Award It Will Win: Best Xbox One Game The Master Chief Collection brought together Master Chief's greatest hits and allowed fans to pay one final tribute to the immense games Bungie created - it was the ideal way to bring Halo to the Xbox One. It may also have marked a new starting point for the series. 343 Industries have been in control of the Halo series for a while but they've yet to really do anything adventurous with it - Halo 4 was a great game but if the new developers are ever going to step out from Bungie's shadow, they need to do more. With a new game engine and improved hardware, Halo 5: Guardians has the tools needed to refresh the series and make it an unstoppable force once more. Halo 4 reportedly pushed the Xbox 360 to its very limits; with the Xbox One, 343 Industries are promising a broader scope, taking full advantage of the hardware to deliver a new experience. The first footage from the closed multiplayer beta sure backs that up. While classic game modes will be available, there's an increased focus on arena-style warfare with tense, elimination bouts being promoted heavily. Increased mobility is all the rage nowadays and Halo 5 will make use of it too. Thrusters allow Spartans to dive and zip through the air with sliding and mantling also being crucial additions to the gameplay. It looks fast and fluid in motion and it'll definitely be worth trying out in the forthcoming open beta. Details about the story are scarce (aside from the reveal of a new player character) but if the new Spartan Abilities are included in the campaign, it looks like it will be an enjoyable experience. Halo 5's radical changes should open the series up to newcomers and that will be essential if 343 Industries want to own the Best Xbox Game of 2015.
I have an addiction to achievements, a craving for new bands and a dream to become Captain America. I once finished second in a Mario Kart 7 tournament so I'm kind of a big deal.
