Halo: Reach

[Inquisitive_Idiot]

I was reading through the tech section of the article, some of which is hard to read due to the glare, but it does mention they can do 20 to 40 dynamic lights depending of the scene in comparison to at most 4 they could do with the Halo 3 engine (the example they gave is a bit hard to read but it seems that things like Plasma bolts will cast independent light sources around the environment). The scale has been improved, and they mention they can do 40 A.I., along with 20 vehicles in one scene which is pretty impressive. It also mentions they enlisted the help of Image Metrics (producers of the Emily video) in order to improve quality of the characters faces. In terms of animation it says they use something called gait blending, which enables the characters animations to blend seamlessly between walking and running for example.

Outside of pure technical talk they show comparison images between the Halo 3 models and their Reach counterparts. It seem the grunts armor has been changed to reflect that of the Elites, meaning a full body suit rather than just the chest armor and face mask. The AR looks like its missing its casing, exposing the internal elements and overall I think it looks pretty cool.

 

[Gerry]

Nooooo my eyes, my eyes! I can barely play ODST comfortably in the lighting environment of my living room!

I think they mean darker in mood, rather than it being physically darker.

 

[assen]

I think they mean darker in mood, rather than it being physically darker.

Yeah yeah, that's what they all say, then you get the game and you can't turn the brightness knob up enough.

 

[dragonelite]

Thanks for sharing as it looks pretty neat but point is that scans are forbidden, edit your post

Does somebody has a readable version of the "new tech" paragraph that's really interesting.
I understood something about an improved LOD system, more lights (up to 20 from 4 in H3) and a new animation system.

Cant find the edit button im new on this forum.
So if a mod can do that or someone tell me how ill change my post.

 

[ShadowWolf64]

Stolen from gaf which stole from bungie.net

- We play as Spartan IIIs. Jorge is the only Spartan II on the team.

- Carter 259 and Kat 320 are the only members of their original squad.

- Jorge is a heavy weapons specialist.

- "Skully" now has a name, Emile 239. He's the silent type of the game.

- The sniper is called Jun 266. He's thoughtful and taciturn.

- We can customise the appearance of the Lone Wolf by a small degree. Awesome.

- The game is apparently darker than any of the other Halo games, even more so than ODST.

- Human Insurrectionists are possibly in the game

- Bungie have once again made the Covenant more dangerous and frightening, as they were in Halo 1.

- Covenant soldiers no longer speak English, they speak in their own languages.

- A new enemy like a Jackal has been introduced, named a "Skirmisher." They are deadly and cunning enemies that attack in packs, and flank secure positions.

- Graphics have been improved drastically, as proven by in-magazine comparisons.

- Elites are back, and are more ferocious than ever.

- Larger scale combat will be in Reach. Where only 20 AI at a time could be on screen in Halo 3, now over 40 AI and 20 vehicles can be present at a time.

- Scenes are more cinematic.

- Noble Team splits up at a point in the story.

- Health Bar is back along with energy shield.

- Single shot rifle like the Halo 2 E3 demo is in the game, named the Designated Marksman Rifle (DRM)

- Sniper, AR and Magnum make a return. Gun sounds are more realistic.

- Needler Rifle is in the game, a mid-range headshot capable weapon.

- Spike Grenades and Flame Grenades are out. Only frags and plasma remain.

- Helicopter Transport is called the Falcon.

- Civillian vehicles are now drivable.

- Fully stealthy gameplay is now possible.

- Assassinations are possible with a knife by holding down the melee button.

Wow...The game is shaping up very well and I cannot wait to get my hands on the Reach beta mp...

 

[Scott_Arm]

40 AI enemies with vehicles? Might be the first Halo game I ever buy.

 

[czekon]

40 AI enemies with vehicles? Might be the first Halo game I ever buy.

wow i heard only rumours that this kind of people exists....wow

 

[Scott_Arm]

wow i heard only rumours that this kind of people exists....wow

Yeah, I'm a weirdo, for sure. Halo 3 was alright in co-op. I enjoyed it more than the earlier ones. I won't share my opinions on Halo, because I don't want to start receiving death threats.

Going the scale route is the right choice, in my opinion. Most shooters are still in the 5-10 enemies on screen range. It really presents a unique experience, especially with so many vehicles thrown in. I was pleasantly surprised by the AI in Halo3, so if they can keep it at that level (and hopefully improve) all while adding more enemies, I'll be very very happy. I'm also hoping for more HUGE bosses. They had that big spider thing in Halo3, which was cool, but it would have been nice to see more variety in the mega bosses instead of the same one over and over.

 

[Malibu]

Sounds like animation will be one of the biggest advancements over previous Halo games. The difference was very apparent in the cinematic, so I'm hoping the same for gameplay.

Something else from the article:

*Rather than the skybox being a huge painted dome, Reach employs a different approach, the skybox are actual true spaces in the world, which means that as a ship descends from orbit and towards the player, you can watch it come in all the way as a real object descending toward you.

 

[aselto]

*Rather than the skybox being a huge painted dome, Reach employs a different approach, the skybox are actual true spaces in the world, which means that as a ship descends from orbit and towards the player, you can watch it come in all the way as a real object descending toward you.

They promised that one in Halo 3 already. Hopefully it's real this time around.

