Halo 5: Guardians

Zach Goodier

Halo 5 is the latest installment in the epic saga by 343 Industries. While the Master Chief is still a major character in the story, he now shares the spotlight with Spartan IV Jameson Locke, a former ONI agent who leads fire team Osiris, while the Chief leads Blue team, a group of Spartans he lead in the days before the first Halo games. They are on a struggle to find the truth behind the awakening of the Forerunner guardians: massive machines that are awakening all over the galaxy, destroying settlements as they awaken.

Osiris is the center of this story, and too little is done with them.

The story is, well, it’s pretty bad. It’s easily the worst of the Halo franchise, which isn’t itself a huge deal, but there is a lot of issues here. For one, the Chief is only around for about 3 of the 15 missions as a character, you spend the rest of the time as Locke. Too much of the story demands you invest in hours of expanded universe content to understand the characters and events taking place, which is a bad idea. To make matters worse, the game’s ending is very disappointing. I won’t spoil things, but the main problem is that there really isn’t an ending, just a massive cliffhanger to lead into the next game.

Some campaign levels are pretty, which is credit to the level design.

This bothers me because, while cliffhangers aren’t that big of deal, they need to at least wrap up a story arc in the game itself. While you could argue that you did finish a chapter by the end, the reality is that you fail to accomplish anything significant by the end of the game, and that any meaningful ending was put off until the next game. You could compare it to Halo 2, but I actually felt this game was even worse with its’ lack of a satisfying conclusion to the campaign.

Locke's hinted past is far more interesting than his tedious and uninspired present.

I came in expecting Reach quality of characters, which isn’t too lofty of a goal to reach, but aside from in-game dialogue, there really isn’t much going on. The only one who stands out is Buck, who many will remember from ODST. He’s with Osiris now, and makes the most of his limited time in the spotlight. Blue team never feels at all relevant as characters. Like Osiris, Blue team just feels like some almost useless extra guns, which are only marginally useful to heal you when you get downed.

Multiplayer is what you will enjoy, with new abilities and fun team combat.

So why would you want this game? Well, for better or worse, the multiplayer is the best ever. New modes, like Warzone, being fun and addictive, with teams competing for points in the middle ground before either assaulting the enemy base itself, or reaching 1,000 points by killing enemies and killing NPC characters that periodically spawn on the map, either Covenant or Promethean. The standard modes are back, but I quickly became addicted to Warzone. Unlocking cosmetic upgrades can be fun, and Warzone requisition packs allow you to spawn with some awesome weapons to suit the situation, but push micro-transactions on you. Overall, the multiplayer alone could be worth buying this game for, if you enjoy Halo’s brand of multiplayer.

Warzone levels are a healthy size for big team combat.

Overall, I’m torn with this game. I fell in love with the story of Halo, and I find this game to be a disgrace on that front. It felt thrown together with little care taken for the characters that we follow, and the destination is far from satisfying. 343 clearly put most of their effort into the multiplayer, which saddens me. However, I can’t argue with the results, since the multiplayer is fast-paced and fun. Still, the campaign is too bad to give this game any glowing recommendation for people like me, who want a good story first, and fun multiplayer a distant second.

Good:

-Awesome return of classic Halo multiplayer.

-Warzone is addictive, and promote good teamwork.

-Return of some of our favorite characters, like Lasky and Buck.

Bad:

-Chief isn’t the star of this show.

-Story is all over the place, and doesn’t end in any satisfying way, instead putting everything off until Halo 6.

-Characters are just thrown in, and little is done with them in the story.

