. The ps fanbots need to keep out and eveyone needs to stick to reviewing games they have actually played, this site is supposed to help people make informed choices and they shouldntA 10 to counter a 0 the game is amazing. Mutiplayer is perfect and 343 have listened to fans. The campaign could have been longer and team ai is lacking. I dont miss split screen as its never been qn issue. The ps fanbots need to keep out and eveyone needs to stick to reviewing games they have actually played, this site is supposed to help people make informed choices and they shouldnt have to wade through false reviews to get there.… Expand
  84. FabulousPenguin
    Oct 31, 2015
    5
    My advice; don't buy this game. A plain underwhelming story campaign with a Halo 2 ending where it just feels... inconclusive. Not revealing anything to spoil the game, but do you remember when you finished Halo 2 and thought, "That was it? Really?" Well, prepare yourself because this game takes underwhelming to a new level.

    Remember how you used to be able to unlock new armor styles    My advice; don't buy this game. A plain underwhelming story campaign with a Halo 2 ending where it just feels... inconclusive. Not revealing anything to spoil the game, but do you remember when you finished Halo 2 and thought, "That was it? Really?" Well, prepare yourself because this game takes underwhelming to a new level.

    Remember how you used to be able to unlock new armor styles for you multiplayer character? Armors used to be unlockable through achievements, ranking up, completing Legendary mode, etc. In Halo 5 however, if you want armor other than the default. you either have to: Preorder from Best Buy / preorder from Gamestop / preorder from Walmart / or get the Halo edition XBox One console / buy AND watch their Halo Nightfall series (which isnt even good) - All of which gives you DIFFERENT armor styles. Meaning if you want to get everything in the game, you will have to preorder 3 of the same game, watch a mediocre series, and get the limited edition console. Also in multiplayer; pay to win. This game feels like it should have been DLC for Halo 4, rather than an entirely new game. What on earth happened to Halo? This game is just... disappointing.

    In multiplayer you can buy REQ packs using points earned ingame, or you can spend some cash to get them instantly. These packs include items that can boost your chances of winning in a multiplayer game, such as being able to summon a Scorpion tank or a Gauss-hog earlier than usual in a match. So if you don't buy REQ packs, you can't win against players who do. You then buy REQ packs to beat those players but in the process, you become the player that causes others to spend money. Also, the contents of said packs are random, so even if you buy a good pack, it does not necessarily mean you will get good items.

    Saying this game is good because the graphics are spectacular and the enemy AI are amazing is not saying much to the actual abilities of the game. Also, the AI in this game is god awful - and I am not talking about the enemy AI (which is pretty damn good, I have to say) The computer controlled teammates you have run into danger, is blocked by pebbles, and lack basic comprehension as they dive into a room full of knights to revive a teammate that is doomed to die. This effectively made the game unplayable for me as a play on Legendary difficulty. I also died a lot because my teammates were blocked by a railing when attempting to revive me (JUMP OVER THE FU-- and I'm dead...).

    Another problem with the game is that it seems to have been design solely for Normal difficulty, where the enemies serve as a small challenge you have to encounter. But as you play in legendary, that is where you wonder whether anyone actually play tested this game. It is absolutely the most difficult game in the Halo series, as you can pretty much die at any given moment in a split second even with full shields (and the checkpoint system they have going on is just terrible, causing you to go WAY back). Being a player who played through every single Halo game on Legendary, I can honestly say, this campaign was just not thought out properly. One section you have to dodge the bullets fired by enemy aircrafts as you kill enemies in a tower. Fun in normal difficulty, pain in the ass on Legendary as you can die in less than a second if the aircraft decides to shoot at you.

    Now onto the enemy. All in all, the computer controlling the enemy is excellent; they duck under thrown grenades and weave to avoid bullets. But that is pretty much a standard in the Halo series. The two new enemies you will encounter in this game are the Promethean Soldiers and the Warden Eternal. Soldiers are basically those dudes in Call of Duty campaigns that serves no purpose but to slow you down or kill you because they simply have overpowered weapons. The Warden eternal on the other hand... I find engaging the Warden a fun challenge, especially since I play on Legendary mode, and I'm not going to complain on how you actually can beat him. However, as you progress through the game, it presents you with a challenge of fighting not just another Warden, but TWO simultaneously. Again, they die and I progress through the campaign after many deaths, BUT THEN; you walk into a closed area where you fight - drum roll please - ... Three Wardens. Really? I mean really? Also the Wardens' cheesy one hit kill abilities make these parts excruciatingly painful to play, especially when facing three of them in a confined space.

