never cared for Halo campaigns (or any fps story mode) so the fact it ain't all that is fine by me. gonna wait a bit and hear more player opinions of the multiplayer to see if it's worth coppin
Halo 5: Guardians [Official Thread]
- Thread starter Kamikaze Revy
- Start date
looks like everything but that shyt in red was on point.
Opinion: Halo 5’s Ads Lied to You
Hunt the truth and you’ll find misleading marketing.
Here’s a strange spoiler warning: Beware, what you’re about to read will completely spoil what does not happen in Halo 5: Guardians — because Microsoft’s ad campaign has been lying to you. Most of the cinematic scenes you’ve seen for Halo 5 tell a very different story than the game itself.
Opinion: Halo 5’s Ads Lied to You - IGN
Basically without ruining anything, what this guy is saying that nothing that was shown in the trailers actually happens. Apparently the story isn't anywhere near as deep as the trailers made the campaign out to be. You won't see some huge edge of your seat conflict between Master Chief and Locke.
Hunt the truth and you’ll find misleading marketing.
Here’s a strange spoiler warning: Beware, what you’re about to read will completely spoil what does not happen in Halo 5: Guardians — because Microsoft’s ad campaign has been lying to you. Most of the cinematic scenes you’ve seen for Halo 5 tell a very different story than the game itself.
Let’s go back to the beginning.
The debut trailer for "Halo for Xbox One," shown at E3 2013, has little resemblance to anything that happens in Halo 5: Guardians. The lonely robed traveler wandering through a desert wasteland never shows up anywhere, even thematically. In fact, your squad is with you the entire way -- this is a co-op campaign all the way. Nothing about this scene seems to matter to the main plot, other than the existence of the winged Guardian itself.
It’s understandable — it’s a tease for something we’d learn more about over the course of two years. Plus, game development is volatile, and stories often change dramatically over the course of production. In this case the pattern continued long into the process, and the Halo 5 that’s been sold to us on television and online is not the Halo 5 you’ll be playing on Xbox One this week.
The most baffling piece of marketing is the commercial two-pack showing two separate perspectives of the same scene. You may remember Master Chief looking down on a dying Locke, contrasting with an alternate scene that reverses the roles and shows a Locke chastising a wounded John 117. Both scenes end with an implied execution in a ravaged city, whose last standing structure is a monument to Master Chief. Above, UNSC’s Infinity is smoldering in the sky, possibly sinking toward the planet’s surface.
None of this happens in Halo 5. Not even close.
It’s disappointing — this "two sides to every story" concept is a brilliant duo of ads. Each tells a subtle story with clever (even metaphorical) environmental storytelling. The sweeping music paired with the furious dialogue paints a brutal picture. Something big is about to go down. These guys do not see eye to eye. Both think the other deserves to die, and maybe one of them will. I was looking forward to playing that game.
“
Microsoft didn’t flip the script in a surprising way -- it was an entirely different script...
Yet the attitudes these men have toward each other in Halo 5: Guardians is entirely different. This location, these events, and even that statue are completely absent. Either something radically changed after those trailers were made, or we’re supposed to believe something about Halo 5 that isn’t true.
Again, perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising. The Xbox YouTube description for the Master Chief and Spartan Locke ads explain, "The hunt begins Fall 2015 with the release of Halo 5: Guardians, where the truth is never what it seems." It’s fascinating to think that we’ve been consciously misled, meant to believe something that would later surprise us. It doesn’t make it any less disappointing that the "Hunt the Truth" narrative — from the advertisements to the excellent podcast — have no recognizable significance to Halo 5: Guardians.
"Now I must save us from you" is not a point of view Locke ever holds in Halo 5, and Master Chief is never cast as a "betrayer." In hindsight, Locke’s suggestion that John is a destroyer rather than a protector seems unjustifiable to me. Likewise, Master Chief asks Locke, "Was everything you’ve done, everything you’ve compromised, worth it?" as though this is a conflict we’ll ever experience in Halo 5. It’s not.
I’d like to think this is the result of a massive story overhaul, but even the recent launch television commercial (above) establishes a tone and story I don’t recognize. You could argue certain things happened prior to Halo 5’s beginning, maybe, but the fact that little of this material shows up in the campaign means we’re still looking at two separate stories.
