Halo 5: Guardians Coming for Xbox One in Fall 2015 - Update

[John Keefer]

Halo 5: Guardians Coming for Xbox One in Fall 2015 - Update

343 Industries reveals its next foray into the Halo universe, to be built specifically for Microsoft's next-gen console.

Update: Added art.

With Microsoft's launch of the Xbox One, it was only a matter of time before the next installment in the Halo franchise would be unveiled. And with E3 coming next month, 343 Industries felt it was the appropriate time to take some of the wrapping off Halo 5: Guardians.

OK, well, not too much wrapping, other than the name and that it was coming sometime in the fall of 2015 exclusively for the Xbox One. The studio and Microsoft have promised more at E3.

"Halo 5: Guardians is a bigger effort than Halo 4," 343 Industries General Manager Bonnie Gross said in a statement [http://news.xbox.com/2014/05/games-halo-journey-announcement]. "That applies to the content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what's now a brand new and more powerful engine. Certainly there are some core elements carried over from prior games, but we've invested a huge effort in retooling our tech to take full advantage of the Xbox One's hardware and ecosystem to create worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen."

The title provides for some interesting speculation. There has never been a race in the Halo universe called The Guardians. However, anytime players have been killed in a way that can't be explained by the game, the death has been attributed to "The Guardians." In Halo 3, kills by the plasma turrets on the Snowbound map, the watchtowers on Sandbox and landmines on Sandtrap were also attributed to the Guardians. The phrase " was killed by The Guardians" has been used in every Halo FPS since Halo: Combat Evolved.

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Halo 5 is also the next installment of the Reclaimer saga, started with Halo 4 after 343 took the franchise over from Bungie. At E3 last year, Master Chief was shown walking in a desert and then confronted by a big mechanical winged creature. Is that a Guardian? Microsoft's Phil Spencer said at the time that the video was a "thought piece" by 343 on where Spartan 117 was in his journey after the end of Halo 4 and not to be confused with Halo 5. We'll know soon enough of Spencer was blowing smoke or if 343 turned that thought piece into reality.


Source: Xbox [http://news.xbox.com/2014/05/games-halo-journey-announcement]




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[Hazy992]

Well it looks like Halo 2: Anniversary is a very distinct possibilty at this point. If I was a gambling man I'd put money on it being at E3.

 

[josemlopes]

This may sound like nitpicking but I enjoy watching E3 without knowing what I was going to see and let them try to suprise me. Now with Far Cry 4 and Halo 5 (even though we already somewhat knew about it) I just hope this doesnt become a bigger trend.

 

[klaynexas3]

I don't have high hopes, as I found Halo 4 to be just bland in comparison. Though, I'd like to see this as a broken, lost Master Chief. His war is over, he's lost anyone he could call a friend, and he just doesn't know what to do. I'd like that just because it'd be a curve ball. No one would see that game coming.

 

[Nevrim]

It looks like Halo meets metal gear
Maybe its me.

 

[CalPal]

I'm sorry, but... Halo 5: Guardians. This is the next chapter for Master Chief, and...

Guardians.

Is there a problem with just Halo 5? That worked the last 4 times, why change it now?

 

[wolfehound22]

This may sound like nitpicking but I enjoy watching E3 without knowing what I was going to see and let them try to suprise me. Now with Far Cry 4 and Halo 5 (even though we already somewhat knew about it) I just hope this doesnt become a bigger trend.

Agreed, seems like less and less E3 is about big reveals, and more about showing you more of what we already know. My hope is that what we will get this year is big reveals of new IP. They can tell me as much as they want about upcoming sequel as long as there are some nice new ip reveals.

 

[wolfehound22]

I'm sorry, but... Halo 5: Guardians. This is the next chapter for Master Chief, and...

Guardians.

Is there a problem with just Halo 5? That worked the last 4 times, why change it now?

