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Halo 5: Guardians
Critics Consensus (Play It)
Halo 5: Guardians features a solid, enjoyable campaign and multiplayer that marks a bold reinvention of the Halo experience.
Game Info
Halo 5: Guardians delivers epic multiplayer experiences that span multiple modes, full-featured level building tools, and a new chapter in the Master Chief saga. And now with Xbox One X, players can experience enhanced visuals, up to 4K resolution, increased visual details, and improved graphic fidelity that makes the game look better than ever before, all while maintaining a consistent 60FPS for the smoothest gameplay possible.
0%
Recommended
0%
Average Score
Total Reviews: 95
Silver TIER
41% of scored reviews fell within the range of 86 to 92 / 100
RELEASE DATES:
GENRES:
- Shooter
DEVELOPER(S):
- 343 Industries
PUBLISHER(S):
- Xbox Game Studios
SERIES/FRANCHISE:
- Halo
GAME MODES:
- Multiplayer, Single player
Where to Play
WHERE TO PLAY
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RATING & REVIEWS
Ratings & Reviews
95
Critic Reviews
85
Average Critic Score
Where to Play
CRITIC REVIEWS
All reviews are from professional critics. Learn more about the critics VSG aggregates.
High Score
100%
Median Score
88%
Low Score
60%
What did you think of Halo 5: Guardians?
Player Reviews0 Votes
0
Brian Albert (IGN)
October 27, 2015
9/10
Where single-player has its successes and failures, Halo 5’s multiplayer is one big, sustained high point.
Mike Mahardy (GameSpot)
October 27, 2015
8/10
Like Spartan Locke and his team, 343 is chasing after something bigger than itself, and with Halo 5: Guardians, it comes close. Now if only it could reach out its arm and take hold.
Ethan Gach (Kotaku)
August 16, 2018
Recommended
Its best parts feel basic in all the best ways, both classic and modern at the same time. It never made good on the dream of seeing another more tragic, more complicated side of Master Chief, but years later, through endless updates and balance patches, it’s made good on the promise of its multiplayer. Even if that were all that Halo 5 was, at this point that would still make it a very good game.
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Score Ranges
Read the Reviews (95 total)
| Outlet | Author | Score | Date | Quote | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACG | Jeremy Penter | Recommended | 10-26-2015 | Video Review | Read review |
| AR12Gaming | Alan Walsh | 9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians tells an epic story, across a vast, epic world and across these environments, players will face epic battles. From a divulging Campaign mode, to epic Multiplayer matches across Arena and Warzone, Halo 5: Guardians is truly the Halo game we’ve all been waiting for. While it isn’t perfect, the experience is incredible. | Read review |
| Arcade Sushi | Luke Brown | 9.5 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | Though the story is a draw for longtime fans, most people will be stopping in to check out Halo 5’s multiplayer, and it’s there 343’s direction really shines. Warzone is a lot of fun, and Arena’s classic inspiration is made all the better thanks to 343’s latest twists to core mechanics. It’s gorgeous, it’s fast-paced, and it’s a blast to play regardless of your skill level. Halo 5 is absolutely the flagship title the Xbox One deserves. | Read review |
| Atomix | Miguel Sandoval | 85 / 100 | 10-27-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians it’s a versatile FPS with a high value for any fan of the genre, including the campaign and the multiplayer equally. It definitely keeps most of the essence of the franchise, sadly, the split-screen is highly missed. | Read review |
| Attack of the Fanboy | Kyle Hanson | 4.5 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Any worry that Halo might be in the wrong hands with 343 Industries has been wiped out by Halo 5: Guardians. Taking what works, removing what didn’t, and refining nearly every aspect of the experience, Halo 5 is an immediate classic that is on par with its predecessors. | Read review |
| AusGamers | nachosjustice | 6 / 10 | 10-30-2015 | Considering there’s very little sandboxing in the campaign, 343 really needs to provide some sort of way for players to get their actual Halo gameplay fix. As it stands at launch, it’s not there in Halo 5: Guardians. | Read review |
