14 DAY TRIAL // The development team at 343 Industries and publisher Microsoft have been saying for a long time that they want Halo 5: Guardians to be one of the most emotional entries in the franchise, and it seems that loss will be another theme that gamers will have to confront in the single-player campaign.
Frank O'Connor, who leads the studio as it works on the shooter, tells Halo Waypoint that for the first time Master Chief will have to go through his adventures without the presence of his Artificial Intelligence companion Cortana.
He explains, "in a video game where exploration and information are paramount, an AI makes a lot of sense. Halo 5 will be the first entry in the Master Chief’s mainline story where he has to survive without that AI companion, and reflect upon what he lost when Cortana sacrificed herself."
O'Connor has recently written a short story associated with the universe, called Saint's Testimony, that deal with another AI that evolves and then has to deal with its impact on the universe.
343 Industries has not yet explained what role Cortana will play in the story of Halo 5: Guardians.
Hunt the Truth delivers another perspective on the universe of the series
Frank O'Connor also says that he is very happy with the series of audio podcast that featured Journalist Benjamin Giroud and his efforts to make sense of some mysterious events that take place before the story of Halo 5: Guardians.
He also says the second season of Hunt the Truth will deliver more information because the perspective is changed and details about the actions of the Office of Naval Intelligence will be offered.
The campaign of Halo 5: Guardians will feature the perspectives of both Agent Locke and Master Chief, who will need to deal with a bigger threat to the galaxy.
For the first time in the history of the series, full four-player support is featured, which means that Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris will be more important than ever, with clear and distinct personalities for all the Spartans that go into the fight.
Halo 5: Guardians will be introduced on the Xbox One on October 27.