If you're planning on picking up Halo 5: Guardians in a couple weeks, you may want to start clearing room on your hard drive.
Earlier today I began downloading and installing Halo 5: Guardians (review copy). I was instantly shocked to find that the game was more than 60 GB in size, with Microsoft adding that there will be a 9GB day one update released shortly.
However, my hard drive space implosion pales in comparison to Twitter user Stepto,who didn't clear his hard drive before installing the game. He instantly met an error page that stated the following:
Judging by the number, the error message is wildly inaccurate. If it meant to say 131 GB, that'd make it the largest game in history, topping massive titles such as the 10 year old World of Warcraft and the colossal Grand Theft Auto V.
In the case that the error message is completely wrong in terms of its figures, we know that at the very least the game is 60GB in size, which still makes it one of the largest games in history. In contrast, Final Fantasy XIII's PC version is 60GB in size, but 48GB of that is FMV cutscenes.
As a matter of fact, Halo 5: Guardians is roughly the same size as all the previous Halo games. Last year's Halo: The Master Chief Collection clocked in at 65GB with Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 4 all included. It might not be as perplexing as Titanfall's 40GB install, but it's up there.
Which brings me to my major point: go for a larger hard drive if you have the option. I'm currently using the base 500GB Xbox One and I regularly have to uninstall games that I am certain I will play again in the future. A 1TB drive will do you some favors in the long run.
The Top 5 Weapons in Halo History
Top 5 Halo Weapons
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2. Battle Rifle
Halo 2 introduced the Battle Rifle, a weapon fans immediately fell in love with the first time they fired off one of its three-round bursts. Those with precision aiming can take down the opposing force with 3 or 4 well-placed headshots, and doing so is wonderfully satisfying each and every time. rn rnLet's also not forget about the dangerous combination of the BR and Plasma Pistol. Charging up the Covenant one-handed weapon and firing off a perfectly-timed blast at your foe will lower its defenses. After that, all it takes is a quick headshot from the Battle Rifle and its game over for the other team. -
5. Needler
If there's one weapon among Halo's expansive arsenal that deserves a trophy for creativity, it's gotta be the Needler. Fueled by large pink crystals as its ammo source, this alien firearm is deceptively lethal. It sends those bright and colorful shards into its target, detonating a few seconds after embedding itself into the flesh of its foe.
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rnThose who manage to catch an opponent off guard and send a full clip into their unsuspecting prey will wipe them out before they know what hit them. If you see the glowing pink light in the distance, you'd best watch yourself.
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rnFear the pink mist!!! -
1. CE Pistol
Perhaps the most unbalanced and ridiculous weapon in all of Halo history is the pistol from Combat Evolved. It was insanely overpowered and even sported a zoom-in option. Those adept at aiming could take down their enemies just a few seconds with just a few quick shots to the dome.
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rnWhile it has yet to reappear in its insanely overpowered form in later installments (which is probably for the best), the series' original incarnation of the pistol will forever be remembered as one of gaming's greatest weapons, even if it did break the shooter's balancing. -
3. Plasma Grenade
The third and final Covenant weapon to make our list is the Plasma Grenade. This glowing blue orb is easily one of my favorite ways to take down a group of Grunts, sticking it one of the pack and watching him flail in fear before it explodes, laying waste to everything within a few yards of its detonation.
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rnIt's also a fantastic weapon in multiplayer. Lobbing one of these bad boys at just the right angle to stick an oncoming foe is so wonderfully satisfying. Conversely, the panic that sets in when you know you've been stuck is equally exhilarating, but for a very different reason. -
4. Energy Sword
We simply had to include a melee weapon on this list, and failing to give the Energy Sword its proper due would be nothing short of criminal. While this glowing saber popped up in the original Combat Evolved's campaign solely in the hands of bloodthirsty Elites, Halo 2 put the weapon in the hands of the player.
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rnI don't know about you but I'll never forget the hours upon hours I spent on the multiplayer map Lockout, stalking my prey, Energy Sword in hand. Lining up an opponent in your sights and pulling the trigger results in a satisfying one-hit-kill lunge that never gets old.
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rnNever.