Scully Rating: 6 out of 10

Halo 4

“Halo” fans eat your hearts out as the franchise enters into a new era of game play in “Halo 4”, the first person shooter action gaming giant receives a fresh new face to the game players use to know with all new gadgets and goodies to enjoy. Players return almost immediately back into the action, as the Master Chief, awakens to find a new threat knocking on his door, Cortana, the artificial intelligence unit that has been with the chief since players first enter the “Halo” universe, has been busy while you were away completely updating the chief’s systems. The player's heads-up display or (HUD) shows real-time information on the armor system's current shield status, information on current weapons and armor abilities, and also display indicators for goals and objectives as in the previous games but with new upgrades to the look and feel of the man under the helmet. But the heads up display isn’t all that has been upgraded, the chiefs armor and appearance has been completely revamped where in previous games players were in a fully armored suit, “Halo 4’s” version of Master Chief comes with a new more fluid and sleek look where your armor is set apart from one another and put onto piece as apart to a giant clanky suit. The main storyline includes eight playable missions that can be played through either alone or co-operatively with your friends as it was with other “Halo” games of the past. The game sees the return of the Covenant as well but as foes once more and also introduces a new faction of enemy called the Prometheans who serve as the new threat and are the key part to the games new story line. There are three types of Prometheans each with different variants and ranks; Knights serve as leaders of the group and are considered as the deadliest of the Promethean forces, Crawlers are a weaker class which often charge in larger packs, and Watchers, which are deployed by Knights, offer support which includes healing and shielding Promethean allies.

“Halo 4” also features updated versions of UNSC and Covenant weaponry from previous “Halo” games, as well as introducing a new weapons arsenal wielded by Prometheans. The game brings with it armor abilities as well, which were introduced in “Halo: Reach”, players will have the ability to use active camouflage, hologram and jetpack along with new abilities such as the hardlight shield, Promethean vision, regeneration field, autosentry and thruster pack. Players will also have the ability to sprint and not have it be a player ability as it was before making movement and action much easier and enjoyable for players fed up with limit sprint time. For those players disappointed by the number of playable missions in the main campaign, “Halo 4” bring with a new story-driven game mode, titled "Spartan Ops", that can be played solo or cooperatively with up to three other players, this new game mode offers more playable objective based missions for you and your friends with new chapters added each week.

Perhaps one of the most enjoyed aspects to “Halo” is through its multiplayer game play which has had new touches added to it as well, the newly titled Infinity multiplayer brings a massive customize element where players build their own custom Spartan-IV super-soldier and advance in their multiplayer career. Players can advance through ranks by earning experience by playing War Games, Spartan Ops, using Forge, and by completing both challenges and commendations which help players rank up, at each rank, players earn Spartan Points, which are used to purchase gameplay items such as weapons, armor abilities and various upgrades for personal loadouts.

“Halo 4” has received an incredibly polished and amazing new look that fans will absolutely love, Master Chief and Cortana have been given a new look but are at the core still the same character people know. The game also comes once again with a multiplayer element that just can’t be beat, the well balanced feel with both the levels and player abilities that will have players feeling less inclined to go into homicidal fits of rage while playing. However at heart “Halo 4” is a fan game that services that exact group and may not attract any new comers that haven’t followed along with the Master Chief before, players also will come to find the eight chapter missions for the campaign as a letdown for the start to a new franchise. This however is saved by the new “Spartan Ops” missions that can be played for hours with your friends and offer plenty of hidden Easter eggs from the “Halo” universe and all that it has inspired.

Good:

-A new sleek and enjoyable face to the Halo we knew

-Chief and Cortana never looked better

-Multiplayer is well balanced and less rage inducing

-A new arsenal of Promethean weapons that are insanely fun and deadly

Bad:

-Short and safe campaign for the start of the new franchise but in a way it’s understandable for the games new under taking from Bungie to 343 studios

-Makes for a fan serviced game more than anything 

(Game Reviewed on Xbox360)

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10 

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn - Part 5 (Live-Action Halo Series)

Headed up by Machinima Prime this live action series is one that is a must see.  

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Please support Machinima Prime on this amazing series "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn".

