Halo 5: Guardians is finally being released to the public, and the game is a stunning – if simplistic – return to form, according to early reviews.
The relatively simple gameplay has allowed for the stunning graphics and maps to come to the fore, as well as giving space for the series’ story to develop.
“The basic gist this time around is Master Chief is missing, Jameson Locke is sent to find him, and the Forerunners are still the big bad of the franchise,” explains video game-focused blog Destructoid.
“Everything else in-between is kind of a blur. The campaign features 15 missions in all, and is heavily built around the concept of fireteams – which means you’ll have three other characters following you around at all times, ready to take orders by way of AI constructs, or as player characters.”
Destructoid criticised some of the simplicity of that campaign. But said that it plays “so well that you’ll often forget about how mediocre the campaign is”.
Others criticised the game on the basis of that simplicity – with the artificial intelligence in the single player being criticised.
“When you actually play the game, with the borderline-incompetent AI controlling your teammates and on default difficulty, this pattern soon becomes a slog,” wrote Digital Spy.
“Your team doesn’t operate as one, and even chooses to ignore orders you send to them when you’re trying to make them do something useful for once, limiting tactical potential and reducing every encounter to a straightforward shootout.”
But others praised that same focus on multiplayer and the decision to avoid the intense, single-player arc that seemed to have been suggested by the early marketing.
“Early previews indicated that Halo 5 would go deeper into the Master Chief’s soul than ever,” The Verge noted. “The finished plot, as it turns out, is a lot more pedestrian. And, as it turns out, that doesn’t matter at all.
“The reason it doesn’t matter at all: when the controller is in your hand, and the gun in your character’s, the overwrought plot and sci-fi silliness doesn’t matter. Halo 5 feels just as good – often better – than its predecessors, making it a welcome refresh of the series. The developer, 343 Industries, has made a ton of smart tweaks and decisions to bring Halo up to date while preserving the core that always set it apart.”
And if the single player is lacking, the look and feel of the gameplay certainly isn’t.
“ Halo 5: Guardians also looks absolutely gorgeous, both in-game and through cut scenes,” according to Gaming Age. “Everything runs at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second, with virtually no hang-ups or technical issues that my naked eye could discern.”
That stunning look allows the full beauty of the arenas to shine through, according to Games Radar.
“Halo’s appeal has always stemmed from its epic-scale warfare hosted in vast, sweeping arenas, so I isn’t necessarily the larger size of Halo 5’s battlegrounds that make them distinctive – it’s the way they’re constructed.”
That site is already looking forward to the release of the next game.
“Nonetheless, Halo 5’s story hits all the emotional highs we’ve come to expect from the series, and has an incredible twist which – no spoilers – finally gives rise to the iconic villain the Haloverse has been craving for years,” wrote Alex Dale. “After a rather flat marketing campaign for Halo 5, this reveal should suitably whet the palette for Halo 6, but for now, Halo 5 offers a new, dynamic challenge that you’ll be revisiting for years to come.” – The Independent