Well then. A month before E3, Microsoft and 343 Industries have pulled the covers off the next installment in their key franchise. Due out Autumn 2015, it’s going to be a long road of promos and teasers for something that they desperately need to be a system seller.

According to [the Xbox blog post](http://news.xbox.com/2014/05/games-halo-journey-announcement), *Halo 5* uses a brand new engine specifically built for next-gen, and is “a bigger effort than *Halo 4*:

It’s a game that will hopefully demonstrate the talent, learnings and abilities of the 343 Industries team. A game that will incorporate the things we learned from “Halo 4” about technology, aesthetics, performance and scale – and perhaps more importantly, understanding and embracing a community of gamers who love what lies at the heart of this game, and the limitless potential of the “Halo” universe.

I’ve been a massive *Halo* fan since the first installment – [my love for *Halo 3: ODST*](https://awesomefriday.ca/2012/11/revisiting-halo-3-odst/) is pretty much the only reason I still have an Xbox 360 – but the shift in tone with *Halo 4* really drained my enthusiasm for the series. The main issue was that the enemies were annoying and indistinct, something that I really hope changes with *Guardians*. I’m sure we’ll find out more in the Microsoft E3 briefing on June 9th, so all we can do is watch the hype train as it gets up to speed.

Also, 343 Industries, do yourselves a favour – original series composer Marty O’Donnell recently got fired from Bungie, so deliver a truck load of money to his door and let us all enjoy his amazing score once more.