Halo is a franchise that has defined a console generation, shaped console matchmaking as we know it, and since its release in 2001, Halo has continued to grow into a juggernaut. Over the next fourteen years, the Halo franchise would spawn books, comics, spin-off video games, an animated anthology series, and two live-action series. For over fifteen years, fans have been able to cherry pick and decide how much Halo lore they wanted to consume. The lore itself spans over 100,000 years and continues with the release of Halo 5: Guardians.

A major fault Halo 4 had with some fans was the inclusion of lore that was only available through a series of books and careful attention to terminals found in past Halo titles. Let me preface this review by saying those who didn’t like that attribute in Halo 4 will be disappointed again. Halo 5 employs a number of plot points that are aided by stories found in books, terminals, and other Halo products found across multiple mediums. On the flip side, Halo 5 contains the most ambitious story this franchise has seen. But when does a story get too big?

STORY (Light Spoilers)

Halo 5 opens with a reveal right away with the appearance of Cortana. As fans know, Cortana, the A.I. that has aided and been a significant part of the Master Chief’s life, was created by Dr. Halsey. Now, Cortana isn’t like other A.I’s. She was created using a human brain – Halsey’s brain. In order to achieve this, Dr. Halsey flash-cloned herself, killed her clone to harvest her brain, and thus created Cortana. In this same opening cutscene, we catch a glimpse of a picture of Halsey’s daughter, Miranda Keyes, wearing the same uniform she wore when receiving her father’s medal at the start of Halo 2. If we were to go off this picture alone, that places the Cortana reveal after the events of Halo 2, thus revealing the creation of another Cortana.

Following the reveal, the game opens with Spartan Locke and Fireteam Osiris. These four characters may be new to some, but both Locke and Buck have appeared in other Halo stories, Halo: Nightfall and Halo 3: ODST respectively. Through 343 Industries’ marketing campaign, Fireteam Osiris has been introduced as the Spartan team that is sent to find and bring in Master Chief and his Blue Team for desertion. Blue Team is comprised of four Spartan II’s, including Master Chief. Linda, Kelly, and Fred all grew up and trained with Master Chief on Reach. Reach, may ring a bell with some of you as the planet’s demise was the focal point behind Bungie’s last installment into the franchise, Halo: Reach. Blue Team’s adventures are well-documented in the book, Halo: The Fall of Reach.

Narratively, many will argue that Halo 5 is Master Chief’s story. However, you only play as Master Chief through three of the fifteen missions. Granted, Blue Team’s missions may be a little longer than the average Fireteam Osiris missions, but I can’t help but feel 343 Industries had a hard time giving everyone, other than Fireteam Osiris, enough screen time. This seems to be a first for a Halo game, but given he large cast of characters, it shouldn’t be surprising.

In Halo 4, we were introduced to Tom Laskey, Captain of the UNSC Infinity. Laskey played an integral part in Spartan Ops along with Spartan Sarah Palmer. Mind you, Laskey and Palmer are well-established characters through other mediums. As expected, these characters were to play a pivotal role in Halo 5. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a whole lot of Laskey or the UNSC Infinity for that matter. But, we get a lot of Fireteam Osiris.

Also in Halo 4, we were introduced to a number of Forerunner terms, such as the Mantle of Responsibility. The mantle is to be taken up by a species with the intent of policing and maintaining order in the universe. The last species to do this was the Forerunners. After the lighting of the Halo rings, the mantle has been left for another species to take it up once again. Up until Halo 5, it was looking like Humanity would be the one to take up the Mantle of Responsibility. Then, in a strange twist, humanity is dealt with a new challenger for the mantle.

And that’s it – that’s where the story lies. Halo 5 is much bigger than any of the marketing campaign was letting on and almost feels like an entirely different game than what I was expecting. This has positives and negatives regarding the story. Everyone likes to be surprised, but some of Halo 5’s surprises can leave a gamer scratching their head. The fact of the matter is, Halo 5 needed more Master Chief, more Cortana, more Blue Team, and it’s something that I hope is remedied in the next game. Fans will definitely relate Halo 5’s narrative decisions with that of Halo 2 when Bungie introduced the Arbiter to the franchise. Going further in relation to Halo 2, fans will definitely have some feelings resurface regarding Halo 5‘s ending.