| Cerealkillerz | Gabriel Bogdan | 9.5 / 10 | 10-25-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians erfüllt so gut wie alle Erwartungen an das Xbox One Debüt des Master Chiefs. Bis auf kleinere schwächen bei den Gegner Animationen und der Partner KI bzw. dem fehlenden Splitscreen Co-Op, gibt es eigentlich nichts am neuesten Halo Ableger zu bemängeln. Ihr bekommt eine großartige Kampagne, zusammen mit dem wohl umfangreichsten Multiplayer Aufgebot was die Halo Reihe bis jetzt erlebt hat serviert. Wenn ihr euch zusammen mit 3 Freunden durch die Kampagne ballert, steht einem perfekten Halo Erlebnis eigentlich nichts mehr im Weg. | Read review |
| CGMagazine | Bryan Calhoun | 8 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | I believe that they’ll win a few battles with Halo 5 on the front line. | Read review |
| Cheat Code Central | Erik Pederson | 4.8 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Overall, Halo 5 delivers well on everything it does. From the groundbreaking graphics to the adrenaline pumping campaign and the online component, this game is a must-own for any shooter fan that is looking to see what the ‘true’ next-gen gaming experience should be like. If you have an Xbox One (with Xbox Live) and love competitive shooters, Halo 5: Guardians is a must-own. | Read review |
| COGconnected | Kirby Yablonski | 87 / 100 | 10-26-2015 | As one who has played all the Halo games since the original Halo: Combat Evolved, and recently finished the single player campaign for Halo 5, I can say that I am pretty satisfied with what takes place. | Read review |
| Critical Hit | Alessandro Barbosa | 7.9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | A short, disappointing tale makes nearly no progress in 343’s trilogy, and offers nothing that lives up to the billing of a tense showdown between Halo 5’s two protagonists. Thankfully the improved gameplay and consistently great multiplayer shine in Halo’s uneven debut on the Xbox One. The multiplayer is fantastic, and the co-op is magical. Bring friends. | Read review |
| Cubed3 | Izzy Lichi | 8 / 10 | 01-04-2016 | Halo 5: Guardians tries to be similar to a lot of popular features that other shooter games have, while managing to maintain its own franchise identity. The removal of load-outs, but, at the same time, adding the ability to aim down sights, is a very noticeable example. Farming Requisition Points is exciting, since pack loot is extremely varied, and in many cases, players will always have different unlocks thanks to this. The campaign is certainly not the strong point, but the multiplayer is another solid experience for FPS fans to play and enjoy until the next shooter or Halo game is available. | Read review |
| Daily Dot | Dennis Scimeca | 4 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Guardians is a disappointingly uneven experience | Read review |
| DarkZero | Ahmed Mohamed | 10 / 10 | 10-30-2015 | A superb campaign, particularly in its level design, coupled with the all-new Warzone mode and the return of arena multiplayer makes Halo 5 the best FPS game of this generation and possibly the best Halo title ever. | Read review |
| Destructoid | Chris Carter | 7 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | If it weren’t for Warzone, Halo 5: Guardians would probably be somewhere on the lower end of the franchise’s spectrum for me. It’s still a fantastic and well-oiled machine, but the story falls flat, and the shift in gameplay mechanics result in the loss of some elements that made the series so unique in the first place. Still, if you’re looking to shoot some dudes online, Guardians is your huckleberry. | Read review |
| Digital Chumps | Will Johnson | 9 / 10 | 11-01-2015 | In the days of third party sales supremacy and value added services, the impact of a singular title or franchise doesn’t leave the same mark as it did two or three generations ago. But for 343’s efforts, they made an excellent FPS that should earn them a good portion of credit they so urgently need from the fanbase. | Read review |
| Digital Spy | Ian Dransfield | 3 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians features an underwhelming, confusing and surprisingly banal campaign that’s not actively bad, but equally not quite good enough to warrant a purchase on its own. | Read review |
| Digital Trends | Phil Hornshaw | 3 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is great if you’re a big fan of its multiplayer modes, but its campaign is the weakest of the series. | Read review |
| Digitally Downloaded | Nick H. | 4 / 5 stars | 11-03-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians deserves credit for taking chances and trying some new things. It would be safest and easiest to simply modify what has worked in the past and gloss it up and send it out, but modes like Warzone in multiplayer and the shift to a party structure in the campaign are chances that mostly work out well. | Read review |
