Halo 5: Guardians: Difference between revisions

|publisher=[[Microsoft Studios]]<ref name="WaypointGuardians"/>

|platform=[[Xbox One]]<ref name="WaypointGuardians"/>

|releasedate=[[2015|October 27, 2015]]<ref name="WaypointGuardians"/>

|genre=[[First-person shooter]]<ref name="WaypointGuardians"/>

|modes=[[Campaign]]<ref name="WaypointGuardians"/> <br> [[Cooperative]]<ref name="WaypointGuardians"/> <br> [[Multiplayer]]<ref name="WaypointGuardians"/> <br> [[Forge]] <br> [[Theater]]

{{Quote|The quest of [[Jameson Locke|the hunter]] and [[John-117|the hunted]] has begun.|Official summary<ref name="WireH5"/>}}

'''''Halo 5: Guardians''''' is the ninth installment in the [[Halo universe|''Halo'' franchise]].<ref name="H5">[http://news.xbox.com/2014/05/games-halo-journey-announcement '''Xbox Wire''': ''The Halo Journey'']</ref> The second game in the ''[[Reclaimer Saga]]'', ''Guardians'' is set a year after ''[[Halo 4]]'', and follows [[Fireteam Osiris]], who are tasked with hunting the [[John-117|Master Chief]] and [[Blue Team]], who have gone AWOL in search of [[Cortana]], following her presumed demise.<ref name="H5"/>

Originally alluded to in a [[Halo Xbox One announcement trailer|teaser trailer]] shown at [[Microsoft]]'s [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3 Media Briefing]] on [[2013|June 10, 2013]], ''Halo 5: Guardians'' was officially announced on [[2014|May 16, 2014]], and the first major coverage of the game was unveiled at [[Wikipedia:Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014|E3 2014]], with the announcement of a [[Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta|multiplayer beta]], set to debut via the then-upcoming ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]''.<ref>[https://blogs.halowaypoint.com/en-us/blogs/headlines/posts/the-great-journey '''Halo Waypoint''': ''The Great Journey'']</ref><ref name="H5"/> Exclusive to the [[Xbox One]],<ref name="H5"/><ref>'''Microsoft Xbox One briefing E3 2013'''</ref> the game was released on [[2015|October 27, 2015]].<ref name="WaypointGuardians"/>

''Halo 5: Guardians'' features the largest ensemble cast of characters in any ''Halo'' game yet, with both new and returning characters.<ref name="salient9039">[http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=168316428&postcount=9039 '''NeoGaf''': ''post #9039 by Josh Holmes'']</ref> The primary protagonist of the ''Halo'' series, [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-II]] supersoldier [[John-117|Master Chief Petty Officer John-117]], returns in ''Halo 5: Guardians'' following the end of ''Halo 4''. It has been noted that John has begun to question all of his former beliefs<ref name="E32014"/> following the events of ''"[[Halo: Escalation Issue 8|The Next 72 Hours]]"'', a story arc of the comic series ''[[Halo: Escalation]]'' during which he reunites with his long-time Spartan-II unit [[Blue Team]], comprising [[Kelly-087]], [[Frederic-104]] and [[Linda-058]]. ''Halo 5: Guardians'' marks the in-game debut of Blue Team, who fight alongside the Master Chief throughout the campaign.<ref name="gi h5"/><ref name="gi blue">[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/06/11/halo-5-guardians-the-spartans-tough-enough-to-work-with-master-chief.aspx?PostPageIndex=2 '''Game Informer''': ''Halo 5: Guardians – The Spartans Tough Enough To Work With Master Chief'']</ref>