    As a die-hard fan of the Halo series - it being the first console game I ever played, arguably the first actual GAME i ever played (if you don't count that odd pinball game that comes with the computer) - this game just breaks my heart and I hope they do something spectacular for Halo 6. just to make up for this... atrocity.    … Expand
  85. blaubarschboy
    Oct 31, 2015
    9
    The multiplayer is awesome, the most balanced game i've played so far and the new warzone is a total fun mode. But the story in the campaign is a bit disapointing - not the gameplay itself and the missions which are a blast. I really love to play this game and can not wait to see how they will improve the story in Halo 6. I can fully recommend this game to everyone who likes FPS games orThe multiplayer is awesome, the most balanced game i've played so far and the new warzone is a total fun mode. But the story in the campaign is a bit disapointing - not the gameplay itself and the missions which are a blast. I really love to play this game and can not wait to see how they will improve the story in Halo 6. I can fully recommend this game to everyone who likes FPS games or at least the sci-fi genre.… Expand
  86. kyroas
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    the campaign is cool and the multiplayer is awesome,the history is gratificant and Locke is excelent character,the graphics are incredible,really a rewarding experience and few bugs
  87. Arlo
    Oct 31, 2015
    4
    I bought and played all through the Master Chief Collection with my brother in the lead up to the release of this game only to be let down by no local co-op and a truly lacking storyline. The multiplayer is nice but it doesn't stand out much to me from the Master Chief Collection (after the initial problems I have had no problems online at all) Very disappointed.
  88. LittleG
    Oct 31, 2015
    3
    After all the hype we get this - no couch coop, arena that looks like its from a ZX Spectrum, in game purchases, repetition in gameplay. Im sticking to Gears of War - a great original game, correctly ported over to next gen - unlike the Master Chief Collection - 343 what have you done?

    One plus - the canyons / rocks look great - but inside space ships don't look any better to the 360 versions
  89. Evman
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    'Next-Gen' at its finest.
    Having played and completed every Halo up until now I can honestly say this one is right up there with the best. Not just Halo's, but games in general. Absolutely every element of this game is polished to perfection. The graphics, the audio, and even the loading times are simply fantastic.
    I personally hadn't listened to any of the "Hunt the Truth" clips, nor    'Next-Gen' at its finest.
    Having played and completed every Halo up until now I can honestly say this one is right up there with the best. Not just Halo's, but games in general. Absolutely every element of this game is polished to perfection. The graphics, the audio, and even the loading times are simply fantastic.
    I personally hadn't listened to any of the "Hunt the Truth" clips, nor did I play all of the Spartan Ops in Halo 4, though it didn't take me long to find my feet in the narrative. Admittedly, you spend more of the time playing as Locke than Chief, though this in no way detracts from what is a genuine Halo experience. Moreso than 4, I thought. Having a team of 4 at any given time does not feel cheap (despite this being a genuine concern for me after watching early gameplay footage) as there is many a time you will permanently die. It's a delicate balance, and 343 have gotten it just right.
    The campaign could possibly have done to be a little longer (I clocked 8-9 hours on my Heroic difficulty playthrough), though every mission is jam-packed with content, and there is much replayability by way of collectables, and increased difficulty levels for you purists or achievement hunters out there. I for one am NOT looking forward to Legendary difficulty.. it's damn tough on Heroic!
    5 stars, yo!    … Expand
  90. azules88
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    Una pasada señores, os recomiendo que os hagáis con él, mucho fanboy de sony ha venido a votar en negativo, una lástima la cantidad de idiotas que hay sueltos, esta joya no merece ser tocada por esas ratas
  91. 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
  92. darkazazel43
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    finished the campgain and it was much better than everyone says it to be. the fights especially are stunning huge scale and a lot of enemies
    its hellla fun
  93. 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.
  94. 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
  95. rytor29
    Oct 30, 2015
    9
    More than solid campaign, great graphics, intense multiplayer that adds many new features while feeling more "Halo" than some of the previous titles and a pretty much flawless launch.
  96. zeratul1005
    Oct 30, 2015
    1
    This is a campaign review only.

    Easily the biggest letdown of all the Halo franchise. The game proudly shows its bright colors and new gameplay gimics, but it does every major fan of the Halo franchise a major disservice by creating the single most pathetic attempt at a Halo story to be seen by the series beloved fans. The potential story shown through trailers and teasers appears to    This is a campaign review only.

