The Halo: Reach multiplayer beta can be downloaded via the Intel menu of Halo 3: ODST’s campaign disc, and is scheduled to run from the 3rd to the 19th May. Weighing in 1.1 GB, the beta features a variety of new maps and game types. Bungie will be monitoring the progress of the beta closely in the hope of optimising Reach’s multiplayer for the eventual retail release. Over the next fortnight or so, new playlists will be gradually unlocked to showcase several new multiplayer modes. From the get go, aspiring Spartans can access the Grab Bag, Free-For-All and Arena playlists. Grab Bag and Arena offer a variety of traditional four on four matches, such as slayer and capture the flag. Free-For-All allows for a maximum of eight players.
Players can customise the look and colour of their armor.
Free-For-All features a new game mode known as Headhunter, in which players drop a single flaming skull when killed. The objective is to collect these skulls and bank them at constantly moving depots, with the person depositing the most skulls emerging victor. Other players can see how many skulls you’re carrying via a number painted over your head. Our time in Headhunter was a constant game of cat and mouse, with opponents always on the lookout to snare our booty. Dropping your swag of skulls only metres from a depository can be heartbreaking, so striking a balance between offensive and defensive tactics in this mode is compulsory.
Two other new game modes, of which we are yet to be privy to, will open to users in the coming days. Invasion will be unlocked on May 7 and Generator Defense on May 14, with both offering a new take on team-based Halo gameplay. In Invasion, players will be split into teams of Elites and Spartans. Spartans will be charged with defending two data cores, which Elites must extract to a hovering dropship. In Generator Defence, Elites must destroy three generators being guarded by Spartans. Bungie is primarily using Generator Defense to test networking, so this particular game mode is not guaranteed to make the final retail game.
By far, the largest change in Halo: Reach is the addition of loadouts and armor abilities. Rather then picking up power-ups scattered over maps, players can select from one of four armor abilities in their pre-game loadout. Jetpacks are the coolest, though not always the most practical of the new abilities. Rocketing over the battlefield is great for getting the drop on unsuspecting enemies, but the noise generated can make you stand out like a sore thumb. Active Camo renders you invisible and scrambles the radar of nearby foes, but is really only effective if standing still (meaning snipers will love this one). The Sprint ability is fantastic for closing the distance for kills from behind, or running around with a flag or swag of flaming skulls. Last but not least is Armor Lock, which roots the user to the ground, making them temporarily invulnerable before triggering a short range shield-stripping EMP. These different abilities can have a sizeable impact on how matches play out. Players will undoubtedly favour some abilities above others, depending on their play style, but we highly recommend experimenting with each to experience the various payoffs.
The health bar returns in Halo: Reach.
Halo: Reach largely replicates Halo 3 multiplayer matchmaking system, but incorporates more options when searching for preferred game types. Even though the beta is yet to be opened to the general public, the matchmaking system is already quite polished. It only took us a few minutes to find a given match, with all of them running without any connection issues. On the presentation side, it would be fair to say Reach’s visuals aren’t much of a leap from Halo 3, or even ODST. Granted, it does look a little sharper, and things may yet evolve from the beta. The beta’s multiplayer maps are very standard fare, following Bungie’s usual mix of indoor and outdoor environments.
The Halo: Reach multiplayer beta offers but a glimpse of the eventual shipped product. Fans will revel in the new weapons, armor abilities and game types, which bring something new to Halo’s tried and true multiplayer gameplay. Bungie have incorporated enough new features to keep things fresh, while still retaining the traditional mayhem of any mainstream Halo multiplayer game. With news of the original Halo developer jumping ship, it is with a bittersweet aftertaste that we put the multiplayer beta through its paces. Before Bungie take their final curtail call, we highly recommend downloading the Halo: Reach beta to experience the latest incarnation of the saga’s classic multiplayer.
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