NGB | Halo 5: Guardians Review

NGB wrote: "Given my praise of 2012’s Halo 4, it’s fair to say I’m a fan of the direction 343 Industries has and is taking the Halo series. After playing through Halo 5’s campaign, that opinion hasn’t changed. At its core, it’s still got that familiar Halo feel, but freshened up to match what you’d expect from a modern first-person shooter. It’s so much fun. The higher difficulty settings, excellent AI (both enemy and teammate), collectables and level design mean it’s just begging to be played multiple times too. I have a few minor issues with the story, but in terms of gameplay and the way it flows Halo 5 is the best campaign of the series."

[d_g]

Second Review and the score still at 9

It seems that Halo 5 going to be a masterpiece

[MasterCornholio]

Seems like it and there's nothing wrong with that. I would wait to see more riviews before coming to a conclusion. I'm expecting a minimum metacritic of 8 for this game. It will probably end up in the high 80s or low 90s.

[bananaboats]

im calling mid 90s for metacritic

[MasterCornholio]

@Banana

Ooo that's really high. That's in the territory of Uncharted 2, The Last of Us and Super Mario Galaxy. I'm not saying its not possible but it will be difficult for the game (or any game) to achieve that score. Any reviews under a 9 could cause the final metacritic to plummet.

Anyways if there's one thing that we can agree on is that the game will be great.

[MasterCornholio]

@Timo

Your right about that. Its been ages since Halo 2 or Halo 3 came out so i forgot about that. However those Halos were made by Bungie so i dont expect the newer ones to be the same. Lets see if 343 can deliver.

:)

I dont doubt that they will deliver an excellent game.

Thanks for reminding me about those two games. I remember having a blast with them especially with Halo 3 multiplayer mode.

[APexGamer45]

Looks like it is on a strong start. Hard/silly to call what overall score or whether it be a "masterpiece" on one full review, but good strong start nonetheless.

Also, whats up with "pre negativity"? No one really has said anything negative and most X1 fans jump all over claiming other people will be negative... it is almost as if they are imagining that they are victim of something..

Either way, all gamers should be happy that there is another great game on the market.

[Gazondaily]

Im saying mid 80's for metacritic

[MasterCornholio]

@Septic

Looks like you might be right. It currently has a meta of 86 and I don't expect it to change much at this point.

Regardless an 86 is still an excellent metacritic and nobody should be ashamed of it.

In my opinion anything over an 80 is excellent.

[Ricegum]

Masterpiece after 2 reviews? Come on man. Just wait, and enjoy the the game when you get it. Don't play reviews lol.

[d_g]

Did you read the part when i said "it seems" ?

And why you have to reply anyone who says halo is masterpiece or it's going to be better than that or this....etc it's just my opinion maybe i'm wrong or right who cares.

[vegasgamerdawg]

What part of "It seems that Halo 5 going" do you not understand? He didn't say it was, He said it's looking that way and made no judgements. Seems you can't read through your salt????......

[Scatpants]

You know how when a big game comes out people go nuts over it at first. In 2 weeks people will be saying it sucks just like they did with Metal Gear. At first it was a perfect 10 then 2 weeks later it was repetitive and the story sucked.

[dvewlsh]

Most reviewers are under a very strict NDA for this. The only thing I've heard from people playing it has been along the lines of "the worst Halo game."

That could just be two or three people's opinions, but I dunno. Wait for more reviews to come out.

[Crashbandicoot77]

Its a great game but not the best Halo in the series

[jc12]

Don't know about "masterpiece." That designation should be assigned to those few games that define a generation - as in Halo 2, or The Last of Us. I suppose time will tell.

[memots]

I agree some game just have that feel.

I had that with Halo 2 that original Xbox was quite the machine, First big online matching on console. was epic.

The last of us hmm it definitely is high on the list of last gen but i think that moment for me happened with Uncharted 2.

[coreyweb]

Not possible with all the cynics out there with halo. It'll get glowing reviews and a ton of hate as well. Per usual.

[KrillinSuper3]

Game of the year. Can't wait to have my hands on this hard work masterpiece.

[bananaboats]

Tuesday can not come fast enough.

If this game gets anything below an 8 watch how quickly that article rises in temp. A certain group will be all over that review.

[Hold_It]

I really hope the Arbiter is in the game.

[ClayRules2012]

I honestly hope all Xbox One owners, who're looking forward to Halo 5: Guardians have an amazing time playing the game. I hope it meets & exceeds your expectations =)

[Dinkis]

Thanks man

[ClayRules2012]

Your welcome, buddy.