| DualShockers | Joel Taveras | 8.5 / 10 | 11-03-2015 | On the flip side, the team takes the approach of “less is more” in the game’s multiplayer as it goes, for the most part, back to basics and it quickly transports you to the franchise of old. | Read review |
| EGM | Jeff Landa | 9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | The continuation of a new Master Chief saga, the refinement and additions to multiplayer for casual and pros alike, plus a gorgeous presentation made possible by current generation technology—all add up to the makings of a FPS worthy of the Halo series’ best iterations. | Read review |
| Eurogamer | Wesley Yin-Poole | Recommended | 10-30-2015 | A solid campaign and wonderful competitive multiplayer sees 343 finally make its mark on Halo. | Read review |
| Everyeye.it | Francesco Fossetti | 8.8 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | The fifth regular chapter of the Halo saga will certainly leave long-time fans satisfied, for some time looking for a multiplayer sector capable of rivaling that proposed by the historical trilogy. Abandoning the Armor Abilities and returning to focus on a pure and clean gameplay, Halo 5 performs a small miracle: it manages to distance itself far enough from the two “giants” that have saturated the market in recent years, demonstrating not only a strong character, but also the ability to adapt to the needs of a large segment of the public. | Read review |
| Forbes | Erik Kain | 9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | All told, Halo 5: Guardians is a smashing success. The campaign isn’t the strongest of the series, but it’s still a fun space opera romp, and its ending transforms the Halo universe completely. | Read review |
| Game Debate | Philrock | 9 / 10 | 11-09-2015 | Admittedly, I’m a huge fan of Halo, and every time a new one comes out I’m filled with equal parts fear and excitement, the lack of local co-op was a massive blow for me personally, but thankfully 343 delivered where they promised and have provided us with another excellent entry to (in my opinion) one of the greatest FPS series’ of all time. So, is it time for Halo 6 yet? | Read review |
| Game Informer | Matt Miller | 8.8 / 10 | 10-28-2015 | A strong new entry, but veteran players may feel like the series has moved away from some of its previously established pillars | Read review |
| Game Rant | Riley Little | 4 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is a true step forward for Microsoft’s Halo franchise that makes for a no-brainer buy on Xbox One, but it’s not a flawless experience. | Read review |
| Game Revolution | Peter Paras | 4.5 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | As a series, Halo has been the one triple-A shooter that has fans for the story as well as the multiplayer. Depending on where you are on the spectrum between story and gameplay, you can take my grade up or down a half point. If you’re looking for a frag-fest, plus all the enticements of the new Warzone mode, Halo 5 is a must-own. All the new abilities and maps are terrific. Those who care about the single-player campaign might not find the story to be as compelling but will appreciate the treatment of lore and production value. Either way, In the coming months, Halo 5: Guardians will undoubtedly have both supporters and detractors playing and commenting about it for years. | Read review |
| GameCrate | Quibian Salazar-Moreno | 8.8 / 10 | 10-27-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is the second game in what looks to be a trilogy from 343 Industries and for the most part, the developer is doing a good job of handling the franchise with care. We’ll be sticking around for the next Halo title from 343. | Read review |
| Gamefa | Amirhossein Dehnavi | 9 / 10 | 11-12-2015 | in Many ways Halo 5: Guardians is a Much better successor than the Previous installation of 343i in Halo Universe, unfortunately, 343i Couldn’t fix its old issue that depends too much on Other Halo Universe Story which Makes the story hard to understand for newcomers or the gamers who only try the main series but Playing Halo is never been so Good and The Guardians Truly Shines in Multiplayer. | Read review |