    Easily the biggest letdown of all the Halo franchise. The game proudly shows its bright colors and new gameplay gimics, but it does every major fan of the Halo franchise a major disservice by creating the single most pathetic attempt at a Halo story to be seen by the series beloved fans. The potential story shown through trailers and teasers appears to show this amazing and intricate story experience, with depth and lore abounding- yet when you finish the campaign, you may feel like the series you have grown to love for its amazing and out-of-this-world story telling has decided to become a lump of coal among a group of diamonds. The story begins with what appears to be a halfway decent story, but as you progress through, it seems that the writers become more and more confused, throwing in random and meaningless story twists and events that in and of themselves make less and less sense. The game, going away from its roots of grandiose and colossal events and threat, and leaves it for a pathetic, all too similar story as Halo 4. The writers, instead of making an ending that at LEAST has closure and a meaningful or well delivered closing, leaves the campaign open ended and with the least closure possible.

    If you are a fan of the story of Halo, forgo the campaign in this game. Do not BUY this game. Do not let companies take beloved and well written stories, and butcher them for the sake of online multiplayer. Halo fans deserve better than what this game delivers.

    Much better.    … Expand
  97. Yeppers
    Oct 30, 2015
    6
    Story review only:

    Short (6 hours) single player story, of shallow, generic story line, of which you only get to play the Master Chief for 3 out of the 15 missions, (Saying "15 missions" would be generous, has at least three of those "missions" are just walking around, and talking to people.) Without spoilers, the story itself barely matches that which was represented in advertising,    Story review only:

    Short (6 hours) single player story, of shallow, generic story line, of which you only get to play the Master Chief for 3 out of the 15 missions, (Saying "15 missions" would be generous, has at least three of those "missions" are just walking around, and talking to people.) Without spoilers, the story itself barely matches that which was represented in advertising, and stretches on only for the sake of inflating the game out, so has not to be a total joke SP content wise. The story could easily be condensed down to 6 missions, without losing anything.

    If this had been released has a separate spin-off, like Reach, this would have been O.K. in my book, but has a numbered Halo release, it's disappointing. The lack of Master Chief missions alone brings this review down by two points

    Game-play itself isn't bad at all, with two exceptions:

    For one, your fellow A.I. Spartans are idiots, who will walk right into your field of fire, while you're obviously plugging away at a target, among other things of equal idiocy.

    For two, many of the major climatic points of individual missions are handled by way of cut scene, rather than leaving it to the player to "make the kill", leaving the player with a feeling of disconnect at times.

    Overall though, if you just want to shoot stuff, the game is good for that. Never the less remove another point for the idiot teammates lack of player involvement in key events.

    Graphic wise, the game looks pretty good. Sound isn't bad either. Neither are spectacular however, so I have nothing else of note to say on either.

    Levels do tend to get repetitive though. Although the scenery changes, pretty much each mission is more or less the same, with the same basic repeating "boss fight" sprinkled in every so often. (It's literally the same boss, over and over.) Minus another point for the repetitive, shallow level design.

    That leaves it at a final rating of 6. Unfortunately, since this website has turned into a mindless, emotion driven 10 vs 0 rating war, people trying to make a buy decision probably shouldn't really go by the overall score, much less many of the "reviews". I would strongly suggest finding a friend with a copy, or renting. There is a potential for fun from this game, but this is definitely an "opinions may vary widely" type situation, and any pre-purchase hands on time would be strongly advised.    … Expand
  98. gateguy
    Oct 30, 2015
    1
    The only reason I am not giving this game a zero is that it shipped without any game breaking bugs (at least that I found), beyond that this is without a doubt the worst entry in the series. Without giving away any spoilers, I will simply say that this game is nothing more than a blatent attempt to charge $60 for what amounts to filler material. Its a shame to see a game series that was soThe only reason I am not giving this game a zero is that it shipped without any game breaking bugs (at least that I found), beyond that this is without a doubt the worst entry in the series. Without giving away any spoilers, I will simply say that this game is nothing more than a blatent attempt to charge $60 for what amounts to filler material. Its a shame to see a game series that was so rich with story telling brought down to a level reserved for bad movie video games. This will unfortunately be the final halo game I ever buy.… Expand
  99. busbfran
    Oct 30, 2015
    10
    A revolutionary Halo game that takes the game play forward, graphics next gen and a stella story that the fans have been begging for. Master Chief is back and more powerful then ever. Multiplayer runs smooth, connection is fast and the maps for the most part and intriguing. The Holiday title of the year is here.
  100. DTT117
    Oct 30, 2015
    9
    Awesome game. Story has cliff hanger so that kind of sucks. Multiplayer is great though. Also campaign is way better than halo 4. Halo 4 literally was do 3 thing the game and now we actually do stuff.
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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

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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.
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  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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