"Halo 5: Guardians," Xbox One's most popular first person shooter game, is set to hit the market on Oct. 27. This does not mean, however, that fans will remain in the dark about the newest game update for a month more. Here are some of best new features that stood out in a sea of leaks and impressions from actual game hands-on about the Halo franchise's newest iteration.
Perhaps the most important change and possibly a defining feature that could impact the developmental trajectory of the Halo franchise in the future is the introduction of the Arena, the multiplayer mode. This is where players could play with friends or with teams or against each other. There is a huge potential in this area for e-sports similar to DOTA, which attracts professional gamers and the staging of tournaments. The social nature of this new feature as well as the opportunity to validate the time invested in the game will certainly give Halo 5 more dimension.
"Arena is purpose-built for competitive play. It celebrates everything at the core of Halo multiplayer. We have even starts, a level playing field, [and] a variety of game modes that cater to that taste," Josh Holmes, director at 343 Industries, told Venture Beat.
Another interesting development involves the game's narrative. There is a notable improvement to the storyline, which is now split between Master Chief and Jameson Locke. This aspect of the game becomes crucial in the unity of the increasing complexity of the Halo universe. Some multiplayer maps, for instance, get their own backstory. Of course, there is also the revelation of Master Chief's next great mission, according to Wired.
"Story is a pretty big deal and because we have this big universe, we might as well utilise it, right?" Tim Longo said in the Wired report.
Halo 5 will also no longer implement the split screen, which many consider the precursor of Halo's multiplayer feature. The decision was a trade-off that developers made to ensure better gaming experience. Halo 5's massive-scale environments, improved visuals and AI could have been compromised if the split screen was retained, Phil Spencer, the gaming boss at Microsoft, explained in a Gamespot report.
