Leaked Halo 5 videos reveal new scope and sprint mechanics
Studio head moves to calm fear, confirms descope is back.
A number of leaked Halo 5 gameplay videos emerged over the weekend - and they caused quite a stir.
The videos, now removed, show off-screen footage of the competitive multiplayer part of Xbox One first-person shooter, and reveal a few tidbits.
First, there appears to be a new scope mechanic. Halo, traditionally, has combined hip fire with a scoping system that has no impact on mobility for old school run and gun arena gameplay. In one clip we saw the Battle Rifle with a new scope that looked a lot like the aim down sights system from the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield.
Another tidbit that got Halo fans' tongues wagging: sprint. Sprint was added to Halo 4 - 343 Industries' first Halo game - and it caused some controversy. It's clear from the videos that sprint returns in some form.
There was enough of a kerfuffle that 343 studio head Josh Holmes stepped in on Twitter to address the concern.
He confirmed that Halo 5 does not penalise players for using hip fire or for scoping.
And then this: "Descope is back!"
Descope was a mechanic in Bungie's Halo games that allowed players to knock those who were scoping out of the zoom. It was a popular system designed to balance snipers and other powerful weapons that feature a scope.
343 ditched descoping for Halo 4, but in a move that is sure to go down well with the series' loyal fanbase, it returns for Halo 5.
The Halo 5: Guardians beta begins in December. Access comes as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, out tomorrow. Expect more information tomorrow morning.
