Halo 5 Beta - New Abilities Stand Trial

My fellow gamers, the Halo 5: Guardians Beta test concluded last week and here at Game Prophet, we have tested it and have some thoughts of our own. First of all, we have a fairly new game on our hands here. Initially one of the trail-blazers of console first-person shooters, the Halo franchise appears to be following the recent trends of FPS' everywhere and "upgrading" itself, and its protagonist, Master Chief.

Following in the wake of Activision's Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (COD:AW), Halo 5 is adding a multitude of new player abilities, essentially changing the beloved combat formula Bungie is known for. But does it still feel like a Halo game?

So, here's what's new about combat and my thoughts on it:

1. Charge - Sprinting for a short time now grant you "terminal velocity" allowing you to boost melee into enemies.

• Actually pretty nice to have. The melee isn't over-powered but is fatal if done properly. Keep it.

1. Jetpack Juke - Boost in any direction to evade fire.

• Seems a bit clunky compared with its Call of Duty counterpart. It doesn't break the game but I don't believe its necessary. Lose it.

1. Smart Scope - Aim all weapons, even classically hip-fired ones like the assault rifle, to a certain degree.

• Here's the big one under debate. So much of older Halo games relied on running and gunning but this addition leans towards the more tactical player. Personally I am one of these "tactical" players and feel that this is a great addition: Keep it.

1. Ground Pound - Come down on your enemies doing splash damage from the air.

• I didn't really find this useful in multiplayer, but it may be fun in campaign. Keep it for that reason, but remove it from multiplayer.

1. Slide- Baseball slide for a short while after sprinting.

• Sliding has become pretty standard in first person shooters. Keep it.

1. Clambering - Climb up on a ledge if you're close to it.

• This is very nice seeing that the Master Chief still has a "lofty" jump and isn't always the easiest to control in the air. It helps you get where you're trying to go: Keep it.

1. Sprint - Well.... run fast..

• Bungie says that sprinting is a new ability since everyone gets it. It's not a player ability that you need to choose like in Halo: Reach and is also pretty standard now in FPS' so: Keep it!

The Verdict

The added abilities are a mix of things that Halo DID need and things that Bungie probably FELT that it needed. Nothing here is revolutionary, but the gameplay I tested still feels (thank God) like a Halo title. The maps I played were very well constructed and offer both symmetrical and asymmetrical layouts; and they're pretty to boot!

My main complaint would be that matchmaking can sometimes take a while to get a game set up. I'm not sure if this is just because of the beta build or issues Bungie has been having since the Halo: Master Chief Collection Launched. Allow players to back out of matchmaking that is take forever, please!!!

I will be curious to see how this beta test compares to the release of the game. Keep on track Bungie and prove to us that these new abilities are ALL worth it.

-Brad

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