It's close.
In just over a month, Halo fans will finally get to see what happened to Master Chief following the events of Halo 4. Cortana's gone. Chief is shattered by the loss. Humanity scored a great victory, but at a too-high cost.
Resolution comes Oct. 27, when Microsoft and 343 Industries launch Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One.
We know the campaign follows two separate plotlines. On one side, you've got Master Chief and Blue Team -- but they've gone AWOL for reasons that remain unclear. On the other, you've got Agent Locke commandeering Fireteam Osiris. This bunch is tasked with tracking down the missing Spartan and his crew.
Microsoft was kind enough to let us capture a bunch of campaign footage during a recent hands-on preview event. There are certain things we're not allowed to talk about or show you, but we do have these two self-captured videos featuring some of the campaign's action.
In the video above, Chief and Blue Team commandeer Banshees for a high-flying shootout as they try to destroy a series of objective points and clear the way for their escape. Then, in the video below, watch as Fireteam Osiris take on a group of Prometheans, the robotic sentries that were introduced in Halo 4.
[video id="lyZ2Nvdzp1yVDCWoY5pnBr-U0kZVN_Y5"]
It's tough to convey how different the feel is in Halo 5. The speedy action is still front and center, but there's a weightiness to your actions now. You can feel it as you shove a shotgun in a Grunt's face and pull the trigger, or use the new charging melee attack to break through a destructible wall.
The gameplay is undeniably Halo, but it's been tightened up considerably for the series' proper debut on Xbox One. This is what the future looks like in 343's hands.