For starters, Guardians is built from “the ground up” on the new hardware. As 343 personnel like Dan Ayoub and Bonnie Ross explained during the first few months of MCC’s netcode disaster, they were tasked with reverse engineering four different games to all work in tandem in a matter of seconds. The game would need to load up and prepare any one of the handful of engines that were housed within the MCC install. While this mainly affected online adversarial multiplayer, the Campaigns weren’t completely free of erratic drama themselves. To be fair, it was nothing like MP, but they might have been a bigger deal had it not been for the more pronounced problems in other portions of the release, as well as Assassin’s Creed Unity also falling flat on its face in the same time frame. So, the biggest question pressing Halo aficionados is if Guardians is free and clear of the Campaign and online problems that completely wrecked what should have been last year’s celebration of all the best parts of this momentous series’ past and a perfect launching pad for the future?
Let’s start with Campaign. And before I start answering that searing inquiry as I go along, I must first setup this game’s story. When we last joined our hero in Halo 4, John-117, known by most as his United Nations Space Command rank of Master Chief, he foiled the plans of The Didact but lost his AI and most trusted companion Cortana. Fast forward to the year 2557, and we are introduced to Fireteam Osiris, a quartet of familiar and new Spartan soldiers. The group is led by Jameson Locke, and is accompanied by former ODST Edward Buck, Holly Tanaka, and Olympia Vale, who, like Locke, has a background with the Office of Naval Intelligence, or ONI. They have been selected for one of the most important covert operations ever conceived by the UNSC: hunt the Master Chief. John-117 is off the radar, and currently holds the unceremonious status of “absent without leave.” To why he’s AWOL is anyone’s guess… until your missions with Blue Team begin. Several members of this prestigious fraternity have come and gone over the years, primarily due to MIA or KIA termination. Currently, the band out outsiders consists of Chief himself, Linda-058, Frederic-104, and Kelly-087. As it stands their intentions aren’t exactly clear, but there is a new apparent threat to all sentient life in the galaxy that has nothing to do with the familiar ring “installations” of lore past. With the UNSC unaware of what should be their main concern, Osiris continues to scour the planetary system, looking for clues to the whereabouts of the most wanted man in the universe. Will Locke and his group find and capture Chief before Blue can take down this new threat?
Much like Halo campaigns of the past, it is easy to grasp the basic narrative, but a deep understanding will be missed by casual followers. There are some yarn constructs that are mentioned and hold grave importance that aren’t explicitly explained in game. To be fair, it’s nothing that a quick search on one of the Halo wiki sites couldn’t tell you, but it’s still storytelling that lacks cohesion and focus. But that’s something that franchise fans have been dealing with since 2001. If that hasn’t rankled you to the point of not playing these games yet, Guardians won’t either. In terms of how the script affects gameplay, it’s all to do with a completely revamped team element. Even though many of the dozens of levels in the previous six games would have you fight along side basic UNSC forces (and in the case of Reach, other Spartans), you’ve never had control over comrades. That changes in 2015. Taking a page from the Halo 2 book, you won’t play every mission as Chief. Actually, more of your time will be spent in the helmet of Locke. But in either case, you’ll have the ability to make certain call outs and commands to your other three team members. The three major ones are: basic movements, weapon pickups, and focus fire. Making them move up or drop back according to enemy positions and your own personal attack plan is great. At times, you’d like them to grab the agro while you sneak around and try to take out bigger targets with assassinations. In other instances, you may need them to stay back, hunker down, and fire from cover against incoming vehicles. These are just two quick examples, but the possible strategies that can be formulated are plentiful. Same with instructing armament. Ever stumble upon a Spartan Laser, but already have a Battle Rifle and Rocket Launcher and don’t want to give either up? Now, just hover over the gun and yell for someone else to take it. This way, if the necessity of the Laser becomes imminent, one of the four of you will have it. And you can always offer to swap weapons if you’d rather have it in the moment. Just don’t plan on exchanging a low energy Plasma Pistol for a power weapon, as the Osiris or Blue member in question will promptly tell you to shove it! Being able to highlight a Covenant or Promethean target for collective barraging is invaluable. For 70% of contests you’ll deal with, you could manage with everyone doing their own thing, which is a testament to the friendly AI that they don’t constantly need coaching to stay on their feet. A majority of the time, the four of you can work as independent agents laying waste upon the poor souls in your way. The other ~30%? Some serious “drawing it up in the sand” is necessary.
