Halo 5: Guardians

[Chris3123]

So, has anyone else tried the MP Beta yet? As to be expected for a Beta it's somewhat buggy. I had a lot of trouble staying connected in the lobby, but I managed to get into a game later on. And during the game the screen would occasionally go completely black after I would die (I was still in the game, and I heard everything, just no visual), and it wouldn't return to normal until I was killed again.

As far as the gameplay goes, it definitely feels different from Halo 4. There's a new ability called "ground pound" that you implement mid-air to slam into the ground, damaging enemies in the immediate area. That's definitely going to take some practice to get used to.

 

[martok2112]

343 did a fine job taking over for Halo, but, because I still do not trust Microsoft after their fiasco before Xbox One's launch, at best I may be waiting quite the long while before even considering getting that console....so I too will be quite behind on Halo 5.... Truth be told, I may end up being far enough behind that the MP servers for Halo 5 will have long shut down....if that gives you any indication of my desire to get an Xbox One.

 

[SPCTRE]

Halo 5: Guardians releases on October 27, 2015.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHQiYPiNVEE[/yt]

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rd8FWUCCZk[/yt]

 

[FPAlpha]

Impressive teasers.. makes me a little sad that i chose the PS4 over the XOne but maybe i'll be fool enough to shell out the 350 Euros come Christmas to buy a Halo 5 Bundle (probably not but i've done stupider stuff in my life ).

 

[SPCTRE]

You really should. Let's all be stupid together, for the good of the games industry!

I'll be getting both a Wii U and a PS4 this year, once the wedding expenses are through.

 

[FADM Tribble]

I am such a huge Halo fan that I bout a Xbox One just for this one franchise, and I only really play the campaigns now in days. The two trailers for Halo 5: Guardians has made me immensely interesting in where the story is going.

 

[Chris3123]

Trailer revealed today at E3 for new MP mode Warzone, which features AI opponents and support for up to 24 players:

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av-N5smXFpw[/yt]

 

[Roshi]

Removing split-screen from H5 is stupid. Period.

 

[SPCTRE]

It sure is a bummer for the wife and I, we love playing campaign from the couch.

Now we'll need to get a second XBONE.

 

[Chris3123]

The opening cinematic has been revealed:

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44oJi5w2Wjc[/yt]

 

[Chris3123]

So, the game came out yesterday. Has anyone here gotten it yet?

 

[MacLeod]

Yes I have it, but it does require a 9Gig update, call me old fashioned but no game should require such a big update on release day.

 

[Lakenheath 72]

I have the game.

The multiplayer is fun for this casual gamer. I do feel, even in the team based events, that people are lone-wolfing it. In one instance, I was asked by 343Industries if a player should be banned for bad gamemanship. I did not expect that.

The campaign is "meh". There are several reasons for this:
1. The game's subtitle system is not employed for every piece of dialog. This is critical when I am attempting to understand the intel, which is "supposed" to help me in knowing the backstory of this campaign.The dialog is overwhelmed by the music. When it is not overwhelmed, it feels to me that the voice actors are mumbling their words. When the story requires as much knowledge of its fictional universe for the casual player to understand, this is bad.
2. I have played two missions in which I am speaking to NPCs for information. There is no combat in these levels. So, there is thirteen combat missions. These two missions are not interesting.
3. I am hating the boss character. For me, it is a repeat of Harbinger from Mass Effect 2. I have played two missions in which I had to defeat him. I have one mission left to defeat him to look forward to.
4. The story as seen in the ads is not the story being played out in the game. The conflict is between organics and constructs.

Spoilers



5. The ending of Halo 4, because Cortana survived, has less emotional resonance. It now feels devoid of emotional resonance.

My favorite environment is the planet Genesis.
My favorite team is Osiris Team. (There are, from what I have read, only three missions with Blue Team - Master Chief's team.)
I do not have a favorite character. I like Buck, for I am familiar with him from Halo 3: ODST. The other characters do not have strong identifying characteristics, which would help me to say, this is x or this is y.