Welcome to the new gen, and the developers trying to include anyone that may not have played some of the older games. Not shocking that we already seen Killzone: Shadowfall, Infamous Second Son and now Halo Gaurdians. I'm sure there are statistics out there that show a game sells better if there isn't a number at the end. I'd expect the same for the next Gears, God of War and Uncharted games as well.

 

[Anachronism]

That trailer did make me laugh, I have to be honest. The Chief's trudging through a desert, wearing a battered cloth robe on top of his near-invulnerable power armour that heals his wounds, allows him to breathe in space and regulates his body temperature. There is literally no reason for that robe except for the bit where he throws it back to reveal his helmet. It's very, very silly.

 

[Stupidity]

First Halo Game I don't care about.
Campaign of Halo 4 was just terrible compared to Reach.
Prometheans added nothing good to the game (weapons, vehicles or enemies) and the AI was tethered in place so that each enemy never left their little circle.

 

[blackrave]

That trailer did make me laugh, I have to be honest. The Chief's trudging through a desert, wearing a battered cloth robe on top of his near-invulnerable power armour that heals his wounds, allows him to breathe in space and regulates his body temperature. There is literally no reason for that robe except for the bit where he throws it back to reveal his helmet. It's very, very silly.

I suspect that there will be explanation for that
Few possible
1)It can actually be broken (just check his visor)
2)Without power it doesn't function (maybe power cells failed)
3)Something about environment that is bad for armor (sometimes sand is worse that open space)

 

[J Tyran]

I'm sure there are statistics out there that show a game sells better if there isn't a number at the end. I'd expect the same for the next Gears, God of War and Uncharted games as well.

They already went there with God of War: Ascension and Gears of War: Judgement, funnily enough if thats the theory behind adding a name instead of using a number it didn't work for either of those games. They where both the worst selling in the series by a large margin (PSP God of War games excluded, even some of those outsold Ascension though) as fans of both seemed burned out with the series and didn't attract all that many new players.

 

[tdylan]

This may sound like nitpicking but I enjoy watching E3 without knowing what I was going to see and let them try to suprise me. Now with Far Cry 4 and Halo 5 (even though we already somewhat knew about it) I just hope this doesnt become a bigger trend.

E3s of old had surprises because the world wasn't nearly as connected as it is now. It's a lot harder to keep secrets these days. Someone will leak it. And sources are always salivating to be the one to bring you that hot new piece of news on what to expect. We're an information hungry society that love gossip in one form or another. Everyone wants to be the one to bring you the "breaking details" in order to get the views that lead to advertising dollars that lead to better paychecks. That's not going to go away. Not in an industry that thrives on hype and interest.

That trailer did make me laugh, I have to be honest. The Chief's trudging through a desert, wearing a battered cloth robe on top of his near-invulnerable power armour that heals his wounds, allows him to breathe in space and regulates his body temperature. There is literally no reason for that robe except for the bit where he throws it back to reveal his helmet. It's very, very silly.

I suspect that there will be explanation for that
Few possible
1)It can actually be broken (just check his visor)
2)Without power it doesn't function (maybe power cells failed)
3)Something about environment that is bad for armor (sometimes sand is worse that open space)

And those explanations are flimsy, IMO. The rob was for aesthetics/the reveal. That thing is not doing anything to protect him from the elements, only to protect his identity for the "dun dun dun! It's Master Chief" reveal. Everything about that trailer was campy: "unknown, shrouded figure walking through the desert, clinging to some cryptic relic of their past. Some ominous, monumental challenge rises (in this case, literally) in front of them. They casually raise their unflinching gaze to stare it down. Reveal! It was Master Chief/Nathan Drake/Kratos/Link/Samus Aran/Marcus Fenix/Solid Snake this entire time!"

2) If the suit doesn't function, why keep wearing it? That suit wasn't designed with comfort in mind. Is the shroud providing some necessary function that the suit no longer can?

3) Sand is not a threat to their armor. It's a battle suit. It wasn't designed with an "I hope he never has to fight on a beach, or in a desert" limitation.