| GameGrin | Calum Parry | 7.5 / 10 | 11-18-2015 | Despite its shortfalls Halo 5: Guardians still holds strong as being an excellent contender as the current best shooter available for Xbox One. Afterall it is Microsoft’s flagship title, but with a short lackluster story that only the diehard fans will appreciate, the multiplayer is truly where the focus is. 60FPS makes a world of difference and is here to stay with the franchise, but I just hope that they take the feedback from the community and make things better in the next installment. | Read review |
| Gameplanet | Ben Allan | 8.5 / 10 | 10-27-2015 | Lots of little details impress, like the specific way a Covenant jackal will beat off an attacking Promethean crawler with his shield if you watch them fighting, or the swoops of alien bird creatures screeching around the skies. And it all hums along at the high frame rates that certain sections of the gaming populace seem very concerned that it should. | Read review |
| GamePro | Tobias Veltin | 91 / 100 | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5 is a first-class sci-fi shooter with a great campaign and varied multiplayer modes. | Read review |
| GamesBeat | Dean Takahashi | 83 / 100 | 10-25-2015 | That’s the kind of story about Master Chief that I like. He knows what the odds are, and he keeps attacking anyway, taking the fight to enemy. Instead, we get a story about betrayal and an ultimate showdown. But that showdown isn’t that satisfying, and it’s not even what Microsoft promised in some of its earlier commercials. I was disappointed because I expected something really significant to happen in the ending, and all I got was a cliffhanger. | Read review |
| GameSkinny | Matt Paprocki | 10 / 10 | 11-02-2015 | How the state of Halo 5 multiplayer online is now after a years worth of updates | Read review |
| GameSpot | Mike Mahardy | 8 / 10 | 10-27-2015 | Like Spartan Locke and his team, 343 is chasing after something bigger than itself, and with Halo 5: Guardians, it comes close. Now if only it could reach out its arm and take hold. | Read review |
| GamesRadar+ | David Houghton | 4 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Not a bad game, but frustratingly one that succeeds despite its innovations, not because of them. An enjoyable campaign, but not a truly convincing one. | Read review |
| GameZone | Matt Liebl | Recommended | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians’ story and structure will likely be divisive among fans of the franchise, but I absolutely loved it. It breathes new life into a franchise whose traditional structure was beginning to get stale. 343 Industries has made some bold changes to the franchise in attempt to evolve Halo into a more modern-feeling game, and most of these changes have been for the better so far. | Read review |
| Gaming Nexus | Charles Husemann | 8.8 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | It’s not perfect, but this might be the best single-player Halo campaign ever written. 343 finally feels like it’s taking the franchise in a new direction—and it’s a good one. Just don’t expect closure. | Read review |
| GamingBolt | Aaron Main | 8 / 10 | 10-27-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians proves that 343 Industries are up for the challenge. With solid combat, weapons, worlds and a killer story, the only thing needing more attention is multiplayer. Though solid with good framerate, online felt as though it borrowed more from past Halo games instead of evolving from them, never showing anything new. But online is still really fun! | Read review |
| GamingTrend | Travis Northup | 100 / 100 | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is a masterpiece, and quite possibly the best Halo game so far. The campaign is top-notch, even as Master Chief shares the spotlight, and the multiplayer is largely a return to everything that has made the franchise so beloved to begin with. | Read review |
| Geeks Under Grace | Drew Koehler | 9.8 / 10 | 10-25-2015 | Halo 5 Guardians is a refreshing addition to the Halo game series that will remind fans of why they first fell in love with the game. | Read review |
| Giant Bomb | Jeff Gerstmann | 4 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | You’ll spot some rough edges and notice some omissions, but Halo 5 looks great, plays well, and has enough options to keep you coming back. | Read review |
| God is a Geek | Mick Fraser | 8.5 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | The best Halo campaign since Reach, Guardians is a return to form | Read review |
| Guardian | Simon Parkin | 4 / 5 stars | 10-28-2015 | This sprawling sci-fi series once set the agenda for console shooters, but now far behind and playing catch up, it has much to prove | Read review |
