Halo: Reach

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Anyone else see the trailer?

 

Oh and I just came from Bungie.net. If anyone says -anything- about "I wish it was gameplay bungie pls die kthx I will spit it.

 

It looks pretty, anyway. I'm super excited. Can't wait for the hardcore nerds to pour over it and tell me everything I missed :P

[Guest Cairos]

I saw the trailer last night on the Video Games Award. Looks good. Not really my kind of game but will definitely keep an eye on it.

[Krakalakachkn]

The scenes look fantastic, absolutely great.  I can't wait to see more, especially gameplay.

 

I'm guessing that overall, the game will be incredible looking with great gameplay and graphics, especially since its Bungie's last foray into the Halo series.

 

Every Halo game has been highly enjoyable (with ODST being the least enjoyable) and I doubt this one will be different.

[Ashaman DeRouge]

I am expecting the epitome of awesome from Bungie this time around. They don't release crap games, so no matter what I'm a winner, but I really do think this will be the Jewel in the Halo crown.

 

There's just something surrounding it, a certain aura of invincibility. It helps that your fighting elites again, I think, bring it back to the old school days and really dial into that '30 seconds of gameplay', drop ships coming in, UNSC troopers dieing all over the place, warthogs flipping through the air...

 

I just made myself even more excited... :\

[Krakalakachkn]

I think I just peed my pants

[Segurant]

Here is a link to the video for those who have not seen it

 

[Emperor]

A ton of details of Halo: Reach are revealed in February's Game Informer magazine. The 10-page feature drops some amazing details about the upcoming game. Here are some of the stand-out points:

 

Reach is a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved. 

The protagonists are The Noble team, a six-person squad with different looks and weapons specialties.

The color palette will be darker than previous Halo games, reflecting a darker emotional tone.

The Covenant will be scarier in this Halo, and will feature deep, creepy voices.

The game will support battles with up to 40 AI opponents, twice as many as Halo 3.

Health will not replenish, like in the original Halo.

New weapons include the marksman rifles (mix of a sniper and battle rifle) and the "needle rifle" that will blow people up if they're hit by a number of shots in a row.

Armor will provide special abilities. Stealth and extra-speed are mentioned.

Multiplayer will offer all the options of Halo 3, and add some as-yet undisclosed new wrinkles in the game.

There are a bunch more details in Game Informer, of course; so check your newsstand for it. Halo: Reach is a 360 exclusive that comes out this fall.

 

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Reading the bungie.net weekly updates one of the dudes is claiming that a new multiplayer type of game actually requires you to sit and learn how to play it, with new instructions and all. Sounds very exciting.

 

Anyway, is anyone here a subscriber to above magazine? I know a dude who would be very keen to hear whats in it.

[Krakalakachkn]

My subscription ran out in December, but I plan on renewing it soon

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Multiplayer Beta trailer:

 

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=news&cid=25011

 

Awesome.

[Ashaman DeRouge]

So the bungie.net forums are on fire at the moment after Bungie released some (tentative) details about the ARENA, the new, highly competitive portion of the Reach multiplayer package. The reason the nerds are on fire this time? They are no longer 'showing' you your rank, the trueskill system has had a major beef up but will mostly operate behind the scenes the entire time.

 

Also they will have a league type system in the Arena, where the ranks will be reset quite often, and at the end of the league the top performers will have a card/icon to display on thier gamertag or profile for all to see.

 

The Active roster is also explained, along with a whole host of new tidbits of info about the matchmaking experience.

 

Check it out in the latest Bungie.net weekly update, dated 19.3 (or 3.19 for all you yankee doodle dandies)

 

I am barely able to contain my excitement for this game.

[Blig Blog]

I was playing Firefight last night by myself and I was on my last life. (Heroic) There were two chieftans left till the end of the round (more lifes, ammmo, health packs) and I was low on ammo. I unloaded my SMG and grenades on the one with the hammer and brought it down. I'm still in the air, reloading, when a fuel rod shot hits me in the face...

 

Frustrating... :(

 

I still love the game though and am very looking forward to Reach. I've beaten all the Halo games like 30 times through, per game, or so and can't wait to do so on Reach.

