14 DAY TRIAL // 343 Industries, the developer of the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians first-person shooter, wants the multiplayer mode to amp up, besides the old mechanics of the franchise, the feeling of being a super soldier on a sci-fi battlefield, and thanks to the upcoming beta, the studio can see how it performs with actual players.
The Halo series has been around for quite some time and has really helped ensure that multiplayer gaming on consoles is as popular as it is right now. After taking a walk down memory lane with the new Halo: The Master Chief Collection, 343 Industries is now looking towards the future and Halo 5: Guardians, the all-new installment that's made specifically for the Xbox One.
Until the actual game arrives in 2015, the studio is focusing on the upcoming Halo 5 multiplayer beta, which is set to kick off at the end of December on the Xbox One.
Among the main enhancements made to the old Halo multiplayer recipe by the new game is the bigger emphasis on the advanced powers wielded by the Spartan characters, from thruster packs, to the ability to slam the ground, slide, sprint, and other such things.
The emphasis on super soldier abilities is deliberate
According to 343 Industries' Bonnie Ross, this bigger emphasis on powerful abilities is deliberate as the studio wants the player to feel like an advanced super soldier that can perform more than just roam the battlefield and shoot a gun.
However, veteran fans shouldn't expect to encounter an all-new multiplayer experience, as 343 is also adamant about retaining the traditional Halo feel of the online mode.
"We've added a lot of new stuff, but for us it's really about focusing on what is true to Halo multiplayer, that perfectly balanced dance, and then how do we also make you feel like a super soldier. The beta's our start, we're doing the beta about a year early so this really is about making sure we get it right, making sure we have time to get feedback for it," Ross explains to CVG.
New modes are coming to Halo 5
While most of the returning game modes will still have that Halo classic feel, Ross also explains that new ones developed by 343 for the upcoming shooter will require a much more intense use of the super soldier abilities.
"You'll see another mode that we have, called Breakout that really takes a different approach. I love it. I think it is basically about staying true to what Halo is and also moving it forward. Everything you see that is new, the team really thought about how you make that balanced sandbox play."
Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer beta debuts in late December, whereas the actual game is expected to drop in fall of 2015.
