In its 14 years, Halo has never felt so good to play. An updated arsenal and great new mobility mechanics give both campaign and multiplayer and modern touch without sacrificing Halo's classic feel.

Improved mechanics, Dense levels, Guns; Lots of guns, Strong MP modes

Weak characters

Halo 5 for Xbox One is the best first-person-shooter in a long while, although it is one that carries several compromises. It pushes the sci-fi series' gameplay forward, but lacks features from older versions. Online battles are great fun, but the campaign's a slog.

Excellent combat; Addictive multiplayer; Buttery-smooth 60fps; Great soundtrack

Pay-to-win microtransactions; No split screen; No drop-in/drop-out; Weak story; Poor squad AI; Uneven visuals

Game Info The flashy television commercials for Halo 5: Guardians would have you believe that Master Chief, hero of Earth and the scourge to the Covenant, has "gone rogue" giving cause for the UNSC to send out a squad of new SPARTAN-IVs to track him down.

My well-used ears do seem to want the higher volume levels of the M80 on the Xbox One, but the ultimately, when chat gets added into the mix, the A40 + M80 delivers with an audible online experience worthy of the ASTRO Gaming namesake.

Halo 5: Guardians is a solid entry that doesn't break the mold but manages to sufficiently shake things up. The campaign has some great new features, including additional combat moves and a focus on side routes, but it starts to creak towards the end, which is just when the story begins to pick up...

Any worry that Halo might be in the wrong hands with 343 Industries has been wiped out by Halo 5: Guardians. The campaign has some story issues, with Halo 6 promising to really deliver the goods, but the design is impeccable, and will certainly warrant multiple playthroughs.

Last year, 343 Industries and Microsoft brought us Halo: The Master Chief Collection. This compilation gave players Halo 1-4, alongside the first-time ever Anniversary Edition of Halo 2. It allowed folks like myself who got into the series thanks to multiplayer to dive into the story.

Players typically have only one question when it comes to Halo : Is the multiplayer fun? That's a question easily answered, and always has been: Yes. A lot of work has clearly gone into giving Halo 's famous multiplayer a gentle learning curve, and a near-infinite number of reasons to keep coming...

DISCLAIMER: GameTrailers has decided to withhold a score for Halo 5 until we're positive matchmaking and other online features function properly at launch. The score and any additional impressions will be added after the game's release this Tuesday.

Since Halo 5: Guardians is essentially a game of three parts, I'm going to split this review into sections covering each of its components: Campaign, Arena, and Warzone. First up comes the Campaign… …and that's where I'm the most ambivalent about the game.