 

[ATimson]

1. The game's subtitle system is not employed for every piece of dialog.

Do you have the setting to "auto" or "on"? If "auto", try changing it to "on".

4. The story as seen in the ads is not the story being played out in the game. The conflict is between organics and constructs.

I think having a misdirect about the story is okay. (It's not like the Flood were in any of the ads for the first game, were they?) I just wish I trusted 343 to not handle that in a trite fashion.

 

[Lakenheath 72]

The subtitles are set to on. For some reason, which has been present in all Halo games, non-cutscene dialog is not subtitled. This is the first game where I saw an instance where the cutscene had dialog that was not subtitled. It was strange. Exuberant, a monitor for Genesis, did not have her dialog subtitled, while Blue Team did. Odd.

The boss character I spoke about, Warden Eternal, appears in most of the missions after Mission 10. In one mission, there are two, and, in the next to last, there are three of them. This being is as annoying as Harbinger from Mass Effect 2.

It is hard to have a constructive conversation about this game. I have noticed how on other forums that people who have geniune criticisms about the game are derided and dismissed. I am hoping that this forum can be a place for such conversation.

Positives are:
* Multiplayer (of course)
* The setting of the story. My favorite is Genesis.
* Some of the characters. My favorite is Exuberant.
* The facial and body language of the characters in cutscenes was well-done.

Negatives are:
* The story and script. Hearing Cortana goading the Osiris Team by pointing out the weaknesses of each member, and hearing Warden Eternal's critique of the human race annoyed me.
* Two missions which were, essentially, interactive cutscenes.
* Not being able to understand the intel. In some games, like Tomb Raider, the "intel" has an accompanying text. The worst intel has to be the ones for the Elite. Grunts are child-like in their voices. So, even though I could not understand all that was said, it was humorous.

The conflict between Locke and MC became sidelined very quickly. The conflict was: Locke was a man with orders and MC was a man with a mission. When they realized they had the same goal, they became allies.

 

[fireproof78]

^^
The Locke and MC conflict sound like MC and the Arbiter from Halo 2.

I'm hoping to play it some time, but what I do know, be willing to discuss

 

[SPCTRE]

The subtitles are set to on. For some reason, which has been present in all Halo games, non-cutscene dialog is not subtitled. This is the first game where I saw an instance where the cutscene had dialog that was not subtitled. It was strange. Exuberant, a monitor for Genesis, did not have her dialog subtitled, while Blue Team did. Odd.

The boss character I spoke about, Warden Eternal, appears in most of the missions after Mission 10. In one mission, there are two, and, in the next to last, there are three of them. This being is as annoying as Harbinger from Mass Effect 2.

It is hard to have a constructive conversation about this game. I have noticed how on other forums that people who have geniune criticisms about the game are derided and dismissed. I am hoping that this forum can be a place for such conversation.

Positives are:
* Multiplayer (of course)
* The setting of the story. My favorite is Genesis.
* Some of the characters. My favorite is Exuberant.
* The facial and body language of the characters in cutscenes was well-done.

Negatives are:
* The story and script. Hearing Cortana goading the Osiris Team by pointing out the weaknesses of each member, and hearing Warden Eternal's critique of the human race annoyed me.
* Two missions which were, essentially, interactive cutscenes.
* Not being able to understand the intel. In some games, like Tomb Raider, the "intel" has an accompanying text. The worst intel has to be the ones for the Elite. Grunts are child-like in their voices. So, even though I could not understand all that was said, it was humorous.

The conflict between Locke and MC became sidelined very quickly. The conflict was: Locke was a man with orders and MC was a man with a mission. When they realized they had the same goal, they became allies.

Can you speak to how the boss fights compare to, say, the fight vs the end boss in Halo 4? Because that was some atrocious QTE shit right there.

 

[Lakenheath 72]

This is a description of the Warden Eternal from the Game Guide:

A towering Forerunner warrior, the Warden Eternal is an extremely dangerous adversary. It is heavily armored but features a glowing weak spot on its back. When battled at range, the Warden casts out large, slow-moving orbs that home in on their target. Should an orb find its mark, the target is quickly obliterated; the blast is so severe that it can even penetrate thin forms of cover. Battling the Warden up close is equally risky, for the construct wields a massive blade to great effect. Either keep distance from the Warden and remain near thick, effective cover as you pick shots at it from afar, or thrust to avoid its melee attacks as you look to counter with close-range blasts to the Warden's vulnerable back.

