‘Halo 5: Guardians 5’ Things To Know: Tons of Content, New Screenshots And Other Not-so-great Findings

It's almost the weekend of the first week of the "Halo 5: Guardians" multiplayer beta. Considering the proliferation of YouTube videos and Reddit discussions, a number of fans are currently enjoying the event.

As a quick update, Microsoft has provided a rundown of the happenings in the beta, as listed over at the Xbox Wire. The multiplayer arena maps available during this time are Truth and Empire, both of which provide 4v4 experience.

Truth brings to mind Midship from "Halo 2" where there are bases, highpoints, central platform and the Pink Tower as the highest point in the map. From there, one can find the Prophets' Bane, which is the legendary energy sword.

The other map is Empire, which takes players into the urbanized area where snipers play a major role when defending the tower. The team that is able to gain control of the tower can then use the best strategy to gain the upper hand in the map.

The "Halo 5: Guardians" beta also features the Spectator Mode, which adds texture to your Halo experiencing during the beta run. Finally, Microsoft also hinted to players that Halo Channel will provide updates on "Halo 5: Guardians" as more maps and modes come to light.

In the meantime, those who want to check out what can be seen in the beta maps, Halo Waypoint, the official source for everything Halo online, has a couple of screenshots of the action for Empire and Truth.

If you are one of those who still hasn't joined the beta, there's still time. It will run for three weeks until Jan. 18, and all you need is a copy of the "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" to gain access.

More than the maps, "Halo 5: Guardians" also introduces the Spartan Mjolnir armour, which has a number of new features to make your Halo experience even more exciting and diverse. Prima Games reports that the armour has the Clamber feature, which supercharges you to grab ledges and pull yourself up. There's also the sprint feature, which is infinite in every armour, though using it will hinder your shield from recharging.

The weapons have also seen the addition of the Smart Scope mode. This feature lets you focus on your targets, and from the point of view of the player, the screen will show augmented reality to further enhance its tie-up with the Stabilizers. Still, it has the downside of leaving you exposed when using the feature.

Of course, not everything is all good, as fans also try to explore the not-so-fantastic side of the beta--and hopefully have developer 343 Industries respond to the feedback. Over at Halo Waypoint forums, fans have been discussing the good and the bad points of the new title.

While a lot of talk on the good revolves around the new additions to the game, the bad ones seem to be focused on the more technical sides. These include overpowered weapons, poorly designed or slow features and difficulty in aiming.

Halo Waypoint forums user TruthfulBaton7 notes that some weapons like the Prophet's Bane and AR are overpowered. Aside from these, some of the other features that he feels should be addressed are the slow MM times, poor design of the empire and the weapon call outs.

Bennyfereni agrees with the overpowered AR, but adds that the pistol is one of the weapons that are difficult to aim. Mentioned twice in the forums is how the kill cam can be useless, as well as the overly cluttered design of the empire.

There are still quite a number of days left for the multiplayer beta of "Halo 5: Guardians." If you have been playing the beta, what are your thoughts on your experience?

"Halo 5: Guardians" multiplayer beta (Credit: YouTube/BrockingDaily)

Have feedback or comments? Leave a message at g.galang@ibtimes.com.au

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