Juggling fan expectations for the Halo series must be incredibly tricky for 343 Industries. It's not just that the newish Halo kids on the block have inherited a hell of a mantle from Bungie, it's also that we fans expect that a Halo game's campaign experience will be just as compelling as the...

Competitive multiplayer, clearly, is where Halo 5's at. And it's here, five years after Bungie waved goodbye to its billion dollar baby, that 343 finally stamps its authority on the Halo series. Warzone takes the formula Bungie concocted and drags it, kicking and screaming, into a new era.

I had the option to flank left, stay central, or flank right in a breathtaking sandy environment riddled with ancient statues on the Elite home world of Sanghelios. I sent my co-op buddy to the left to do some reconnaissance and take out any stragglers that moved away from the group of Covenant...

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...

TL;DR Campaign 4/10 | Mutiplayer 7/10 - - Overall 5.5/10 Review (Campaign) The Halo 5 Campaign had a very good start especially when 343i showed Hunt The Truth. The idea of having all of these intertwining problems (Civil War, Promethean Threat, the Return of the Flood, etc.

Certainly not a bad Halo game, but one that succeeds despite its innovations, not because of them. With multiplayer the high point, Halo 5 is worthwhile, if not always truly convincing.

Excellent; versatile multiplayer; Warzone and Breakout are fantastic additions in very different ways; The new vertical combat model is a great idea

Campaign is rather inconsistently designed; The campaign story is a frustrating failure

Halo 5: Guardian is a game about momentum. It's fueled by new ideas and propelled by some of the boldest changes to this storied franchise yet. Some of these changes fail, but others succeed, and although Halo 5 falters at times, it whisks us through black holes and across war torn tropical islands...

Dynamic campaign level design; Fine-tuned new Spartan abilities; Rewarding multiplayer progression; Fantastic; balanced multiplayer in Arena and Warzone

Fractured; disjointed plot; Inconsistent Ally AI

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

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.