''Halo 5: Guardians'' also features another playable protagonist,<ref name="NightfallPanel">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaZOLp6pYCE&feature=youtu.be&list=UU7NCg0venpKJg3kuJojKlbQ '''YouTube''': ''Halo: Nightfall Panel - SDCC 2014'']</ref> [[Jameson Locke|Spartan Jameson Locke]], a "legendary man hunter" on a mission to find the Master Chief after Blue Team disappears and several colonies are unexpectedly attacked.<ref name="WireH5"/><ref name="MCtrailer">'''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection announcement trailer]]'''</ref><ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/halo-nightfall '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo: Nightfall'']</ref> Locke is accompanied by [[Fireteam Osiris]], which includes Spartans [[Edward Buck]], [[Holly Tanaka]] and [[Olympia Vale]].<ref name="gi h5"/> Locke's role in the story is to act as a counterpoint for John-117's legendary and larger-than-life character, as well as a vehicle to contextualize both the Master Chief and the wider story from an outsider perspective.<ref name="gr frank">[http://www.gamesradar.com/halo-5-frank-oconnor-interview/ '''Gamesradar''': ''343 chats to GR+ about Locke and Master Chief's mystique in Halo 5'']</ref> Locke was introduced in [[Wikipedia:Ridley Scott|Ridley Scott]]'s digital series ''[[Halo: Nightfall]]'', which has narrative connections to ''Halo 5''.<ref name="machinima">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDIiFV-Wmw '''YouTube''': ''Every. Halo. Ever. E3 2014'']</ref> 343 Industries stressed that Locke would not be replacing John-117 as the protagonist;<ref>[http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=115503489&postcount=606 '''NeoGaf''': ''Frank O'Connor on Locke and Master Chief'']</ref> much like that of ''[[Halo 2]]'', the campaign of ''Halo 5'' alternates between the perspectives of the two main characters.<ref name="gi h5"/> Locke was first shown in [[:File:Halo 5 Guardians.jpg|promotional artwork]] unveiled with the game's formal announcement.<ref name="H5"/> He is also featured in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|terminals]] and new bookend cinematics, which have links to the story of ''Guardians''.<ref name="IGNinterv">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcSk8Rx_JTo&t=10m30s '''YouTube''': ''Halo 2: Anniversary - Cairo Station Campaign Gameplay and...'']</ref>

In the initial teaser trailer, the Master Chief is seen in the possession of an empty [[data crystal chip]] on a chain, alluding to his loss of [[Cortana]] at the end of ''Halo 4''.<ref name="trailer">'''[[Halo Xbox One announcement trailer]]'''</ref> Regarding Cortana, ''Halo'' Franchise Development Director [[Frank O'Connor]] stated that ''"her fate is obviously very clear at the [[Midnight|end of Halo 4]]"'' and claimed that the story of ''Guardians'' would explore her legacy in the form of the long-term impact her sacrifice had on John-117, and how he ''"copes with loss and how he deals with his memories."''<ref name="gi h5"/>

What would later be revealed as ''Halo 5: Guardians'' was first revealed with [[Halo Xbox One announcement trailer|a teaser]] released on [[2013|June 10, 2013]] during that year's [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]]. The trailer indicated that a major ''Halo'' release would occur for the Xbox One console in 2014, leading many to believe that this particular game would be the next entry in the ''Reclaimer Saga'' and the sequel to ''[[Halo 4]]''. However, Microsoft stressed the trailer's phrasing that 2014 would mark the beginning of a "journey", with the implication that this may not mean the release of the then still officially unannounced ''Halo 5''.<ref name="H5"/> During production, ''Halo 5: Guardians'' was given the codename "Project: Osiris".<ref>[https://www.artstation.com/artwork/9JKyR '''Artstation:''' ''Halo 5: Guardians Sangheili props'' - concept art bears the logo "Project: Osiris".]</ref>

''Halo 5: Guardians'' was formally announced on May 16, 2014 by [[343 Industries]] General Manager [[Bonnie Ross]]. Ross describes ''Halo 5: Guardians'' as a bigger effort than the preceding ''Halo 4'' in terms of the content and scope of the game as well as the technology underpinning it. The game's engine is said to have been completely retooled to take full advantage of the Xbox One's hardware and ecosystem; according to [[Frank O'Connor]], the engine is all-new apart from a number of core features retained from the previous one.<ref>[http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=112403080&postcount=2276 '''NeoGAF''': ''Frank O'Connor on game engine'']</ref> Ross stated that ''Halo 5'' would incorporate lessons the 343 Industries team learned from ''Halo 4'' with regard to technology, performance, aesthetics, and scale in response to feedback received from the fan community. She also mentioned that the game would run at [[Wikipedia:Frame rate|60 frames per second]] and feature [[Wikipedia:Dedicated hosting service|dedicated servers]].<ref name="H5"/>