[isa_scout]

Thanks, I can't wait until Monday night. Attention people, this is how a real gamer acts towards other gamers. "console wars" are like two fishermen with similiar tackle beating the shite out of each other because they can't agree between which bait is better. In the end they both catch a fish so what the problem is?

[fr0sty]

Agreed. Some people can't handle the fact that all systems are going to get great games at some time or another. This game may not be perfect (the MP is where I think the review scores are going to differ, because 343 made some changes that not every halo fan is going to like. You can't please everyone.), but that doesn't mean it isn't going to be a great game. Xbox One owners have been waiting patiently for a long time to get their hands on a next gen halo, let them have their moment, folks. It doesn't make PS4 or PC any less awesome.

[Germany7]

Looks like Halo 5 is a GOTY contender, lot of people are praising the huge amount of content for the game.

[TwoForce]

I think it is. After the praise, i can see why Halo 5 is a great game. And also, @Americuntarestupid need to shut up already. Not you, him. You can see his comments and you will know why he is immature.

[Immorals]

Didn't think anything would touch Witcher 3 for me, but if the multiplayer is anywhere near as good as the campaign, halo might just take it for me.

[Letthewookiewin]

Got this pre ordered hope it's good. I disliked 4.

[TwoForce]

Very well. Seem like 343 done a great job this time. Halo 4 was a bit let down, but i can this one will not repeat the same mistake.

[Sm00thNinja]

So hyped haven't been so in years for one title. Fallout 4 and Rise of Tomb Raider to follow gotta say maybe not best lineup in Xbox history but certainly it bests the PlayStation 4s offerings by a longshot. Sony getting complacent with that lead! Oh well I still have Until Dawn and MGSV to tide me over

[DigitalRaptor]

Halo 5 is looking like it might be the Xbox One's first AAA-rated exclusive this generation, and it deserves one at this point. I'm not surprised with it being Microsoft's top franchise, and after MCC (to some degree, the disappointment that was Halo 4), they've had no choice but to make this one count. Looks like it's going to be solid.

I feel happy for those picking it up. :)
-----

"it bests the PlayStation 4s offerings by a longshot."

What longshot is that? Opinions are fair enough, but exaggerations don't come greater than this.

"Sony getting complacent with that lead!"

Yeah sure... keep telling yourself that. I keep hearing "complacent" from those who think they know what they're talking about. Yet, Sony is doing nothing different than they did as far as first-party offerings last-gen or the gen before that or the gen before that. Stop revising history or moving goalposts. There's nothing complacent about supporting your last-gen in a major way up until your next-gen console is released. There's nothing complacent about giving your studios time to adjust to making new IPs for new hardware, and making sure they aren't all rushed out. Sony's 2016 PS4 lineup mirrors their 2009 PS3 lineup - 3 years in for each console. Don't give me "complacent". Replace it with normalcy, and you'll be closer to the truth.

Then again, I think the only reason the thought of "a sparse lineup" or "complacent Sony" would cross peoples' minds is if they were comparing holiday season lineups of both consoles, which is majorly stupid anyway, because the year is 12 months long.
-------

Weak response. "An obvious troll"?? What's trollish, about correcting awful misinformation. If anything, you are the one trolling by even bringing up Sony's "complacency" - I'm only bothering to correct you.

You're acting like it's possible for a company to be complacent during 3-4 months of a year when they are actually the company making a year-round effort in terms of game releases. It's incorrect. AND they in fact have just as many (actually no, they have more) games releasing during the fall/holiday time frame. And you're doing the famous thing of listing all the Xbox games you can, and not even bothering to do the research to know about the PS4 games. Even worse, you say "maybe Fable". Should I say "maybe No Man's Sky"? There's just no point.

You missed Dragon Quest Heroes, SOMA, Tales of Zestiria, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Disgaea 5, Tearaway Unfolded, The Talos Principle and a fair few more. All fantastic games. Good job.... not.

[Sm00thNinja]

Hmm Halo 5, Forza6, ROTR, GOWU, possibly Fable vs Until dawn and Uncharted Collection I won't entertain an obvious troll. And I'm clearly talking about holiday lineup

[Immorals]

Just completed the campaign... Wow.

[vikingland1]

How long was the campaign?

[Immorals]

Took me 10.5 hours. I was playing on normal and didn't really bother with any collectibles.

Definitely has replay value too!

[vikingland1]

Thanks, I can't wait until it releases.

[Paytaa]

Best Halo story yet..?

[magiciandude]

So hyped up for this game. It's the best looking FPS I've ever seen!

