[X15] Everything You Need to Know About Halo 5: Guardians

On Wednesday August 19th the GCE team were invited to what we can only describe as “Nerdvana”. Situated in a venue usually reserved for large rock concerts, Xbox Canada held X15, their yearly showcase of new and exciting games and hardware for Microsoft.

The first thing that we noticed when we walked in was the 24-person gaming setup under an incredibly large Halo 5 banner, and that was just the beginning. We had the opportunity to sit in on an exclusive preview, and were among the first people in Canada to watch everything Halo 5. Here’s a little bit about what we learned during our time with the developers.

Halo 5 Guardians is home to the largest campaign to date and it was a three-year prospect to bring the game to life. It was ambition on an epic scale not only for the campaign, but for multiplayer as well. There is something for every style and type of player, from the 24 player multiplayer, to the twenty maps that are available at launch, no player is restricted because they do not have a map pack. All maps will be available to all players, and fifteen additional maps will be made available following the launch of the game.

As for characters, there are both new and returning cast and you can play as two squads that are comprised of two men and two women on each team. Be a member of the Blue Team lead by Master Chief with Frederick, Kelly and Linda at your side, or as Fireteam OSIRIS, led by Spartan Locke with Tanaka, Buck (voiced by Nathan Fillion) and Vale assisting you. Oh and spoiler alert, but no, this will not be the game where Master Chief takes off his helmet.

Halo 5 was developed and built with a co-op game experience in mind. With dedicated servers, there will be a seamless drop in and drop out should your friends want to assist you on your mission. If they leave, the advanced AI takes over again and you are able to control them. There are also some great new abilities you can try out, such as the shoulder charge for those stubborn doors, and the ground pound, which stuns or kills enemies in close range.

Your team is your weapon. Work as a team through covenant forces and give fireteam orders, telling members of your squad where they need to be. Have them flank right as you take the high ground and snipe your enemies from above. If you or one of your squad get injured, you can revive them and keep them fighting. Gone are the days when the AI does nothing; now you can order them out into the middle of the room to draw fire if needed.

Halo 5 aims to be at least twice as long as Halo 4 in campaign mode and as Master Chief goes rogue and players uncover the mysteries of what is going on, this game promises to be everything fans have been hoping for and with a 60FPS frame cap, you can be rest assured that this game looks as beautiful as it sounds. We are just hoping that this game launches sans all the bugs that the Master Chief Collection was inundated with.

You can pick up Halo 5: Guardians on October 27.

Check out some great concept artwork provided by 343 Industries.