At the end of Halo 4 developer 343 Industries left us heart wrenched and broken as Master Chief laid floating in space after a harrowing move to save his life. It had appeared to be a self sacrificing maneuver dealt forth by his blue AI companion Cortana. She had produced an encapsulating protective bubble of energy generated from within herself to save the one she affectionately called John from an all consuming blast. True- our hero Chief was saved from space as he was picked up by a searching UNSC vessel, but what he wasn’t saved from was the unending feeling that somehow his main side kick had been lost to more than just rampancy. -Death- even for an AI companion was very possible, and the thought of it coming for her filled him more inside than his over-sized armor could hold. Intro, Halo 5: Guardians as Dr. Catherine Halsey makes way through her lab and recalls back to the day she prepared a containment tube of sorts with the very AI companion (the same that she had invested so much of her life developing for the UNSC) which had been so emotionally lost at the end of Halo 4’s campaign. What is said next in this sequence by Dr. Halsey is riveting to say the least. It’s as if she knows something very bad is yet to happen to herself and Cortana. As if, she sees it coming and has no power within herself to keep it from happening. – These encounters are the bread and butter of true Halo campaign – Halo 5’s narrative is enthralling, and much better in structure than the series’ predecessors. The characters feel multidimensional and have strong personalities, running in stark contrast to past clichéd heroes and villains. If you will remember in the previous installment, Master Chief had undergone a personality overhaul of sorts to make him more than a generic intergalactic hero. Cortana’s slow deterioration (rampancy) had forced a personality out of him, creating the Chief everyone imagined, but wasn’t really there — the interesting, complex, and (more importantly) broken man he was always said to be. The Spartan program tore him apart and put him back together, and though he didn’t let it show in the original games, this mental scarring is deep, and has grown into fruition in Halo 5, explaining the stoic character completely. This story is held up on the shoulders of a wonderful core gameplay, and a campaign that keeps things varied by traveling between interesting locations to make for varied battles. Halo’s combat has always had a certain physicality to it that makes it feel more substantial and tangible. This is something that not only exists in Halo 5, but thrives. Seeing a vehicle in the distance means you can destroy or pilot it, and firefights often take place across sprawling mountaintops, rivers, and even fields. Personal, intimate encounters with foes exist, but they’re spread between massive battlegrounds where the Chief is tasked with taking on dozens of enemies in vehicles. These encounters are the bread and butter of a true Halo campaign, and though other action-packed cinematic elements have been weaved throughout the story, there’s still plenty of classic action, and it’s as good as it’s ever been. The full size of the campaign is rich and robust clocking in at around 8 hours (solo mode) on Heroic and a good deal more as the difficulty is ramped up to Legendary. The pacing is perfect as moments of intense (guns blazing, grunt smashing, body flying action) can be had, or simple exploration of tunnels and canyons looking for data pad entries or the always sought-after skull locations. Spartan Abilities Overview If you feel like blazing a trail, new Spartan tools have been assigned to your character. They come in several forms; Infinite Sprint: Now before you head off to get your pitchforks listen up! 343i has taken alot into consideration with this feature. You can sprint for as long as you want but there’s a price to pay. While sprinting, your Spartan’s shield WILL NOT recharge. So, even though you may run, you cannot hide from the final blow awaiting your armor. You use the sprint to aid in getting away from the situation at risk that you will be at lower shields until you stop sprinting. Ground Pound: A new aerial maneuver that smashes nearby enemy targets to bits. To Ground Pound you jump into the air, holding the appropriate button to charge the ability, you will see a round target of sorts. Quickly release said button to see your Spartan thrust across the open terrain where they will deliver a smashing thud of energy upon landing. It’s a great way to achieve more than one kill at once, but it’s difficult to pull off on moving enemies. Smart Scope: Your Spartan arsenal now includes a custom smart-link/scope that provides greater aim accuracy that can even be used while in the air via the HUD, whether jumping or hovering. Before you think about hovering too much though, keep in mind this leaves your character temporarily exposed. You can improve your aiming capabilities by aiming down sites at anytime, and while in the air, a stabilizing burst of thrust can keep you aloft for just enough time to land that perfect two-for-one. Clamber: Ever made a leap towards an object only to be left sliding down the side of it without bound? With clamber you can now press a button while jumping towards a ledge to grasp it and pull yourself up. It’s a very easy to “grasp”, (pardon the pun) gaming mechanic that will help you traverse the heavily stair stacked terrain in Halo5. Thruster Pack: Think of it as a juke in NFL football, giving you the chance to boost in any direction, even in the air. Simply press the corresponding button and tilt your thumb stick in the desired direction. Remember there’s a cool down between uses that can be