[Author’s Note: This article acts as a follow-up to the first and second 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 first week of the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta is officially over. 343 Industries has kicked off the second week of Beta testing a little early for its upcoming First-Person Shooter by releasing some new content, including a brand new game mode, four new maps and a different default weapon start for the Slayer playlist.
Let’s talk about the new game mode first; Breakout. This new mode is very interesting, and very different from what we have been regularly used to with Halo in the past. This time around, the match is divided into rounds where players cannot respawn throughout the entire duration, meaning you only have a single life each round. There is no objective, so it is only about coordinating pushes and communicating with you teammates to eliminate the opposing team. The first to five round victories, wins the match. The obvious comparison would be that it is like Call of Duty’s Search and Destroy without the bomb or Gears of War’s Execution mode, but it is a stronger emphasis on teamwork than any of those games. Because your starting SMG and Magnum loadout limits your range, the fact that there is no radar, the way the two maps are designed and the decreased player shields, it makes you really rely on your teammates.
The way the match plays out really depends on your play style as a team. If you are really aggressive and initiate quick pushes, the rounds can go by very quickly, but if you play a little passive and wait for the enemy team to rush you, the round could last up until the two minute time limit. Crossfire and Trench, the two speedball-looking maps designed specifically for Breakout, are very similar in their design: They both include a ton of cover structures, corners to hind in and a cool space station setting, except Crossfire is a little bigger and open than Trench.
One of Breakout’s maps: Trench
The first impression I got during my first couple of matches of Breakout were very surprising. Just from seeing the impressive-looking round start animation that sends your Spartan flying off in the air, I had a good feeling about this mode, and I certainly did for the first five games I played of it. Unfortunately, because of the lack of gameplay variety, I just found it to be very boring in the end. I mean, I did manage to pull of some incredible clips including a 4 vs. 1 clutch and a game with 11 kills and zero deaths, but I found myself doing the same strategy over and over again. Maybe if the default starting weapon could be a Battle Riffle with maximized player shields or if I would be able to play with players who actually work as a team, it would be a different story. However, I just don’t see the point in dedicating that much time in Breakout. In the end, I got placed in the second tier of the Silver division for Breakout, and I just don’t see myself grinding up to a higher class for the rest of the Beta, as Slayer was where I practically dedicated all my time with the new content.
Speaking of Slayer, man is it ever fun with BR starts. Now that the Assault Rifle is no longer the default starting weapon, the game relies a lot more on skill and precision, and less about spraying and praying to a ridiculous extent. That being said, I was very disappointed with the two new maps that were put in place of Empire and Truth, as they are mere remixes of Week 1’s maps.
Eden, the remix of Empire, is essentially the same map played out at night, which can be very disorienting at first. I initially thought it was a brand new map, but I quickly recognized some familiar points that confirmed its remixed nature. Now being included on the map is an Energy Sword (for some odd reason it’s not named the Prophet’s Bane, which raises the question if there is actually a difference between the two) to the addition of a Sniper. The mix doesn’t quite make sense, but the map is a little bit more open that its original counterpart, so having control of both power weapons truly gives your team an advantage. One quick thing I do want to point out though, is the fact that, since it is total darkness because of the night setting, it is extremely hard to spot out enemies, especially Spartans in the Blue Team. If the ability to enhance your brightness is included in the full game, that won’t be a problem, but since The Master Chief Collection does not have this feature at the moment, it is something worth addressing.
Regret, on the other hand, is the remix of the remake of Midship. Sounds confusing, right? Well, it shouldn’t be because the map is much more than a simple re-skin of its original counterpart. Basically, Truth has been taken out of space and placed on the ground, with flora and fauna coming out of the Covenant structures. I didn’t like this map, at first, because there isn’t that many routes leading to its top portion, but I started seeing potential for other gametypes with it. Free-For-All, or even Capture the Flag would be a great fit for this map if the Hydra Cannon located at Bottom Mid would be removed or replaced with something else. Speaking of which, as cool-looking as this power-weapon looks, it is extremely underwhelming when not using its Smart Scoping Target-Locking ability. I would’ve preferred to see a Rocket Launcher instead.
Regret would be a great map for FFA
I instantly got addicted to Slayer with BR starts, playing seven hours of the eight total hours I’ve played of the Beta. I have now reached the Gold division and, hopefully, I’ll be able to reach the Onyx division before the Beta ends. Also, I mentioned in my previous entry that the Matchmaking wasn’t very consistent, and I witnessed another perfect example of that. While I was still working my way through the placement matches for Breakout, I got matched with a Pro player. We obviously lost that game since he carried his team with 22 kills (which is absolutely nuts), but we put out a decent fight losing 5-3.
Once again, reminding you all to stay tuned to Gamer Headlines as this Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta Impressions Log will be continuously updated until it ends on January 18, 2015.
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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