The disastrous launch of Halo: The Master Chief Collection completely killed the momentum of the Halo multiplayer juggernaut for my friends and I. I was so excited that Halo was back, and in a huge way. I couldn't wait to relive some of the fondest memories I had while gaming as a kid. However, I and millions of other fans were met with weeks of connection issues and bugs. It was so frustrating that my friends and I still haven't given the multiplayer another shot, although, the issues have "mostly" been resolved. Given those issues, I wasn't all that excited to play the Halo 5: Guardians beta. After the over 10 gigabyte download was completed, I gave it a shot. I went into the experience with an open mind, and afterwards, put down the controller satisfied and excited for what the full game has in store.
I said I went into the beta with an open mind, because that's the mentality you need to enjoy and adapt to the fast paced, intense combat. Halo 5 feels familiar but fresh. There are some new abilities to learn and new weapons to dominate with. It took me a couple of matches to get used to the abilities and the overall feel of combat, but once I got accustomed to all the new assets, I was having a great time. The game looks and plays great for a beta. The audio hits hard, and the new spartan chatter is a cool and helpful addition. The weapons feel powerful and I'm so happy the Assault Rifle is back to being a weapon that can stand on it's own. When I first saw gameplay of Halo 5, I was skeptical. I saw use of the new aim down sights feature which 343 is calling "Smart Link" and to be honest I was upset. However, after learning more about it and getting the chance to use it, I'm not upset in the slightest. The accuracy of your weapons doesn't change if your in Smart Link. You're just as accurate when firing from the hip, which is the essence of Halo. Not to mention if you're in Smart Link and you get hit, you get de-scoped immediately. That's a smart design choice that helps keep the fundamentals of Halo multiplayer intact. The biggest thing that stood out to me, though, was how level the playing field is. There are new abilities to master, but every player has access to them. Every player starts with the same weaponry and must find weapons in the field in order to change up their arsenal. There's also a much bigger emphasis on power weapons such as the sniper rifle, and the prophets bane. That's essentially the new name for the energy sword. These weapons will spawn into the map periodically throughout the match and that makes for some really intense gunfights and tension during gameplay.
The beta gives you two maps to play on and the only game mode available is team slayer. These intimate 4v4 matches are a great introduction to Halo 5's new mechanics. One of the new maps, Empire, is an interesting map with cool aesthetics, but it doesn't stand up to it's counterpart. Truth is essentially Midship 2.0 and I've had the most fun in this arena. The new visuals really bring Truth to life and the encounters are always intense no matter where you are on this map. After seeing two arena style maps in this beta, I'm really excited to see the maps they're making for other game modes like big team slayer and capture the flag. I loved Exile in Halo 4, so if we get anything like that, I'll be happy.
Will you enjoy the Halo 5: Guardians beta? It really comes down to how willing you are to adapt to new mechanics. I don't fault the game for adding new features or abilities or whatever else. The game has to evolve with the times, and as long as the combat still feels like Halo at it's core, I'm on board for anything 343 wants to attempt. If you're one of the people still upset that you can sprint in Halo, this may not be for you. However, this is the most grounded, and fair Halo has been in awhile. 343's attempting to go back to the roots while also moving forward, and so far, I think they're successful. We've never had a beta for Halo this far from the games release, so even if you're not a fan of where Halo is going, give it a shot. Voice your likes and dislikes to 343, and we'll most certainly see the tweaks in the final product. If I have any concerns moving forward, it's concern for the connectivity and server stability. The first day of the beta I had no problems, but today I struggled to stay connected even for one match. These problems have already hurt MCC gravely and I hope that, since this is only a beta, these kinks will get worked out and we'll have a smooth launch. I know that nothing ever goes off without a hitch, but I can hope can't I? If you've played the beta, what're your thoughts? Let 343 Industries know so that we can have a Halo game that we all love, and that will hopefully, stand the test of time.
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