| Hardcore Gamer | Adam Beck | 4 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is a fine tuned machine. It has a robust and highly addictive competitive multiplayer component, a large variety of aesthetically pleasing customizations and some of the tightest controls to ever grace a Halo title. Unfortunately, the campaign leaves much to be desired. … If you go into Halo 5: Guardians with the intent of primarily playing multiplayer, then this won’t disappoint. | Read review |
| Hobby Consolas | Borja Abadie | 92 / 100 | 10-26-2015 | It has lost elements such as the split screen or armor skills but the content offer is brutal, the balance of the arsenal almost perfect and the news of its multiplayer mode can have us hooked for months. | Read review |
| IBTimes UK | Ben Skipper | 4 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | You can certainly see a learning curve with 343 Industries. With Halo 5 their clear understanding of the series has yielded a great game, but not the classic they’re capable of making. | Read review |
| IGN | Brian Albert | 9 / 10 | 10-27-2015 | Where single-player has its successes and failures, Halo 5’s multiplayer is one big, sustained high point. | Read review |
| IGN Italy | Felice Di Giuseppe | 8.7 / 10 | 10-29-2015 | One of the most beautiful shooters of recent times, which trudges in single-player and petrifies the competition in multiplayer. | Read review |
| IGN Spain | José L. Ortega | 9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | The Master Chief, accompanied by Agent Locke, give us a tremendously epic adventure, which will satisfy fans of the saga, and which proposes new and most interesting ideas. Its technical section may be the beginning of a new course for first-person shooters. | Read review |
| Impulsegamer | Tony Smith | 4.5 / 5 stars | 11-01-2015 | In the end, Halo 5 Guardians is a great start on the Xbox One that boasts decent gameplay, amazing graphics and audio to really immerse you into this futuristic warzone. | Read review |
| Kill Screen | Clayton Purdom, Eric Sams | 83 / 100 | 11-11-2015 | I have played a lot of Destiny with friends and with randomly assigned partners, but it’s sort of like being on a car ride together. Halo 5, on the other hand, is full of tense moments of planning and frustration and awe. The same multiplayer mode played in the same environment will never feel the same twice. Which begs the question: If a Halo Moment occurs and a friend isn’t there to tell about it, did it happen? | Read review |
| Kotaku | Tina Amini | Recommended | 10-30-2015 | The campaign isn’t the greatest, but multiplayer manages to succeed in the way it always has, with the addition of a fun and inventive new mode. | Read review |
| LevelUp | Roberto Jiménez | 8.9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | At the end of the day, Halo 5 is a great option for fans of the saga, even those of us who were suspicious after the launch of Halo 4 and, especially, the Master Chief Collection. If you fall into this category, this game is an option that you don’t need to think about. If you have never played a Halo it is likely that its multiplayer will catch you and you will become a fan, but you have to know that you will need to do a lot of research to catch up with the story because otherwise you will not understand what is happening. | Read review |
| Marooners’ Rock | Robert Workman | 9.5 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | There is still some question as to whether fans will accept Locke as much as they’ve accepted Master Chief, as well as how significantly the game will hold up in multiplayer once the public servers go live. But for what I’ve seen and played for so many hours over the weekend, Halo 5: Guardians has indicated that 343 has not only picked up Bungie’s ball, but scored with it on multiple occasions. | Read review |
| Merlin’in Kazanı | Emin Çıtak | 85 / 100 | 10-30-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is very beautiful. While some of the new additions to the series never grinned, 343 was the first step towards separating the series from Bungie. However, he had to give up his script and some gameplay mechanics when he wanted to turn into a new generation FPS. So what does that change? It reveals that those who love Halo will miss some things very, very much. Still, Halo 5: Guardians manages to be one of the best productions of the year and deserves to be the guest of honor to every Xbox One owner’s library. | Read review |
| Metro GameCentral | David Jenkins | 9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | The story campaign is a mild disappointment but the multiplayer is a bold reinvention of the Halo experience, that should keep the series fresh for years to come. | Read review |
