Backdemon

It could be... and im not saying it is or that this is backed up by anything... The storm covenant attacking a human colony and the last spartan II's were deployed there. It is Mark VI armour, just asthetically updated, so its possible thats Fred and Co fighting the Storm Covies since all the elites in the cutscene are wearing Storm Uniform. Cortana states in the mission Dawn that its not normal covenant gear. None of the spartans are named or numbered in the prologue so it could be any of the II's. All the weapons in the Cutscene are Halo 4 era, along with the marine armour which leads me to believe that it might be set during the time between halo 3 and 4. Id like to think it is this instead of a continuity error.

I understand what you are getting at with the forgeable firefight. Id love a mode implimented like that, but it would be nothing like this scenario and it could possibly be harder to impliment. Firefight forge would require dynamic editable scripting for the ai to interact with objects they could possibly use, jump on or shoot around. This would mean smaller maps with less in them to stop the ai going mental. I wish it were possible though. This survival firefight is a large open world were everything would be made to fit in the map like it was a campaign level or large firefight map. And i do agree this may require its own game like another Halo 3: ODST expansion. Which would make the SOEIV's fit in the game and allow for more dedicated open worldiness-ness. The day tracking system could be different for each person allowing people to enter the game and leave if nessisary. So the party leader who started the map would have the longest days alive. Say one of his friends spawned in 3 days after, the original player could have 3 days survived [with a little note underneath that says veteran survivor] while the newest person has 0 days [and their note says: greenhorn/just stranded etc]. Maybe every 3 days thebonus round [flood] comes, making each day equivilent to a round in normal firefight. Campaign wise i think it could work. Halo is a story telling campaign, and open world games can make it difficult to explain whats going on without cutscenes, but I reckon it could be pulled off. A game/gamemode like this could allow for bigger tema firefights and multiple objective campaigns. Tell the story of an ODST squad together in situations they would suffer for being ODSTs: Seperation, lack of ammo, loss of their support ships, stuck in an unknown hostile environment... Things Halo 3: ODST gave us glimpses of. look at me ramble on...

It would be a tough concept to produce for a specific Halo, but it could easily be an expansion like ODST was for halo 3. I had another Idea though it would be the hardest to impliment yet. Chiefs biggest fan came up with Flood in this survival/firefight mode, and many people want a flood firefight. I think it would be awesome to see the corpses you've mounded into a pile from mindless killing spring back up to fight again. With the crashing pelicans/phantoms/debries that drop weapons there could be a flood spawn one (like the piece of high charity that smashes into the tower you are in on the covenant level of halo 3). This only releases infection forms but it releases lots of them. they roam around the map infecting bodies to attack you with. This would also allow for the return of the Flamethrower....

I loved duel wielding the Halo 2 auto-magnums, was one of my favourite experiences to mow down the gunts with 20 headshots in around 2 seconds. But the one problem with duel wielding is balancing. Halo CE's weapons seemed so powerful cause you could only have two on you at a time AND there were only around 5 weapons per faction. Halo 2's weapons were much weaker cause not only were there more, you could hold 2 at one time, meaning half the power of what it would be on its own. Im all for Duel wield, i just dont want to see the smg returning just to spit tissuepaper in halo 5. An armour mod for duel wielding could allow you to mele and drive vehicles without dropping your left hand weapon

The experience is a good thought. Maybe a system similar but not exactly the same as weapon drops in infinity slayer. Though I do think one problem with Reaches firefight was the ease of access to the power weapons with the weapon drops and big green reliable arrow pointing you to them. This concept looks to me to be about exploration and survival, not getting snipers handed to you. Maybe experience is needed to get the armour mods of halo 4's custom loadouts. Extra shield recharge, faster weapon switch etc. Or [as mr.senior halo said] to get new map elements and areas. Like an easyer way to find a crashed pelican/phantom/sentinel that you can salvage gear off. Another thing I thought could be an addition to this awesome concept would be you spawn in SOEIVs. Ever since halo 2 when you land in one on Installation 05 ive wanted to be able to ride one. ODST had the cool intro bit where you could see all the wasted UNSC and covenant ships in orbit as you came down. Maybe the initial spawn you land in one of these with a basic primary (smg, assault rifle, Battle rifle, DMR, shotgun [maybe]) depending on the map, in a random location so if your playing co-op you must find to your friends?

