Video game developer, 343 Industries, is expanding the "Halo" universe and it will be double the size of the previous one in "Halo 5," Screen Rant has learned.
After a disappointing launch last year for "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" — a bundle of the first four "Halo" games that included all their multiplayer maps and modes for Xbox One — left a bitter taste for gamers and put the game in bad light as it was plagued by bugs, the recent developments for "Halo 5: Guardians" showed that it would best the best in the series so far, making fans and hardcore gamers excited again.
A report from Games Radar states that the upcoming "Halo 5" campaign is twice as long as "Halo 4" with the players adventuring in three worlds namely Human, Covenant and Forerunner. The storyline centers between two teams of Spartans running through various levels and missions in groups of four. Moreover, players have the option to play the entire campaign as a single player with A.I. partners or in multiplayer with their friends.
Screen Rant emphasizes that the focus of "Halo 5" is on Master Chief and Agent Locke. The game will revolve on the established knowledge in the "Halo" saga, wherein Master Chief is reunited with his Blue Team schoolmates, all of whom shared a similar childhood experience of being abducted and forced to be part of the Spartan program.
In addition to giving substance and emphasis in the campaign story, the gamers will be indulged in an estimated average of seven to eight hours of game time, depending on the difficulty level. This is clearly the game's longest campaign series in the "Halo" franchise.
According to a separate report from Screen Rant, 343 had to scale back the campaign, which was originally planned to be three or four times longer than "Halo 4." Although no specific explanation was made for the action, Screen Rant speculated that it was a move to prevent players from burning out and motivate them to finish the campaign.
343 Industries took over the "Halo" franchise after its previous developer, Bungie, left it in 2010. This recent move is part of 343 Industries' attempt to redefine and evolve the series through shifting the franchise's direction, changing fundamental gameplay mechanics and expanding the "Halo" universe.
"Halo 5:Guardians" will be released on October 27, 2015 and will be available for Xbox One.