The Halo 5: Guardians Beta has been live for a week now, giving fans plenty of time to get a feel for the game and experience the new features and mechanics for themselves.
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I've played many hours of the beta by now, and come to a few conclusions about the changes and additions. My thoughts are overall quite positive--Halo 5 has grown on me the more I've played, and I think it's a lot of fun. Below are individual reactions based on the each of the new mechanics, with fuller impressions to follow at a later time.
For context, I'm a long-time fan who prefers competitive settings, and have been a hardcore follower of the competitive scene for many years. I have the same concerns and thoughts as many of you, and am also considering the game from the perspective of the general public--not just the enthusiasts. A common theme is that there are many differences from traditional Halo in the new game, but change is not always a bad thing--read on with an open mind.
Halo 5 Is Visually Impressive
This will be a short one as it doesn't have much impact on the gameplay, but this is a good-looking title. The soft lighting, high quality textures, and character models look great, and weapon effects such as zooming with the Light Rifle are really neat. The Spartan animations for the winning team after a match are a bit silly, but launching into Breakout matches off a mancannon is satisfying. Well done, 343--you've made a very attractive game.
The Climbing Mechanic Works
Say what you will about climbing the geometry with an animation not feeling very Halo-like, but I'm not sold on that being a negative. While it may be a change, I think it's a solid addition, and makes traversing the map more fun and dynamic. Boosting or jumping to a ledge and pulling yourself up is both useful and feels cool, and it doesn't break the game. Maps (such as Truth's hole top middle, which should probably be removed) have to be careful about giving the mechanic too much power, but I enjoy using it, and believe it rewards clever movement and decisions.
While it hasn't been seen in Halo before, the Counter Strike style (one life per round, no respawns) gameplay of Breakout has a lot of potential. While I'm not sure about SMG starts and don't love the map Crossfire, those have more to do with settings than the game mode itself. On a casual level, it can be a fun diversion from the usual game, providing some tense standoffs if teams are evenly matched. It can also be frustrating when watching teammates make poor decisions that ruin it for your team, since there's even more impact from individuals than usual. On a competitive level, we've seen the gametype work in Counter Strike and Call of Duty, and I think it has potential with the right settings and maps.
The New Presentation Is A Bit Overstuffed, But Thoughtfully Done
Spartans calling out everything that happens during the game can get a bit old, but I don't mind being told our team picked up the sniper, or that power weapons are about to spawn. It could get messy and confusing in competitive tournaments and can hopefully be turned off, but those additions don't bother me on their own. The name of the area you're currently in on the map is displayed above the radar, which is useful for learning and referencing. The in-game voiceover is even more cheesy than before, but that's sort of meant to be. Medals are well-implemented and are satusfying to be rewarded, such as Reversal for winning a fight you begin when down shots, and it's all streamlined. Everything is accessible, understandable, and has a uniting (and appealing) aesthetic. The controller layout choices are the standard fare with multiple setups available, and there are a good number of options for turning on or altering the function of new mechanics--I can only assume the full game will expand on the customization offerings.