This is due to some paradigm shifts in the basics of Halo campaign design. In games past, the usual rhythm of a mission, and in a broader scope the whole single player/co-op mode in general, had an undulating ebb and flow. The design would follow a pattern of staunch pocket of resistance, followed by a decent break in action, which would flow into either another grand battle, or a more intimate, closed quarters exchange. Of course, there are exceptions to this persistent guideline like Assault on the Control Room from Combat Evolved, which was just one big fracas after another, or the Rookie missions in ODST, which required the most amount of stealth and inconspicuousness ever in the franchise. In general, though, the described pattern has been the status quo. Not so in Guardians. Instead of big swings in tempo and battlefield scope, the action is more constant. If feels like you’ll be shooting, grenade-ing, and melee-ing through 95% of the proceedings. It’s a little disconcerting at first, but once you get into the groove of using the aforementioned team commands, things start to get rolling really well. Just as you get your footing, the game makes you pick up pace even more. This is due to the enemy design being improved in terms of their aggression. I’m not sure if the AI engine is that much better or not after my first play through, but I can tell you the baddies are more formidable. Nowhere is that more noticeable than with the Prometheans. If we can keep it 100 for a second, their introduction in Halo 4 was puny. We were told of a new breed of combatant that would have to be systematically picked apart. Instead, we got slower, weaker Covenant. My, how things have changed in one game. These are the Prometheans we were promised in 2012. Crawlers and Crawler Primes scurry towards you much more menacingly, and the true 60fps refresh rate makes them seem a whole lot faster. Knight Lancers and Knight Commanders offer the same level of belligerent fighting as Elites. And Battlewagons are second only to Hunters in terms of being a tough out among the ranks of “regular” enemies. And if a sect of Prometheans have Watchers in tow, focus fire and swat them out of the air ASAP, as they will dramatically improve the HP available to the rest of their team.
Covenant are pretty much more of the same, which is in no way a criticism. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, and the familiar programming of Grunts, Jackals, and Elites are well in tact. Hunters, though, have seen some improvements. No longer are they the lumbering, slow giants circa ’01-’12. While they’re still not exactly “fleet of foot” in a straight line, short burst/lateral agility is off the charts. Some new attack patterns have also been established, and they seem to have more armor, so the available real estate of un-shielded worm amalgamation is limited. But perhaps the coolest/most infuriating new trick they have is the ability to swat away oncoming grenades. Imagine a stick save by an NHL goalie. If one is softly lobbed in their direction, they’ll wind up and blast it into the cheap seats. The first time I saw that happen, I let out an overwrought, patronizing chuckle in observance that my tride and true heuristic approach to dealing with Hunters for over ten years of tossing frag after frag right in their lap was now over. From a player perspective, I was livid. From an objective reviewer standpoint, that’s really awesome design. Another Campaign change in Guardians is the amount and intensity of boss battles. To not spoil a major plot point, I’ll be vague on whom or what anchors these moments. Just know that the skirmishes only get bigger and more difficult as the roughly eight hours of playtime unfolds. An example like the main Brute battle at the end of Halo 2 doesn’t even compare to these instances, so be ready to rinse/repeat some checkpoints as you formulate an effective way to extinguish the threat. And if something isn’t working, don’t keep doing it! Don’t be afraid to try a different approach for the sake of “let’s just see what happens.” A section that took me 45 or more minutes to scale could have taken me a third of that time had I not kept knocking my head against a proverbial brick wall. And also the clip size of weapons is way down across the board. For example, the Assault Rifle is limited from 660 in the CE days to just 216. This tweak makes you rely on the persistent scopes available on each gun to take more accurate shots as well as forcing you to improvise the more a fight wears on, which adds yet another layer of challenge. To buff the heightened level of difficulty, your teammates can revive you in the event you run out of MJOLNIR armor shield and get knocked down. Certain events like vehicle explosions will kill you outright, but most of the time you can be picked up but someone still on their feet, as you can do for them if they’re on their last legs. Co-op, a long time staple of the franchise, is back, but only over Xbox LIVE. Split screen has been left out of Guardians. I’m guessing it’s to shore up the 1080p/60fps efforts, making sure it all runs smoothly. But that’s just my conjecture. At any rate, playing missions with others feels about the same as they do solo. There are no “added” abilities or strat options afforded flesh and blood teammates. Arguably it makes it more fun and you can perhaps tackle the game at higher difficulties more easily, but that’s in theory. Both depend on the cohesion and play styles of all parties involved. Glad to see co-op is back, but don’t expect a revolution.