Halo 5’s misleading marketing would have you believe this is "the greatest hunt in gaming history,” but Locke’s position as ONI's attack dog in Halo 5 is poorly established and amounts to nothing in Halo 5. The relationship between these Spartans doesn’t even try to hit the same emotional highs of the bleak trailers. These characters exist around each other in a story that’s about something considerably different than their personal conflict -- and that’s not nearly as interesting as what we’ve been promised.
All too often, trailers for films and games summarize rather than tantalize; maybe it’s a good thing we’ve seen supplementary material, or scenes meant to evoke a feeling rather than show off the best bits. The downside with Halo 5, however, is that this wasn’t an instance where bits and pieces were taken out of context and later shown in a way that contextualizes the mystery. Microsoft didn’t flip the script in a surprising way -- it was an entirely different script, and it’s just as valid to feel robbed of the story we were expecting to see, and to feel betrayed by a bait-and-switch on this scale.
The debut trailer for "Halo for Xbox One," shown at E3 2013, has little resemblance to anything that happens in Halo 5: Guardians. The lonely robed traveler wandering through a desert wasteland never shows up anywhere, even thematically. In fact, your squad is with you the entire way -- this is a co-op campaign all the way. Nothing about this scene seems to matter to the main plot, other than the existence of the winged Guardian itself.
It’s understandable — it’s a tease for something we’d learn more about over the course of two years. Plus, game development is volatile, and stories often change dramatically over the course of production. In this case the pattern continued long into the process, and the Halo 5 that’s been sold to us on television and online is not the Halo 5 you’ll be playing on Xbox One this week.
The most baffling piece of marketing is the commercial two-pack showing two separate perspectives of the same scene. You may remember Master Chief looking down on a dying Locke, contrasting with an alternate scene that reverses the roles and shows a Locke chastising a wounded John 117. Both scenes end with an implied execution in a ravaged city, whose last standing structure is a monument to Master Chief. Above, UNSC’s Infinity is smoldering in the sky, possibly sinking toward the planet’s surface.
None of this happens in Halo 5. Not even close.
It’s disappointing — this "two sides to every story" concept is a brilliant duo of ads. Each tells a subtle story with clever (even metaphorical) environmental storytelling. The sweeping music paired with the furious dialogue paints a brutal picture. Something big is about to go down. These guys do not see eye to eye. Both think the other deserves to die, and maybe one of them will. I was looking forward to playing that game.
“
Microsoft didn’t flip the script in a surprising way -- it was an entirely different script...
Yet the attitudes these men have toward each other in Halo 5: Guardians is entirely different. This location, these events, and even that statue are completely absent. Either something radically changed after those trailers were made, or we’re supposed to believe something about Halo 5 that isn’t true.
Again, perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising. The Xbox YouTube description for the Master Chief and Spartan Locke ads explain, "The hunt begins Fall 2015 with the release of Halo 5: Guardians, where the truth is never what it seems." It’s fascinating to think that we’ve been consciously misled, meant to believe something that would later surprise us. It doesn’t make it any less disappointing that the "Hunt the Truth" narrative — from the advertisements to the excellent podcast — have no recognizable significance to Halo 5: Guardians.
"Now I must save us from you" is not a point of view Locke ever holds in Halo 5, and Master Chief is never cast as a "betrayer." In hindsight, Locke’s suggestion that John is a destroyer rather than a protector seems unjustifiable to me. Likewise, Master Chief asks Locke, "Was everything you’ve done, everything you’ve compromised, worth it?" as though this is a conflict we’ll ever experience in Halo 5. It’s not.
I’d like to think this is the result of a massive story overhaul, but even the recent launch television commercial (above) establishes a tone and story I don’t recognize. You could argue certain things happened prior to Halo 5’s beginning, maybe, but the fact that little of this material shows up in the campaign means we’re still looking at two separate stories.
Halo 5’s misleading marketing would have you believe this is "the greatest hunt in gaming history,” but Locke’s position as ONI's attack dog in Halo 5 is poorly established and amounts to nothing in Halo 5. The relationship between these Spartans doesn’t even try to hit the same emotional highs of the bleak trailers. These characters exist around each other in a story that’s about something considerably different than their personal conflict -- and that’s not nearly as interesting as what we’ve been promised.
