Halo 5: Guardians is out today on Xbox One and along with it comes a wave of review scores for the Master Chief's latest, and biggest, outing yet.
The hotly-anticipated game marks the start of a brand-new trilogy of Halo games being developed by ex-Bungie studio 343 Industries.
Its last game, Halo: The Master Chief Collection came under enormous flak after it became clear that its multiplayer element was suffering from major flaws.
The problem became so severe that 343 offered gamers a free game as a way of saying sorry, echoing the massive teething problems that Ubisoft suffered during the launch of Assassin's Creed: Unity.
With the Master Chief Collection in the past, all eyes are now firmly on 343's biggest game yet so without further ado, here's what the critics are saying:
"If it weren't for Warzone, Halo 5: Guardians would probably be somewhere on the lower end of the franchise spectrum for me. It's still a fantastic and well-oiled machine, but the story falls flat, and the shift in gameplay mechanics result in the loss of some elements that made the series so unique in the first place."
7/10
"Where single-player has its successes and failures, Halo 5’s multiplayer is one big, sustained high point. The new headliner mode is Warzone, and what I’ve played so far has been so much fun and full of heaps of exciting tension that I could ignore the rest of the modes and be satisfied with Halo 5."
TBC
Halo 5's Multiplayer contingent has been widely praised as one of the best yet in the series.
"Halo 5 feels like it knows its obligations. The campaign's narrative is likely to prove controversial, though its biggest sin may be its familiarity. Otherwise, Halo 5 excels under the pressure, providing one of the most welcoming, competitive, balanced and fun games of the year — and providing my personal favorite Halo multiplayer since the series began."
9/10
"Don’t play Halo 5 for its story, then. Play Halo 5 because it’s technique — an absolute masterclass in how to craft a first-person shooter. Its best reason yet to own an Xbox One. For all its technical quirks and plot deficiencies, Halo is once again the best time you can have shooting aliens in the face."
N/A
"If nothing else, Halo 5 is where 343 has learned how to make the game its own. Halo 4 was a splendid tribute, but felt like a developer mimicking what went before in order to steady itself. Such conservatism cannot be afforded here. It is still Halo, of course, all fast-paced skirmishing and fizzing laser-fire interspersed by meaty vehicular combat, but 343 has made more fundamental adjustments."
TBC
The $3bn franchise has now reached 'Hollywood status' with global launches regularly breaking sales records.
"A review shouldn’t be whether a game works or not though, but whether it’s worth caring about when its fixed. And with Halo 5 that’s most definitely the case. The changes to the movement system, and the knock-on effect this has on the multiplayer, are the most significant and enjoyable in the series’ history. And whatever our issues with the campaign mode playing it with three friends should overcome most of them."
9/10
"Halo 5: Guardians features an underwhelming, confusing and surprisingly banal campaign that's not actively bad, but equally not quite good enough to warrant a purchase on its own."
3/5
And last but not least, here's out verdict on the Master Chief's latest outing:
"While the footballing catchphrase is overused in real life, it's relevant here. Halo 5 does falter - its team-based AI is infuriating and the storyline is so clearly set up for a trilogy that there's likely to be some that'll find the way it is told to be more than annoying.
What it lacks though it makes up for in spades thanks to stunning landscapes, excellent level design and a multiplayer that reminds you why Red vs Blue is something you'll want to search for on YouTube."