In E3 2014, 343 Industries' statements about a "journey" beginning in the fall of 2014 were revealed to be referring to a multimedia project dubbed ''[[Halo: The Journey]]'' by 343 Industries,<ref name="eurogamer">[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-06-16-343s-master-plan-for-halo-5-guardians '''Eurogamer''': ''343's master plan for Halo 5: Guardians'']</ref> set to begin with the release of ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'', containing remastered "Anniversary" editions of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary|Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary|Halo 2]]'', as well as high-resolution versions of ''[[Halo 3]]'' and ''Halo 4''.<ref name="E32014">'''Microsoft Xbox One briefing E3 2014'''</ref> Additionally, it was announced that a [[Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta|multiplayer beta]] of ''Guardians'' was set to be released on December 29, 2014. Exclusive unlockable content for the beta was made available via ''The Master Chief Collection'' and the digital series ''[[Halo: Nightfall]]''.<ref name="WaypointGuardians"/>

The [[campaign]] mode of ''Halo 5: Guardians'' has been designed around the game's fireteam-centric focus and alternates between the perspectives of John-117's Blue Team and Spartan Locke's Fireteam Osiris. 343 Industries considers the fireteams (internally known as "musketeers" within the studio) to be the most significant gameplay innovation in ''Halo 5''.<ref>'''[[Halo 5: Guardians ViDoc: A Hero Reborn]]'''</ref> Due to the presence of the fireteams, enemies in ''Halo 5: Guardians'' are designed to be faster, more responsive and generally more lethal.<ref name="h5g yourteam"/> However, the campaign difficulty also scales according to the number of players.<ref name="gi h5"/>

In single player campaign, the other team members operate autonomously but the player is able to give them contextual commands by pressing up the D-pad. The order given is determined by what the player is currently looking at. Some of these orders include ''Attack My Target'', ''Go To Location'', ''Use Vehicle'' (or turret), ''Pick Up Weapon'' and ''Revive Teammate''.<ref name="h5g yourteam">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/halo-5-guardians-your-team-is-your-weapon '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo 5: Guardians - Your Team is your Weapon'']</ref> The new revival mechanic allows both AI members of the team to revive the player or players to revive one another in co-op play. When a player takes too much damage, they go into a "downed" state. Active players or AI-controlled fireteam members can revive the downed Spartan within a set time limit which is shown in an icon on their HUDs. If a player remains downed for too long, they will die and be subject to similar respawn mechanics as in the prior games.<ref name="h5g yourteam"/> This is also the case with certain types of damage such as being stuck by a [[plasma grenade]] or falling to one's death.

In [[cooperative play]], players assume the roles of different fireteam members, with each having their own distinct loadout; for example, [[Linda-058]] always spawns with a [[SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle|sniper rifle]]. The different characters' base attributes also have subtle differences: for example, [[Kelly-087]] is faster than the other members of Blue Team and [[Holly Tanaka|Tanaka]] has a higher [[motion tracker]] range. Characters also have minor differences in traits such as their grenade carrying capacity or thrust recharge rate.<ref name="QG interview">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=2hVMhkgjQBE '''YouTube''': ''Interview Exclusive Josh Holmes (343 Industries)'']</ref> The [[heads-up display]]s of each team member have a unique design.<ref name="h5g yourteam"/> In co-op, players are able to choose which character to play as, although they are restricted to either Locke or the Master Chief in single player. Co-operative games run on dedicated servers and allow players to seamlessly drop in and drop out of gameplay by simply joining the game and selecting a character to play as.<ref name="h5g yourteam"/>