Squad combat isn’t new to the Halo franchise. We got our first taste of what a squad could do in Halo: Reach and Halo 3: ODST. However, Halo 5 is different in that you are able to order members of your squad to certain locations, to pick up weapons, engage enemies, or mount a turret. Having this ability allows players to engage enemies in new ways that was previously missing in the Halo franchise. Squad members are also able to revive their teammates. Don’t worry – there is a timer that appears above your head every time you are “downed.” When the timer runs out, you’ll die and have to start from the last checkpoint. If this happens to an A.I. teammate, they will be absent from play for a time before rejoining the battle with you. As far as their narrative presence, both Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris, aside from Master Chief and Locke respectively, have little to add to the story. If you explore here and there, you’ll get some banter between your teammates, but other than that, their presence wasn’t necessarily needed to advance the plot. However, it’s way better than being no-name elites or Master Chief clones again.

Without spoiling anything more, I found that playing through the campaign, and really taking your time with exploring every map made every mission better. In Halo 5, there are a series of data pads hidden throughout the mission world. This, coupled with skulls, encourage me to find hidden corners and see different sides to missions I had already gone through. The world itself is beautiful at times and players should take full advantage of that. On Legendary, I finished the campaign by myself at around 10 hours. Don’t be surprised if you complete it over or under 10 hours either. (Keep this between us, but I had some trouble at certain situations.) In all, Halo 5: Guardians is a treat for fans who keep up with the lore extensively and will most likely be excited to see the direction 343 Industries is taking with the Halo franchise.

MULTIPLAYER

Over the past two years, Halo has left a hole in Xbox Live’s next-gen multiplayer catalog. Sure, we had MCC, but after the numerous crashes and bugs, many of the game’s initial population left for other games. Even now, as you’re reading this, it’s not surprising to think MCC is uninstalled on many Xbox One’s. Because of this, you may be wondering: Is Halo 5 worth it? Let me take this opportunity to say, with absolute confidence, Halo is back and is here to stay.

Granted, pre-release playlists were limited to two. Of those two playlists, I was able to lay in over 10 hours of multiplayer without getting tired of it. A large part of the multiplayer fun are the maps. Each map carries with it alternate ways players can adapt and strategize. Warzone maps are especially well-made. As you play through them, your experience will change and you will find yourself adapting at a quicker and more effective rate than any other Halo game. And that’s not the only great thing about Warzone. Along with other features, Halo 5 brings forth a REQ system that allows players to customize loadouts on the fly. Power weapons are restricted to your in-game REQ level, points, and how many cards you have of one specific weapon. For example, you need a high REQ level and so many REQ points to unlock a top tier weapon like the Energy Sword or Sniper Rifle. If you still don’t understand it, don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it as you play.

Arena multiplayer lets players level up and be grouped into different tiers depending on skill. Players who have encountered Arena gameplay in past Halo iterations will be able to pick up the gist fairly easy. However, if you’re grouped into a higher tier, your gameplay experience will change. You’ll find more organized attacks, friends who have partied up, and a more competitive environment. Still, if you’re a leisure type gamer, I don’t see any situation where you’re constantly getting competitive matches. Just be sure you know your strengths and weakness with Halo 5’s arsenal.

Let me be blunt: Most players, both old and new, will encounter a definite learning curve. Established weapons in the franchise will feel somewhat familiar to veteran players. There aren’t any huge changes to weapons like the Magnum or Battle Rifle, but after hours of playtime, I’ve found that accuracy carries more weight in Halo 5 than in any other Halo. The game even goes so far as to display your accuracy percentage at every post-game report. Friends watching me play on Twitch commented that my play style was too jerky, and that I should think about lowering my sensitivity. When the game releases, I know there will be some players who will have to do a little soul searching when it comes to sensitivity.

Perhaps the greatest thing about Halo 5 multiplayer is that it does away with Loadouts in standard multiplayer. No more Jet Packs, no more Armor Lock, and no Active Camo at spawn. Even spawns returns to competitive Halo, and it’s fantastic. This is all good news and part of 343 Industries’ attempt to recapture what made Halo 2 so great. Furthermore, 343 Industries goes even further with customization, something that has made past Halo’s great. With over hundreds of helmets, armors, and weapon variations, Halo 5 will have collectors putting some serious hours into multiplayer.

Running at a steady 60fps throughout my entire experience, Halo 5 can be beautiful at times. Gamers in search for a good-looking next-gen title will feel at ease with this purchase, and even more at ease knowing that Halo 5’s visuals aren’t all it has to offer. What we have here is a package that gives us enough replayability that will last years. From online drop-in and drop-out co-op, to endless matches of Warzone, I fully believe Halo 5: Guardians is a statement for the Xbox One, and more importantly, 343 Industries. Fans of the franchise will definetly get hooked on this title and the population will grow with new gamers. As for right now, I can guarantee you, Halo is back.

Story: 8/10

Gameplay: 10/10

Graphics: 9.5/10

Replayability: 10/10

Final Score: 9.4/10