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.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 101 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 101
  3. Negative: 0 out of 101
  1. The Jimquisition
    Jan 20, 2016
    65
    Halo 5: Guardians is okay. Its campaign is rubbish, but the multiplayer is solid thanks to the foundation it’s built upon. Warzone is a really enjoyable experience, and while combat is still mostly about tossing grenades and hitting the melee button, the whole Requisition gimmick adds some much-needed flavor to proceedings.
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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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