Why Halo 5's radar is driving some players up the wall
So near, sonar.
Halo's radar is a Spartan's most useful tool. For years players have used the motion tracker to spot the movement of enemies who dare to enter their sphere of influence, red blobs flashing as aliens or enemy Spartans close in for a kill.
Halo 5, which came out last Tuesday, also has a radar. But loads of players are complaining about it. Why?
Here's are just a few examples of the many complaints on Halo Waypoint (the official Halo forum), and the Halo subReddit.
It turns out, developer 343 reduced the effective range of the Halo 5 radar after the game's beta finished and before the game proper launched, from 30 meters to 18 meters. In the Warzone mode, which is played on huge maps, the radar range was reduced to 25 meters.
It's this change that has sparked the debate among the Halo community, with some saying the shorter range means enemy players can too easily get the jump on them, at least compared to previous Halo games.
Here's player Halloween G on Halo Waypoint:
The radar issue is exacerbated by Halo 5's increased mobility. With the thruster, Spartans can dodge, air boost, clamber and sprint. It makes for a more fluid style of play and greater efficiency in travel around multiplayer maps.
Because of this, it's easier for enemy players to get within melee distance of you, which can cause frustration if you're on the receiving end of an assassination or a shoulder charge from a player who barely registered on your radar.
Here's oB_Quiet on the Halo subReddit.
I find the radar works fine on some maps, particularly the smaller, close quarters maps you find yourself playing on Arena, but feels redundant on the larger maps, and in particular the wonderful Warzone game type.
In a post on Halo Waypoint, 343 explained the radar change, saying the "giant" 30-meter range in the beta "negatively affected the game".
Of course, there's always a learning curve when it comes to the release of a new Halo, and an associated period of adjustment players must go through while getting to grips with new systems and tweaked abilities such as the radar. But it'll be interesting to see whether 343 changes the radar range now the community has reacted strongly to it.