[Krakalakachkn]

Halo: Reach Multiplayer Information

 

When the Halo: Reach demo invades consoles on May 3, the Halo faithful will get a taste of four new multiplayer game modes for the first time.

 

Talking to our friends at 1Up, Bungie said it was time to shake things up. "We just said, 'okay, Slayer, CTF, King of the Hill, those are great, let's lock those up and put them aside. Now what else? What can we have?' And then came up with some fun stuff to do in the space," said mutiplayer designer Derek Carroll.

 

The first of the new modes is a party game called Headhunter, which tasks players with collecting the skulls of their deceased enemies and transporting them to a depository. If you get sniped on the way the other players can scoop them up for their collection.

 

The second mode, Stockpile, pits two teams against one another in a race to collect the four flags stationed randomly around the map and return them to their home bases. Once you bring the flag to your base, you must defend it for a predetermined amount of time.

 

Generator Defense, the third new mode, "pits three Spartans against three Elites. The Elites are trying to destroy three generators before time runs out while the Spartans are trying to defend." This mode is divided into two rounds at five minutes apiece, with teams switching sides after the break.

 

The final new mode Bungie revealed is called Invasion. This vehicular-focused mode opens up the battlefield for six-versus-six matches and seems to be a multi-stage, objective driven experience.

 

Chances are, if you're the kind of person who downloads the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta right on May 3, you're going to notice something a bit quirkier. I'm not talking about the obvious changes that Reach brings to Halo's multiplayer, such as Armor Abilities or melee assassinations. I'm talking about the fact that when you're not jumping into the usual Slayer or King of the Hill matches, you're suddenly playing new game modes like, "Headhunter" or "Invasion." With just a few weeks to go before the beta opens up to Halo 3: ODST owners, Bungie has finally detailed some of the new modes debuting in the beta.

In a recent chat with multiplayer designers Lars Bakken and Derek Carroll, I note that some of these modes are not the kinds of things you'd see in a Halo title, and whether their existence is proof of a sort of, "let's go crazy by throwing all of these new modes' mental. Carroll replies, "I don't think we went crazy on purpose to go out with a bang, although we certainly are. We just said, 'okay, Slayer, CTF, King of the Hill, those are great, let's lock those up and put them aside. Now what else? What can we have?' And then came up with some fun stuff to do in the space."

 

Bakken describes the basic distribution of modes-to-maps with, "You'll see variety on Powerhouse or Sword Base because those are our 'Slayer maps' or our 'party game maps.' We can't say much about Boneyard or Invasion, and yea, Overlook is specifically for Generator Defense (or 'Network Test 1 Beta' as we call it)." With that in mind, here's a basic breakdown of the new modes that the Halo Reach multiplayer beta will be introducing.

 

Headhunter

The official Bungie description is, "a new 'party' game [...] where the goal is to collect and capture the most skulls." Basically, players drop a skull upon death, and you just want to scoop that skull and carry it to a designated skull deposit zone (that actually moves around the map). You can carry multiple skulls, but here's a warning: if you're killed before scoring, then you drop all the skulls you had. In fact, Carroll points out, "you have a nice navpoint over your head showing everyone in the game how many skulls you are carrying. When you have ten, then that actually shows up as a flashing star or VIP waypoint, to let everybody know you're the one guy to go after."

 

Though, unlike carrying the flag, Carroll points out, "there are no downsides to skull carrying other than the danger of dying and turning over your hard-earned loot to the enemy." In fact, you have full access to weapons and abilities while skull-slinging. Community Director Brian Jarrard provides a pro-tip with, "Sprint is super-useful for Headhunter -- it helps close that distance between your foot in the zone and scoring, versus dying just short of the goal and losing all of your skulls."

By default, Headhunter is a free-for-all affair, though Carroll says, "There is [also] a team version of Headhunter that allows for a bit more specialization: one guy can snipe and suppress, while his teammate scoops up skulls and sprints to the score zone."

 

When discussing Headhunter's genesis, Carroll quips, "So I technically wasn't around when Headhunter started on Reach, but there have been games like Headhunters in other first-person shooters and games, and this is just our spin on it." He concludes, "There's nothing quite like almost scoring 10 skulls and being struck down, and having to watch those skulls bounce away from your dead body."

