Two other complaints I have with Halo 5 Guardians that I didn’t mention in Parts 1, 2, or 3 are its replacement of in-game terminals with audio logs and its removal of split-screen compatibility.
The in-game terminals are worth mentioning because they were compelling, well-crafted augmentations of the Halo universe. They were first introduced in Halo 3 as a series of ancient dialogue transcripts hidden throughout the campaign. The terminals in Halo CE Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, and Halo 4, animated by The Sequence Group, added some fascinating story bits and clever retro-continuity. For instance, we got to learn about what 343 Guilty Spark was up to for the past 100,000 years, the physical and psychological torment that Captain Keyes endured while held captive by the Gravemind, and why the Heretic leader betrayed the Prophets. However, Halo 5 discontinues this trend by opting to replace these beautifully animated short films with boring, lazy, 144p audio logs that nobody listened to or even cared about.
Secondly, the game’s alarming lack of split-screen compatibility is unforgiveable. Why 343 could not program such a basic and essential feature is beyond my understanding, but there’s no excuse for it. Furthermore, the campaign was built with cooperative play in mind, but when you’re unable to play on the same television set as someone else, then what’s the point? Why market the game as being “pro-co-op” when people are forced to pay for a $60 LIVE subscription just so they can play with their friends? Split-screen is also a feature in the list of features that were unavailable at launch; there was no working Theater mode, no Forge mode, no Big Team Battle or other social game types, and to this day no veto system. Halo has always shipped with these features, but Halo 5 was the first game in the series where we had to wait for them to be added months later.
And now, for my final word.
I try not to write a predominately negative review without at least ending it on a positive note. In truth, I wouldn’t have dedicated over 3,000 words to complaining about Halo 5’s campaign if I didn’t believe the franchise still had a sliver of hope. The key issue with Halo 5 is not that it killed the franchise, but that it took the franchise in the wrong direction. If it is revealed in a twist that Cortana is under the control of the Ur-Didact in Halo 6, then that could undo the contrivances in Halo 5. Cortana’s motives would therefore make sense, and the writers could explore an interesting dynamic between Cortana and the Didact. Although, as I alluded to earlier, if 343 continues making everything up as they go along without any plan or forethought, then Halo 6 is going to flop even worse than Halo 5.
I would like to thank you for making it this far in the review and listening to all that I had to say on the story of Halo 5: Guardians. It’s no secret by now that it sucks, but as a lifelong Halo fan I felt that I would be doing a massive disservice to not speak up on it and vent my frustration to the public. This review was important to me because Halo is a part of my history and ultimately my understanding of who I am. More importantly, Halo was once a game that all other games on the market aspired to emulate, but seeing where the franchise has been, where it is now, and where it’s going? It’s a damn shame, and I want, hope, and prey for future installments to improve.
That, to me at least, is a fight worth finishing.