| New Game Network | Alex Varankou | 81 / 100 | 10-27-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians marks a strong debut on Xbox One for the long running franchise, with great gameplay and solid multiplayer and in spite of a weak campaign. | Read review |
| NZGamer | Luke Batt | 8.9 / 10 | 10-27-2015 | For fans of the franchise, I’d say it’s worth your time, but it could be a tough entry point for newcomers. As for fans of Halo’s multiplayer, I think there’s more than enough to sink your teeth into, and at this point all I can say is that Halo 6’s campaign can’t come soon enough | Read review |
| Pardis Game | mst | 9 / 10 | 11-08-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians, although it suffers from weaknesses, but from my point of view it offers the best and most ambitious experience in the history of the Halo game series. | Read review |
| Paste Magazine | Cameron Kunzelman | 6 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | But at the end of the day, there just isn’t that much here for me, even as a casual-sometimes-hardcore Halo fan. If you think Destiny could scratch the itch you have for Halo, pick it up over this game. If not, buckle in for an underwhelming mechanical retread with a so-so story framing the whole experience. | Read review |
| PCMag | Timothy Torres | 3.5 / 5 stars | 11-10-2015 | A terrific online experience saves Halo 5 from a mediocre campaign, missing features, and a disappointing lack of split screen multiplayer. | Read review |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Max Parker | 8.5 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | “Halo 5” is a mixed bag, and its value depends on the interests of the beholder. Fans of “Halo” lore will be sorely disappointed. “Halo 5’s” campaign fails to deliver the action and emotion of “Halo 4.” It’s clear that 343 Industries focused on multiplayer offerings, and that focus led to the most inspired multiplayer suite for the shooter genre in recent memory. Smooth Arena modes will appeal to the ultra-competitive while Warzone is terrific for casual fans. There’s room for improvement when it comes to storytelling in the next “Halo” game, but multiplayer modes brilliantly usher in the series to the new generation. | Read review |
| Polygon | Arthur Gies | 9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5 offers some of the best multiplayer the series has ever seen | Read review |
| Post Arcade (National Post) | Daniel Kaszor | 9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5 is a very good, but will the new changes and modes be enough to maintain the franchise’s special status? One thing’s for sure, people will be talking about it | Read review |
| Rectify Gaming | Tyler Thomas | 9.5 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | 343 Industries’ Halo 5: Guardians has established itself not as “the next” Halo game, or “another sequel,” but instead opts to redefine a new beginning for the franchise — one with more commitment to its players | Read review |
| Rocket Chainsaw | Anthony Capone | 4 / 5 stars | 10-25-2015 | Halo 5 Guardians is a fantastic game brimming with content, though some parts feel better than others. The story fails to live up to the franchise’s standards, due to an underdeveloped narrative, samey level design and an unnecessary focus on Locke. | Read review |
| SECTOR.sk | Sector.sk Staff | 9 / 10 | 10-20-2015 | While the campaign isn’t long and new players get lost in the story, classic Halo gameplay still works per unit, and four-player collaboration is a good addition. Warzone mode pushes the entire Halo multiplayer forward into yet unexplored areas. | Read review |
| Shacknews | Steve Watts | 9 / 10 | 10-27-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians isn’t 343’s first Halo game, but it’s the first that really makes the series its own. This isn’t a reflection of Bungie’s efforts, or a remaster, or stage-setting. The studio has put its own identity on this Halo game with smart moves like a more identifiable story and a wider array of multiplayer options, along with increased polish like Guardians’ incredible visual punch and impeccable multiplayer balance. For the first time since 343 took the mantle, I came away feeling that it was a change for the better. | Read review |