All too often, trailers for films and games summarize rather than tantalize; maybe it’s a good thing we’ve seen supplementary material, or scenes meant to evoke a feeling rather than show off the best bits. The downside with Halo 5, however, is that this wasn’t an instance where bits and pieces were taken out of context and later shown in a way that contextualizes the mystery. Microsoft didn’t flip the script in a surprising way -- it was an entirely different script, and it’s just as valid to feel robbed of the story we were expecting to see, and to feel betrayed by a bait-and-switch on this scale.
Basically without ruining anything, what this guy is saying that nothing that was shown in the trailers actually happens. Apparently the story isn't anywhere near as deep as the trailers made the campaign out to be. You won't see some huge edge of your seat conflict between Master Chief and Locke.
LucaBrasi
West Coast Legend
Got the game early from my home and 
played atleast 20 games since last night and I haven't even touched the Campaign yet which I usually always do first.
Couple thoughts on the MP, this game got real dedicated servers and it's obvious from the first moment you get in queue. Games take max 1 min to start and so far I haven't run into ANY kind of lag or delay. As far as balance to me so far the game is super tight. The start load out workes well and no weapon seems OP yet.
Oh and I'm on a flabby 20 down 2 up btw and been playing with no hiccups everytime.
played atleast 20 games since last night and I haven't even touched the Campaign yet which I usually always do first.Couple thoughts on the MP, this game got real dedicated servers and it's obvious from the first moment you get in queue. Games take max 1 min to start and so far I haven't run into ANY kind of lag or delay. As far as balance to me so far the game is super tight. The start load out workes well and no weapon seems OP yet.
Oh and I'm on a flabby 20 down 2 up btw and been playing with no hiccups everytime.
Wait, so if I was buying this for the campaign, I lost? 
Shamelessly stolen from gaf
OpenCritic
Metacritic - 85
GamingTrend 100/100
Halo 5: Guardians is a masterpiece, and quite possibly the best Halo game so far. The campaign is top-notch, even as Master Chief shares the spotlight, and the multiplayer is largely a return to everything that has made the franchise so beloved to begin with.
Gaming Age 100
It’s a well-crafted Halo experience with enough new bells and whistles to turn around even the most jaded Halo fan, and feels exactly like what you’d want a next-gen Halo game to be. There’s a hefty amount of content to explore here across the campaign and multiplayer modes, with a large map variety at launch and an enjoyable story to uncover. And it all looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous, with fantastic enemy and map designs on top of the excellent technical groundwork behind it all.
BestGamerEver 5/5
In short, Halo 5: Guardians is in my opinion at least, a real return to form for a franchise that felt like it had lost its way ever since Call of Duty took the multiplayer crown on Xbox Live. This is a game that now proudly wears its roots on its sleeve, and plays to its greatest strengths. The multiplayer is fresh and exciting with the new movement options and feels like a true evolution for the series. The campaign is a confident, well told, galaxy spanning adventure with a huge amount of replayability on a scale we’ve never seen.
Saving Content 5/5
If you have an Xbox One, chances are you had Halo in your sights to begin with. You came to this review either to confirm that your money is being well spent in your decision to buy Halo 5 or you have a genuine curiosity about this new Halo after the mess the Master Chief Collection left in your mouth. Well dear reader, feel safe knowing that for that $60 price tag, you’re getting a hell of a game.
Game Over Online 95/100
Halo 5 is an outstanding game and one of the finest first-person shooters ever made. Its design is versatile, and it’s the best-playing entry in the series so far.
Arcade Sushi 9.5/100
Though the story is a draw for longtime fans, most people will be stopping in to check out Halo 5's multiplayer, and it's there 343's direction really shines.
Multiplayer.it: 9.5
Italian Words
Reclaimed Hub 9/10
Everything is perfectly executed, be it Kazuma Jinnouchi’s masterful soundtrack, Sotaro Tojima’s outstanding sound design, the fun and witty banter between Locke, Tanaka, Buck, and Vale, or the fun of crushing kids in Arena multiplayer with your best friends, Halo 5 nails it all for me, making it my favorite overall Halo game to date.
EGM 9/10
The continuation of a new Master Chief saga, the refinement and additions to multiplayer for casual and pros alike, plus a gorgeous presentation made possible by current generation technology—all add up to the makings of a FPS worthy of the Halo series’ best iterations.
Gamer.no 9/10
What language is this?
