When it comes to exclusive games I’ve always preferred Xbox. The first games that I ever got for the Xbox 360 were Gears of War 1 and 2 and Halo: Reach. After playing those three games, Halo and Gears of War became two of my favorite game series. We have to wait until 2016 for the next new Gears of War game but Halo 5 is finally out.

Whenever I think of Halo, I never spend too much time thinking about the deep plot and Master Chief’s adventures, rather the experiences that I’ve had while playing online multiplayer. Halo 5’s arena mode is fun, addicting, and causes you to think a bit more deeply about strategies. It’s so rewarding when you build up enough requisition points to get yourself a gold pack that may just contain the armor set that you crave. Not everyone will like the Req system though, but it’s not too essential if you spend most of your time in arena mode. I really enjoy the new maps in Halo 5 and I can’t wait to see what they add in the future. I’m sure that some creative game types and maps will come out of forge mode when it is released in December.

The other online mode that Halo 5 has to offer is the new innovative game mode Warzone. Warzone is a beautiful mix of PVP, AI, and base capturing goodness.  It’s a very fresh concept that will be sure to have you playing for hours. It may get a bit tedious though since it only offers three maps at launch. Warzone really takes advantage of the Req system and causes you to manage your energy points to ensure your victory. There is also Warzone Assault which takes away the AI and has one team trying to take out a singular base with a 5 minute time limit. This mode is very hectic and offers a lot of intense moments. There is also much strategy to be had in this game mode.

The campaign is the one dull part of Halo 5. It was the shortest campaign in Halo history and offered an only mediocre plot. The big problem that I had was that the Adds truly lied to us. They showed us a Master Chief vs Locke scenario that really never played out. The adds showed so much promise of a Spartan vs Spartan storyline ad when the credits rolled I was disappointed that it never happened. They has a real opportunity here to do something really unique. There were some entertaining missions though and if you play on legendary difficulty you’ll definitely have to spend some serious time to take on the campaign.

Halo 5 also added some much needed features like aiming down your sights and climbing over ledges while jumping. Halo also added a boosting system similar to other first person shooters today like Call of Duty and Titanfall. Free DLC packs have also been promised for the future and the return of some favorite game types.

Overall Halo 5: Guardians feels fresh yet still familiar to the past halo games. Although the campaign might not be what you’re looking for Multiplayer is a real rush.

Thanks for reading.