The game has an intricate chatter system in which fireteams offer both contextual commentary during gameplay as well as scripted mission dialog, filling the role [[Cortana]] had in the prior games. This is seen by the developers as a means to tie storytelling more closely with the gameplay.<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/06/10/evolved-combat-how-halo-5-guardians-is-breaking-tradition.aspx '''Game Informer''': ''Evolved Combat: How Halo 5: Guardians Is Breaking Tradition'']</ref> If the player lingers in an area the squad members will have dynamic conversations about various topics, such as their past, the location they are in, or the ongoing events.<ref name="thebest">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPVdzBcCsw8 '''YouTube''': ''Halo 5: Guardians - The Best is Yet to Come (Interview) - E3 2015'']</ref> Some contextual lines of dialog are different depending on which characters are controlled by players at a given time.<ref name="h5g yourteam"/> 343 Industries has stated that Blue Team has more lines of dialog in the game than they do in all prior ''Halo'' media.<ref name="gi blue"/> As a notable change from ''Halo 4'', the Covenant enemies of [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction|Jul 'Mdama's faction]] now speak [[English]] as they did in the original ''Halo'' trilogy. This is explained as 'Mdama's authority over his followers diminishing, as they have lately begun to ignore his mandate forbidding the use of human languages.<ref name="gi h5"/>

''Halo 5: Guardians'' creative director [[Josh Holmes]] has stated that the game would feature the largest and most open gameplay spaces in any ''Halo'' game yet, with an emphasis on replayability and sandbox-like gameplay.<ref name="salient9039"/> The campaign was stated to be twice the length of ''Halo 4''<nowiki>'s</nowiki>.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/videos/2015/08/07/halo-5-guardians-new-gameplay-footage-ign-live-gamescom-2015?utm_source=IGN%20hub%20page&utm_medium=Xbox%20One&utm_content=4&utm_campaign=Blogroll '''IGN''': ''Halo 5: Guardians: Gamescom Footage'']</ref> The campaign missions feature a variety of possible alternate routes, including ledges that can be climbed with the clamber Spartan ability and routes that can be opened by charging through destructible walls with the Spartan charge ability. When playing as Fireteam Osiris, players have access to the [[Artemis Tracking System]], which can be used to highlight these alternate paths as well as collectibles and other items of interest.<ref name="gi h5"/> Such items include objects left behind by [[Blue Team]]. [[Wikipedia:Quick time event|Quick time events]], a controversial addition to the ''Halo 4'' campaign, are not featured in ''Halo 5: Guardians'', although some of the cinematics are designed to immerse the player to the experience of the character they are controlling in a similar manner.<ref name="QG interview"/>

With [[Sequence]] making ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]'', [[terminal]]s have been replaced with 117 pieces of [[Mission Intel]];<ref name="Gold"/> audio logs that provide background information contextual to each mission.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-locke-load '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Locke & Load'']</ref>

For high quality explosion sounds, Tojima's team recorded the sounds produced from various forms of debris dropped from a crane. For better bullet sounds, a microphone was placed behind a rock and an armed individual shot past it from 1,000 feet away. An accurate weapon tail was captured by utilizing the reflected sound from the environment when a gun was fired; Tojima's team shot off guns in a variety of interior and exterior spaces.<ref name="gi h5"/>

Kazuma Jinnouchi served as the game's sole composer,<ref name="GAFKazuma"/> recording music at [[Wikipedia:Abbey Road Studios|Abbey Road Studios]] in London and the [[Wikipedia:Rudolfinum|Rudolfinum]] in Prague. The game's tracks are noted to "sound fresh, yet distinctly ''Halo''". Jinnouchi expressed interest in bringing back the original [[Halo Theme|''Halo'' Theme]] into ''Halo 5: Guardians''. After a number of discussions, it was determined that the "''Halo'' choir" was to be implemented into the game in an obvious way, compared to the subtle manner the choir was implemented in ''Halo 4''. Ultimately, Jinnouchi and his team composed their own interpretation of both the ''Halo'' Theme and its choir.<ref name="gi h5"/>