Game Revolution 90/100
As a series, Halo has been the one triple-A shooter that has fans for the story as well as the multiplayer. Depending on where you are on the spectrum between story and gameplay, you can take my grade up or down a half point. If you’re looking for a frag-fest, plus all the enticements of the new Warzone mode, Halo 5 is a must-own.
Polygon 9/10
Halo 5 feels like it knows its obligations. The campaign's narrative is likely to prove controversial, though its biggest sin may be its familiarity. Otherwise, Halo 5 excels under the pressure, providing one of the most welcoming, competitive, balanced and fun games of the year — and providing my personal favorite Halo multiplayer since the series began.
Metro GameCentral
The story campaign is a mild disappointment but the multiplayer is a bold reinvention of the Halo experience, that should keep the series fresh for years to come.
Wegotthiscovered 4.5/5
Halo 5: Guardians, is, by all accounts, the total package. The gameplay is immensely satisfying and leaps and bounds ahead of previous entries, which is saying a lot. And while I wasn’t terribly engaged by the plot and felt that the campaign was slightly more underwhelming than some of the series’ other games, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have a blast playing it.
Spazio Games 8.5/10
Italian Words
Attack of The Fanboy 4.5/5
Any worry that Halo might be in the wrong hands with 343 Industries has been wiped out by Halo 5: Guardians. The campaign has some story issues, with Halo 6 promising to really deliver the goods, but the design is impeccable, and will certainly warrant multiple playthroughs.
Gaming Instinct 8.5/10
Overall, Halo 5: Guardians is a good Halo game that has the best gameplay in the series, and that is a bold thing to say for a franchise that’s been running for 14 straight years now. However, the technical sacrifices and image quality losses are a little too much this time around. It hurts me to say that Halo 5: Guardians is not a game of the year material because I know many people expected it to be.
Escapist 4.5/5
Multiplayer is really where 343 needed to prove themselves and regain some of that goodwill from Halo fans, which is fortunate, because multiplayer is where Halo 5 shines brightest. Forget everything you knew about Halo 4's multiplayer. 343 wisely went back to the drawing board and scrapped nearly everything about Halo 4's widely criticized multiplayer offerings.
Giant Bomb 4/5
There will certainly be some players who find that the specific omissions in Halo 5 are extremely disappointing, and you'll see a rough edge or two, but all in all there's a fantastic big-budget shooter in Halo 5 with lots to see and enough multiplayer options to keep you going for quite some time.
US Gamer 4/5
As a package, Halo 5: Guardians is a very solid offering. While the campaign mode has its ups and downs – and to be blunt, doesn't take particularly long to complete – it's nevertheless enjoyable, even if it can get a little relentless and repetitive at times. But its highs definitely outweigh its lows, and if you play it on the more challenging levels – and especially if you play it in co-op mode – it's entertaining enough.
Windows Central 8/10
A big part of the Halo feel is cutting edge graphics and sound. Halo 5 won't disappoint on either front. This one looks better than any Halo before it thanks to fantastic art direction and the clever dynamic resolution technology. When things get too hectic, the resolution drops slightly to maintain a constant 60 FPS frame rate. Thus it never chugs, and you're usually too busy fighting Prometheans and the Covenant to notice the shifts in resolution. The music impresses too, especially thanks to the return of the Halo theme that Halo 4 mysteriously lacked.
Hardcore Gamer: 4/5
Halo 5: Guardians is a fine-tuned machine. It has a robust and highly addictive competitive multiplayer component, a large variety of aesthetically pleasing customizations and some of the tightest controls to ever grace a Halo title. Unfortunately, the campaign leaves much to be desired. While it features four player cooperative play through the entirety of the experience, the plot is both poorly structured and awkwardly paced.
Progress Bar 8/10
While the story of Halo 5 – Guardians may not be as solid as hardcore fans would like to see, the gameplay covers for it with impressive captivation and usage throughout the entire campaign. For the first standalone Halo title for the Xbox One, it’s certainly a worthy addition to the franchise with a long multiplayer life ahead of itself.
Examiner 80/100
Halo 5 Guardians is a beautiful, challenging and entertaining step forward for the series both on the multiplayer and campaign front, even despite the decreased role of Master Chief. Trust in 343 Industries, Halo fans.
