Microsoft kicked off its E3 press conference with the one thing guaranteed to keep Xbox One gamers happy - Halo 5: Guardians. The console has been sorely awaiting its first true Halo game, after the Master Chief Collection struggled to make an impression due to a horrendously buggy launch. Eager to put that in the past, 343 Industries showed off an extended gameplay trailer, revealing the four player, drop-in co-op for the first time.
Guardians will be the 'biggest and most ambitious' Halo campaign to date, according to the developer. It will let players control two Spartan squads, swapping between one led by the Master Chief and another led by Spartan Locke at various points in the story. Apparently Master Chief has gone AWOL, and it's up to Spartan Locke and his team to track him down.
In a clip shown on stage, seen here courtesy of Kotaku, Locke and his team fight their way through waves of enemies in a typically Sci-Fi setting filled with drop ships, turret guns and familiar Halo weapons. Cinematic moments will apparently see a greater focus, with your characters using third person melee attacks, falling off ledges and triggering in-game events without launching straight into non-playable cut scenes.
Fans of Halo's frantic multiplayer mode will be more interested to hear where Guardians is taking the series. Apparently each Halo 5 multiplayer map will be four times the size of any existing Halo map, with enough room for 24 players to clash, or team up and fight as a unit. The new Warzone gametype was shown, and has more than a slight air of EA's Battlefield series. Spartans can squad up and ride in land or air vehicles, fight over chokepoints at multiple points on the map, and in a first for the series, fight against AI-controlled enemies as well as human players.
Spartans will always be player controlled, but enemies found in the campaign will also appear in the multiplayer mode to provide you with an extra challenge. We get the feeling they will act in a similar manner to Titanfall's grunts, providing you with extra points rather than turning the tide of battle. Player controlled mechs look like they will make an appearance too - it all looks pretty chaotic, but if anyone can get multiplayer right it's the team behind Halo.
With Halo 5's multiplayer being available to play on the E3 show floor later this week, we're positive that plenty more information about the game will be announced in the coming days, so be sure to check back for extra details as we get them.
Halo 5: Guardians will be coming later this year, exclusive to the Xbox One.