| Sirus Gaming | Marcus Villareal | 8.8 / 10 | 10-22-2016 | The Halo series has always been one of the biggest franchises since its release and still continues to do the same with Halo 5. From its story to its multiplayer it does everything with greatness and with constant updates for multiplayer all added free of charge to its community that continues to grow everyday. With Halo Wars 2 and Halo 6 on their way, there is no stopping this series in the near future. | Read review |
| Slant Magazine | Justin Clark | 3.5 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | This spectacle is impressive on its own merits, but it spins the story’s wheels for way too long. | Read review |
| SpazioGames | Aligi Comandini | 8.5 / 10 | 10-27-2015 | If from Halo 5: Guardians you were expecting an incredible qualitative leap of the campaign and the storyline, we are sorry to disappoint you, but in the work of 343 you will find only a one-off adventure that is predictable and repetitive. The courage that the developers did not have here, however, magically appeared when it was time to touch gameplay and multiplayer, and the latest in the series has therefore been revolutionized in both aspects, with dry improvements. on both sides. Let go of the attachment to the past for a moment and enjoy the new Halo. If it’s multiplayer that you wait for it foaming at the mouth every time, there is great news for you. | Read review |
| TechnoBuffalo | Joey Davidson | Recommended | 10-26-2015 | If you’re picking up Halo 5: Guardians for the campaign, you’re in for a treat with rough edges. | Read review |
| TechRaptor | Andrew Stretch | 9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | With a fantastic campaign and excellent competitive multiplayer game modes, Halo 5 is a game that fans of the franchise or the genre would be sorry to miss out on. | Read review |
| Telegraph | Tom Hoggins | Recommended | 10-26-2015 | The narrative is suitably epic and grandstanding – and makes a bold decision with a long-standing character – but takes itself far too seriously. Which, for a game about purple aliens, planet-destroying super weapons and bionic soldiers, seems a little off-key. | Read review |
| The Angry Joe Show | Joe Vargas | 6 / 10 | 11-02-2015 | Video Review | Read review |
| The Escapist | Mitchell Saltzman | 4.5 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5 proves that 343 is a worthy team for taking over the Mantle of Responsibility for the Halo series from Bungie. | Read review |
| The Game Fanatics | Max Delgado | 9 / 10 | 11-05-2015 | Halo 5’s narrative is going to leave the community split, but the multiplayer will unite those who have been longing for something this tight since the days of the original trilogy. | Read review |
| The Jimquisition | Jim Sterling | 6.5 / 10 | 01-20-2016 | Halo 5: Guardians is okay. Its campaign is rubbish, but the multiplayer is solid thanks to the foundation it’s built upon. Warzone is a really enjoyable experience, and while combat is still mostly about tossing grenades and hitting the melee button, the whole Requisition gimmick adds some much-needed flavor to proceedings. It’s just a shame it also adds not-needed money to Microsoft pockets. | Read review |
| TheSixthAxis | Matt Wingler | 8 / 10 | 10-25-2015 | If you’re growing tired of the franchise and were really hoping Microsoft and 343 would hold true to their promise to evolve the formula a bit, be wary that the newest stuff is where the game gets a bit shaky. However, if you’ve loved the Halo blueprint up to now and are looking for an updated current-gen version, there’s more than enough here to offer a solid recommendation. It’s not the best Halo game I’ve ever played, but it is good, delivering most of the Halo essentials without compromise. | Read review |
| ThisGenGaming | George Seymour | 9.5 / 10 | 10-24-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is one hell of a rollercoaster for Halo fans. From the sombre and sad times to the action packed thrill ride, it surely was an incredible experience all around. | Read review |
| Toronto Sun | Steve Tilley | 3.5 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | I think die-hard Halo fans will love Halo 5: Guardians, as it’s a game made almost exclusively with them in mind. The rest of us might find ourselves a little lost, a bit let down and wistful for an old horizon that once reached for the heavens. | Read review |