 

Stockpile

This is, "another 'party' gametype that is sort of like Territories meets with Capture the Flag." That is, both teams are racing to capture four neutral flags that spawn on the map and successfully return them to their respective (and active) capture points. Carroll elaborates, "Stockpile flags appear randomly throughout the map at pre-set flag-spawn points. Experienced players will learn the ten or so spots they can appear in the Beta maps, but they won't be able to predict which ones will be used at any given time."

 

It's worth noting that points aren't scored instantly once you drop a flag down. You actually have to have the flag at your capture point once a timed countdown has passed. Carroll notes, "Every 60 seconds, any flag inside the capture point will be scored for that team -- even ones being carried by enemies!" He further describes the time breakdown as, "The clock is always running, so in a ten minute game, it scores ten times. So it's the bottom of every minute. [...] There's definitely an ebb-and-flow, and a real spike in intensity and an, 'oh my God get the flag over there' type of feeling." Bakken further points out the time pressure by noting, "If you see the other team holding three flags and there's 30 seconds left, you better start sending a couple dudes over to at least get them out of the capture point when the time runs out."

In terms of personal tactics and tips, Carroll jokes that his teammates who tend to be Slayer-players will be busy shooting each other while he himself serves as flagrunner; Bakken meanwhile plays more on the defensive side. Jarrard details a particularly handy tactic for defense players like Bakken: "Sometimes, depending on the map, I find pretty good success with either getting a shotgun, or a sword, and Armor Lock, and lurk on top of my flag spot. How you pair your weapons and Armor Abilities can radically affect how well your team scores or defends."

 

Generator Defense

This is where Halo Reach feels more distinct and objective-driven. In Bungie's words, this mode, "pits three Spartans against three Elites. The Elites are trying to destroy three generators before time runs out while the Spartans are trying to defend." When I point out that Elites are fast and tall foes with superior healing, Bakken replies, "Elites may be faster, bigger, and 'healthier' to use your words, but they are also easier to hit, and Spartans have the advantage of being in a pretty well defended position." He further points out that Generator Defense (or as Bungie calls it, "Network Test 1") always plays as, "two rounds of five minutes apiece," with teams switching from Spartans to Elites and vice-versus per round (so players can experience both perspectives). Of course, if the Elites destroy the generators in just three minutes, then the round ends.

Bakken continues, "This [mode] takes place exclusively on Overlook in the Beta. Defenders have the superior position at the top of a hill, with Attackers trying to claw their way up it." He then describes what happens when a match begins: "We call in a weapon drop where a Longsword flies over and drops off three random power weapons in different random locations on the map. Each weapon pod has a random chance of being a Spartan Laser, a Sniper rifle, or a Rocket Launcher. And those are evenly distributed around the map so that both Spartans and Elites have an equal access to them. So in the beginning, not only are the Spartans running to generators, but people are just running to get the power weapons." On the topic of what gear players will have, he further notes, "In general, the Loadouts are designed to be shared across multiple modes, but you'll definitely see some surprises in this [mode]. They are more in line with the final stage of an Invasion game, which means it's pretty crazy from the beginning. Add in the [aforementioned] dynamic Weapon Drop, and you get some nice variety."

 

Besides the natural layout and whatever weapons get scrounged up, the Spartans on defense have an additional mechanic: the ability to lock down a generator. Bakken explains, "the act of locking down a generator is simple, because we wanted people to pick it up quickly. You walk up to an unlocked generator as a Spartan and press 'X' to lock it down (Elites obviously can't lock them down). The invulnerability lasts for approximately 30 seconds. It sounds like a long time, but when you have three different gennies on the map, and only five minutes to defend all of them... it gets intense. There's also a brief cool-down period when the lock expires before you can re-lock again, which creates some additional tension during that window of vulnerability."

