Here's a rundown of the online action a copy of ODST will get you into on May 3.
Whatever significant changes Bungie is making to the single-player campaign in Halo: Reach, be they squad-based action or the story's we're-all-doomed-from-the-start prequel setting, I can assure you after spending half a day with the game's multiplayer beta that Reach's online action feels 100 percent like Halo. That doesn't mean this is just a rehash of Halo 3's online mode with more maps (far from it). It does mean Bungie has evolved and modernized that signature Halo multiplayer formula to the point that I'm suddenly really interested in playing a new Halo game online. That's honestly not something I ever thought I'd say again.
Next week we'll have scads (scads!) of videos from the beta, but for now, let's just break down the high points that make Reach look like a worthy successor to the Halo multiplayer throne.
Armor Abilities and Loadouts
Reach has a pretty neat-looking character progression system that lets you unlock snazzy new armor pieces for your character a la Halo 3. But it's nowhere near as deep as the equipment unlocks in Modern Warfare, as all the gear seems to be purely cosmetic (though it does carry over to your character, Noble 6, in the campaign).
That doesn't mean there aren't gameplay-relevant ways to customize your multiplayer dude. There are, and they're called armor abilities. These are sort of an updated version of Halo 3's pick-up equipment, except you don't, uh, pick them up anymore. Instead you pick a loadout every time you spawn that determines which ability and which two weapons you start with.
Popping and (armor) locking. On the spartan side, you can pick a basic sprint that gets you from A to B really quickly at the cost of lowering your weapon. There's also armor lock, which makes you duck and engage an energy shield that makes you invulnerable as long as you're using it. The tradeoff is that you can't move while you're armor locked, but a fully charged armor lock seems like it's just sufficient to recharge your shields before it switches off. As a bonus, if you hold armor lock long enough, you'll release an EMP blast that nullifies the shields of anyone standing too close.
Not surprisingly, elites get the Predator-looking shimmery stealth camouflage they use in the Halo campaigns. In addition to making you almost invisible for a few seconds, stealth camo also jams the radar of anyone nearby, filling their scope with ghostly trails . Elites also match the spartans' sprint with a dodge maneuver that lets them get the heck out of the way really quickly. The animation for this makes the elite look like he's doing some sort of somersault, but from your perspective you just sort of... dodge to the side.
And then everyone gets jetpacks. JETPACKS. Yes, you can fly with the right loadout, though a full charge will only keep you in the air for a few seconds, and the jetpack takes some time to lift you up into the air. Definitely a tool that will require some finesse, but essential on the vertical maps.
WHOOSH
Spartans Versus Elites
I suspect this will be a divisive change: spartan and elites are dramatically different now, and not just in terms of which armor abilities they can use. Elites are faster than spartans, and their health and shields will both recharge after taking damage. Spartans' shields recharge, but they have to pick up medkits to restore health, Halo: CE-style. Weird, right? Elites are also bigger than spartans, though, making them a somewhat easier target at range.
In most team-based and especially objective-based games, you won't be able to mix and match both kinds of characters--it's spartans versus elites, period. A lot of the regular multiplayer modes, however, will default to spartan-on-spartan action, and it's worth noting that in custom games you'll be able to mix things up however you want. On paper, it looks like the elites have a distinct advantage to me, but I didn't get to spend enough time with the game yet to get an impression of the practical difference between them. The spartans' unique armor abilities might be a little more useful, though. Time will tell!
Odds 'n Ends
Bungie is making a ton of big and small changes under the hood to gameplay and matchmaking, probably more than I can even call to mind right now. Here are a few of the more prominent ones that stood out to me.
Backstabbed.Tweaks to melee. Melee damage is no longer a one-hit kill. Now, the damage stops when the shields drop. If your target has any degree of shields, your melee will only drop their shields and not touch their health, so you'd need a second melee hit to get a kill. Like that's going to happen. So melee is best reserved until you see their shields pop.
Dirty sneak attacks. The answer to that melee change is the assassination, which forces you to sneak up behind and get a melee hit on someone whose back is turned to you. That's an instant kill regardless of shield level, and the camera pulls out to show you one of a bunch of different kill animations depending on what side you hit them from. Assassinations leave you exposed for a second or two while you do them, but they're pretty awesome for bragging rights and humiliating for the victim.
Better voting. Pre-match voting is more than just a matter of voting down a map you don't like and getting stuck with the next one in line. Now you'll be presented with four map/mode choices with the chance to pick one. The one that the most people want to play, wins. It's an idea so simple I'm surprised we haven't seen more of it before now.
More matchmaking filters. In the final game you'll be able to customize the types of players you get matched up against based on a whole lot of weird criteria. You can prioritize normal factors like connection speed but even control things like what language they speak, how often they use voice chat, and how competitive they are, too.
Forge still coming. Just not in beta, but expect all the now-standard Forge options to exist in the final game, along with Theater, saved films, and all that other stuff you'd expect to be there.
Of course, those are just the nuts-and-bolts changes to the core Halo gameplay that you'll be seeing when the beta launches on May 3 (provided you've got a copy of ODST in the drive). Again, be sure to check back next week for a big fat video preview with lots of footage and info on the new modes and weapons, as well as an interview with Bungie multiplayer designer Luke Smith.
We'll also be giving away a batch of early-access Reach beta codes starting next week that will get you in and playing days before the general beta. Keep your eyes open for that!