The other half of the game is just as pertinent as the first, and is tied much closer to replay value. As solid as Campaign has been since the original Xbox days, online adversarial multiplayer is what keeps players engaged for months and months after launch. Most of the rankled tantrums lobbed at MCC last year was from the failed modulation of legacy netcode, which has only recently been cleaned up to the point of decent stability. To this point, Guardians has been able to stave off the same sort of calamity. All playlists are accessible and don’t struggle to assemble games. Dedicated servers are a blessing this year, not the curse they were in 2014. I have yet to notice any sustained lag or collision issues. My hissy fitted excuses for losing a duel have been from power weapon trumps or my self prescribed awful luck when it comes to respawns in shooters. In truth, it has more to do with the other team’s knowledge of weapon spawns and time loops, pension for maintaining map control, and overall better teamwork. What I have yet to knee jerk-ingly blame it on is lag. Something I’d routinely do in every other Halo MP to this point. 343 got the netcode puzzle correct this go around, which is great news for the playing community, and I’m sure a huge sigh of relief for the developer and publisher.
With the servers on the up and up, it’s time to play! As many of you may already know, Guardians‘ multiplayer offerings are split into two distinct categories. The first is Arena. Classic 4v4 orientation of participants is a constant throughout all the playlists currently available within the section. They stand as: Team Arena, Team Slayer, Outbreak, Free-For-All, and SWAT. A new “ranking” system is used for each that is a mix of old and new. Similar to groupings found in MOBAs, Competitive Skill Rankings have evolved from Halo 4 to classes of seven divisions: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Onyx, and Champion. The first ten games you play in each are “Placement” matches. Depending on your win percentage, you’ll be placed into one of the sections above. It is possible to play your way up to higher classifications, but it’s only done by winning. Stats and performance won’t make the CSR budge. 343 has said a “season” will last about a month or so, after which Placements will occur again. Personally, I think this tweak to ranked playlists could serve the game very well. Defining groups in this way not only keeps players of comparable skill and ability together (in theory), but it sets up a more rigid goal for people to strive towards above just a number beside their Gamertag. And resetting everyone after several weeks doesn’t punish players who may take a little longer to scale the learning curve.
While the available modes are paltry right now, they don’t lack intensity and fun. Team Arena encapsulates objective game types. Oldie choices like Capture the Flag meet new constructions like Strongholds. This territories type sets three static control areas, but a majority of them have to be overtaken to count towards team time. Having just one won’t collect seconds, putting an onus on keeping a fast pace and rotating to battle for the areas. Team Slayer is exactly what you’d think: endless matches of first to 50 kills to win. It’s simple, but it’s the match type that illustrates Halo‘s mechanics and map construction. Twitchiness is pervasive among most popular FPS in console and PC landscapes. From H2 to now, the pace of gameplay has been a little bit more deliberately restricted. The recharging shield system is what set’s the franchise apart from other shooters and is the main reason multiplayer features duels that aren’t as pronounced in CoD or Battlefield. A 1v1 tussle usually lasts several seconds, and sometimes doesn’t result in a kill if the losing participant decides to bail and can cleanly get away. It’s this dynamic that sits as the line of demarcation between people who love or hate Halo. Guardians continues the long standing tradition. In Team Arena and Slayer, you spawn with an AR and Pistol. The AR is good in mid to close situations, but the range has been tempered from the insane distances seen in the beta. Of the two, the Pistol will be the weapon of choice from midrange and beyond. I rank it second only to the CE human side arm in terms of payload, making it a lethal addition of H5‘s cabinet. The BR and DMR are still the most sought after “base” weapons because of their range and effectiveness, but they have to be found on the map. This Battle Rifle is more akin to H2 and H3 than the Halo 4 return. It’s three round burst cadence is back down in speed, but makes up for it in increased damage. It feels natural to use, especially with the familiar 1.5x scope. The DMR’s single shot configuration naturally, won’t outpace the BR, but the longer scope quells the need to “push in” on targets. Stay at range and pick ’em off! Of course, control of the power weapons is still the most important factor to winning, and more so in Guardians. The consistent, smooth 60 frames, unlimited sprint, and new clamoring abilities quickens the rate at which players can “close the gap.” There are some checks to these things, like sprinting halts shield regeneration and climbing onto ledges makes you a slower target. But overall, this is a slightly quicker brand of Halo online play that keeps aforementioned backbone mechanics in place. So, being able to shotgun an oncoming Spartan Charging combatant in the face or get them from afar with the Sniper or Beam Rifle is invaluable. Of the new power options, one of the most interesting is the Plasma Caster. As a launcher type, it lobs smaller exploding plasma spheres with quick right trigger pulls. With a charged shot, a huge bundle blasts forward with a slight homing quality. For bunker buster-ing, the smaller pellets are fantastic. When it connects, the charged shot is insta-death.
