Halo Reach Preview

[Emabulator]

http://evavhost.com/i/news/HaloReachGR.jpg


GamesRadar has posted a three page preview (http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/halo-reach/preview/halo-reachs-huge-battles-and-new-guns/a-2010022611140656080/g-2009060110582402047) of Bungie's upcoming Xbox 360 shooter, Halo Reach.

Stealth appears to have a bigger role to play in Reach than in previous offerings of the Halo franchise, as there’s an option to perform a context-sensitive assassination move if you manage to sneak up behind an enemy. Holding down the melee button rewards you with a third-person view of a brutal execution – a feature which, if the debates at Bungie come out in favour of including it in multiplayer, sounds like it could cause more harsh words to be uttered across Xbox Live than any amount of noob-enraging teabagging in Halo 3.

While the familiar triumvirate of gun, grenade and melee remains in place, the armoury has been streamlined to accentuate the differences between each type of weapon and remove duplicates. For example, the spike grenades that were functionally identical to plasmas have been cut, and the seldom-seen incendiaries have also been deemed surplus to requirements.

[Scramble]

Heh, what a surprise, it looks like all the others!

[Kooch]

it is a sequel, what the hell do you want?

[Scramble]

it is a sequel, what the hell do you want?

A single plum, floating in perfume, served in a man's hat.
That and some new gameplay mechanics.

[Grumsh]

Heh, what a surprise, it looks like all the others!

Well of course, it's Halo. Did you expect it to look like Golden Eye or something? Unless I missed the Troll attempt because the engine is definitly new/updated.

[Cefca]

More Halo... sounds good to me! I thought the book was a fun read.

[Anenome]

Several of the things that have helped make Halo such an instantly recognisable gaming series have been ejected. Blue skies, grassy plains and sun-dappled beaches make way for thunder storms, mountains of mud, and choking clouds of smoke from settlements under siege. Even the famous Halo theme is gone, fearlessly discarded by the dev team in an effort to reinforce that this isn’t the kind of Halo game where pink aliens will run around waving plasma grenades and cracking jokes.
So basically they're botching Halo. Changing game mood is a huge risk.

Armour abilities replace the one-off equipment of Halo 3, giving persistent, selectable benefits (can we call them perks?) that can be used repeatedly, subject to a cool-down period. One such armour ability lets you sprint at high speed for a short distance; another awards a limited amount of invisibility. Mmm, familiar.
Wait, didn't I play this before. Oh yeah, it was called Crysis.

there’s an option to perform a context-sensitive assassination move if you manage to sneak up behind an enemy.
- Just as long as they add in an announcer who screams "Finish him!" :| This feature otherwise known as a 'me-too' feature.

the Halo franchise has been renowned for putting players in the midst of convincingly huge fights. Reach promises to take things further still, with an engine that can handle up to 40 AI combatants and 20 vehicles on screen at once.
-Finally something laudable. I can't wait until we get to play games where these numbers are made ten-fold. But the process of increasing NPC chars available seems to be happening so slowly that it never becomes a 'wow' moment. Well, except for Dead Rising, that was pretty impressive for its masses of undead onscreen at once. But I've yet to see a game that could do the Battle of Normandy with convincing numbers of troops onscreen and an enemy AI that doesn't know you from the NPCs.

Of course, one of the trade-offs for such a large game is that the individual increasingly needs allies to survive. You can't take on 40 enemies single-handedly and win, generally. Not with evenly matched forces.

the Spartans will remove their helmets and reveal a level of emotional authenticity that would turn Master Chief green with envy.
- I sense cheesiness. This is a nice feature to have, and a terrible feature to make prominent and in-your-face.

since the launch of Halo 3, the release of three hugely successful Call of Duty titles has affected the Bungie team’s way of thinking.
- Naturally. Clearly I'm not a Halo partisan, though I'm not a hater either, but this game gets no grace on the basis of past rapidly dimming successes. Series has peaked, here's an attempt to recapture the old glory--an effort that rarely succeeds. Even the name is tired these days.

The graphics do look good. I don't think a new engine is enough to materially change the equation. I don't understand why they're suddenly going on this realism kick. Now the enemy doesn't speak english and the mood has been dialed down from beautiful scenery to dark and dreary. They've even changed the theme song. This isn't your father's Halo. But I still think it quite risky. The lighthearted aspects of the first one worked, and worked well. The subject-material was never designed to accommodate realism.

So color me skeptical. I'm sure it will please those who will buy any new Halo offering purely from their own zeal for the originals, the nostalgia effect. But the Halo series has gone from a market-leader to a market-chaser and that's a tough position to be in.

Please, please allow Bungie to make something new after this, MS.

[Chrome Dome]

I find myself looking forward to this more than I expected. One of the aspects of Halo that I really appreciate besides the excellent matchmaking system is the fact that everyone is on equal footing. Same weapons in the same locations. Games seem to be based on skill, and experience, both of which anyone who plays regularly can hope to acquire. The only real complaints I have had about Halo, have been centered on the tools whom one frequently encounters while playing, but they form the backdrop of all online gaming. People always complain about how the Halo of the moment is just more of the same. Maybe so but it's always excellent, so I for one am stoked for just a little more of the same old thing.

[Johan]

Please, please allow Bungie to make something new after this, MS.

They got a 'divorce' and I don't think MS has any say in whether Bungie works on other/new IP or not. As for Halo, I believe MS owns that IP, from the divorce agreement. ;)

ODST was a big ball of 'meh' to me, and even thinking of "Halo" makes me a bit tired. The sheen has really worn off for me.

[shadow763]

I find it interesting that the brightest FPS, at least color palette wise, is going the dreary route which seems to be big this gen for FPS games. But I like the darker bleaker aspect route they are going with. I liked the darker somber feel to ODST so I welcome this different direction.

[asimplehero]

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj303/Thatairsoftkid/HatersGonnaHate.jpg

One guy says "Heh, what a surprise, it looks like all the others!"

Another guy says "So basically they're botching Halo. Changing game mood is a huge risk."

I appreciate the delicious hate sandwich you guys are making, but it's unnecessary.

[TekkenZaibatsu]

I laugh at some of the posts. I hate on Halo probably more than ANYONE here. It really is just an outdated series that hasn't evolved at all since its inception. BUT, the game finally appears to be going in a modern direction. So for once I have a LITTLE bit of hope, so I won't bash this until I play it; maybe by some miracle Bungie will actually make the next Halo somewhat updated and more smooth and consistent. I can only hope.

[JazGalaxy]

I keep forgetting I have no interest in this game.

Everytime I see the title I keep thinking it's the mysterious new halo title we know nothing about and then I click and remember... "oh yeah, this has been revealed and it looks pathetic".

Sorry. I've spoken my peace about Halo before, but this just looks like a pathetic attempt to make the game that Halo has been pretending to be for 8 years instead of the game Halo always was.

Just make a new IP...

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

shit aint shit without dat film grain yo

Halo is for casuals this will fubar the fanbase.

[Reverend Meta]

As long as it has persistent levels and throwing knives I'm in.