I'm not really very good at multiplayer shooters, but that doesn't mean I'm not drawn to them. Having been thoroughly entertained by Halo 5: Guardians' campaign but unable to properly test out the online game modes until launch, I was eager to jump in and see if I'd manage anything better than a pitiful 0.2 Kills to Deaths ratio. Who was I kidding? Given my advanced years, my reflexes are barely a match for a sloth, let alone a 15-year-old off his face on liquid crack, eyes permanently pinned open but bleeding due to the strain. I was rubbish, but the repeated punishment/embarrassment didn't put me off. I was having a good time.
Halo 5's multiplayer suite is split into two rather distinct entities: Arena and Warzone. Arena sees a maximum of eight players going head-to-head solo or in teams across tight maps and traditional game modes. These range from the standard deathmatch and team deathmatch to capture the flag and SWAT , the latter giving all the spartans the same single weapon, stripping them of their shield and then going at it in teams of four.
Although Arena might seem rather simplistic to some, especially those who have been playing the massive scale modes in Battlefield, I'd recommend more casual players start here. The back-to-basics objectives are easy to get your head around and the combat is so fast that you'll learn the ropes very quickly. SWAT, although punishing in the extreme with death coming at a rate I didn't think possible, is relentless, with zero countdown to respawns. It forces you to get good at headshots and gain an awareness of who is around you.
I won't lie and claim I became anything approaching 'good', but I definitely got close to being competent. SWAT is so moreish that it's perfect for anyone who doesn't want to invest a large chunk of time into the more expansive modes found within the Warzone menu – a game type I struggled with no end.
The primary Warzone mode, simply titled Warzone, sees teams of 12 spartans fight against each other to take control of bases, kill each other, and take on AI Covenant and Promethean enemies. The maps are huge and offer plenty of room for vehicle combat alongside the on-foot skirmishes. Gaining control of bases earns your team points, but you'll also edge closer to the overall points goal by defeating specific bosses before the competition. These could be a pair of Hunters, obliterating anyone who dares to come too close, or a Promethean Phaeton Gunship.
If you're not keen on the AI component in Warzone, a streamlined variant subtitled Assault does away with everything but the 12 vs 12 spartan warfare and only attack or defend objectives. With a KD that rarely got above 1 (yes, it's embarrassing, but I'm surely not the worst FPS player in the world) I enjoyed being able to go after AI foes and get some personal wins under my belt, but the two options are there. Included in both is Halo 5's new Requisitions feature.
Requisitions, put simply, lets you earn or buy (with in-game Req Points or real money) cards that can be played to give you in-game bonuses, weapons or vehicles. Having not spent any real money and played rather terribly, I still already have loads of them, but am still figuring out how the system works and when best to use the cards. Incidentally, cards also exist inside the Arena game modes, but only work to give you XP bonuses and cosmetic tweaks rather than an advantage with weapons – 343 is keen to ensure Arena remains as close to fair and balanced as it can get.
A few days with Halo 5: Guardians' multiplayer modes, then, and I'm liking what is there. Arena and Warzone compliment each other very well, with core skills transferable despite the scope and feel of the matches being very different. What's more, in the wake of Halo: The Master Chief Collection's online issues it's great to see a game launch and run incredibly smoothly. Other than one failure to initialise a game of Warzone, the whole thing has been a pretty flawless and lag-free experience.
I'll probably always be terrible, and I apologize if I've ever been on your team, but for the first time in a long time I can see myself playing an online shooter for more than a few days.
