[Author’s Note: This article acts as a follow-up to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh Impressions Log entries regarding the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta. Additionally, I will continue to share my thoughts regarding 343 Industries upcoming Shooter as the Beta rolls on through January 18th, 2015.]
The Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta is ending tomorrow, and it is time to take a look at what the Halo community thinks about 343’s upcoming First-Person Shooter in its Beta state. For three weeks now, I have been providing you with my personal impressions regarding Halo 5, but I simply cannot not overlook what the avid Halo enthusiasts have to say about the Beta either. Over on TeamBeyond.net, the Beyond Entertainment Forums’ community members (over 800 people), which are die hard Halo fans, have hosted a poll regarding the Halo 5 Multiplayer Beta that covers the biggest changes added into this new installment. I will be breaking down each of the listed categories, providing thoughts based on what I have played of Halo 5: Guardians‘ Multiplayer Beta. With that, let’s begin.
[promo title=”Do You Like Sprint?”][/promo]
Yes: 16% – No: 84%
Sprint has always caused some outrage in the competitive Halo community ever since it was first implemented in Halo: Reach – it even had to be entirely removed to satisfy the pro players. It removed the “Staying Alive” aspect of Halo by allowing players to run away from enemy fire. Halo 5 does bring an interesting twist to sprinting by not letting your shield regenerate when doing so, but it seems players still dislike the feature in Halo period. Moreover, I am incredibly surprised to that it isn’t even remotely a shared opinion – people just don’t like Sprinting in Halo. Though I highly doubt 343 will remove Sprint from the full game, at least they tried tweaking an ability that was universally hated in the past. I like the way Halo 5 approaches Sprinting, but I can’t deny the fact that I could easily live without it.
Will Sprinting ever be tolerated in Halo?
[promo title=”Do You Like Descope?”][/promo]
Yes: 96% – No: 4%
This one is a no-brainer. Halo 4 was universally disliked because of its lack of Descope when the enemy was shooting you. At the time, it made every long-range one-on-one battle a lot easier because your reticule would stay zoomed in, removing all kinds of long-range precision. Halo 5 goes back to the traditional mechanic and has the Descope functionality – and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
[promo title=”Do You Like Flinch?”][/promo]
Yes: 4% – No: 96%
Flinch is something I did not even address in my Beta Impressions Logs because I didn’t even notice it. For those who don’t know what it is; Flinch is the penalty of your zoomed reticule moving up when getting shot, causing a small lack of precision that can be barely noticeable, but can definitely change the outcome of a fight. Some reports say that 343 is already working on removing Flinch from the full release, so the majority of players will be happy to know that I will no longer be there.
[promo title=”Do You Like Clamber?”][/promo]
Yes: 54% – No: 46%
I’m surprised there is such a divisive opinion on Clamber. I, for one, find that it completely removes the frustration of missing precise jumps and makes map traversal a lot more fluid, but I guess the die hard fans don’t like the fact that it changes the original mobility of your Spartan. Clamber is another one of those elements that I don’t see being removed from the full game because it is required to get on some areas in the maps, and 343 will not go through the struggle of modifying its arenas to accommodate the removal of an essential mechanic.
Clamber adds depth to map traversal.
[promo title=”Do You Like the Thruster Pack?”][/promo]
Yes: 70% – No: 30%
The Thruster Pack is easily my favorite Spartan ability out of Halo 5. As I’ve mentioned multiple times in my previous Impressions Logs, the boost given by the H5 Thruster Pack is a lot more consistent and useful that its Halo 4 counterpart. It keeps you immersed in the action by not pulling you out of First-Person and it really helps you traverse through the map as well — something that was not possible in Halo 4. However, I must say that I expected it to be universally acclaimed, but I guess it still causes a problem to some players.
[promo title=”Do You Like Stabilizers (Float Mid-Air)?”][/promo]
Yes: 20% – No: 80%
This is another aspect I’ve mentioned time and time again in my Impressions Logs, and it is still puzzling to me why it was ever implemented in Halo 5. Floating in Mid-Air while Smart Scoping is not something that the player always wants to do. I’ve been Crouch Jumping ever since I started playing Halo, and now that aspect is entirely removed from the game. However, you’ll be pleased to know that the Lead Multiplayer Designer on Halo 5, Quinn DelHoyo, said that the team will be fixing Crouch Jumping for the full release, so there is nothing to worry about.