Lazygamer 7.9/10
A short, disappointing tale makes nearly no progress in 343’s trilogy, and offers nothing that lives up to the billing of a tense showdown between Halo 5’s two protagonists. Thankfully the improved gameplay and consistently great multiplayer shine in Halo's uneven debut on the Xbox One. The multiplayer is fantastic, and the co-op is magical. Bring friends.
Gameblog 4/5
Return to form.
Time 3.5/5
A Mediocre Story With Terrific Multiplayer
Destructoid - 7
If it weren't for Warzone, Halo 5: Guardians would probably be somewhere on the lower end of the franchise's spectrum for me. It's still a fantastic and well-oiled machine, but the story falls flat, and the shift in gameplay mechanics result in the loss of some elements that made the series so unique in the first place. Still, if you're looking to shoot some dudes online, Guardians is your huckleberry.
Paste Magazine 6/10
But at the end of the day, there just isn’t that much here for me, even as a casual-sometimes-hardcore Halo fan. If you think Destiny could scratch the itch you have for Halo, pick it up over this game. If not, buckle in for an underwhelming mechanical retread with a so-so story framing the whole experience.
Digital Spy
Halo 5: Guardians features an underwhelming, confusing and surprisingly banal campaign that's not actively bad, but equally not quite good enough to warrant a purchase on its own.
IGN -RIP Review in Progress
Developer 343 Industries has engineered the strongest combat Halo has ever seen, with tons of excellent weapons, varied maps, an expansive and intense new multiplayer mode joining a host of returning greats, and some game-changing new mobility. At the same time, Guardians repeats Halo 4’s mistake of telling a story that can’t stand on its own without Halo’s expanded universe. This hurts, but doesn’t ruin, its otherwise impressive cooperative campaign.
Guide Live - Campaign Review
Halo 5 changes just enough of the Halo formula to feel fresh while not feeling like it's morphed into something else entirely. Its final moments may frustrate those who want to "finish the fight" immediately and see this story's conclusion, but the plot puts a lot of exciting pieces in motion, and it's a blast to play through from beginning to end.
The Verge
Don’t play Halo 5 for its story, then. Play Halo 5 because it’s bursting with invention, an absolute masterclass in how to craft a first-person shooter, and the best reason yet to own an Xbox One. For all its technical quirks and plot deficiencies, Halo is once again the best time you can have shooting aliens in the face.
OpenCritic
Metacritic - 85
GamingTrend 100/100
Halo 5: Guardians is a masterpiece, and quite possibly the best Halo game so far. The campaign is top-notch, even as Master Chief shares the spotlight, and the multiplayer is largely a return to everything that has made the franchise so beloved to begin with.
Gaming Age 100
It’s a well-crafted Halo experience with enough new bells and whistles to turn around even the most jaded Halo fan, and feels exactly like what you’d want a next-gen Halo game to be. There’s a hefty amount of content to explore here across the campaign and multiplayer modes, with a large map variety at launch and an enjoyable story to uncover. And it all looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous, with fantastic enemy and map designs on top of the excellent technical groundwork behind it all.
BestGamerEver 5/5
In short, Halo 5: Guardians is in my opinion at least, a real return to form for a franchise that felt like it had lost its way ever since Call of Duty took the multiplayer crown on Xbox Live. This is a game that now proudly wears its roots on its sleeve, and plays to its greatest strengths. The multiplayer is fresh and exciting with the new movement options and feels like a true evolution for the series. The campaign is a confident, well told, galaxy spanning adventure with a huge amount of replayability on a scale we’ve never seen.
Saving Content 5/5
If you have an Xbox One, chances are you had Halo in your sights to begin with. You came to this review either to confirm that your money is being well spent in your decision to buy Halo 5 or you have a genuine curiosity about this new Halo after the mess the Master Chief Collection left in your mouth. Well dear reader, feel safe knowing that for that $60 price tag, you’re getting a hell of a game.
Game Over Online 95/100
Halo 5 is an outstanding game and one of the finest first-person shooters ever made. Its design is versatile, and it’s the best-playing entry in the series so far.
Arcade Sushi 9.5/100
Though the story is a draw for longtime fans, most people will be stopping in to check out Halo 5's multiplayer, and it's there 343's direction really shines.
