Revered by legions of fans (often Americans), the Halo license has managed the feat of anchoring itself so deeply in the hearts of players that each release has become a challenge for Microsoft, which is counting on its famous Spartan to boost the console sales. Moreover, the link has become so close that the Windows Phone personal assistant found on the Windows 10 PC operating system has even taken on the name of the famous artificial intelligence that watches over the Major, namely Cortana. For Halo 5 Guardians, the stakes remain the same. Announced in 2012 then teased at E3 2013 during the launch of the Xbox One, the title of 343 Industries is closely linked to the new platform, and it is for this reason that one of the first aspects that jumps to the eye when we launch the game is its technical side. While the majority of games on Xbox One are content with a resolution lower than Full HD, or restrict their framerate to a minimum, Halo 5 sends heavy! 1080p and 60 fps, we may say that these are only figures, once faced with the final product, it is clear that these figures have an undeniable impact on visual quality. It's simple, Halo 5 is surely one of the most beautiful current FPS on Xbox One. From the first moments we realize that the rendering is clean (perhaps a little too much sometimes moreover), all supported by a framerate of 60fps with flawless stability. No question of seeing the sacrosanct fluidity called into question here, the airfrag pros will be able to have a field day. Well, we're not going to lie to each other either, the sets aren't the most detailed in the world, but the Halo atmosphere is clearly there and if some sets are a bit empty, most of the combat zones offer a pleasant result, pleasantly underlined by splendid decorations in the background. Similarly, the scenes where we rub close to the famous Guardians are really impressive, especially when moving vertically, welded to the floor by the magnetic boots provided with the Spartan armor.
THESE ARE SPARTANS !
On solid technical bases, the development team of 343 industries has therefore developed a brand new single player mode which has some nice new features, starting with a new scenario. The events therefore follow Halo 4 and for this new opus, the game designers have decided to have us embody two heroes as is currently the fashion. No GTA 5 madness though, here each mission will be played with the corresponding character. We will therefore play on the one hand with Spartan Locke, a loudmouthed Black who leads the Omega team under the orders of the heads of the UNSC, as well as Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey. The latter will give you the mission to find Cortana, as well as the second playable protagonist who is none other than the Spartan-17 and his Blue team. The Master Chief has meanwhile gone into freelance / freelancer mode since he is also looking to find Cortana but for her face, a story that she explains about past events. You guessed it, this double point of view will allow you to understand the story from two different angles, which is a very powerful narrative tool to distill a catchy scenario. Without spoiling the script, you will be faced with the awakening of the Guardians, Forerunner entities who are formidable war machines capable of subjugating any planet to the desire of whoever controls them. With a lifespan of 10 to 12 hours, this campaign is consistent with what we can see in the series, quite classic even and what we can ultimately blame the game: doing Halo without taking any risks .
You guessed it, this double point of view will allow you to understand the story from two different angles, which is a very powerful narrative tool to distill a catchy scenario.
It's not just the single-player campaign and progression that remain traditional, the arsenal of weapons too, since it evolves very little and still offers the same three types of weapons that we know by heart. , namely those of the Spartans, Covenants and Forerunners. But the traditions are also good since we find varied combat zones, even if the most pleasant are obviously the large arenas which often have a polished level design offering multiple tactical possibilities. Heavy weapons such as plasma turrets or tripod weapons that you can take on your arm are carried over, and still offer a great tactical advantage when fighting against many AIs. In terms of vehicles, tradition still remains with the Warthog (in machine gun and railgun versions), the Ghosts, the Scorpion tank or the Phaeton. The latter will be put to good use during long passages where you will have to demonstrate your skills as a fighter pilot, either by attacking a main target or by protecting your team.
BLUE TEAM OR RED TEAM ?
However, we can address a small criticism on the AI, whether it's not really very smart enemies and often locked in dodging patterns without ever really going on the offensive, but also your colleagues who are not hardly any geniuses either. Indeed, once on the ground you will have to seek the help of your allies so that they heal you and get you back on your feet. A rather well-thought-out system, because if you ever had the misfortune to die next to a big, strong villain, your team-mates will stupidly come to where you are lying in single file, a bit like they were going to the slaughterhouse. No group tactics work for friendly AIs which are absolutely all focused on your healing at the expense of attacking the enemy, turning them into ideal targets for the latter. In short, in a few seconds the case is folded, restart because of decimated squad. Fortunately, to overcome these problems, the developers at 343 industries have thought of including a multiplayer mode in Halo 5 Guardians. The latter is divided into two modes, Arena and Warzone, which offer you different challenges. The "Arena" mode, as its name suggests, throws you into small Quake-style arenas for Deathmatches and other nervous Capture the Flag.
With a lifespan of 10 to 12 hours, this campaign is consistent with what we can see in the series, quite classic even and what we can ultimately blame the game: doing Halo without taking any risks .
Kingdom of the kings of the trigger, the "Arena" mode is also inspired by the reference of id Software by making the most powerful weapons appear in very precise places, knowing that a cooldown is activated as soon as the weapon is picked up. You will therefore have to know the maps thoroughly and count the seconds in your head to be able to optimize the patterns in order to seize all the heavy artillery. Always hyper-nervous and focused on your ability to move fully by achieving the most accurate jumps, the "Arena" mode should appeal to multiplayer shooter purists. The "Warzone" mode is much more inspired by Battlefield and others with open maps and objective capture parts. With the bonus card system that allows you to requisition vehicles and special weapons (like in Planet Side 2), this mode is more for players who love big battlefields and group actions. The maps have seriously gained in terms of square meters compared to what had been seen in previous games. Thereupon, Microsoft has added servers that host up to 24 players simultaneously, which promises fairly heavy fighting, especially since AI-managed fighters can be added to expand the ranks a bit like a Titanfall. As in the solo mode, you will now be able to heal your teammates directly, just to accentuate team play, regardless of the game mode.