 

When I ask about the small three-versus-three player count, Bakken replies, "It's [...] true Generator Defense is a little more intimate, but even with only six players on the map you'll see some intense fighting. Most of the action happens around the generators themselves, since they are the focal point of the gametype." I ask Bakken to describe a "typical match" to illustrate that last point, and he replies, "[Our strategy] constantly changes. Because it's three players on each team, and three generators, the first thing we tend to do is split up. Like one guy will go lock down a generator. But the moment one Spartan goes down, it becomes harder to hold onto anything. Sometimes, all three Elites will rush and attack one generator at a time, or they'll wait to exploit the cooldown of a locked generator. There's not a really good universal defense besides communicating with your team."

 

Invasion

This is the fourth and final game mode in the beta, and also the one that Bungie is still being tight-lipped about until we're a little closer to launch. Carroll's one-line quip is, "It's a vehicle-full frenzy!" In fact, this mode and its accompanying map (Boneyard) is the only map in the beta that features vehicles. "[it's] packed to the gills with vehicle combat," says Carroll, who continues with, "It's really big -- nice and spacious to drive around in. A little bit bigger than Sandtrap even." Other scant details about Invasion are that it's a six-versus-six match, and as mentioned earlier while describing the Loadouts for Generator Defense, it seems to be a multi-stage affair that will utilize some heavy firearms during the end.

 

And there you have it: the new multiplayer modes for Halo Reach that you can play for yourself during the beta. For you traditionalists, there are modes and variants such as Slayer, King of the Hill, one-flag CTF, and three-plot Territories (a purposeful return to Halo 2-style Territories). Heck, there's even a Slayer Pro variant, where your only ability is Sprint, you don't have a motion tracker, and you start with either a Designated Marksman Rifle or a Needle Rifle.

 

As my time with Bungie winds down, I ask Jarrard how players will actually be seeing and jumping into these modes, and he answers, "There will be five different playlists active at different points during the public beta -- so not everything will be available day one. But as the beta progresses, more playlists will come online. You'll have Arena stuff, you'll have Free-for-All, you'll have Grab Bag which is a mix of different game types, and you'll have the Invasion and Network Test 1 playlists." The final schedule is up in the air, so you have an equal chance of either jumping into a Generator Defense or an Invasion match, depending on which one Bungie picks. Keep an eye out for more impressions of Halo Reach's multiplayer before it hits beta for everyone else on May 3.

[Ashaman DeRouge]

I'm running out of pee to wet myself with  :-\

[Krakalakachkn]

Drink some more of that Fosters sh*t you Aussies call beer

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Oh god we don't drink that.

 

Seriously I'm amazed that Foster's is the aussie export beer of choice, because absolutely NO ONE drinks it in this country. NO ONE. And why? It's crap, that's why.

 

I'll stick to Stella.

 

Anyway Reach looks awesome. I'm slightly nervous about the lack of info regarding forge and a firefight replacement, but it would unusual to say the least for them to not include those things, seeing as it would be a bit of a step backwards.

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Surely I can't be the only one playing this thing!

 

Beta is out for those who can access it. It's just like Halo, only a little more gritty, faster and slower at the same time, and let me tell you, the first time you fire the DMR, you will fall in love. Remember the battle rifle? Pathetic!

 

In fact all the guns are a joy to shoot, and once you've had a play with all the different types of armour upgrades available you really see how it's taken the battle to a new level. Like equipment from 3, but way better and more intuitive.

 

Thoughts anyone?

[Krakalakachkn]

I should probably get this...

[Ashaman DeRouge]

I'm sure the price of preowned odst games went up overnight because of it. It's pretty awesome from a halo fans pov. Reminds me of the best bits of halo 2 and 3 mp combined. It's sharp, dangerous, and completely addictive.

 

Though they say the beta will only run for about 2 weeks, so not sure if it's worth the near ful price still for odst... I mean it will be out in 6 months time, tops.

[Krakalakachkn]

I'll just borrow it from my neighbor

[Som1else]

my sister took odst out of my xbox to watch movie set it on the ground left it there and later stepped on it and cracked so i cant use the beta

[Krakalakachkn]

How to Unlock a Racing Mini-Game in Halo: Reach

 

 

Instructional Video

[Krakalakachkn]

Halo: Reach - First Week Gameplay Stats

 

Earlier today we ran a story about Raptr, an online gaming service that tracks an individual's online play stats across platforms and the numbers the service generated on players participating in Halo: Reach. Now Bungie has released a few week one gameplay numbers of their own generated by their internal online team. Bungie can track some of the more minute aspects of online play, all the way down to number of shots fired, revealing some pretty interesting numbers. Needless to say, after perusing the data, Bungie had a pretty successful launch with Reach.

