When Bungie separated from Microsoft, 343 Industries took over. While some fans were happy when Halo 4 was launched under the stewardship of 343, quite a few of the series' fans were actually dismayed.
In fact, many believe Halo 4 was not the ideal way for 343 to introduce itself after it stepped in as the new Halo's development studio.
It actually faced several issues in addressing Halo 5: Guardians. The good thing is it seems that it has succeeded in creating its very first truly great Halo game, if experts' reviews were to believe.
Check out what experts and gamers are saying about the latest installment of the well-renowned sci-fi series.
Soundtrack
International Business Times seems impressed in Halo's soundtrack.
"Similarly a great Halo soundtrack will always elevate certain moments," it says in its post. "Kazuma Jinnouchi's soundtrack is great – mixing classic elements with new sounds - which only makes one particular moment so bizarre."
Large Battlefields
What is notable with this new title is gamers can find a bountiful of large battlefields, which many experts believe as one of its finest assets.
"Levels feel much larger than in previous games, taller, with more enemies to shoot and more angles to approach and attack from before, likely in deference to your now-always-present Spartan teammates," writes Polygon.
A Story That Doesn't Fail
The Verge thinks that Halo 5's story is way more beautifully crafted than its predecessor.
"And if 343 is moving in the right direction with the story, it’s already at the exact right place with Halo’s action," reads The Verge's post. "Halo 5 is a beautifully paced, expertly designed shooter that puts the series right back at the top of the video game world."
Polygon thinks the same way.
Halo 5 added newly added characters Olympia Vale and Holly Tanaka are equally interesting with a bunch of great dialogues as well as back stories via in-game conversations.
While some are impressed with its storyline, others, however, think differently.
"[G]uardians repeats Halo 4’s mistake of telling a story that can’t stand on its own without Halo’s expanded universe," says IGN. "This hurts, but doesn’t ruin, its otherwise impressive cooperative campaign."
International Business Times, in the meantime, states the characterization is weak. However, it added everything is more or less clear and the story moves forward at a good speed.
"Thing is, I'm very familiar with the Halo storyline (books and all), so I'm pretty sure the story will be epic... For me," says a gamer commenting on IGN's post.
60 Frames Per Second
Halo 5 touts 60 fps presentation, which The Verge believes a sensible decision by 343 as it gives the combat its "fluidity and verve."
Multiplayer
Multiplayer is a very big part of the equation for every Halo game, including this latest title.
Halo 5 boasts some of the best multiplayer the series has ever seen, according to Polygon.
While Halo 5 comes with the microtransactions feature, 343 offers an entirely free multiplayer DLC plan.
Doesn't Support Split-Screen Play
For the first time in the history of the sci-fi series, Halo 5 does not support split-screen play at the moment.
The Verdict
What is ubiquitous in nearly all of the reviews that have surfaced over the Internet is that Halo 5: Guardians seems to have met or even surpassed the expectations of Halo fanatics.
Yes, many were dismayed on the launch of 343's Halo 4 and The Master Chief Collection in the past, but it seems that it has learned a lot. Experts believe the long wait is well worth it.
