Halo: 5 Guardians makes its debut

STORY BY CHELSEA HOGG

Since the franchise began more than 14 years ago, Halo has released over eight full-length games and one anniversary edition game.

The latest release, Halo 5: Guardians, was released Oct. 27 at midnight all over the world.  Sam Bailie, 19, purchased the game on Day One and has since completed it.

“I wasn’t really a fan of Halo 4 but when the ads came out and saw Chief as the bad guy, it was a concept I wanted to see,” said Bailie.

Bailie feels the direction the game took was confusing but interesting.

“In the trailer, it seemed that Locke or Chief would die in this epic battle as their world crumbled but that wasn’t the case at all,” Bailie said.

Levi Courchesne, creator of Levi inc. (a YouTube channel based on gaming), had great expectations for the storyline. And, he says, those expectations were met.

“I love that they involved a lot of the lore from the Halo books and comics into the series,” said Courchesne, a 23-year-old from Sterling, Ont.

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The latest version also features something called requisition, or REQ packs. These bonuses can be earned through gameplay or via micro-transactions. There is still one item Courchesne has yet to find.

“REQ packs are just a little bundle of joy that Halo gives us, but I still haven’t seen the original rocket launcher and I hope to get one in a pack in the near future,” Courchesne said.

One drawback to the game is that to get the overall best screen quality, 343 Industries decided to cut out the multiplayer split-screen.

“If I were to recommend this game to anyone, I would first ask them if they need to be able to play split-screen on multiplayer because if not, then they might not like it,” said Bailie.

But without the split-screen, Halo 5’s resolution and frame rate are higher with sharp, clean visuals.

“It looks fantastic, even if we have to sacrifice something that we love,” said Courchesne.

James Taggart, a 23-year-old from Toronto also known by his cosplay name “J Spartan 115,” says this game was great from the start.

“Even from what I saw in the beta, I was really impressed,” said Taggart.

He also says the new addition to the online gameplay, Warzone, has improved the experience.

“Now with Warzone, the game has an all new online setup.”

Courchesne feels Warzone is the next big thing – and might set a trend with other games.

“I can see this concept going further and becoming a new option in games to come,” said Courchesne.

Bailie also feels Warzone is a great addition, but no substitute for split-screen multiplayer.

“I understand the adjustment that had to be made, but I loved split-screen,” says Bailie.

Courchesne says campaign mode keeps things interesting, with the ability to see both sides of the main characters Spartan Locke and the Master Chief.

“You get to play in the eyes of two people fighting for the same cause,” said Courchesne.