If you were hoping that 343 Industries would have an uber-powerful version of Halo 5 ready for the multiplayer beta test due to take place this December, think again. The game is still a year off from release and it was bound to have a few drawbacks, one of which includes only being 720p.
Eurogamer managed to get in word with the studio head at 343 Industries, Josh Holmes, who explained why they middled out at only 720p instead of going guns-a-blazin' at 900p on the Xbox One (since we all know 1080p is such a long shot across a dark field by a blindfolded, deaf man trying to hit gopher with a wobbly arrow).
Holmes stated...
"For the beta, at this point we're totally focused on gameplay," … "We're midway through development. We're balancing and tuning the gameplay systems. All of the polish and optimisation graphically is stuff that typically comes towards the end of the production cycle."So, for the beta, we're going to be coming out at 720p and 60fps. That's not the final resolution for the game. You can imagine as we go through the remainder of the project we'll be focused on polishing the visual look of the game. You can expect it will look amazing when it comes out."
Fair enough.
I don't think anyone expected a finished game in the beta... I mean, it is a beta after all.
At least the beta is 60 frames per second. While the resolution is obviously going to be lower in order to accommodate the frame-rate and some tweaking (besides, at this stage in the game you really want to ensure that the beta performs well and data can be collected without judders, stutters and hiccups.)
Additionally, we got to see how the gameplay of Halo 5 rolls out with a five minute video showing off some of the new features and maps from the beta. Check it out below, courtesy of GamesHQ Media.
We get to see how the improved zoom works (which actually looks pretty good), we also get to see some interesting elements on display, such as the new jetpack dash-attack. It looks pretty cool in action and given the way the stages are designed you can see how it can be an advantageous element with the multiplayer action.
If you missed it, you can check out some of the Halofest footage from live coverage courtesy of IGN.
If you want to get in on Halo, you can pick up The Master Chief Collection right now, exclusively for the Xbox One. If you're picking up the game to get in on the Halo 5 multiplayer beta, you can look for the beta to get underway this December. So how excited are you for the 720p, 60fps multiplayer beta for Halo 5: Guardians?
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