Halo 5

[Schrodinger]

I'll watch a walkthrough on youtube first.

[The Rookie]

343i has uploaded all of the armour types, visors, colours, ect on to Halo Waypoint for people to play around with. So if you wanted to checkout what your Spartan can look like I'd recommend having a bit of a play around.

Word of warning, most of the helmets and armour sets are terrible.

[The Rookie]

Woops, thought I posted this before

I'll watch a walkthrough on youtube first.

There's a few videos up now of people playing through the campaign missions. If you were still interested in watching a walk through, check out ReadyUpLives channel.

I've watched the first 2 and a half levels myself, and they seemed alright. I kind of a got a Halo Reach meets Halo 4 vibe in level design. The story is there, but so far there hasn't been any of those epic Halo 3 open multi focused levels, but they might just be later on.

[Schrodinger]

Woops, thought I posted this before

I'll watch a walkthrough on youtube first.

There's a few videos up now of people playing through the campaign missions. If you were still interested in watching a walk through, check out ReadyUpLives channel.

I've watched the first 2 and a half levels myself, and they seemed alright. I kind of a got a Halo Reach meets Halo 4 vibe in level design. The story is there, but so far there hasn't been any of those epic Halo 3 open multi focused levels, but they might just be later on.

I'm feeling a better iteration of 4's. Reach had more memorable encounters. I was replaying 4 and Reach recently and the difference was immediate right away as I could pick out weapon enemy placements in Reach but Halo 4 was a blur indistinct events other than that one time I can dump some Covie's out a series of airlocks.

[The Rookie]

So I watched and read a few of the champaign reviews that have flooded out in the last day or so, and it seems the overall reaction is "It's ok."

There's been a lot of comparison between the first few levels and those of Halo 4, very open levels with tones of enemies, but nothing remotely memorable about those encounters. Apparently things take a turn in the second half, feeling more like the dense action passed levels of Halo 3, however I haven't seen these yet, so I'm not sure how reliable this comparison is.

Story wise there's a lot of people sitting in both extremes. Some say great, others say awful. There are quite a few who have said this game suffers from middle movie syndrome, with most of the game suffering from serious pacing issues. The other theme I've noticed is that Locke's story apparently doesn't go anywhere, and just adds to padding out the game.

So yeah, those are the major things I've heard so far, but I'm off to go watch some play throughs. See if anything changes my mind.

[FrogSteaks]

So I watched and read a few of the champaign reviews that have flooded out in the last day or so, and it seems the overall reaction is "It's ok."

There's been a lot of comparison between the first few levels and those of Halo 4, very open levels with tones of enemies, but nothing remotely memorable about those encounters. Apparently things take a turn in the second half, feeling more like the dense action passed levels of Halo 3, however I haven't seen these yet, so I'm not sure how reliable this comparison is.

Story wise there's a lot of people sitting in both extremes. Some say great, others say awful. There are quite a few who have said this game suffers from middle movie syndrome, with most of the game suffering from serious pacing issues. The other theme I've noticed is that Locke's story apparently doesn't go anywhere, and just adds to padding out the game.

So yeah, those are the major things I've heard so far, but I'm off to go watch some play throughs. See if anything changes my mind.

I played through the first couple campaign missions last night and that summary seems pretty accurate. Enemies aplenty, but as of yet, no big epic battles or anything. Although, I kind of expected it to be like that in order for people to get used to all the new features of the game. I'm sure it will transition into being like, as you say, the more action packed levels of Halo 3. Remember, pretty much every Halo game had those kinds of levels right in the heart of the campaign. Can't say that much story wise since I've only played through two missions. I'll get back to you on that.

[Schrodinger]

From what I've seen the game was sold as another Halo 2, a single campaign told from two sides. Yet, from what I've heard Locke is the primary protagonist since he takes up most of the playtime. The marketing paints the story as two obsessed soldiers, each damning the consequences in pursuit of their goals, set on a collision course with devastating results.

Which apparently never happens. How disappointing.

[The Rookie]

So I've just watched the whole thing.

Spoiler!

Honestly, I'm torn. Like Schrodinger said, this game was psyched up to be one thing but it's clearly something else.
I was really hoping for the story to focus on the insurrectionist a bit more. Show how ONI and the UNSC are crumbling from within, like how the Fine the truth series and the novels were leading us to believe. But I guess that's off the table entirely now given the way the game end/sets up the next game.

Hell the reason Blue Team went MIA in the first place was honestly pretty stupid. Oh, John's been pushing himself non-stop for weeks, was smacked down a hole by a hunter, hit his head and saw a vision of Cortana. Perfectly good reason to follow him on a goose chase rather than have him see a doctor.

The story's twist on the other hand was certainly unexpected. Partially because we were lied to about it from the get go.

I'm curious to see how Skynet the AIs plan for galactic conquest pans out.

[Schrodinger]

So I've just watched the whole thing.

Spoiler!

Honestly, I'm torn. Like Schrodinger said, this game was psyched up to be one thing but it's clearly something else.
I was really hoping for the story to focus on the insurrectionist a bit more. Show how ONI and the UNSC are crumbling from within, like how the Fine the truth series and the novels were leading us to believe. But I guess that's off the table entirely now given the way the game end/sets up the next game.

Hell the reason Blue Team went MIA in the first place was honestly pretty stupid. Oh, John's been pushing himself non-stop for weeks, was smacked down a hole by a hunter, hit his head and saw a vision of Cortana. Perfectly good reason to follow him on a goose chase rather than have him see a doctor.

The story's twist on the other hand was certainly unexpected. Partially because we were lied to about it from the get go.

I'm curious to see how Skynet the AIs plan for galactic conquest pans out.

Spoiler!

