Halo 5: Guardians has been on the radar for a few years now, but how much do we actually know about the upcoming Xbox One exclusive shooter sequel?
Ahead of its launch later this year, we've pored over all the details and re-watched all the trailers in order to bring you the lowdown on everything we know about Halo 5: Guardians so far.
What is Halo 5: Guardians?
Developed by 343 Industries, Halo 5: Guardians will be released on October 27 exclusively for Xbox One.
It is the second part of the Reclaimer saga - the period following the Human-Covenant War - and continues on from the events of Halo 4.
From the very first announcement, 343 said it will "take full advantage of the power and flexibility of Xbox One". As such, the game will run at 60 frames-per-second and draw on the power of the console's dedicated servers.
343 general manager Bonnie Ross confirmed that Halo 5: Guardians will be "built from the ground up" for Microsoft's home console, and will be "a bigger effort than Halo 4".
While some core elements of the series will carry over from previous releases, the content and scope of the game will be much bigger, with worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen.
As well as the base game, fans can pick up a Limited Collector's Edition of the game, which comes with a commemorative, numbered statue designed by 343 Industries.
Fans willing to pay that little bit more can also get hold of an actual Needler gun as part of the 'Pink Mist Edition'. Measuring in at about 29" across and 10" tall, the 1:1 model features LED lights, in-game sound effects and over 14 different needlers mechanically popping up and down in sequence when its trigger is pressed.
Available only at GAME for £449.99, the 'Pink Mist Edition' also includes 14 Premium Requisition packs, Halo: The Fall of Reach - Animated Series and a Guardian model by Metal Earth.
The game will also feature microtransactions. Players will earn REQ points after each match in Arena or Warzone multiplayer, which can then be redeemed for REQ Packs. These packs can also be purchased for cash. According to 343, a portion of the proceeds will go towards prize pools for the Halo Championship Series.
What's the story of Master Chief this time round?
The original Halo 5 pre-order page said that Master Chief begins the game in possession of a mysterious data chip. He would go on to confront "a new battery of challenges and tests in a Herculean effort to stay alive in a galaxy where sentient life is mercilessly hunted".
It was later revealed that Master Chief isn't the only playable character in Halo 5. Players will also control Spartan Locke, who is tasked with "solving a galaxy-threatening mystery, and hunting down the elusive Master Chief".
Further promotional material reveals that the peace bestowed upon the planet by Master Chief is ended when colony worlds are attacked by an ancient enemy. Master Chief then disappears and Spartan Locke is sent to find him.
A series of posts by a fictional reporter started to appear earlier this year. The aim was to expose the truth about Master Chief, who seemingly isn't the hero we believe him to be.
Microsoft and 343 would subsequently air two trailers during the season 5 finale of The Walking Dead. One saw Spartan Locke confront a Master Chief, while the other saw the roles reversed. It's possible the campaign will play from both perspectives, with both characters believing the other is in the wrong.
Nathan Fillion's character Edward Buck, who appears as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper in Halo 3: ODST, will also make an appearance in Halo 5.
Following the loss of Cortana in Halo 4, Master Chief will now be accompanied by the legendary Blue Team in both single-player and four-player co-op. Blue Team steps up to interact with Chief, appear in cutscenes and accept commands from him in single-player.
Multiplayer has classic Arena combat and big-scale battlefields
Halo 5's multiplayer will pull heavily from the game's past, but will be updated to bring it in line with modern shooters.
Examples of this include thruster packs for hovering over the battlefield, unlimited sprint (although this comes at the expense of shield regeneration), dashing, dodging and vaulting moves. Players will also have a ground pound ability.
In line with other shooters, Halo 5 also lets players aim down sights. Smart Scope aiming displays weapon and enemy info, but takes away your motion tracker.
Designed for mid-range encounters, Smart Scope snaps back once you take fire. It's at this point that players are encouraged to fire from the hip like in previous Halo games.
New modes include Breakout, which is a team-focused, sudden death mode that strips away motion trackers and shields, giving each player just a single life per round, with the winning team decided when five rounds are won.
Strongholds is another new game mode, and sees two teams attempt to control moving territories. Classic modes like Slayer also make a return.
Unveiled at E3, Warzone is an ambitious multiplayer mode for up to 24 players, including computer-controlled adversaries. It features maps up to four times the size of those seen in past Halo games.
Halo 5: Guardians will offer all players the chance to download all of its post-release multiplayer maps free of charge. That's an extra 15 maps on top of the 20 available at launch.
Multiplayer maps include Crossfire, Eden, Empire, Orion, Pegasus, Regret, Trench and Truth.
What about co-op in Halo 5: Guardians?
Unfortunately, Halo 5: Guardians won't have split-screen multiplayer. Apparently, 343's ambitions for multiplayer would be "compromised in a split-screen setting, and the time spent optimising and addressing split-screen-specific issues would take focus from building other parts of the game".
There will be a co-op mode, but you'll need an Xbox Gold account to play along with other people. In co-operative play, everyone takes on a specific member of Blue Team - each with a different loadout unique to their specialty.
The Halo 5: Guardians beta
A beta launched in late December to early January free with all copies of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, focusing in on the game's Arena mode.
Though successful, there were no plans for an additional public beta before the game's October release.
That said, in August Microsoft updated the client as part of currently on-going private beta tests, which has seen new music from the game played on the game's menu:
Halo 5: Guardians in trailers
