True Co-op Experience Coming to ‘Halo 5: Guardians’

Halo 5: Guardians is one of the most anticipated titles to come out this year. Many Halo fans are counting down the days until its October 27 release. Since it’s brief gameplay demo at E3, and mysterious trailers featuring Agent Locke, fans have demanded to know more. Thankfully that day has finally come.

Over on the Halo website’s blog, studio head Josh Holmes has released new details for the upcoming title. According to the blog, this is the beginning of a new series that will pull the curtain back on development. If you’re a Halo super fan, its definitely something worth following.

In the blog post Holmes discusses the origins of the Halo campaign and how it is catered to a single player experience. While you can play multiplayer, it’s more of a carbon copy to lighten the load on the main players game.

“…at its core, Halo’s campaign was originally built to be a single-player experience, first and foremost. So when you joined a friend in their campaign session, you were coming along for the ride and helping to lighten the load. Mechanically, the game was designed with the single-player experience in mind and so the narrative perspective of campaign also remained focused on telling the story of a lone hero.”

One thing that the team at 343 wants to achieve with Halo 5: Guardians is a true co-op experience. They want each player to feel unique, like they are really making a difference on the team. This new viewpoint excited the team, and really drove them forward.

“That changes with Halo 5: Guardians as we have committed to co-operative campaign at a fundamental level. This creative pillar has influenced many decisions throughout the game’s technology and design. While you can still expect the same great single-player experience that Halo campaigns have been known for, engaging in co-operative play gives the campaign a new level of depth and richness.”

Even when playing solo, the games co-op mechanics are still in tact. There will always be four Spartans playing at the same time. However, if you do not have any friends available, the other teammates will be controlled by the new “Fireteam AI”. As leader of the AI team, you will be able to give your members orders such as where to place there fire and when to hold back.

In the Halo 5: Guardians campaign there will be two distinct modes: Single Player and Co-op. Each will have their own separate save files. The host of the game (now with dedicated servers) will be the leader of a fire team, taking on the role of either Master Chief or Agent Locke. Your friends joining in on the fun will choose from one of your 3 allies.

One aspect that will add to the replayability of this game is the distinction between the two teams. Holmes went on to say, “We’ve deliberately designed these two teams to provide visual contrast with one another. Blue Team have a heavier, more weathered feel. Their technology is proven, reliable, and practical in nature. Fireteam Osiris represent a new generation of Spartans. Their armor is sleek and modern, technologically advanced and displaying less wear.”

The amount of detail that has gone into each team member is extremely impressive. The team at 343 wanted to make sure that no matter which character you use, your experience will be unique. This even comes down to each individuals HUD.

“Each character’s HUD has been painstakingly designed by our artists to reflect the visual language of that particular Spartan. So Locke’s HUD has aggressive lines that follow the curvature of his visor while Linda’s enhanced optics are represented in muted tones that reflect her armor palette.”

Outside of aesthetic changes, each character will also have a different weapon load out to match their personality. While core mechanics will remain the same across the board, each team member will have their own unique abilities. Holmes goes on to say, “There are also subtle differences between the characters in terms of attributes. For example: Kelly is the fastest member of Blue Team, while Tanaka has increased motion tracker range.”

The last bit of information given is that the game will feature a new “revive” mechanic, somewhat similar to the Gears of War series. Once you or a team mate is taken down, you have the ability to revive the other player in a set amount of time. This was done to make sure that the co-op action never has a chance to slow down.

Are you excited for Halo 5: Guardians? Or does the new co-op focus have you a little worried? Let us know in the comments down below!