Halo 5 Multiplayer: The Perfect Blend of Old and New

At this point, it's no secret 343 Industries is making some significant changes to the formula of Microsoft's prized sci-fi franchise with Halo 5: Guardians. A public multiplayer beta ran through January, and the studio has been quite forthcoming on what to expect from its competitive offerings. I'm ashamed to admit I was late to the party, as it wasn't until this morning at PAX East that I finally got some hands-on time with the game at Microsoft's booth.

I'll be frank. I didn't think I was going to enjoy the area-based multiplayer all that much. Yes, I'm one of those old crotchety Halo fans who fondly remembers the days of gaming with my buddies on the original Xbox, back when the formula was so much simpler. No sprint. No jetpacks. None of those controversial additions that were thrown into the mix in later installments to distinguish itself from what came before. Fortunately, however, I was pleasantly surprised during the time I spent with Halo 5's multiplayer, and I'll tell you why.

Leveling the playing field.

Sure, players can now sprint for an indefinite amount of time, and 343i has tossed in a whole bunch of Spartan abilities that allow players to thrust out of danger, clamber up a far off ledge, or even ground-pound an unsuspecting foe into oblivion. But because all of these abilities are the new standard, each player enters the battle on an even playing field. Instead of worrying about someone abusing Halo: Reach's notorious "Armor Lock" or an enemy spawning with a weapon better suited for a surprise close-quarters skirmish, everyone starts with the same pair of weapons and abilities at their disposal.

It's clear 343 Industries is keeping competitive gamers in mind this time around, as Halo 4 marked a massive decline in support for the franchise in professional circles. Due to careful balancing here, I never felt like I was unfairly outmatched. Each and every single time I died during my time with Halo 5, it was completely my fault; my skill was simply outmatched by that of my adversary.

Sprint wisely, Spartan.

Those who are worried about the pace need not fret either, as Halo 5's speed is not nearly as fast as other shooters out there like Call of Duty. While sprint does keep the battles moving quickly, you still have a shield that takes a bit of firepower to drain, so you won't be dropping like a fly every fifteen seconds. Another smart tweak 343i threw into the mix to keep the battles from moving too quickly is the way shield regeneration works. If you're sprinting, your shields will not recharge, encouraging players who are low on health to consider a tactic other than frantically fleeing from battle.

Finally, there's just one other change I want to touch upon, the addition of what 343 Industries is calling "Smart Scope." In many ways this is just a fancy way of saying Halo 5 includes an option to aim down a weapon's sights, an ability found in many other shooters out there… but never Halo. I stepped up to the demo kiosk afraid that I would be forced to use this view option in order to be effective in battle, but only rarely did I ever find myself pulling the L-trigger to pick off an enemy across the map. There's really no precision advantage to using the scope, so those who wish to ignore the option entirely will be happy to know they can do so without being penalized.

Well, that about wraps up my thoughts on the multiplayer of Halo 5: Guardians. I could go on and on about the game's gorgeous visuals, but something tells me the stunning screenshots and video content already out there have made that fact clear as day. Xbox One owners, you have every reason to be hyped for this game, regardless of whether you're looking for something new or nostalgic from Halo's tried-and-true formula.

For more PAX East 2015 coverage…