Beachhead is a lush outdoor environment set on a coastline - an area we're told appears in the Reach campaign. Two brand new maps were on display, and we explored each of them as well as we could during our matches in each. This newer variation makes for a shorter game with a lot of variation in the action over the stretch of the match.
This tweaked version lasts for only one Set, and the skull progression has been altered somewhat to take out Black Eye from the third round. The fourth variation we saw was the new default Firefight mode. As expected, it's all too easy (and hilarious) to accidentally blow up a fellow Spartan as things start to get crazy.įirefight Classic exactly emulates the Firefight mode found in Halo 3: ODST, fighting until every player falls beneath the assault. This special variation gives the Spartan players unlimited rockets to tear apart the approaching hordes of Covenant enemies. Rocketfight will be the game type of choice for late night parties.
Players can also "lock down" a generator to make it invincible for a short 30 second period, but this ability is limited, and has to be saved for the most dire situations. They can take the fight to the enemy before they can even get close. They can instead focus their attention on one generator and let the others fail. Players can split up to defend multiple generators. These generators have health bars, and once they are all depleted, the game is over. In the cooperative Firefight variation, players are tasked with protecting a set of generators from waves of Covenant. Generator Defense should be familiar to devoted players of the recent multiplayer beta, as the concept appeared there as a competitive mode called "Network Test1". What are generators? That's a part of just one of four game types we saw on display. If that's not enough for you, then the ability to pick weapons for the battle and other map features, like generator locations, should fill the quota. On a related subject, you can now create custom skulls that affect player or enemy abilities, including appearance, shields, health, immunities, and a host of other tweaks. You can choose what enemies show up during a wave, including the makeup of the boss wave. You can set the length of the game, the number of waves, or the number of rounds. The options to shape the mode to your liking seem almost endless.
The best of these unique game types will rise in popularity and be downloaded by more and more users. Players are now able to craft their own special rule-sets, and then share them over Xbox Live. Halo: Reach Firefight is all about customization. We got a chance to quiz the developers on all the new game elements on display, and then play several rounds within the new levels. At a special press event after the E3 show floor closed tonight, Bungie revealed the long-awaited details on Reach Firefight.