 

Here are some of the highlights directly from Bungie's website:

 

On Tuesday, 09/14/2010 at approximately 1:30 pm PST, just a few hours after launch, Halo: Reach’s online unique user count had already completely eclipsed Halo 3’s total tally for the entirety of the week (09/13 through 09/20).

 

To account for the same number of online players found in Halo: Reach during that same window (just six days), we had to run the numbers for Halo 3 going all the way back to 8/6/2010, encompassing a full 45 days of Halo 3 play!

 

Ultimately, Halo: Reach’s online population for the first week dwarfed Halo 3’s by comparison, snagging four times the number of total unique users and decimating Halo 3’s all time high of concurrent users by more than 65%.

 

Reach-specific stats:

 

70 Million+ Games have been played

 

235 Million+ Player-Games have been played

 

2 Million+ Files have been uploaded to File Shares

 

5,901 man-years have been spent in online Reach games (sorry, Corporate America!) ------> HOLY SHIT!!!

 

20 Million Daily challenges have been completed

 

709,840 Weekly challenges have been completed

 

165 Billion Credits have been earned

[Krakalakachkn]

GameInformer Official Review

 

Halfway through the campaign of Halo: Reach, you're in the sky behind the controls of a Falcon turret as protagonist Noble 6. As the UNSC ship scurries you around the battlefield, you try your hardest to take out the numerous waves of enemies in an attempt to save friendly forces. It seems that no matter how fast your thumbs are or how dead-on your aim is, it just isn’t possible to take out all of the invading Covenant. You find yourself getting frustrated as you watch fellow soldiers die, despite performing to the best of your gaming abilities. This feeling of helplessness is a common occurrence throughout the title. Series fans know going in that this game will not have a happy ending, and that gloomy sense of inevitability sticks with you from beginning to end.

 

Reach doesn’t waste any time; the first shot is a Spartan helmet with a bullet hole through its visor resting on the ground of a smoldering, war-torn planet. Once you assume control of Noble 6, it takes you right into the first days of the planet’s violent downfall. Along with the other five members of Noble Team, you discover slain soldiers on the fields and in the houses of the planet’s countryside. It isn’t yet apparent that the planet is facing a full-scale invasion, but something is clearly amiss.

 

Once the action picks up, there’s no turning back. Mission by mission, Reach features battles on a scale never before seen in the immensely popular franchise. Small skirmishes are the exception rather than the rule, as many battles feature Banshees and Falcons blasting away at each other in the sky, ground vehicles spraying plasma and concussive shells all over the place, and (of course) a horde of angry Covenant foot soldiers. Bungie succeeded in making these invaders scary again, as their native grunts and yells are far more frightening than the comical English they had been speaking in previous titles.

 

Making them even scarier is the fact that they’re smarter than ever. Toss a plasma grenade at an Elite and you’ll see him protect himself with the same Armor Lock ability that you’d use if the roles were reversed. If you’re the one going into Armor Lock to shield yourself against a charging, hammer-wielding Brute, he’ll be smart enough to back off before the ability’s short-range EMP goes off.

 

You’ll notice these subtle details if you’re looking hard enough, but most of the time you’ll be distracted by the sheer chaos around you. Previous Halo titles became repetitive when they forced you through multiple similar-looking environments, but Reach pushes the story forward and mixes up the gameplay better than any of its predecessors. You’ll be sniping enemies at night in one mission, flying from skyscraper to skyscraper in another, and infiltrating a Covenant ship in low-gravity in another.

