Microsoft’s latest trailer for the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians certainly puts the Master Chief in a predicament. He lies wounded at the base of a giant statue of his likeness, on a planet in ruins. And he is being accused by Agent Locke of being responsible for the destruction that surrounds them.
And this trailer (see below) suggests that this new-gen Halo game will deliver when it’s released on the 27th of October, as it looks to have a darker tone than its predecessors. The Master Chief no longer being a world-saving and cool super-soldier but someone who turned to the dark side and became a traitor would be a nice twist to the story.
But if one thing is clear, is that Microsoft certainly has an ace up its sleeve with Halo 5. As you probably already know, the Xbox One has been lagging the PS4 when it comes to sales. This year Sony’s console crossed the 20 million mark, while the Xbox One has sold only slightly more than half that.
However, exclusives could be the key to closing the sales gap, and this year the Xbox One will boast a strong lineup with the likes of Halo 5 and Rise of the Tomb Raider. And the fact that Nintendo’s upcoming Zelda game will be delayed and likely not see a release in 2015 and that Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4 won’t hit the shelves until Spring 2016 is also a plus for Microsoft and could boost Xbox One sales. Sony is also reeling after the critical disappointment that was The Order: 1886 (although it is selling pretty well) and although Bloodborne has been loved by reviewers, it is clear that its punishing difficulty is not for everyone.
So it’s obvious that Halo 5 scoring with the critics and becoming a hit would certainly give the Xbox One a boost, and that would be a good thing for Microsoft. And fans of the Master Chief can look forward to another entry in the world-conquering series, even if the Master Chief we see in the trailer is not the same noble hero we know. But still, if you find the fact that the Master Chief went rogue disturbing, you can find consolation in the fact that Agent Locke will be a playable character, and that according to studio 343 Industries the game’s world’s and battles will be bigger than ever. And the lovely Cortana will be making a return in Halo 5, which is definitely something to look forward to.
Note: Halo 5: Guardians will be released on October 27, 2015. It is an Xbox One exclusive.