Microsoft's E3 2015 press conference started sensibly enough, with the franchise that put Xbox on the map: Halo

While no major plot reveals were made, the new Halo 5 Guardians gameplay further conveyed the likelihood that Halo 5: Guardians will a significant character departure not seen since Halo: Reach, a game that didn't even feature Master Chief at all. Led by Spartan Locke (with the acting and facial capture of Nathan Fillion), his squad is in search for Master Chief, who has since gone missing in action. Exploring a stronghold littered with injured Covenant, the gameplay clip implied that the once main villain of the franchise is in the midst of their twilight years. The 5-minute gameplay footage had all the trademarks of Halo: the assertiveness of a shotgun, new weapons like a beam crossbow, the reappearance of the Prometheans, and n brief escape sequence from a collapsing environment. The emphasis on a squad without Master Chief was effective in connecting this campaign mode with the much talked about Halo 5 Guardians multiplayer.

The presentation wrapped up with reminder of Halo 5 Warzone, a highly customizable multiplayer platform that pits up to 24 players adversarially and against AI bots. Expect maps larger than your average Halo map.

Halo 5 Guardians is set for release on October 27, 2015.