With ''Halo 5: Guardians'' multiplayer, 343 Industries seeks to highlight the "arena shooter" aspects of classic ''Halo'' multiplayer gameplay. The unlockable custom loadouts and killstreak rewards present in ''[[Halo 4]]'' have been disposed of in favor of a "level playing field"; all players start with identical equipment as in the pre-''[[Halo: Reach]]'' games, with a focus on controlling weapons present on the map.<ref name="BetaFirstLook">'''[[Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta First Look]]'''</ref> The new Spartan abilities also play a large role in the multiplayer;<ref name="mpb bts"/> the thruster pack in particular increases player mobility significantly. Another new feature is battle-chatter, automatic dialog among the team in which Spartans call out enemy locations and kills.<ref name="ign played">[http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/11/we-played-the-halo-5-guardians-multiplayer-beta-and '''IGN''': ''We Played the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta, and...'']</ref> The multiplayer also includes the name of the segment of the map that the player is currently in being displayed near the [[motion sensor]] as in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'' and ''Halo: Reach''. Dynamic map elements similar to the multiplayer maps in ''Halo 2: Anniversary'' are also present.<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/06/26/a-guided-tour-of-halo-5-guardians-newest-map-fathom-.aspx '''Game Informer''': ''A Guided Tour of Fathom'']</ref> During the ''Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta'' when a team won a match the Spartan-IVs on said team would congratulate each other with high fives and clap. However, in the final game the winning team will only stand.

The ''[[Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta]]'' was used to gather data and feedback on the new multiplayer model as well as some of the new features. The beta featured two new multiplayer modes: [[Breakout]], in which two teams are thrown into a training arena via [[man cannon]]s and each player has only a single life with no respawns;<ref name="ign played"/> and [[Strongholds]], in which two teams control moving territories.

The game's [[Rank (Halo 5: Guardians)|ranking system]] is similar to ''Halo 4''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s dual-ranking system composed of a [[Experience point|progression-based]] rank and a competitive skill rank based on wins and losses.<ref>[https://twitter.com/JoshingtonState/status/592368034561458176 '''Josh Holmes on Twitter''': "Still have SR, plus CSR in Arena. Also a new progression/unlock system that we'll be talking about in the coming months."]</ref> A new addition to the game's multiplayer component is the [[Requisition system]], designed to reward players across different multiplayer modes. Players earn "REQ Points" after each match of Arena or Warzone multiplayer. These points can then be used to purchase "REQ Packs", which contain both cosmetic and gameplay-affecting items; however, the latter are only usable in Warzone while only cosmetic items are usable in Arena to maintain balanced competitive play. REQ packs can also be purchased with real-world currency.<ref name="req"/>

In their [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] 2013 conference, [[Microsoft]] showed a teaser trailer intended to showcase the future direction of the ''Halo'' franchise on the [[Xbox One]]. Rather than announcing ''Halo 5'' in particular, the trailer announced the presence of the ''Halo'' franchise on the new console, set to debut in [[2014]] with a [[Halo: The Master Chief Collection|then-unspecified ''Halo'' title]].<ref name="H5"/>

The teaser opens with a hooded figure journeying through a desert on an alien world. The figure, revealed to be [[John-117]] clad in battered [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|MJOLNIR armor]], clutches [[Cortana]]'s empty [[data crystal chip]] as he encounters an enormous [[Forerunner]] machine rising from the sand.<ref name="H5"/>

A [[Behind The Scenes]] feature released on November 10, 2014, detailing the new features and development of the ''Halo 5: Guardians'' multiplayer beta.<ref name="mpb bts"/>

Between Saturday, April 25 and Tuesday, April 28, 2015 ''Halo'' fans from around the world searched for 117 pieces of an image. These pieces of the image were found in emails from Microsoft, Twitch, YouTube videos, and Xbox.com before the puzzle was completed revealing the final ''Halo 5: Guardians'' cover art. Coincidentally, Rob Semsey, senior communications manager for the ''Halo'' franchise, claimed that the puzzle was completed at 1:17 pm PST.<ref>[https://twitter.com/RobSemsey/status/593166980380692480 '''Twitter''': ''RobSemsey (According to my sources, the Halo 5: Guardians cover art puzzle (which consisted of 117 pieces) was solved at 1:17pm PT.)'']</ref> Shortly after the puzzle's completion an animated version of the poster was uploaded to YouTube featuring some of the ''Halo 5: Guardians'' soundtrack.<ref name="XboxWireCover"/>