Some gamers have had their trigger fingers itching for more since Bungie and Microsoft’s Halo 3: ODST was released last fall.
Today, fans will get a taste of Bungie’s final entry in the Halo series when an open multiplayer beta of Halo: Reach, which can be accessed through copies of Halo 3: ODST on Xbox 360 consoles, opens to the public.
In Halo: Reach, game modes are separated into the ever-popular “Slayer,” a high-action, team-based battle mode, a “Grab Bag” of objective-based games such as capture the flag and “Free-for- All,” which sets all players against one another in battle. Each playlist has a number of game modes, both new and familiar.
One of the more exciting new features available for players to test is the game’s four classes of Spartan soldiers — airborne, guard, scout and stalker — each with its own special armor abilities in battle. For example, the stalker has limited powers of invisibility, and the airborne is equipped with a jetpack.
Halo: Reach looks great even in its early build, with more detailed weapons and character models. The scenery in the new game maps, however, still looks on par with Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST.
The controls have changed slightly, which may annoy purists and will take a bit of getting used to. On the bright side, some new weapons such as the Needle Rifle are available to use.
From the early build of this game, it’s hard to tell how the multiplayer aspect will turn out, but the Halo: Reach beta will still satisfy fans’ hunger until the next title comes out this fall.
afreedman@umdbk.com