In Halo 3's mission "The Ark" one of the ODSTs that is in the first area (where you snipe the covies from the sandy hill and the hunters appear) has the same voice and voice actor as Buck, so it could be assumed Buck went to the ark and kicked *** with Chief. There he may have fallen, or like Stacker and Chips, he may have made it out of every impossible situation and returned home.

I reckon that is a brilliant idea. Not so much related to halo 5 but I think people need to see why the spartans were created in the first place. The Innies have only really been portrayed in the books and a little in Forward unto Dawn. Maybe an ODST style spin off? like Halo 5 ODST where the first parts take place in the time of insurrection and lead through the wars showing what happened to the innies at the time of Halo 5. Maybe some plot with the Storm covenant, or worse...? Dunno but i think showing the Innies is a definate must. Its too bad the prequels have all been made and everythings moving forward. That kinda leaves them as an important universe plot point, but not in the games

Ancient Humans didnt beat the Forerunnners. We took them by surprise and got a few lucky hits (from my interpretation). In the terminals

UNSC Python : A counterpart or modern equivilent of the Halo wars Cobra. Slow and well armoured but the gunner is exposed. The main gun is charged up to fire and has no drop. Instantanious hit like the laser only its a railgun round that one hits most things. Slow turning turret and very audiable shot. maybe targetting laser for balencing, or it cant fire the main gun while moving. could also have a small scorpion style Machine gun turret for defence while driving. Only found on large vehicle maps.

Halo wars was a great game. It helped expand part of the universe and was a new take on Halo. The cinematics were Amazing to say the least. Sadly without ensemble i dont know how they would continue or where the game would fit in. The prequels have been done (reach and HW) and the story is moving forward. Requiem is more of a UNSC vs Covenant terrorist war than the full on battles of the Human-Covenant war when HW was set. I would enjoy another Halo Wars though. And there is always hope

A Halo 2 anniversary could be the same game we all knew and loved. If you are worried about graphics then it could have a mode like in CEA where you press back and hey presto; original details. And with the Anniversary there would be servers for the multiplayer again, which were sadly taken down for the original halo 2. I also am worried about removal of fun glitches and secrets, but in CEA they added more secrets with the skulls and terminals. Halo 2 anniversary could allow you to toggle skulls after finding them like in Halo 3. As long as they keep the mechanics that made the game i think it would be a great addition to any halo collection. Only an opinion though.

I agree with ForgeMonitor that cortana could come back as a blank model, cortana version II, and chief is hesitent to work with the copy of her, almost resenting that it tries to be his freind. Struggles and strife ensue leading to arguements and plot development and they become friends. Huge twist could be the original Cortana fins chief getting along with the new model, after she specificly said "remember it wont be me." This could possibly become a huge emotional conflict that turns chiefs "i only know how to defend and kill" brain to mush. Evil cortanas. Though I respect 343i's decision to with cortana. Was a twist worthy of halo, like finding keys in Halo CE as flood, or the death of Johnson in halo 3. They can continue the story in many different ways from that great cinematic ending

I agree with Neurotic Kasper. In Halo we play as the most badass supersoldiers humanity has ever created. Master Chief walked off a 2 km fall at the beginning of halo 3, a banshee smashing into the autumn in the Maw of Halo CE, all the beatings of spartan boot camp (and many more thinks i cant remember off the top of my head). I cant remember the Quote exactly, but in the Halo Novel the first strike Halsey is checking up on the injured spartans about to enter combat. One has a punctured lung and a couple others had broken arms and ribs. Halsey states theyre in working condition and they soldier on to murder the purple menace. I understand what you are getting at, trying to show the humanity of the spartans with pain and mistakes, but that takes away the feel of raw power master chief embodies. In my opinion of course. I am open to being (and often can be) wrong.

I think characters from the original Trilogy returning isnt a horrible idea. It links events From the games that established the Halo Universe and shapes how the species interact in the game. The Arbiter gave us a huge insight into the covenant in halo 2, showing us that the Covies feared chief so much they labled him a demon, something greater than human. The Arbiter returning could give us a new insight into the conflict thats following the collapse of the original covenant which led to the Storm faction in halo 4. It could allow for a new allied faction of elites that carry hybrid gear, UNSC crossed with their own. Also only a few witnesses who know the true horrors of the flood have survived the Halo 3 purge (death of johnson, miranda and all the covenant on high charity etc) so if flood was reimagined and brought back in a new way, the arbiter could help with the transition into "holy crap! this flood is different and even more deadly than the parasite we fought before..."