The Hunt the Truth campain is another layer in the lie that this franchise is selling itself on now. None of those events ever matter when it comes to the game. No black operations in a moral gray area. Chief isn't labeled a traitor, he's just AWOL. Locke isn't an ONI wetwork operater (not currently despite still wearing the emblem on his chest piece), just a by-the-numbers soldier that doesn't have enough charisma to carry this idiot plot through. Another AI deciding the best way to promote peace in the known universe is to hold a gun to everyone's head.

It all strikes me as the result of profound rewrites somewhere down the line.

[The Rookie]

It all strikes me as the result of profound rewrites somewhere down the line.[/color]

Agreed. Unfortunately this seems to be the trend in games at the moment.

Writers: We have this great idea for a story
Promoters: I love it. I'll start working on all this cool promotion material.

Months later.
Higher ups: Too complicated/It'll take too long. Make a room and fill it with enemies.
Writers: But sir, we've already made the environments, animations and the promotion videos have been advertising this story for months. I just don-
Higher ups: Room. Enemies. Uncomplicated.
Writers: Ok...

[Winter-huntsman]

I just got it and let me say from my opinion this game is epic, I have all of the halo games and this one may be my favorite. This game really makes you feel like your in charge of a spartan team. Though I have only played 1 and a half levels so far so things might change.

[Schrodinger]

Warning: Spoiler filled rant ahead.

Spoiler!

Wow! Way to undo the small emotional connection I had to the ending of Halo 4. You know, the one where Cortana sacrifices herself to save John and ends up lost, possibly forever. Well she's back, as the primary antagonist! What the [censored]!? Okay, I can understand where this idea came from, let's twist the knife already buried in the heart of the Chief/Cortana shipping but why upend a character that's been with us for fourteen years. Game one, mission one, minute one. Now the Big Bad. And a derivative one at that.

I feel this would resonate more if this actually was Chief's story of desperately trying to save a friend from herself, but it's not. This is Locke's story. A story we didn't ask for, about a protagonist we didn't ask for. A story we were lied to about. Fireteam Osiris doesn't come across as endearing since much of their campaign is spent two steps behind whatever John is doing until the very end. Buck is back, returning from Halo 3: ODST, but it's clear his presence was purpose intended to be a salve for how long we spent with this squad of new faces. I can't even tell you who the [censored] Vale and Tanaka are other than the trite backstory dumped in my lap during some lulls in the bland action. I'm not going to help me that those two, and Locke, all got fleshed out in material outside of the games. But that doesn't help players who don't read the books or the comics or watch the miniseries that introduced us to the actual star of this show.

The same holds true for Blue Team. There's little attention given to Chief's long time comrades, partly because so little of the game is actually spent in their company. If I hadn't already read Fall of Reach I would have been just as lost as to who they were and what skills they brought to the table. All I could tell you from the brief time spent with them in game is that they are the chattiest they've ever been in the franchise.

Then there's all the rest: Palmer, Lasky, Halsey, Roland, Jul M'dama. Primary characters from the failed experiment that was Spartan Ops shuffled into the background with little to do other than react to what Cortana and Chief are up to. Gabriel Thorne, arguably the protagonist of the Spartan Ops narrative, was originally going to be a member of Osiris until Nathan Fillion signed on for another turn as Buck. Save for a single mission at the very beginning and the obvious fact that Halsey is missing an arm now Spartan Ops is entirely ignored.

I've heard people say that this is a better story than 4. I have no idea what they see in it, to be entirely honest.

A few questions: How did Halsey learn about what Cortana was doing? How and where does Hunt The Truth fit into this? Didn't that series and the comics show how the Chief was already AWOL by the time Halo 5 gets started? How does falling down a shaft cause Chief to hallucinate a cave that's actually a message from Cortana? How does Cortana get this message out? Why does she pick probably the worst way to give this message to Chief? Why is this message not questioned by Fred when he'd already voiced concern about the Chief's well-being and mental health at the start of the mission? Why was Fireteam Osiris assigned the task of tracking down Blue Team (the best, most cohesive squad the Spartan II class has to offer) when they have little operational as a unit? Why did Locke immediately resort to force to reign Blue Team? Who is the Warden Eternal and what is his story?

[The Rookie]

I pretty much agree with everything that Schrodinger's said about the games story. It's short, there's long periods of nothing going on and the surprise twist are cheap, since the games marketing team straight up lied about what the game was going to be about.


That said, I feel that the mulitplayer has taken a few steps in the right direction as far as gameplay elements, but a few steps back were the player customisation is concerned. The way you unlock armour sets is completely random, so there's no garentied way for me to get the helmet or emblems I want other than buying dozens of randomised battle packs.

I hate this. I just want to be rocken my ODST helmet and hornet icon (Which I've had since Halo 3), instead I've got no way to work toward these things and have to rely on pure chance, which has never been the case before.

[Schrodinger]

I pretty much agree with everything that Schrodinger's said about the games story. It's short, there's long periods of nothing going on and the surprise twist are cheap, since the games marketing team straight up lied about what the game was going to be about.


That said, I feel that the mulitplayer has taken a few steps in the right direction as far as gameplay elements, but a few steps back were the player customisation is concerned. The way you unlock armour sets is completely random, so there's no garentied way for me to get the helmet or emblems I want other than buying dozens of randomised battle packs.

I hate this. I just want to be rocken my ODST helmet and hornet icon (Which I've had since Halo 3), instead I've got no way to work toward these things and have to rely on pure chance, which has never been the case before.

You can actually get a version of the ODST armor guaranteed if you watch Nightfall on the Halo Channel. After you pay $15 US or your regional equivalent.


Brilliant.

[The Rookie]

Yeah, I've seen that movie. No way is it worth $15 dollars.