Halo 5 Guardians Is WAY Better Than People Give It Credit For

Halo 5: Guardians Is WAY Better Than People Give It Credit For

While many criticize Halo 5: Guardians for being too different, 343 Industries’ second Halo title is incredibly underrated. Here’s why.

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Halo 5 Guardians Is WAY Better Than People Give It Credit For

Halo 5: Guardians has proven to be especially controversial. While its critical reception is rather strong, some members of the Halo community consider it to be one of, if not the, weakest game in the series. Much like developer 343 Industries, Halo 5: Guardians has fans galvanized both for and against it. Unlike Halo 4, which planted itself in Bungie’s shadow, largely choosing to iterate on what came before, Halo 5: Guardians was a fresh vision for the series. Whether that vision was true to Halo’s spirit or even told a compelling story is what many fans contest. However, Halo 5: Guardians is a compelling sci-fi shooter that deserves to stand alongside Bungie’s greats on the back of its uniqueness.

From the opening cinematic which introduces Spartan Locke, it’s clear that 343 Industries found the confidence to make Halo its own creation. Halo 5: Guardians is a lighter, twitchier game that prioritizes momentum and an eSports feel. At its core, Guardians still retains Bungie’s focus on getting the player moving. Classic Halo succeeded thanks to its sandbox design and projectile-based weapons that asked the player to actually engage. Unlike a Call of Duty or Wolfenstein that keeps the player in cover, Halo emphasizes movement. Halo, alongside DOOM, is one of the few FPS series that prioritizes this.

Halo 5 Guardians Is WAY Better Than People Give It Credit For

That is ultimately what makes Halo unique from a gameplay perspective, and some think that Halo 5: Guardians lost that spark. Guardians didn’t forget that design philosophy, though; it just re-contextualized it. With the Spartan abilities from the Thruster Pack to the Ground Pound, Halo 5 is about a faster, more agile moment system. The game moves at a different tempo but still focuses on movement. It really empowers the player, captivating the essence of the Spartan soldier. In Bungie’s games, Master Chief was awe-inspiring and powerful, but he felt like a tank. That was a great way to play, but it didn’t really feel like a recreation of a super-soldier.

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By contrast, Halo 5 makes the Spartans nimble in a way that pays dividends for fans who always wanted to feel like a machine on the battlefield. While it has larger implications for Halo’s identity in multiplayer, this shifted design philosophy feels natural in the campaign. Halo 5: Guardians’ single-player aspect is what’s most necessary to defend, though, as that is often considered to be the weakest aspect of the package.

In some respects, the criticism feels founded. This was doubly true at launch when the game capped off a marketing campaign that set up expectations that weren’t met. Even removed from that context, the narrative movement still feels stilted. Halo 5: Guardians almost feels like it should be Halo 6. The game introduces Team Osiris in a way that feels artificial, treating the fireteam as though it’s comprised of Spartans that fans have known since the original Xbox. But, they haven’t – the fans have known Master Chief. He’s oddly sidelined for Osiris, a decision that would’ve sat better if Guardians had been preceded by a game solely about Team Osiris.

The fixation on these flaws ignores everything that Halo 5: Guardians’ campaign does so well. Beyond the previously established merit of its core gameplay loop, Guardians flexes its level design in many compelling ways. The locales that the player traverses through feel truly alive. From rough, reclusive towns to lush, alien vistas, there is so much to explore here. The level design allows for some genuinely enjoyable set-pieces, too, ones that don’t feel forced and derivative like many of Halo 4’s set pieces. There’s a real confidence and command over environmental design that services gameplay.

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These locations are woven together by a narrative that is rich with detail, even if the broad strokes leave something to be desired. Long time fans can engage with dormant characters in new ways. The reunion with the Arbiter is especially enjoyable, as is the shifting tenor as the dueling Spartan teams recognize Cortana’s true intent. While these beats don’t always hit, they’re still ambitious. This is a strong narrative that takes risks and backs those risks up with excellent cinematic presentation.

Halo 5: Guardians is a better game than its modern reputation belies. While many want 343 to stray away from this design philosophy with Halo Infinite, the strength of the creative voice here shouldn’t be silenced. Hopefully, Halo Infinite can return to the classic Halo titles’ success while retaining some of what made Guardians so bold. With Halo Infinite right around the corner, now is the perfect time to give Halo 5 a second chance.

Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/halo-5-guardians-better/

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