Multiplayer.it: 9.5
Italian Words
Reclaimed Hub 9/10
Everything is perfectly executed, be it Kazuma Jinnouchi’s masterful soundtrack, Sotaro Tojima’s outstanding sound design, the fun and witty banter between Locke, Tanaka, Buck, and Vale, or the fun of crushing kids in Arena multiplayer with your best friends, Halo 5 nails it all for me, making it my favorite overall Halo game to date.
EGM 9/10
The continuation of a new Master Chief saga, the refinement and additions to multiplayer for casual and pros alike, plus a gorgeous presentation made possible by current generation technology—all add up to the makings of a FPS worthy of the Halo series’ best iterations.
Gamer.no 9/10
What language is this?
Game Revolution 90/100
As a series, Halo has been the one triple-A shooter that has fans for the story as well as the multiplayer. Depending on where you are on the spectrum between story and gameplay, you can take my grade up or down a half point. If you’re looking for a frag-fest, plus all the enticements of the new Warzone mode, Halo 5 is a must-own.
Polygon 9/10
Halo 5 feels like it knows its obligations. The campaign's narrative is likely to prove controversial, though its biggest sin may be its familiarity. Otherwise, Halo 5 excels under the pressure, providing one of the most welcoming, competitive, balanced and fun games of the year — and providing my personal favorite Halo multiplayer since the series began.
Metro GameCentral
The story campaign is a mild disappointment but the multiplayer is a bold reinvention of the Halo experience, that should keep the series fresh for years to come.
Wegotthiscovered 4.5/5
Halo 5: Guardians, is, by all accounts, the total package. The gameplay is immensely satisfying and leaps and bounds ahead of previous entries, which is saying a lot. And while I wasn’t terribly engaged by the plot and felt that the campaign was slightly more underwhelming than some of the series’ other games, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have a blast playing it.
Spazio Games 8.5/10
Italian Words
Attack of The Fanboy 4.5/5
Any worry that Halo might be in the wrong hands with 343 Industries has been wiped out by Halo 5: Guardians. The campaign has some story issues, with Halo 6 promising to really deliver the goods, but the design is impeccable, and will certainly warrant multiple playthroughs.
Gaming Instinct 8.5/10
Overall, Halo 5: Guardians is a good Halo game that has the best gameplay in the series, and that is a bold thing to say for a franchise that’s been running for 14 straight years now. However, the technical sacrifices and image quality losses are a little too much this time around. It hurts me to say that Halo 5: Guardians is not a game of the year material because I know many people expected it to be.
Escapist 4.5/5
Multiplayer is really where 343 needed to prove themselves and regain some of that goodwill from Halo fans, which is fortunate, because multiplayer is where Halo 5 shines brightest. Forget everything you knew about Halo 4's multiplayer. 343 wisely went back to the drawing board and scrapped nearly everything about Halo 4's widely criticized multiplayer offerings.
Giant Bomb 4/5
There will certainly be some players who find that the specific omissions in Halo 5 are extremely disappointing, and you'll see a rough edge or two, but all in all there's a fantastic big-budget shooter in Halo 5 with lots to see and enough multiplayer options to keep you going for quite some time.
US Gamer 4/5
As a package, Halo 5: Guardians is a very solid offering. While the campaign mode has its ups and downs – and to be blunt, doesn't take particularly long to complete – it's nevertheless enjoyable, even if it can get a little relentless and repetitive at times. But its highs definitely outweigh its lows, and if you play it on the more challenging levels – and especially if you play it in co-op mode – it's entertaining enough.
Windows Central 8/10
A big part of the Halo feel is cutting edge graphics and sound. Halo 5 won't disappoint on either front. This one looks better than any Halo before it thanks to fantastic art direction and the clever dynamic resolution technology. When things get too hectic, the resolution drops slightly to maintain a constant 60 FPS frame rate. Thus it never chugs, and you're usually too busy fighting Prometheans and the Covenant to notice the shifts in resolution. The music impresses too, especially thanks to the return of the Halo theme that Halo 4 mysteriously lacked.
Hardcore Gamer: 4/5
Halo 5: Guardians is a fine-tuned machine. It has a robust and highly addictive competitive multiplayer component, a large variety of aesthetically pleasing customizations and some of the tightest controls to ever grace a Halo title. Unfortunately, the campaign leaves much to be desired. While it features four player cooperative play through the entirety of the experience, the plot is both poorly structured and awkwardly paced.