[promo title=”Do You Like Smart Scope?”][/promo]
Yes: 30% – No: 70%
I don’t understand why people dislike Smart Scope that much. It literally applies the same function as zooming in, except the full sights of the weapon are now being displayed. The feeling of firing a weapon when zooming in remains the same — it’s just to make it look more realistic, as if you were actually aiming down the sights of your weapon. People comparing Smart Scoping to Call of Duty’s ADS do not know what they are talking about and did not play the Halo 5 Beta at all.
[promo title=”Do You Like Ground Pound? “][/promo]
Yes: 34% – No: 66%
Ground Pound is another Spartan ability that I don’t see being removed despite the negative feedback. Sure, it’s annoying to get killed in one hit when your opponent successfully gets the drop on you, but it adds some gameplay depth for maps involving verticality — like Pegasus, for instance. Throughout my entire experience with the Halo 5 Beta, I did not even manage to get a single Ground Pound kill simply because I never used it, and I don’t plan on doing so anytime soon.
Neat, but no thanks.
[promo title=”Do You Like Shoulder Charge?”][/promo]
Yes: 20% – No: 80%
I’m not even surprised Shoulder Charge isn’t that well-received from the community. It’s another ability that can kill in one hit if you use it efficiently and involves no skill whatsoever. You can just charge an enemy Spartan and hope for the best. I’ve used it once in Halo 5 to test it out, and the result was an utter catastrophe. I’d rather use my trusty Battle Rifle at a distance than mindlessly rushing my enemy with my shoulder that will most likely miss the target anyway.
[promo title=”Do You Like Sliding?”][/promo]
Yes: 35% – No: 65%
Sliding is a neat addition to add some movement, but is it that necessary? Sure, using it doesn’t waste your Thruster Pack, but it cancels your Sprint when activated. The only instance where I would regularly use Sliding was in Breakout because cover is essential in that mode, and getting to cover by doing so is very slick and intuitive. It honestly adds nothing to the game and is just another ability added to showcase the new Spartan abilities in Halo 5.
[promo title=”Do You Like Medals?”][/promo]
Yes: 43% – No: 57%
Despite not knowing the meaning of half of Halo 5’s medals, I enjoy seeing them pop whenever I pull off something cool. Are there too many of them? Yes, that’s for sure, but Halo has always had ridiculous medals. Plus, hearing the announcer say “Perfect” or “Snap Shot” with its incredibly creepy voice is always so awesome.
[promo title=”Do You Like the Announcer?”][/promo]
Yes: 42% – No: 58%
I have to agree that the announcer’s voice in Halo 5 is a little bit too over the top. The way he talks is a bit too intense and even laughable at times. In the past, the announcer always had this classy tone to his voice, now he sounds maniacal and obsessed with the medals you are earning, which can definitely turn off some old school players. At least he announces a lot more of the stuff that is happening within the game.
What I take from all of this feedback is that 343 finds itself in a very difficult position. They are trying to bring a new breath to Halo by modifying some essential aspects, but, because of the franchise’s iconic Multiplayer legacy, fans barely want to see it change, and the slightest tweak causes an outrage. I, for one, am very excited to see what Quinn DelHoyo and his team bring in to the full release, but they are obviously going to get some negative feedback from the die hard enthusiasts like there is every time a new Halo comes out, and I find that to be quite a bummer. Will we ever embrace the changes added into Halo, or will we constantly compare them to the franchise’s past? That question may never be answered.
Don’t forget, tomorrow (the 18th) marks the last day of the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta, so expect my final thoughts regarding the game on Gamer Headlines within the next couple of days. Until then, I hope to see you on the battlefield!
Have you played the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta? If so, feel free to let us know what you think of it in the comments below and, as always, stay tuned to Gamer Headlines for all things gaming.
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