Halo 5: Guardians looks to be coming to Windows 10, too
A slightly tarnished Halo
With Halo Infinite confirmed for release on PC (Windows 10, at least), it seems that Microsoft are easing up on the stranglehold that has kept the series console-exclusive for so long. The changes might just be retroactive, too, as eagle-eyed folks on Reddit spotted that Halo 5: Guardians is now listed on the Xbox site as being both an Xbox and Windows 10 game, although it's not up yet on the Windows 10 storefront.
My initial thought was that the Windows 10 logo was probably there for ages anyway, as the semi-standalone multiplayer/level editor Forge bundle has been available free on the Windows Store for ages now. However, a quick peek at the Wayback Machine confirms that yes, the front-and-centre mention of Halo 5 being a Windows 10 game is a very recent addition. While it's not fully confirmed, this combined with the announcement of Infinite does suggest that the series is finally coming home.
While Halo 5 is a solid enough bit of sci-fi shootery, it's not my favourite game in the series. The shift to co-op centric design and some annoying unsatisfying-to-shoot enemies introduced in Halo 4 dulls its edge somewhat, and it's all wrapped up in a story that reads like overenthusiastic fan-fiction. As much as I enjoyed the earlier games, the escalating drama between Master 'Chief' Chief and his sassy and increasingly curvaceous AI ladyfriend Cortana just isn't the greatest of hooks to hang a budding space-opera from.
Here's hoping that Microsoft sees the light soon and approves the Master Chief Collection - a big bundle of remastered older Halo games - for a PC release next, and let us properly catch up. Oh, and add Halo: Reach to that, too. Because that's the best one. The collection now includes every other game in the series, so Reach's absence feels oddly conspicuous at this point. While all we know for sure about about Halo 5 on PC is this logo change, tonight's E3 PC Gaming Show might include an official announcement, as Microsoft had some stuff to show there last year.
Over on the Microsoft store, Halo 5 has been £15/$20 for some time now, and is included in the Xbox Game Pass subscription.