Enjoy,
Scully

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gULQ5GFIkcA&feature=g-all-u

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

Halo fans rejoice, we are going back to where it all began in “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary”, it has been ten years since players took on the role of Master Chief, a super solider and humanities last hope against the alien race exterminating humanity. The first person shooter brings halo fans back to what they truly fell in love with when they first took on the role of the chief; the gameplay follows almost identically to the original elements of the first game with the addition of some new features. While the story may not have changed players will be able to enjoy the incredible campaign one of two ways, the game has been brought up to today’s amazing level of design and graphic which brings “Halo Combat Evolves” story to life in a whole new way or players can freely change the graphics feature back how it was originally designed all those years ago. Also players who pick up “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary” won’t have to tackle the alien threat on their own, unlike the original players can play co-operatively to bring the fight to Halo in a whole new way. The game also comes with some minor features that fans have come to know from the newer installments to the Halo franchise such as hidden terminals with new hidden backstory information and hidden skulls that modify the game play experience. While in today’s world gamers are all too familiar with online multiplayer, the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” didn’t come with an online experience while the anniversary edition offers seven multiplayer maps to play competitively against opponents through online play. Along with the new multiplayer element “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary” offers a game mode familiar to fans of Halo, Firefight. Firefight is a game mode in which up to four players put their skills to the test as they face wave after wave of enemies seeing how long you can survive the onslaught. The game comes packed full of what people fell in love with the original and puts a whole new spin to the gameplay, with totally redesigned levels and new in game features and online features as well, “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary” offers so much to enjoy.

Developers created something truly spectacular with the revitalization of the Halo franchises legendary beginning and offer an experience that can be appreciated by longtime fans of Halo and for fans that came late to the franchise but love the games and didn’t get the chance to experience the original can now enjoy it. While the games originals short comings are still a part of the game, the totally redesign world and well balanced game play and weapons make for an exceptional game.

Good:

-Offers what fans loved about the original

-Incredibly revamped world bringing new life to the old design

-New multiplayer and in game features

Bad:

-The original gameplay flaws are still there such as hard to find way points and objectives, you may sometimes find yourself getting lost trying to figure your way around levels

(Game Reviewed on Xbox360)

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Halo 3: ODST

Strap in everyone for a new addition to the “Halo” universe, “Halo 3: ODST” which takes the focus away from the super solider, Master Chief, and tells the story of a group of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers or ODSTs, who are elite soldiers that weren’t enhanced like Master Chief but took on challenges that were just as daunting as the ones he does. This first person shooter puts you in control of an ODST solider as he searches for clues to the remnants of his team through an alien-occupied city called New Mombasa. Finding the various clues left by your comrades allows you to start a flashback mission in order to find out what happened to your team, as you assume the role of the missing solider the clue relates to six hours earlier. The incredibly designed world of New Mombasa is free to explore as players can choose where they want to go to find the next clue or explore the futuristic city they are placed in. Since players are taking on the role of the ODSTs instead of the Master Chief's damage-absorbing energy shield, the game uses a recharging stamina mechanic which provides a new feel to the “Halo” games players are used to. Players now have to be more tactical against facing down alien enemies that in “Halo” games of the past could be easily taken on, head first, as the Master Chief. This provides for an exciting and enjoyable new gameplay element missing since the first “Halo” game, players now experience more guerilla type fighting as they set out to help their missing teammates. “Halo 3: ODST” brings to the table some new weaponry for players to use, the two most prominent and enjoyable new weapons are the M7/Caseless Submachine Gun which is a variation of the SMG seen in other “Halo” games being that it now comes with a suppressor an much better accuracy that causes incredible damage and will be used quite often by players. The other welcomed addition to the game is the standard pistol which has had the damage level increased and the zoom feature added back to it from way back when it could in the original “Halo” game. “Halo 3: ODST” also offers the first appearance of the new Firefight game mode, where players take on increasingly difficult waves of enemies in a timed survival challenge. Firefight can be played cooperatively with up to three other players through Xbox Live or with up to two players on the same console in splitscreen mode and as players’ progress through the wave of enemies they are awarded medals for making special kills, and individual and team scores are tracked throughout the games. Inside Firefight, players have a shared pool of seven lives, which are replenished after completing five rounds, adding to the difficulty are modifiers called "skulls", which give enemies new abilities or a handicap to the player for example, skulls can cause enemies to throw greater numbers of grenades or make enemies heads explode. 

“Halo 3: ODST” provides a massive selection of gameplay elements to choose from is truly a worthy addition to the franchise, with the introduction of complex and enjoyable characters, a short but enjoyable storyline as well online play the game provides an amazing experience. While the game was considered to be only an expansion onto to “Halo 3” it became much more than that and is a must have for true fans of the franchise.

Good:

-Incredible and fresh new look to the Halo universe

-Short but highly enjoyable storyline with complex and interesting characters

-New addition of an addicting Firefight mode

Bad:

-Is considered only an expansion

(Game Reviewed on Xbox360)

Scully Rating: 9.5 out of 10