We all knew that Halo 5: Guardians would feature at least two variations of multiplayer. The classic arena style combat debuted earlier with an open beta that proved 343 Industries was up to the task of recreating the magic of Halo-style combat. At Microsoft’s E3 conference they unveiled the second mode, called Warzone, which looks to change up the gameplay significantly.
Warzone combines player versus player combat with the player versus AI from firefight or campaign. Two teams battle across gigantic maps for control of strong points, while fighting each other and AI characters.
Small changes combine together to form a whole new Halo multiplayer experience, where players buy weapons and vehicles from a shop, and have to focus more on strategy than straight combat; something that both teams took a while to figure out.
It’s a huge shift for the Halo franchise, so I jumped at the chance to try the new mode out at Microsoft’s Xbox Media Showcase. Thankfully we were able to get the entire match on video, so check out my play session below, along with some commentary from myself and Will as we go over every details. Also check back for my full written impressions later as E3 2015 rolls on.