5. No Split-Screen Multiplayer
It's still hard to believe - one of the most life-defining game experiences you can ever have, is no more. I'd wager every single person reading this either has very specific, fond memories of hurtling across the Silent Cartographer level from the first Halo with their buddy, or at least knows of how frantic and fun a game of Halo split-screen can be. Halo's multiplayer was the experience of choice for Xbox across the 2000s, and that came from not only ticking the box of online multiplayer, but also in taking your couch co-op buddies online too. Microsoft's Phil Spencer has mentioned the decision to scrap it comes directly through both performance for the base game of Halo 5, and the fact that statistics point to online playtime far outweighing that of split-screen. Because of this, Guardians is the first high-profile multiplayer-focussed experience to ditch the component that made multiplayer such a fantastic construct and experience in the first place - a sad indictment on where
we're heading as an industry. If you were looking forward to sharing Guardians' campaign with anyone other than yourself, it's just tough luck.