 

[blackrave]

That trailer did make me laugh, I have to be honest. The Chief's trudging through a desert, wearing a battered cloth robe on top of his near-invulnerable power armour that heals his wounds, allows him to breathe in space and regulates his body temperature. There is literally no reason for that robe except for the bit where he throws it back to reveal his helmet. It's very, very silly.

I suspect that there will be explanation for that
Few possible
1)It can actually be broken (just check his visor)
2)Without power it doesn't function (maybe power cells failed)
3)Something about environment that is bad for armor (sometimes sand is worse that open space)

And those explanations are flimsy, IMO. The rob was for aesthetics/the reveal. That thing is not doing anything to protect him from the elements, only to protect his identity for the "dun dun dun! It's Master Chief" reveal. Everything about that trailer was campy: "unknown, shrouded figure walking through the desert, clinging to some cryptic relic of their past. Some ominous, monumental challenge rises (in this case, literally) in front of them. They casually raise their unflinching gaze to stare it down. Reveal! It was Master Chief/Nathan Drake/Kratos/Link/Samus Aran/Marcus Fenix/Solid Snake this entire time!"

2) If the suit doesn't function, why keep wearing it? That suit wasn't designed with comfort in mind. Is the shroud providing some necessary function that the suit no longer can?

3) Sand is not a threat to their armor. It's a battle suit. It wasn't designed with an "I hope he never has to fight on a beach, or in a desert" limitation.

1)I totally agree that actual reason was aesthetics.
2)Various reasons- maybe it still provides some defense (armor plates are still there, even if thermoregulation and rebreather isn't working anymore) or nostalgia (he was wearing this suit for whole of his life), or both
3)Oh, sand is threat to present-day vehicles (military and civilian), and as this power armor is half vehicle I assume sandstorm would be damaging for it for the same reasons. To quote one emo jedi: "I hate sand, it gets everywhere."

 

[Trishbot]

2015? Yeah, Microsoft practically HAS to announce Halo 2 Anniversary to tie fans over. I just don't see all those Halo fans sticking to Sunset Overdrive as their balm of choice to ease the wait.

 

[spartandude]

Let's see. The next Halo game is called Guardians. The next Marvel movie is called Guardians of the Galaxy. Now some times that franchise gets shortened to Guardians. They guy who voices Master Chief also voiced Starlord in the animated Avengers series....! Oh my god! Master Chief is Peter Quill and Half Life 3 is somehow confirmed (and if i need to explain how i proved that you clearly weren't paying attention.)

 

[RJ 17]

Yeah, throw my hat in with those who facepalmed at the fact that MC is wearing a hooded cloak...I mean what the actual fuck. As others before me have pointed out: it serves NO purpose whatsoever except to give MC that "mysterious wanderer" look. News Flash: MC is already wearing power armor, he doesn't need any further protection from the frickin' desert!

 

[John Keefer]

That trailer did make me laugh, I have to be honest. The Chief's trudging through a desert, wearing a battered cloth robe on top of his near-invulnerable power armour that heals his wounds, allows him to breathe in space and regulates his body temperature. There is literally no reason for that robe except for the bit where he throws it back to reveal his helmet. It's very, very silly.

I suspect that there will be explanation for that
Few possible
1)It can actually be broken (just check his visor)
2)Without power it doesn't function (maybe power cells failed)
3)Something about environment that is bad for armor (sometimes sand is worse that open space)

Just throwing it out there, but maybe he wanted to blend in as one of the "locals"? I have no inside info, but that was just my initial thought. Wouldn't be the first time that characters have tried to hide in plain sight. And if his armor was indeed damaged as the visor may indicate, even more reason to cover up since the option of going full Spartan on his enemies may be limited.

 

[The_Darkness]

Regarding the Update Art:
Well, that's some shiny new armour...
But it had better not be shiny new armour for the Chief because, well, frankly - that new helmet doesn't look like the Chief!

 

[synobal]

Is that a female master chief on the artwork? err I guess a female spartan I should say. I dunno but for some reason it says "female to me" and the blue glow makes me think Cortana for some reason.