Gallery
So how many of you out there are rabidly waiting to get back online with Reach? I'm curious what the anticipation level is for a new Halo, now that Modern Warfare 2 has come along and kind of taken the championship belt for online multiplayer. Sound off, if you please.
" Wow, Brad does a good job of bashing Halo incognito. "
What? "
I think HE thinks Brad is silently bashing Halo. "
Truly only our friend here can ferret out Brad's seething hatred for Bungie, coded nefariously in this article. Also probably he hates Jesus too. And puppies.
New direction taking form here, and me likey. Maybe the new matchmaking settings offer a way to not play with 12 year old pissants who just discovered the word fuck.
" New direction taking form here, and me likey. Maybe the new matchmaking settings offer a way to not play with 12 year old pissants who just discovered the word fuck. God I hate children on Live. "
" New direction taking form here, and me likey. Maybe the new matchmaking settings offer a way to not play with 12 year old pissants who just discovered the word fuck. God I hate children on Live. "
I hate children. Period. "
High five!
Disregard the on Live that I for some reason put there. thx.
I can't wait. It seems like Bungie has made a ton of gameplay improvements based on community feedback, and then added their own cool new features to the mix. I hope that they finally reverse the trend of each subsequent Halo game being worse than its predecessor; thankfully, it certainly looks like Reach will be better than Halo 3.
As somebody who still likes to blow the heads off complete strangers in Halo 3, i can honestly say that im excited. But to be honest, Halo has always been about the campaign for me, so multiplayer comes second in my mind.
" I hope the assassinations dont turn into the crap fest that was Aliens vs predator. "
Assassinations are entirely optional- a normal melee to the back still kills. An assassination is more a way of humiliating your opponent. There are also no invincibility frames while doing an assassination, so unlike say, Gears, you can be killed while stabbing someone, or your kill can be stolen while you are in the animation.
They probably won't be used at all in higher levels of play due to the fact that they leave you vulnerable for several seconds.
@Lies: Yeah, I got it now, thanks. I guess it was like that in what, Halo 2? It's been so long (I mean Spartans and Elites fighting... I know Invasion mode is new and all).
I do love me some Halo multiplayer, though it's the campaign I'm usually playing for.
Well I think enough of the collective gaming consciousness has realized MW2 is a shitbag. Why has BFBC2 done so well? That's why. Reach has the same opportunity.
@BigBoss1911: No cuz you can still 1 hit assasinate without the the long animation. the animation is just for glory as u need to hold down the melee button for the longer versiion
I think im the only person that hasn't jumped on the mw2 band wagon i thought bad company 2 was more entertaining. now that they are putting a Spartans vs elites similar to rush i am way more interested.
One thing about Halo multiplayer maps is that they aren't all just brown and ugly like some other games out there. It's got some colour and lighting that makes it nice to look at.
For some reason, Halo online has never really clicked with me, other than the Warthog Race mode in Halo:CE for PC (anyone else play that? First time I ever really played any game online, on any system). I love the campaigns, and co-op and Firefight are both awesome... online multiplayer never really clicked though.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA. Halo had one of the most wildly popular/successfull online multiplayers ever, what the hell are they doing changing the formula so drastically? Special shield powers don't change much, but making it Spartans vs. Elites and giving them different stats? And adding some kinds of special assasinations? I guess they aren't huge changes, but from someone who played halo 3 online to death, and so spent ridiculous amounts of time with die hard Halo fans, this is going to piss a lot of people off. Halo and Modern Warfare were in my eyes two seperate franchises with completely different play styles, both of which I enjoyed. Giving them knives, running, all this crap. It makes sense, but at the same time it absolutely kills what made halo online, halo online. I'll buy the game cause it's halo but....damn.
The modern warfare games have definitely stunted my Halo gaming. I'd always jump from MW to Halo once it comes out, but the additions of the new game types might actually get me to not jump back to MW2 (especially if the cR system is as addictive as the prestige system). Also, if they put any type of Firefight in matchmaking, I'd be hooked for months!!!!
I'm really quite excited. Thing is, even if MW2 is the top dog, it has by no means dwarved Halo 3, even now Halo 3 is doing just fine. The fact is there is a significant divide between Halo's audience and MW's audience. Sure, there is a big overlap, but the games are way to different to have to compete to the extent most people seem to wish they would. There are a LOT of people who love Halo but would never play MW, and vis versa. I am not sure if this game will take down MW2, but even if it doesn't top it, I doubt it'll be too far.
I was gonna get Reach, but wasn't really excited or anything. After reading this though, I'm pretty excited. Halo needed a good sort of reboot to gameplay. It's nice to know they're throwing in some fresh elements here. The differences between the elites and spartans sound really awesome. Art seems really cool as well, as with most Halo games.
I have to say it's about bloody time they made spartans and elites different. Though I had wished, though knew they wouldn't do it, added more than just elites and spartans. Make it a full class/race type option in multiplayer. *Shrugs*
I'd also want bigger fights but I know Halo doesn't do that so I won't hold my breath.
Will I play it? Not so sure anymore. I didn't get the last one so I might skip this one too. *Shrugs*
Looks awesome. It doesn't sound like the regular melee stuff changed in regards to shields and stuff but the assassination stuff sounds really cool. Those new particle effects look great.
I went to sleep reading this. This is the same shit from when they released Halo back in the early 2000's. Of course, the 12 year old children who play this need something new to do so they add jetpacks.
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