I’ve never been a fan ofHalobecause I’m too cool for school, and popular games are hella lame, and no one cool likes what everyone likes. I also wear thick rimmed glasses and listen to pretentious music, so that makes me a better person than you. So there.
Yet — this is a big “yet” — after what I’ve been shown ofHalo: Reach, I think I might break down my pretensions and accept what is here:Halo: Reachlooks really, really cool.
While I strongly suspect that fans of theHalofranchise wouldn’t expect anything less, there’s quite a bit new inReach, possibly making it the definitive game in the series. Follow me down theHalotrail, and get a new vision in a world without Master Chief.
Halo: Reach(Xbox 360)Developer: BungiePublisher: Microsoft Game StudiosTo be released: Fall 2010
Halo: Reach, as Bungie was happy to point out, is probably the most ambitious title that it has ever made. While fans ofHalo 3might decry the nature ofODST, it looks likeHalo: Reachis a proper prequel, a game that is going to take the series in a new direction, as opposed to keeping the same-old, same-old. The Plot, multiplayer, and the base engine are all brand new to the series. That’s a big deal right there.
Reach, as many of you know, is a prequel to the original series. It’s 2552 on the planet of Reach, and it’s the last line of defense against the covenant. You play as the latest recruit to Noble Team, an elite squad of Spartan 3s. While you are the newest member of the squad (replacing some dead guy), you get plenty of face time with the rest of the crew. It’s a racial and gender mixed squad, right in line with the politically correct ambitions of the day. Here’s the rough’n’gruff leader named Carter 259! Here’s his second in command, a no-sh*t badass lady who probably spells her name (Kat 320) with a K! Here’s the Asian sniper named Jun 266! Another girl! A burly guy who might be black! A crazy member of the team with a shadowy past! Oh Em Gee!
As you can see, not being a fan of theHaloseries, the plot here is not the thing that’s exciting. It’s inspired byThe Seven SamuraiandThe Magnificent Seven, but… yawn. Can we expect a 12 year-old Spartan tactical genius next? I mean, let’s take this idyllic ’80s Saturday afternoon baloney all the way, m’kay?
However, May 3 does actually excite me. This is the big beta launch for the game, so everything I was shown stands for what fans can look forward to playing in a couple of months. Many of your standardHalomodes will be coming, with levels like “Powerhouse,” a cliff-side level taking place on a hydroelectric center. While I was shown that one arena, it looks amazingly good, much better than even the recentODST. The May beta will bring a bunch of these levels and modes, with a couple new ones players have never seen before.
Multiplayer levels are now based more so on the single-player campaign. Insanely (and it was hard to understand how it’s going to play out exactly)Halo: Reachis an effing sandbox game. I don’t think anyone outside of Bungie has a clear idea how this is going to play out (and they’re not letting on just yet) but there is a guy whose entire job is to be the sandbox designer (it’s in his title). While details are slim, Bungie made it seem like there are going to be many different ways a player is able to approach a mission.
Oddly, expect the triumphant return of health packs. Seems like the folks at Bungie like the idea of strategically placing them all over multiplayer maps. To this I’m completely nonchalant, and who the hell knows, it might be the groundbreaking thing they want it to be.
Now, the biggest reason I am excited aboutHalo: Reachare the visuals. I will say it here: I have never been impressed with aHalogame before when it came to the looks. (Sorry, but personal opinion.) However, Bungie has rebuilt almost the entireHaloengine, and it effin’ shows. This game is incredible in action. When some games this day and age struggle with textures,Halo: Reachhas some of the most in-depth looking levels, terrain, and weapons I’ve ever seen on a 360 title. Even the facial animations of your squad mates has gone through the roof. While supposedly amazingly animated games likeAssassin’s Creed 2(and a whole lot more) struggle with good looking facial animation,Halo: Reachrocks it in this department.
Here’s some numbers on what this game can do: There are four times the polygons ofHalo 3inHalo: Reach, for example.Halo 3had no more than 100 colliding particles, andHalo: Reachhas thousands. I’m not one for being a “graphics whore,” but damn skippy, does this game look fine.
Now, among other things, the Covenant Elite is going to make a comeback in a big way. There was also a new enemy called the Skirmisher, which looked like a kitty/doggy version of the covenant. Expect big teeth.
Weapons, too, have been boosted with looks and handling. Besides looking a million times better overHalo 3, weapons like the Needler and the assault rifle look “Oh My God” good. Those graphical enhancements were applied to those weapons, and they look great. Crazily, the Needler is now white, and if you skewer a foe with three or four needles, there will be a nice explosion to reward you. Neat!
Armor Abilities are also a new thing. Taking a note fromModern WarfareorRed Faction: Guerilla, these Armor Abilities will be persistent abilities that you can use as much as you’d like, and are determined before the match. This is stuff like speed boosts, and could be a real game changer forHalofans.
When looking atHalo: Reach, I’m going to leave you with this quote from the short documentary I was shown: “This is the definitiveHaloby the people who madeHalo.” You can better believe they look like they are backing this up. I’ve never been excited about these games, and you know what? I’m going to be online with the rest of you come May 3.
