14:03, Tuesday 12th January 2010
All the facts on Bungie's next epic sci-fi shooter
Following the release of new information on the Halo Reach, here are the key points that are currently known about the prequel.
- Battles can include up to 40 active AI characters, and 20 vehicles
- Civilian vehicles can be driven
- The game follows the six-man Noble Squad
- The story chronicles events leading up to the first Halo game
- The mysterious new hero is Noble Squad’s newest team member
- The Other squad-members are Spartans, and each has their own personality
- You're ferried around in the helicopter-style 'Falcon'
- Updated weapons, such as the Needle rifle and DMR sniper rifle have new sound effects
- The planet of Reach will be a key element, and more rugged than previous environments
- Armour abilities replace equipment, giving players one special ability at a time
-Bungie is aiming to make the Covenant more ruthless/ terrifying
- The game engine is ‘better across the board’
- Halo includes motion captured animation for the first time in the series
- A third-party, Image Metrics, worked on the facial animations
- Like the first Halo game, you lose health after your shield is depleted
- There’s a good chance the game will offer four-player online co-op, two-player split-screen co-op, online 16-player death match, and ‘save film features’
- Some missions offer an alternative to gung-ho shooting - a melee assassination
- Players can also expect armour abilities and customisation in multiplayer
- The game's cinematic feel evokes ‘war journalism’
- Members of the Noble team are more vulnerable than Master Chief
- Reach will include only two types of grenade - frag and plasma
What the NowGamer team thinks...
"No big surprises here. I'm intrigued by the different character classes and how this might effect the multiplayer side of things, as well as the different abilities that different armour will give. There's a lot of potential here for some additional tactical elements to Halo's already excellent multiplayer game. It'll be interesting to see if co-op gets a look in too. I expect it will. Different people to play different members of the squad? Yes, that'll do. Aside from that, just give me the pistol from the original Halo and I'll be happy."
Nick Jones, NowGamer Editor-In-Chief
"The links back to the original Halo for story as well as gameplay reasons could well be a shot in the arm for the series (of sorts), and I like the idea that this will be a darker, more hostile world than previous Halo games. The armour abilities are also a refined gameplay mechanic, although they sound very similar to the armour in Crytek’s first Crysis game. The technical leaps are staggering so far."
Tom Hopkins, NowGamer News Editor
"To be honest, this is all beginning to sound a bit like ODST. Your guy can't jump as high; that's how it's different. I think that its setting - just before the events of Combat Evolved - are extremely limiting from a gameplay point of view and ties the experience into all of the familiar weapons, vehicles and set pieces. I am desperate to be surprised. The Halo universe has so much untapped potential, but Bungie has thus far played it so safe that it has me doubting whether anything truly revolutionary will appear. For me this is Bungie's last chance. Failing something truly genre-defining, Halo is over for me."
Dan Howdle, NowGamer Games Editor
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