Exclusive to Xbox One
As if Halo: The Master Chief Collection wasn’t bursting with goodness already, the Christmas period bought something extra that Halo fans would find unmissable: access to a limited beta of Halo 5’s multiplayer. It’s a glimpse of the Halo we should be playing towards the end of 2015, with a weekly programme of maps, modes and challenges. We’re now into the second week with another week to go, and it’s already clear that Halo 5 multiplayer sees some major changes from Halo 4, not just in terms of what has been added, but also in terms of what has been taken away.
Let’s get the most significant changes out of the way. For the first time Halo 5 has a Call-of-Duty aim-down-sights view when you squeeze the left trigger, though 343 Industries describes it as a ‘smart scope’. It works across all weapons though the degree of zoom and narrowing of vision differs according to the weapon type and sights, so that those weapons with the biggest zoom also have the most limiting effects on vision.
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At first it feels alien, like a chunk of Call of Duty grafted onto Halo multiplayer, but with time you realise that some serious thought has gone into smart scope and how it’s used. Zooming in lessens the spread of bullets, making your fire more accurate at distance, but you need to work out whether the benefits outweigh the loss of vision and response time when an enemy appears at mid to close-range. Use smart scope all the time and it will simply get you killed, but learn how to use it when it works and fire from the hip when it doesn’t and you’ll find that it enhances your long-range capabilities without compromising your chances at close quarters.
343 Industries has also been looking at movement. That doesn’t mean jetpacks (already seen in Halo 4 and Halo: Reach) or a Titanfall/Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare-style emphasis on vertical spaces, but it does mean making movement faster and more fluid. Spartans now have the ability to jump up to and mantle onto ledges or platforms, for example, plus a continuous sprint move, though one that comes at the cost of shields recharging. There’s a cool slide move for those heedless rushes into combat, plus a thruster pack that can boost you quickly in any direction, either on the ground or in the air.
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These new abilities tie into some offensive moves as well, with a new shoulder charge move when you’re sprinting that can knock out enemy shields, and a ground pound for dealing massive damage from above. Finally, activate smart scope while in the air and the thrust pack kicks in to give you a few precious seconds of hovering; perfect for a final blast at an enemy with shields down, even if it does leave you an obvious target.
Additional features and abilities are one thing, but Halo 5 is just as notable for what has been removed. The divisive armour abilities and load-outs of Halo 4 are gone, meaning every Spartan in Arena mode starts with the same weapons, the same capabilities and a level playing field. Some will mourn the loss of the customisation and tactical choices they added to Halo 4, but their removal puts the emphasis back on skill – and Halo 5 seems very much a skill-focused shooter.
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How much do these changes affect the gameplay? Well, Halo 5 still feels like Halo, and it hasn’t lost its character as a shoot-from-the-hip, run-and-gun shooter just because you can now aim down your sights. You might notice, however, a bigger emphasis on mid-range and long-range combat; something which the new maps appear to tie into.
Week 1 bought us a Team Slayer mode playlist with Truth, a variation on Halo 2’s Midship with a few changes to accommodate the new movement capabilities, and Empire, a map set on a skyscraper with a range of levels, choke-zones and sniper-friendly vantage points to explore. Week 2 has replaced them with Regret and Eden, effectively variations on similar themes, and both a little prone to tiresome camp-and-snipe behaviour. The trick is to keep moving, avoid the open killzones and take full advantage of the power weapons which appear sporadically, but – particularly in Eden - you’ll find that well-organised teams can dominate the high-ground, cover a wide range of angles and tackle their opponents at long-range.
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Week 2 also added a new game mode, Breakout, that’s clearly designed for maximum e-sports appeal. Two teams of four are literally catapulted at each other across a long, thin, deliberately simplified map, with no radar, no respawn and no objectives beyond taking the other team down before they do the same to you. It’s the competitive FPS at its most stripped-down and basic, but it can be thrilling with a competent team. The trick is communication. Halo 5’s new auto-chatter system means that your Spartans will point out enemies and comment on kills and assists even when the players stay silent, but a team that calls out enemy positions and warns about potential ambushes can make a breakout victory much more likely.
If you’re expecting an Xbox One showcase at this point, then the Halo 5 beta might come as a mild disappointment. A new lighting system and the most detailed Spartan armour yet give it a slight edge over Halo 4 and Empire has some impressive sci-fi scenery, but overall it’s not quite up there with Far Cry 4 or Killzone: Shadow Fall for knockout visuals. Still, it’s clear that 343 Industries has been focusing on gameplay, responsiveness and clarity over graphical splendour, and we’d be surprised if the multiplayer beta was an accurate reflection of the single-player campaign.
First Impressions
The big question is whether Halo 5 will put Halo back into contention as one of the top competitive multiplayer games. From Battlefield to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare to Destiny, the competition has never been fiercer, and we’re still not sure that the gameplay or the maps we’ve seen so far are strong enough to see the rivals off. Yet it’s still early days for Halo 5, and 343 Industries will doubtless be combing through the data captured through this beta, looking at the comments and working out what works and what needs more attention. The Halo: Master Chief Collection was a powerful reminder of how good Halo can be when it’s on top form. Let’s hope Halo 5 makes future reminders unnecessary.