| TrueAchievements | Dave Horobin | 4.5 / 5 stars | 10-28-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is the game that 343 Industries needed to release to regain the confidence of gamers in both themselves and the Halo franchise. The campaign is a fast, action packed battle through a host of beautifully designed locations, that offers brilliant pacing and some stunning set pieces. The story may well be confusing – especially for newcomers – and many characters are sadly lacking in depth, but that doesn’t detract from how fun shooting your way through the game’s fifteen missions is when playing solo and even more so with three friends. The multiplayer stays true to the core elements that have made Halo what is today, whilst at the same time adding new mechanics that bring it in line with what you’d expect to see from a modern first-person shooter. The addition of Warzone alone will keep you coming back for more as every game feels different and unique.If you own an Xbox One and have any interest in first-person shooters, Halo 5: Guardians is quite simply a must play. | Read review |
| TrustedReviews | Stuart Andrews | 4 / 5 stars | 11-03-2015 | So, back to the original question: Halo 5 is definitely good, but is it great? Well, I’m tempted to err on the side of greatness. | Read review |
| Twinfinite | Chris Jecks | 4 / 5 stars | 11-03-2015 | Halo 5 has come through addressing a lot of the concerns that fans had leading up to its launch. The online multiplayer is stable, delivers classic Halo multiplayer, and freshens it up all at the same time. The single player campaign is enjoyable enough for those looking for a classic FPS experience, but not all too bothered about a strong story. However, 343 Industries seems to have missed out on truly filling out the characters on both Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris. What could have been a master crafted experience with a beautifully woven story and blockbuster set pieces falls just short, instead offering a consistently solid performance throughout that is still a credit to the genre. | Read review |
| USgamer | Jaz Rignall | 4 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | The campaign mode hits some great highs over its somewhat short 15-mission span, but also occasionally suffers from a lack of variety, and some boss fights that feel disappointingly one-note. Halo 5: Guardians’ strength is found in its PvP. Arena and Warzone offer two distinctly different flavors of action, and both are solid, very well designed, and a lot of fun to play. Ultimately, campaign is a good way to ease you into the game | Read review |
| VGChartz | Daniel Carreras | Recommended | 10-26-2015 | It discards series tropes with confidence and stands tall as a testament to what can happen when a series embraces the new without detracting from the best of the old. | Read review |
| VideoGamer | Tom Orry | 9 / 10 | 10-26-2015 | Halo 5 Guardians is as slick and bombastic as an exclusive should be, hitting all the right notes in a campaign that is thrilling from end to end. | Read review |
| Washington Post | Christopher Byrd | Recommended | 10-26-2015 | As tired as space marine tropes are to video games, it would mean-spirited of me to deny that “Halo 5” delivers a solid, blockbuster experience best enjoyed with friends. | Read review |
| We Got This Covered | Matt Joseph | 4.5 / 5 stars | 10-26-2015 | Flawless gameplay, one of the best multiplayer experiences on the market and a shiny, new coat of paint make Halo 5: Guardians an easy contender for Game of the Year. | Read review |
| Worth Playing | Adam Pavlacka | 8.9 / 10 | 11-05-2015 | Halo 5’s single-player campaign is fun, but the game is at its best when you’re coordinating with others and attacking objectives as a team. | Read review |
| Xbox Achievements | Dan Webb | 85 / 100 | 10-30-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is an exciting Halo package, marred only by some questionable design decisions, like microtransactions and some shoddy friendly-AI in the campaign. It’s not a classic Halo, but 343 is moving in a good direction with the franchise. | Read review |
| Zoomg | Niloofar Ebrahim Pour | 9 / 10 | 11-14-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is exactly what it can call a perfect first-person shooting. If only Studio 343 Indestics was able to implement the magnificent propaganda it displayed in its story. | Read review |
| ZTGD | Ken McKown | 9 / 10 | 10-28-2015 | Halo 5: Guardians is a fantastic step for the series. 343 Industries proves it knows the series, and this being the first official game on the Xbox One, it stands out as one of the pinnacle games for the console. I can see myself playing this MP long into next year, and it feels good to have the classic back in action without hiccups or issues. If you own an Xbox One this is a no-brainer, Halo 5 is a must-have game. | Read review |
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