(pg. 119)

Though not mentioned in the description, the Warden Eternal has a third weapon: an eye beam.

The Warden Eternal is encounted on Missions 5 (1x), 7 (1x), 12 (1x), 13 (2x), and 14 (3x).

The guide has to say about fighting the Warden Eternal on Legendary,

If you're playing with friends, spread out and flank the Warden from all sides for the best odds of striking its vulnerable back.

(pg. 119)

In this game, the commands for the squad are:
1. Move to a location. (Full Squad)
2. Attack a target. (Full Squad)
3. Take a weapon. (Individual squad member)
4. Revive. (Full Squad)

Note: the order can be cancelled by the squad if they are "busy" or if you are not on their "path" - be in a location accessible to the player, not necessary so for the squaddies.

Another note: the AI of these squaddies is average of video games. They are not exceptional in anyway.

The sniper's perch remains advantageous during Legendary play, but you'll run out of ammo before long. Empty the Binary Rifle on the Warden (aim for the head), then finish him off with a Lightrifle.

(Pg. 142)

In the first two encounters, the Warden can be fought from height. This helps as the Warden is not capable of scaling heights. However, its orb attack and eye beam can still cause damage, so I would fire at him, duck back into cover when I saw the orb, and come out of cover to fight it again. The orb is a slow moving attack and can be avoided. The eye beam cannot be avoided. In the later missions, you are playing the Warden Eternal from below him or on the same level as him.

In the final battle, the Guide says,

Be ready to revive fallen comrades at any moment, but go on the defensive if a teammate dies, striving to survive until your fallen comrade(s) respawn.

When a squad member goes down, it stays down for a minute. So, lose three squad members, you are fighting the Warden Eternal for one minute.

I played multiplayer today. Notes on the multiplayer:
1. Some players have resorted to grenade spamming.
2. Spawn points can be terrible. I was added to games in progress. I would spawn in an active battle zone and get killed within seconds. This happened twice in Warzone.
3. I have acquired through REQ packs a Scorpion and a Banshee. However, I am not able to use these vehicles in Warzone. I can use the Mongoose. I have thirteen Mongooses in my REQ collection. Why would I need a Mongoose in Warzone? This is a vehicle with no offensive capacity and the maps are not large.

 

[Lakenheath 72]

I would like to add some statements to the above.

I am not against using grenades in mulitplayer. I feel, however, as the game awards commendations for becoming proficient in different types of weapons, that playing this way, by concentrating on grenades, that skills are not being developed. It was more fun for me when players were concentrating on their other weapons. This is why I like Swatnums, for I am learning how to use the pistol. I want to be proficient in each of the weapons. (The tone of the discussion about grenades at the Halo forums is ugly. It boils down to, "If you do not like grenade spamming, you are a rookie. This is how it was always played." For me, multiplayer is about skills and earning commendations for learning to use those skills.)

Another aspect I have noticed is that it is hard to know who is in the Scorpion or the Banshee in Warzone. I do not want to ban from multiplayer for a blue-on-blue action, because I did not know who was in the vehicle.

 

[MacLeod]

I have the game.

The multiplayer is fun for this casual gamer. I do feel, even in the team based events, that people are lone-wolfing it. In one instance, I was asked by 343Industries if a player should be banned for bad gamemanship. I did not expect that.

The campaign is "meh". There are several reasons for this:
1. The game's subtitle system is not employed for every piece of dialog. This is critical when I am attempting to understand the intel, which is "supposed" to help me in knowing the backstory of this campaign.The dialog is overwhelmed by the music. When it is not overwhelmed, it feels to me that the voice actors are mumbling their words. When the story requires as much knowledge of its fictional universe for the casual player to understand, this is bad.

Have you tried dialling down the music volume in settings,