In the way of maps, there are a good amount of choices, but they all play very similar. It seems the point of Arena locations is to support the new movement techniques. There are an abundance of short level changes every where on every map. Get used to holding in that jump button for the shortest path between main action alleys. Take Plaza, for instance. Reminiscent of Turf from H2, this small-ish map is located in a claustrophobic metro area adjacent to a train station. There are two major levels, but they can be accessed through a range of different nooks and crannies. In one section, two top platform pieces are separated by a wrecked truck below. You can leap from one side, bounce off the trailer of the vehicle, then clamor the other side with just a few controller inputs. Such movement opportunities are prevalent on each selection, even on old throwbacks. Fan favorite Midship is back as Truth. Outside of rebuffed aesthetics, the layout is nearly identical. Each base is anchored by perches of either side that overlook toward the middle. Picking up a mid to long range gun like the always underrated, rarely disappointing Covenant Carbine then easily slinking up to a top position works wonders to gain and maintain map control and keep a look out for incoming enemies. The sort of “fresh take” feeling from Truth is a microcosm of MP in general. Familiar enough to be in franchise with layers of complimenting innovations. There are a few more Arena playlists that are worth a note. Breakout is an H5 innovation. In this, two teams are man cannoned into specialized, truncated rooms that look like something out of American Gladiators. Every one is given a pistol and SMG with that awesome new sight. It’s usual Slayer rules, but there are NO respawns. The first to five round wins captures the match. Breakout is a really good idea and the maps specifically designed for the mode are wonderful, but should only be played with a full, communicative team. A group of randos will struggle mightily against even a mediocre group that’s together. SWAT makes a return to the ranks of ranked play. If you don’t know the drill, it’s pretty simple: no shields, no radar, BRs only. With the quickened pace of Guardians, this match type is lethal and infuriating, just like it’s always been. Also, the time it takes to die and respawn is less than a second, so you won’t get a break until after the match. FFA rounds out the Arena offerings. These matches play the same as Slayer, with no teams. Probably the nicest detail of FFA is that you can’t enter a server with multiple folks in your party. For anyone who planned on “boosting” towards Champion status by beating up on their friends, you had best think again.