 

[AzBat]

Here's some missing pieces from the list...

• Reach will NOT follow the book, Fall of Reach.
• Sprinting is now possible through an equipment like mechanic.
• Spirits, the Covenant drop ship in CE, return in Reach, alongside Phantoms.
• Grunts look a lot more menacing.
• Motion Tracker seems compressed, like an oval rather than the Halo 3 circle.
• Hud is yellow rather than blue.
• Marines look vaguely like Halo 1 marines.
• Phantoms now have a flashlight, like the one seen in the ODST announcement trailer.
• Elites seem taller, and are no longer hunched.
• All features from Halo 3 (Forge, Theatre, Co-op) make a comeback along with several new ones.
• We will be shown what Reach looks like before it is destroyed. We will see the levels of destruction progress as we get further through the game, implying the game takes place over a longish period of time.

I'm totally stoked, but that first missing item confuses me. Haven't read the book, but have wanted to. Now I'm not so sure since it will probably just confuse me.

Tommy McClain

 

[NRP]

Nah, you'll be fine, Tommy. The Fall of Reach isn't just about "the fall of Reach". It's mostly about the Spartan program.

In a way, I guess it's good they aren't following Nylund's book that closely, as it could allow them to add in all sorts of stuff not mentioned in the book (like Scarabs, Brutes, etc).

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Here's some missing pieces from the list...

• Reach will NOT follow the book, Fall of Reach.
• Sprinting is now possible through an equipment like mechanic.
• Spirits, the Covenant drop ship in CE, return in Reach, alongside Phantoms.
• Grunts look a lot more menacing.
• Motion Tracker seems compressed, like an oval rather than the Halo 3 circle.
• Hud is yellow rather than blue.
• Marines look vaguely like Halo 1 marines.
• Phantoms now have a flashlight, like the one seen in the ODST announcement trailer.
• Elites seem taller, and are no longer hunched.
• All features from Halo 3 (Forge, Theatre, Co-op) make a comeback along with several new ones.
• We will be shown what Reach looks like before it is destroyed. We will see the levels of destruction progress as we get further through the game, implying the game takes place over a longish period of time.

I'm totally stoked, but that first missing item confuses me. Haven't read the book, but have wanted to. Now I'm not so sure since it will probably just confuse me.

Tommy McClain

Definitely makes sense to not follow the book. And in fact it appears Reach itself and the battle of Reach will be totally different and not even remotely similar to the book.

To answer someone's comments on the previous page, no, Spartan III's were not in the Fall of Reach book other than a possible blurb here or there about working on something new with regards to Spartan project.

Also in the book, the actual ground battle on Reach lasted only a few hours. Spartan II's were on the ground for less than an hour and got overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

So reading the book probably wouldn't help you as it appears the game is going to rewrite the history of the Battle of Reach. Or perhaps more accurately the game is going to ignore what was previously documented in the book.

I think this is the most interested in a Halo game I've ever been. Halo 1 and 2, I had no real urge to purchase, but did eventually on the PC. Halo 3 I was only mildly interested in getting.

But I find myself now itching to play Reach. It's certainly now cemented as one of my must buy games of 2010...

Regards,
SB

 

[NRP]

Good to hear, because we'll need a co-op crew.

Uncle Sam needs you!

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Hehe, might just be tempted to get a Gold account and join you guys online for this one... We'll see. I still don't particularly like controlling an FPS with a pad though.

Regards,
SB

 

[AzBat]

Nah, you'll be fine, Tommy. The Fall of Reach isn't just about "the fall of Reach". It's mostly about the Spartan program.

In a way, I guess it's good they aren't following Nylund's book that closely, as it could allow them to add in all sorts of stuff not mentioned in the book (like Scarabs, Brutes, etc).

Hmm. You have a point. Still might pick it up afterall. Would be neat to get some background info at least.

Tommy McClain

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Hmm. You have a point. Still might pick it up afterall. Would be neat to get some background info at least.

Tommy McClain

It's definitely an enjoyable read. Just be aware the writing style is targetting a younger (teen) type of crowd. At least I'd prefer to think it was targetting a younger crowd rather than think the writer wasn't particularly good.

And it gives a slighly different view of Spartans than the games. More powerful, more dominating than what you could experience playing the game.

It's also nice to get some backstory on the other characters you've met in the Halo games. All in all a good read if you like the Halo-verse.

I'm currently debating whether I want to try one of the other Halo books or not.

Regards,
SB

 

[nintenho]

Hopefully we get some gameplay video soon. You can't really tell how much is improved from Halo 3 based on those scans.

They promised that one in Halo 3 already. Hopefully it's real this time around.

I saw a video from back during the H3 beta where they took a banshee and kept spiraling upwards for a few minutes until they got into space. Maybe the open skyboxes were only on multiplayer maps though?

 

[NRP]

I'm currently debating whether I want to try one of the other Halo books or not.

I'd recommend The First Stike. It's #2 on my list, after the Fall of Reach.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I'd recommend The First Stike. It's #2 on my list, after the Fall of Reach.

I'll put that on my list. Worth a try. Have to finish up a Warhammer 40k series first. Man, I would kill for someone (Bungie, Infinity Ward, someone) to do a good W40K FPS. But alas all we have is the rather mediocre Firewarrior.

Regards,
SB