A brand new interactive website has been released for Halo 5: Guardians, which allows players to earn a free REQ pack ahead of the game's October 27th release.
It's no secret that Halo 5: Guardians will be utilizing the always controversial microtransactions in the form of REQ packs, and that has left a lot of fans disillusioned with the game. Regardless, 343 has now given players a chance to earn some microtransaction DLC for Halo 5 two weeks ahead of the game's release, and all it will cost is about a minute of their time.
By visiting the new Halo 5 interactive website, players are able to earn a REQ pack by watching 10 very short videos. Five of the videos detail Spartan Locke's side of the campaign, while the other five videos follow Master Chief's point of view. After all the videos have been viewed, players will receive a free REQ pack, and will be made aware of its contents.
This is a nice gesture and a clever way to market the game, but even so, there are many fans that are still annoyed that there are microtransactions at all in Halo 5. In an attempt to dispel this, 343 has assured its community that the microtransactions won't be pay-to-win, and that REQ packs can be earned in the game through regular play. For those that don't want to earn REQ packs through regular play, they will of course have the option of purchasing them using real world currency.
The REQ packs will come in three distinct flavors: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The Bronze packs will not have an option to purchase with real money, but the Silver and Gold packs will cost $2 and $3 respectively. Alternatively, any of the packs can be purchased with Requisition Points earned in-game.
Even though the way 343 Industries is implementing microtransactions seems reasonable enough, it is still somewhat of a questionable move. After all, the company already lost the faith of many fans thanks to the Master Chief Collection's online issues, some of which still plague the game to this day, as well as their choice to eliminate split-screen – something that has been a staple of the franchise up to this point. By making the choice to incorporate microtransactions into Halo 5, 343 runs the risk of alienating even more of their hardcore fanbase.
How do you feel about microtransactions in Halo 5: Guardians? Can you see yourself ever purchasing any REQ packs for the game? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments below.
Halo 5: Guardians will release on October 27th, 2015 exclusively for the Xbox One.