With the competitive intensity that is Arena, Warzone cuts through as a slightly more fun alternative. It stands as the biggest Halo match type ever, with 12v12 along with bots. The mode works like this. Two teams have home bases on either side of a huge map with three other ancillary structures up for grabs. Before control can be asserted, AI Forerunner or Covenant occupation forces have to be cleared. Capturing the structures counts time towards the scoreboard, and the more you have, the quicker points accumulate. It takes 1000 to win. Alternatively, if one team gains all three, the opposing base’s force fields lower, exposing it to attack. If the energy core takes enough damage, it’s game over! This is a great way for a lopsided team to win a fast as possible without delaying the inevitable. There are also other “events” that include pertinent enemies from Campaign in which the winning team can conquer for the match win. The process sounds a little convoluted “on paper,” but within a few games, you start to get the hang of things. As the match goes, higher Requisition, or Reg levels, become available. Requisitions are items that can be loaded up for you next respawn. Reqs are acquired through Req packs. Req packs can be gotten by Req points earned in participating in Arena and Warzone, or can be bought as a microtransaction. The second option is a sticking point. In practice, the Req system is a great idea. Being able to keep a personal cache of power weapons, primary weapon alternates (like a BR with a DMR scope), vehicles, and power ups is perfect for large scale combat. And if Req could ONLY be earned through playing, I’d be inclined to call it close to perfect. But because one can pay for packs outright, I’m leery of match imbalances. To be fair, I have yet to play a game that feels like someone on either team is untouchable because of their Req buffs. Also, I have yet to experience clear signs of “pay-2-win” problems. Additionally, points given at the end of each game happen at a decent clip. Within ten or so Arena matches, I had enough points to get a Gold pack (valued at 10000 Req or $2.99). Bronze and Silver levels are available at a cheaper rate if you’re desperate for more stuff in a hurry. 343 has said part of the Warzone matchmaking algorithm is separating people with comparable collections sized between the teams. So, if two “paying” folks do fall within the same game, they won’t be placed on the same team, theoretically correcting any advantage they may have over everyone else. Despite the lack of evidence to support my worries, they still exist. Time will tell if grinders for points vs. payola players will be a noticeable deal. In the meantime, I’m having a blast. The mix of human and AI engagements are so much fun and require a decent bit of teamwork to take down tougher Covies and ‘Runners. Currently, there are three Warzone maps. I think the best is March on Stormbreak. A wintry wonderland with rolling elevation changes and a few covered paths for ground troops wanting to circumvent patrolling vehicles. After the first couple of Req levels are surpassed, and BR/SMG basic loadouts, power weapons, vehicles, ect. are available, matches open up and this grand expansion on the Big Team Battle ideology becomes the best new addition to the franchise.
Arguably the portion that has seen the most improvement due to the advent of new hardware is presentation. With the expanded horsepower of the Xbox One, Halo has never looked better. Campaign play is utterly breathtaking. Not only are the main character models and object renderings off-the-charts pretty, but the backdrops are persistently alive with grand scale war. Glancing up at a multi hue sky shows dozens of ships in dog fights and large battle cruisers drawing lines in the proverbial sand. The tone of things is much sharper and clearer, and lighting/shadow effects show depth not seen in the series to this point. Collision detection is top notch in all areas, from vehicles knocking into things all the way down to the bouncing of a frag grenade. The detail that I found to be most awe inspiring was water effects. Far off waterfalls look cool, but stagnant bodies like a puddle were as close to photo realism as you’re going to find in a console FPS. Reflections are pristine and ripple effects display proportional movement. Although I don’t think the cutscenes are as good as the ones done by Blur Studios for Halo 2 Anniversary, they’re definitely second. General direction and editing is clean with good voice over levels. And the renderings of Mike Colter and Nathan Fillion are absolutely uncanny. It’s the kind of facial representation work that sets a new standard for this year. Sound quality is also very high. Mixing is great, as my Astro a40s and a50s presented the 7.1 audio as well as they have in any Halo. Some scuttle has been made about the new weapon sound process and how the main character’s gun doesn’t have the “oomph” of previous games. Personally, I didn’t notice too radical of a negative change, but the sound space is definitely busier. Kazuma Jinnouchi spearheaded the soundtrack. The work done by Marty O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori is iconic and will never be overtaken in the hearts and ears of Halo fans. Having said that, Jinnouchi san and his musicians should be very proud of the collection they curated, as it is right instep with the epic orchestral pieces we’ve come to expect. On the multiplayer side, the sound design is just as sharp, but the visuals lack some of the “pop.” My guess is some sacrifices had to be made in details so that the resolution and frame rate could run error free for all players. The last noteworthy presentation aspect is a strange one, but is worth mentioning. Guardians is the first in series to be given a Teen rating by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Hearing that makes one thing perhaps the series has lost some of its teeth and won’t display the usual level of unfettered violence. Fortunately, this is not the case. At no point did I think H5 was any less ruthless than its predecessors. To be fair, I’m not really sure what the change in ratings is directly related to except for the lack of human blood. I didn’t remember any of my team or human NPCs bleeding due to damage. It’ll be interesting to see if the more inclusive rating adds to the sales numbers that would have been had otherwise with a Mature marking.