Its not a drivable vehicle but the Scarab and hornet for that amazing moment in The Covenant mission of halo 3 when you jumped from the back of a marine dirven hornet into the bloodshed of scarab back combat. Also the hornet was a good teambuilding vehicle, able to drop people off or rescue the abandoned flag carrier (when it wasnt destroying everything)

Hear me out, it could be like a Firefight 3.0 with ODST elements returning, but modified from conventional firefight. No loadouts so you have to traverse a Massive map (Forgeworld would be small by comparison) to find weapons and armour abilities on crashed pelicans or other vehicles. Less defined wave structure, No voiceover telling you 'Reinforcements inbound!,' instead you have to look and listen for the sounds. A banshees wail here, the sillouhettes on the horison there. Irregular troop movements so you cant camp a well known dropoff point like in normal firefight. Would be nice to have random event elements in it too. Like there is a small chance an albatross or other aircraft crashes depositing many powerweapons in one easy to locate area, whilst also attracting lots of the map specific enemies to it as well. The bases side of things could be a take on Dominion. A new localised spawn (since its such a big map) you take control of by clearing out enemies, then holding off their reinforcements to unlock/activate the turrets and cover, turning it into a safe respawn/resupply area. Im a little iffy on the parts for warthogs and hunger aspect cause that doesnt feel Halo-like to me, but thats my opinion. I think a survival Mode could be a very interesting revamp of firefight Or a completely new gamemode in itself

I loved the ODST smg and think it could make a triumphant return in Halo 5 if modified slightly. In ODST it replaced the battlerifle which was for balencing purposes mainly, but I can hear people screaming bloody murder already in the forums at the thought of taking away the battlerifle again. If it came back as a more close combat weapon, similar to the traditional smg, but with a scope and silencer (since duel wielding has been mothballed) it could work. only trouble is fitting it in with the other weapons. Maybe the freak offspring of a SAW BR and AR? Rate of fire, range and silenced balenced with low damage and high recoil?

The flood should come back. They were the unstoppable force that wiped out the forerunners and are the main theme everything forerunner is built around that we have seen so far (rings, ships, installations etc), but like many people say they might need to be reimagined a little. Maybe have more variations? Shielded flood and things that crrep in the dark. Make them more stealthy or almost sadisticly violent like they are ment to be, and less "oh its more flood... again." Then maybe a bigger portion of players would enjoy them?

Halo 3 Hornet would be nice, and with the new halo 4 power weapons it might be easeyer to kill and so more balanced in multiplayer. Also a Halo CE style banshee that can do the vertical dives and actually screeches again. Halo 4 ones were just whispers in the sky. The chooper was great, just inplimenting it without brutes may prove difficult. If i could have anything i would have the cobra from halo wars no doubt, but nerfing it would ruin it. have to be one of those ultimate vehicles like an elephant that you only get in very specific circumstances

I believe two sides could emerge in Halo 5 and 6. The Promethians being digital life, the end form of synthesising intelligence, where the flood is the opposite, communal intelligence, equality of organisms in one collective mind. The ring 04b exploded before detonating, because it overloaded as it was not finished construction. Surely if it detonated the ark would not have green patches of forest on it as in the cutscene, and chief would be dead. I think this is leaving the possibility the flood is still squelching its way through the stars. Also that was only High Charity, the Gravemind wouldnt put all his eggs in one basket. What i believe would be cool would be pure flood arriving from another galaxy as it is said to be "extra-galactic" at many points through the frist trillogy. Maybe when the precursors left our galaxy they came apon an enemy that overwhelmed their defences before they realised what was happening. Over millenia the flood has been clawing its way out of the dark. The forerunner flood war was the prelude to the horrors still in transit to our galaxy....? This is only my opinion and might conflict with some topics i have not completely looked into (like theory that flood is precursor weapon, the precursors developed the mantel to protect the variation and uniqueness of each species, with flood as a weapon going against all of this im not sure weather its cannon or fannon)