The Halo franchise is one that is packed full of rich characters and story, but Halo 5: Guardians in particular has a focus aside from the main campaign – rushing through the game might mean you miss some details.
Or at least, that’s what 343 Industries warned at their Comic-Con panel yesterday, when there was an intense discussion on the storytelling in the upcoming Halo 5.
People go about completing games differently, for some, it’s about absorbing as much of the content as possible in the shortest amount of time. For others, it’s an immersive experience that can take days to appreciate. No matter how you play, Halo 5’s ‘layered’ narrative will give you a greater understanding of the characters this time around, if you’re willing to take it slow.
‘We definitely approached this story as a story of layers,” she said. “So there’s the high level that you’re always going to see that’s going to be the driving story that you need to understand to appreciate the game. But then there’s a lot of narrative that you won’t find if you rush through it. But if you take it slow and look and explore, you’re going to find all these rich character and world details,’ explained Morgan Lockhart, the narrative designer for Halo 5.
She also went on to say that Halo 5’s story will feature many ‘deeper questions’ regarding the Halo universe. These include the SPARTAN-II program and the Sangeheili Civil War, which have been topics of controversy among fans.
The game is going to focus more on the main characters because of the importance of the two squads led by Master Chief (who has a lot mystery in this game, himself) and Agent Locke, Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris. By necessity, you’ll be looking a lot deeper than the previous Halo games.
‘We’re able to offer different perspectives and opinions, and our characters are able to argue, or find places to agree about these really big questions,” Morgan Lockhart said.
Halo 5: Guardians launches exclusively on Xbox One on October 27th.