I have been a Halo fan for a long long time, Combat Evolved was the very first video game I had ever played and the Halo franchise hold a special place in my heart. I have literally just finished the game (so late after release due to lack of money) and I am so deeply disappointed for many reasons. I truly thought that this game held immense potential, the hype was palpable but after release all I heard was how terrible it was, to which I rebuffed and remained optimistic and now after finishing campaign I am saddened to say the rumors were true.
Why it failed me personally was first and foremost was the lack of Master Chief. Sure the one-on-one against Locke was pretty cool but to me, that was the highlight of the entire game. I have played for hours upon hours as the Master Chief for four games, on all difficulties, for more than a decade. The replayability of all the past games is ridiculous, even years after release, sadly Halo 5 has little of that previous spark. I had no goose bumps, the epic music that made Halo so awe-inspiring made a comeback, but the game-play was dead and lifeless. I do not care to run around and play dress up as a knock off Spartan, I WANT MASTER CHIEF.
Story wise was perhaps the most disappointing. For years, I feverously hypothesised what a reclaimer was, my brother and I would read the books, and Google as much Halo Lore as humanly possible. This new angle of the created being the reclaimers is the most ludicrous and unimaginative twist to the storyline I've ever seen. After Cortana "died" I was utterly heartbroken, but to recycle her as a VILLIAN is simply disgusting. I grew up playing the dynamic duo with Chief and Cortana, I can live with Cortana coming back to her senses in the next game, but quite frankly I do not trust 343 Industries not to completely destroy the Halo universe. The Arbiter was hardly involved, playing him in Halo 2 and 3 was absolutely incredible and was one of the most memorable experiences of the entirety of Halo. But AGAIN I DONT CARE ABOUT AGENT LOCKE I WANT THE MASTER CHIEF BACK!!!!!! Oh my freaking god, BLUE TEAM IS BACK TOGETHER, THE FAMILY IS BACK TOGEATHER, THE LAST OF THE SPARTAN-II PROGRAM IS BACK TOGEATER. All of that potential.. gone... wasted. Instead, we get a fireteam that is not in any way special, just an ordinary thrown together bunch of baby Spartans.
To cut this rant short, 343 Industries... why are you completely destroying the foundation of a community that has backed the Halo universe for over a decade. You failed us long time players. I'm not even gonna go to how we can't split screen. I am disappointed. Not even Nathan Fillion was able to repair the damage you've done.