Progress Bar 8/10
While the story of Halo 5 – Guardians may not be as solid as hardcore fans would like to see, the gameplay covers for it with impressive captivation and usage throughout the entire campaign. For the first standalone Halo title for the Xbox One, it’s certainly a worthy addition to the franchise with a long multiplayer life ahead of itself.
Examiner 80/100
Halo 5 Guardians is a beautiful, challenging and entertaining step forward for the series both on the multiplayer and campaign front, even despite the decreased role of Master Chief. Trust in 343 Industries, Halo fans.
Lazygamer 7.9/10
A short, disappointing tale makes nearly no progress in 343’s trilogy, and offers nothing that lives up to the billing of a tense showdown between Halo 5’s two protagonists. Thankfully the improved gameplay and consistently great multiplayer shine in Halo's uneven debut on the Xbox One. The multiplayer is fantastic, and the co-op is magical. Bring friends.
Gameblog 4/5
Return to form.
Time 3.5/5
A Mediocre Story With Terrific Multiplayer
Destructoid - 7
If it weren't for Warzone, Halo 5: Guardians would probably be somewhere on the lower end of the franchise's spectrum for me. It's still a fantastic and well-oiled machine, but the story falls flat, and the shift in gameplay mechanics result in the loss of some elements that made the series so unique in the first place. Still, if you're looking to shoot some dudes online, Guardians is your huckleberry.
Paste Magazine 6/10
But at the end of the day, there just isn’t that much here for me, even as a casual-sometimes-hardcore Halo fan. If you think Destiny could scratch the itch you have for Halo, pick it up over this game. If not, buckle in for an underwhelming mechanical retread with a so-so story framing the whole experience.
Digital Spy
Halo 5: Guardians features an underwhelming, confusing and surprisingly banal campaign that's not actively bad, but equally not quite good enough to warrant a purchase on its own.
IGN -
Developer 343 Industries has engineered the strongest combat Halo has ever seen, with tons of excellent weapons, varied maps, an expansive and intense new multiplayer mode joining a host of returning greats, and some game-changing new mobility. At the same time, Guardians repeats Halo 4’s mistake of telling a story that can’t stand on its own without Halo’s expanded universe. This hurts, but doesn’t ruin, its otherwise impressive cooperative campaign.
Guide Live - Campaign Review
Halo 5 changes just enough of the Halo formula to feel fresh while not feeling like it's morphed into something else entirely. Its final moments may frustrate those who want to "finish the fight" immediately and see this story's conclusion, but the plot puts a lot of exciting pieces in motion, and it's a blast to play through from beginning to end.
The Verge
Don’t play Halo 5 for its story, then. Play Halo 5 because it’s bursting with invention, an absolute masterclass in how to craft a first-person shooter, and the best reason yet to own an Xbox One. For all its technical quirks and plot deficiencies, Halo is once again the best time you can have shooting aliens in the face.
UPS got the rock, but talkin' bout delivery by 8P 
Sounds like it so farWait, so if I was buying this for the campaign, I lost?
HDKG_
All Star
Somewhat lol that's why I got it but MP isWait, so if I was buying this for the campaign, I lost?
HarlemRiverDrive
Rated X by an all white jury.
Quite literally a Halo 2 repeat of a shytty campaign 
but GODLIKE MP
All 343 had to do is not fukk up the MP, and for that? I'm satisfied.
tbh people getting mad about not playing as Chief more is because they hate to see a nikka succeed
i bet you nikkas
'd it up when Locke was getting punked huh 
no good CAC-soldier stanning CACs
but GODLIKE MP All 343 had to do is not fukk up the MP, and for that? I'm satisfied.
tbh people getting mad about not playing as Chief more is because they hate to see a nikka succeed
i bet you nikkas
'd it up when Locke was getting punked huh no good CAC-soldier stanning CACs
BelowTheMasonDixon
Veteran
I think I might have lost for buying this for the campaign. 
Guess I'll try to learn how to play MP
Guess I'll try to learn how to play MP
Did you end up getting the elite controller? I'm gonna try at my Best Buy during lunch
Quite literally a Halo 2 repeat of a shytty campaign
All 343 had to do is not fukk up the MP, and for that? I'm satisfied.
tbh people getting mad about not playing as Chief more is because they hate to see a nikka succeed
i bet you nikkas
no good CAC-soldier stanning CACs
It's because they cant relate to locke....