[akurtz]

i was gonna get this game but i just recently lost my job! ugh my hype will continue past launch ;(

[Ceaser9857361]

looks good.. never played a HALO game.. after owing a PS4 i am getting the xbox1 for Quantum break, Gears 4. So may be i should give this game a try....

[Camo]

Depends if you like frst person shooters, I enjoy Halo but I alo see why some people don't. Just do a bit of research or try renting it first, and if you do happen to buy it I hope you enjoy.

[Camo]

Looks like 343i nailed it based on previews and streamers. I'm just a little worried about the population in Nz/Aus, I really hope 343 put in a server search if the population starts dwindling. That's my only concern about this game.

[NeoGamer232]

Good to see a good start to reviews.

The test will be Monday when all the review embargos are off!

Looks so far like it will at least be the best rated shooter this gen so far!

[Azzanation]

Looks like the single player aspect of Halo 5 is as good as any. Doesn't matter what the MP review gets, the SP is the most important to me and at the moment its a must buy.

[MRoONEPINCHx]

Tuesday needs to hurry ! Finish work. Spend time with my 3 month old until bed time then get stuck into some multiplayer ! Loving life right now

[mockzer0]

I wonder what the penalty is for breaking the review embargo? It was supposed to be until Monday morning, 3am... Since the reviewer stated he "purchased" his review copy maybe nothing?

[TechRaptor]

Was wondering this as well. We're waiting til 3 AM to publish ours as we promised 343.

[mockzer0]

Also, I'm a PlayStation guy, but I'm very glad to see that it looks like halo is still going strong... Xbox has done nothing but added competition to make my chosen platform cheaper and add more features and I hope they continue to thrive. Competition is always a plus for consumers. :)

[DivineAssault]

If the game is good then the game is good! No need for all the mean people on the internet (trolls).. I dont want halo or xb1 but im not going to bash it either.. Scalebound looks cool so i MIGHT buy it one day..

Ive said it before and ill say it again "why would any gamer want less options?" I want M$ to release great exclusives so i have a reason to buy their console.. Just because im not sold on halo doesnt mean the system is out of the future picture..

Im a PS4 & Wii U owner because they sold me their console and now i have lots of great games to play as well as incoming software to look forward to.. M$ needs to do the same for me to buy and theyre close to it.. They have 3 exclusives i want but 1 is rare replay so its older games i have or played already.. I need 2-3 more games i personally want to make the jump.. Halo isnt one of them but im glad its good for whoever reviewed the campaign. Thats just as important as the MP to me.. I like the story and adventure in games.. Not just going online and shooting people for fun.. Thats only a bonus to me.. I want to hear more about these microtransactions and how they effect the game too

[MasterCornholio]

The way i see it the more good games on the market the better it is for gamers. Its fantastic to be able to choose from so many good titles no matter the platform.

Antigamers are those who wish for games to flop. There´s nothing funny about spending 60$ on a crappy game. Which wont happen with this one mind you.

@DivineAssault

I know what you mean. People jump to conclusion whenever they see a positive or a negative review. This happens with everything in general. I prefer to wait until there are several reviews out before making my decision. Thats the way i am. I never rely on one critic to make a purchasing decision. I don't doubt that it will be a good game but how good remains to be seen.

[DivineAssault]

I want to see what the other critics have to say about the game in its entirety but so far it looks like people like it however these comments are just crazy.

Its like watching sports lol.. Cheering on each side of the fence.. I say the more the merrier.. Bring on some great stuff i want to purchase.. They arent paying me, im paying them so sell me what you have..

[nerdman67]

Im about halfway through and it is honestly the best halo game so far. I love it, definitely deserves 9/10

[Tankbusta40]

Obviously these reviews have nothing to do with the multiplayer aspect so...how can it be a complete review? Not saying the game won't be a 9 but these early reviews are just clickbait because these reviews only reflect one aspect of a full game

[optimus]

But for a lot, if not some people that don't put a lot of weight on multiplayer because they barely play it (like myself). A campaign review is enough for them.

[optimus]

I have to think this reviewer is bending the truth a bit. He's sugar coating a lot of things. Saying the AI is top notch is a stretch...i finished the campaign yesterday and there were several times that one of my troops got directly in my line of fire just as i have a direct shot on an enemy, forcing them to shout "friendly fire" at me... That's not smart AI at all...maybe they'll release a patch for this.

Also, more often than not when entering unfamiliar territory they usually stack up behind you until you tell them to advance. I guess it has to do with me leading the team i suppose... I won't go into further details, judge for yourselves on tue.

[Crashbandicoot77]

Didn't Halo 4 get a 9.5?