Halo 5: Guardians Review

Halo 5: Guardians struggles to live up to the legacy its predecessors established. If you created a list of the best shooters of all time, Halo: Combat Evolved would be near the top of the list. Unfortunately, we live in a post-Destiny world. With Bungie (the original developers of Halo) at the helm of another franchise making strides and breaking ground, Halo 5 feels like a relic of the past.

There are some amazing moments in this video game, and the multiplayer is a cut above most other space shooters. Halo 5 is certainly not a failure by any means, but it just doesn’t pack the punch of Destiny (especially Destiny 2). When you have infinite options all grabbing at your wallet, it’s hard to feel a strong pull toward this one.

Story

Halo 5: Guardians opens with a cinematic flex. We are introduced to most of the main characters, including performances from Nathan Fillion, Ike Amadi, and Keith David. We are introduced to the “Osiris team” — an elite group of Spartans. The only one missing from the action in this opening mission is Master Chief, whom we meet later in Mission 2. It is a compelling start to a very exciting single player campaign.

Between the various twists of plot, I was often convinced the game was going in a certain direction. Guess what? It was! Not to say that every game has to brutally stray from conventional sci-fi plot cliches, but Halo 5 sits comfortably in a plot that services an excellent multiplayer hub. You’re not going to bring up the plot of Halo 5 at dinner trying to reconnect with your estranged stepdad. The good news is you will likely forget it immediately, leaving a ton of room for other great fiction!