 

This mixture of gameplay experiences is never more evident than in a mid-game mission called Exodus. It starts you off in a bright, vivid city that would be beautiful if it weren’t for all the dead bodies everywhere. Within minutes of exploring, you’re suddenly bombarded by waves of Grunt suicide squads. You’ll find yourself tiptoeing around every corner just in case there are five plasma grenade-wielding foes on the other side. Once you’ve dispatched these squads, you’ll find yourself jetpacking across chasms and taking out enemies with a human team named the Bullfrogs. After you’re done with this change of pace, it’s on to an all-out war with an angry gang of Brutes. Earlier Halo titles may have gone several missions without significantly mixing up the gameplay, but Reach does it three times within the same one.

 

Reach’s campaign makes significant improvements, but it’s still a little shy of perfect. Master Chief may be a gaming icon at this point, but he was always an emotionless, almost generic protagonist. With Noble Team, Bungie tries to give them individual personalities, but it’s equally hard to care about them or their fates. It’s not enough to simply show us some Spartan faces and give them a few lines...they still need to be likable characters. They may have a little more personality than the Chief, but they still have a long ways to go.

 

It’s also possible to get screwed over by checkpoints. Some are too far between, but others will leave you at a major disadvantage depending on your circumstances when you activated them. At one point late in the game, I hit a checkpoint when I had almost no health, no ammo, and without the tank that was crucial to finishing the mission. Situations like these are few and far between, but that doesn’t make them any less frustrating when they do pop up.

 

As good as it is, the campaign isn't what will keep gamers glued to their televisions late into the night for the next several years. Halo’s legacy is built on multiplayer, and Reach gives gamers more reason to come back than ever before. Whether you’re raking in credits en route to that perfect suit, blasting through Firefight with three friends, experimenting with the great Armor Abilities, creating new maps with the infinitely improved Forge mode, or just playing some good old-fashioned Team Slayer, it’s one of the most robust multiplayer offerings available today.

 

Multiplayer maps have always been one of Bungie’s strongest suits, and Reach features a fantastic collection. A few favorites return with a new coat of paint, and the new maps are among the best in the genre. Some are especially suited to a particular mode. The new Invasion gametype plays like a mix of territories and capture the flag, and it really shines on the Spire map. As the Spartans, it’s your job to storm the Elite’s tower, grab their power core, and make a mad dash to the heliport. Modes such as this one probably won’t be played nearly as much as the standard Slayer/Team Slayer/CTF matches, but they’re a great change of pace when you’re ready for one.

 

Any disappointment series fans felt after ODST should be completely washed away thanks to Reach. Make no mistake about it - this is the true followup to Halo 3. It's also a perfect way for Bungie to part with the series it turned into a phenomenon.

 

 

GI Rating

9.50

 

Concept:

Let Halo fans finally experience the event that they’ve been hearing about for a decade

 

Graphics:

Character models and weapon effects are significantly improved over Halo 3, and battles feature ludicrous amounts of onscreen action

 

Sound:

Series composer Marty O’Donnell outdoes himself with one of the best gaming scores this generation

 

Playability:

As always, controls are tight as a drum. The new Armor Abilities are a huge improvement over 3’s equipment

 

Entertainment:

Reach knocks it out of the park in virtually every category, with a varied campaign and a vast amount of multiplayer options

 

Replay:

High

[Krakalakachkn]

Update: Microsoft declined to comment on "rumors or speculation" and as such the remake remains unverified at this time.

 

Joystiq is reporting a bit of news sure to please early Halo adopters – a rumored remake of Halo: Combat Evolved may be heading to the Xbox 360 for a holiday release.

 

An undisclosed source allegedly confirmed to the outlet that the project is under way, and detailed that the game won’t simply be optimized at a higher resolution. Rather, a full visual revamp is in order, remade with entirely new art assets. Joystiq also reports that audio will remain unaltered, but that controls will be modified to allow updated schemes.

 

In development by Saber Interactive, the engine behind the project is unknown, but is expected to be something other than the Reach engine. Full 1080p resolution and 3D television support is rumored, as is online co-op.

 

Joystiq reports that the Halo: Combat Evolved remake will launch on November 15, 2011, marking the 10-year anniversary of the franchise’s debut on the original Xbox.

 

Not only does the release date act as a perfect tribute to the franchise first, a remake would allow fans of Combat Evolved to revisit maps no longer available due to the conclusion of Xbox online multiplayer support.