Feature Articles

10 things you need to know about the Halo 5: Guardians beta [UPDATED]

By Salehuddin Bin Husin - 3 Jan 2015

Overview and Frequently Asked Questions

*Insert Halo theme here*

Updated 5/1/2015 - Week 2 Update page added
Updated 13/1/2015 - Final Update page added

Halo 5: Guardians FAQ

At HardwareZone, we may do reviews and tech news but one thing you might not know about us is that some of us are also hardcore gamers. While our sister publication GameAxis is covering the majority of the gaming beat, we felt that something as big as Halo deserves a feature by itself from our perspective. So we went out and did one. Of course, nobody has access to the complete game yet (unless you have a time machine), so we're doing a feature based on the current beta edition. We figure it's different enough to warrant a write-up as well as a FAQ to get those of you who haven't been keeping tabs up to speed. On the next page, we've 10 gameplay tips, but first, we'll start with the game FAQ:-

How do you get in the beta?
Buy the Halo: Master Chief Collection on the Xbox One and you get instant beta access via an option in the game's main menu.

Is that the only way?
Yes. Unless there's another way we've not heard of, the current Beta is only accessible via the Master Chief Collection. The beta had an early access period which allowed you to download the beta client, but that's only for selected individuals.

How long will the beta last?
It'll last till Jan 18, 2015.

What console is it on?
The Xbox One. There's no Xbox 360 beta and anybody claiming to have codes for a Halo 5 Xbox 360 beta is lying. We've heard of scams going around with offers of Xbox 360 keys for entering your Gamertag at a website and such. Don't listen to them, there's no Halo 5 for the Xbox 360.

What modes are there?
As of right now, Team Slayer. More will be added as the beta goes on.

What's Team Slayer?
It's a game mode where two teams of four players battle against each other to a certain score. First team to reach the score (or has the higher score when time runs out) is the winner.

How many maps are there?
As of right now, two. Seven by the time the beta has run its course.

What are the two maps currently available?
Empire and Truth.

Are loadouts from Halo 4 in?
Nope. The current plan is to just offer armor customization and abilities.

Do you unlock them as you level up?
Yes, if you're talking about armor parts. Armor sets come in multiple sections so you can mix and match your desired look.  Abilities are unlocked for everybody from the get go, so you don't need to be a certain level to get access to a certain move.

Any gameplay advantages to having a higher level?
None whatsoever. Levels only affect cosmetic unlocks this time around.

What editions of Halo 5 will there be?
There'll be three different editions. Normal is just the game itself. Nothing fancy or special. It'll retail for the same price as any other Xbox One game. Then there's the Limited Edition, which comes in a steel case and has special exclusives (nobody knows the details yet) that the standard edition doesn't have. At the top of the mountain is the Limited Collector's Edition. This is the top tier Halo 5 experience. It comes with a numbered statue (again, nobody knows what it looks like), a copy of the Limited Edition plus extras exclusive to the Limited Collector's Edition.

How limited will the Limited Editions be?
It's anybody's guess and nobody at 343 Industries is talking. Since Halo 5 will undoubtedly be a blockbuster title, it stands to reason that the limited edition won't be limited at all. Perhaps there will be a less units made than the normal copies, but chances are unless you buy the game months after release, it probably won't be hard to get. On the other hand, the Limited Collector's Edition (the one with the statue) will be the one you're aiming for if you're looking to collect. If Halo: Reach's Legendary Edition statue is anything to go by, it'll fetch a pretty penny in the resale market. New copies of the Legendary Edition regularly sell for upwards of US$200 (on Amazon), depending on condition. It's a good bet that Halo 5 will fare similarly.

What are the prices and when's the release date?
Halo 5's pricing has only been announced for the US right now. It's US$59.99 for the normal edition, US$99.99 for the Limited Edition and US$249.99 for the Limited Collector's Edition. There's no current release date for the game yet beyond a vague '2015' given by 343 Industries. We don't know if Singapore will have these versions so if you're interested in any of the Limited Editions, you can view Microsoft's website for the recommended list of retailers. Of course, the majority of them won't ship to Singapore, but there's a way around it by using freight forwarders. Read up on them in our previous Black Friday article.

Current Beta Maps
There are only two maps in rotation in the Halo 5 playlist at the moment. That will change any day now as 343 Industries' set to introduce more as the beta progresses. A total of 7 maps and the 3 gameplay modes are planned for the beta, though that number is not set in stone and might change as the beta progresses. For now though, we give you a small breakdown of the maps that are available, Empire and Truth.
 

Empire Map

Empire's a map with human architecture. You're playing in an industrial facility of some sort with a single balcony in the middle that shows a view of the outside. Directly opposite it is a control center of sorts. Both the balcony and the control center spawn the map's power weapon, a sniper rifle. The map is a mix of long range combat and close range fisticuffs, with the lower part of the map obscuring vision from the high ground as it's filled with low walls. Climbable objects  can be used to break sight lines or to ambush unsuspecting foes. The other weapon in the map is the Battle Rifle. Its usefulness is limited however as the slow rate of fire combined with tight spaces for the majority of the map, makes whittling down foes risky.

 

Truth Map

Truth is actually a remake of Halo 2 map Midship. As before, the circular arena affords lots of opportunities to take the other team by surprise. The Prophet's Bane, this map's power weapon spawns on the middle platform, which can only be accessed by the two rooms connected to it. Like before, the four chambers at the sides of the map are two stories, with a gravity lift inside the lower level to allow easy access to the next floor. With its long open spaces, weapons accurate over long distances like the Battle Rifle or the DMR (or even the Magnum), do very well here.

This is just scratching the surface of the beta. On the next page we give you the 10 most important things you should know while playing the game. It may not seem like much, but it can (and probably will) save your life a few times.

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