GameInformer Halo 3: Recon details

[Tieno]

Reading the article, I noticed some interesting stuff....

    * What we’re essentially looking at is that “the rookie” is the story's main protagonist, a silent character investigating a sequence of events after awaking from unconsciousness for six hours. During those six hours, his four squadmates (Mickey, Romeo, Dutch and Buck), have gone unaccounted for -- although there's some indication that they were actually looking for him.
    * Emerging from the drop pod, the player can travel anywhere he wants to within the traversable portion of New Mombasa, locating each of the four “last known locations” which his squadmates were seen. Along the way, he’s apparently guided by the Superintendent and is required to evade Covenant patrols and various other obstacles. This character has the silenced SMG and is the one featured in the trailer.
    * Every time you approach the “last known location” of a squadmate, a cinematic occurs and the player gets to play from that character’s perspective for an entire mission ending at the location of the rookie finds. Each character is specialized for using certain weapons and each has their own self-contained story which impacts the overal campaign's story arch. This happens four times (two hour intervals between each) and it presumably culminates into a sequence where the rookie is involved.
    * Thinking about the possible story elements which could be at play here is really interesting. Perhaps the squad has been taken hostage by the Covenant, the rookie is charged  with recovering them or some equipment critical to their mission. I’m really interested to see how Staten has fashioned this story. It has to be difficult to create a fixed narrative when the player can access the chronological missions in any order they choose to -- almost like each mission holds a puzzle piece. Only when they’re together do they form a complete picture. Where does Maddie fit in?
    * Another really fascinating element is that the article says that the game follows a 12 hour arch. The rookie occupies the latter six hours, while engaging in flashbacks with the other members of his squad in the previous six. The culmination of this is during a Covenant invasion. I’m curious to see how this works into the fiction of Halo. We are to understand that slipspace travel can take weeks and months, and that the separation between Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 was about a month. There has never been a rigid date for the events of Halo 3, although most people assume that it is early November 2552.
    * If Regret leaves Earth at a very specific point in Halo 2, how could a Covenant invasion occur twelve hours later? Is this Truth’s invasion with the Forerunner dreadnought? Is it another fleet or part of Regret’s? If they’re going to explain it using the dreadnought’s power as a source for its speedy trip to Earth, how can they explain Johnson/Miranda’s return or the Elite’s at the same time?

 

[Tieno]

I have no idea if they announced that.

[GilloD]

I think it was a rumor and also: Halo has a plot?

[Howard Alan Treesong]

also: Halo has a plot?

this

[brawndolicious]

so it's a pretty open-world game, but it's only going to be about 12 hours long?  it better be under $30 or come with a decent multiplayer.

does anybody know if it's an fps or tps?

[Tieno]

It's an fps and it's coming with Halo 3 MP maps. They've said this game, more so than Halo 3, is targeted towards a smaller audience being the hardcore Halo fans.

[Eel O'Brian]

Halo 3:  Contract Fulfillment

hope it's good, though

[y2kev]

so it's a pretty open-world game, but it's only going to be about 12 hours long?  it better be under $30 or come with a decent multiplayer.

does anybody know if it's an fps or tps?

no, it follows a 12 hour story arc

[Tieno]

Y2kev, why did you read the OP?

[fistfulofmetal]

this appeals to me.

[y2kev]

Y2kev, why did you read the OP?

i love halo and bungie 

[Bebpo]

Also long as Bungie is making this is should be great.

Halo 3 is still the best co-op shooter.  (why didn't Gears 2 have 4p co-op >_<)

[brawndolicious]

yeah, I'm interested in this if there's good co-op (maybe for the side-missions or something).  I hope they let you use the silenced SMG in multiplayer.

[Mrbob]

Looking forward to trying this out, but it better be priced as an expansion pack (30 to 40 bucks). 

[cool breeze]

Sounds like it's gonna deliver what Halo 2 should have.  I'm also a sucker for open world FPS games, so I'm happy here.

And no Master Chief! that boring piece of shit is gone and now there is some cool stealthy guy to take his 'easily replaced by a brick' role.

[TVC15]

Looking forward to trying this out, but it better be priced as an expansion pack (30 to 40 bucks). 

Yeah right.  MS is the publisher and they will get every dollar they can out of the game.

Also, I find it odd that Bungie is emphasizing that this is an expansion pack while at the same time saying it will be longer than Halo 3.

[brawndolicious]

Also, I find it odd that Bungie is emphasizing that this is an expansion pack while at the same time saying it will be longer than Halo 3.

It might have less features.  If they want to be really cheap, they could gimp it so that they have enough content for a spin-off trilogy.

[Cormacaroni]

MICKEY
ROMEO
DUTCH
and
BUCK

[Cormacaroni]

also: Halo has a plot?

this

It has far too much plot. Why does every nerd want to write an epic trilogy when their only previous writing experience is blogging about UFC and Babylon 5?

[duckman2000]

Yeah, if only the plot had been kept at a minimum, the two sequels would have been many times more enjoyable. The first one was cool; lots of combat, a lot of familiar set pieces and characters, and then just enough of a sci-fi story to keep the game moving forward. If Recon offers straight awesome Halo combat and minimal story intrusion, then that's hot.

[Bebpo]

(why didn't Gears 2 have 4p co-op >_<)

It doesn't!? *cancels pre-order in rage* 

You can shoot AI enemies in 5 player co-op in horde mode, which is cool.  But the main campaign is 2p only like the first even though you have a FOUR PERSON SQUAD (so 2 AI's when online) for most of the game.

'tis really my only complaint with the game.  I'm sure 2p is still a lot of fun like the first one.  I've only had a chance to go through 1p, but I'm looking forward to going through it in 2p.  But I can just imagine how much fun 4p would've been like Halo 3 when I watch me + 3 AI guys fight through these stages.


Back on topic, I like Halo's story.  It might not be anything more than a videogame story, but I enjoy a worldview and mysteries in my action/shooter games.  It gives me stronger motivations to shoot aliens in the face if done decently.  Puzzle games, racing games, sports games, etc... don't really need plots, but FPS games should have them.  Just remember to make all cutscenes skippable

[cool breeze]

Yeah, if only the plot had been kept at a minimum, the two sequels would have been many times more enjoyable. The first one was cool; lots of combat, a lot of familiar set pieces and characters, and then just enough of a sci-fi story to keep the game moving forward. If Recon offers straight awesome Halo combat and minimal story intrusion, then that's hot.

From what they're saying it seems like the story can actually be interesting this time around.  I mean, just the fact that it isn't revolving around Master Chief means that a lot of boring segments from past games that presented lame story and gameplay bits are now gone...then again so are the good parts.

[Phoenix Dark]

any scans?

[Cormacaroni]

(why didn't Gears 2 have 4p co-op >_<)

It doesn't!? *cancels pre-order in rage* 

You can shoot AI enemies in 5 player co-op in horde mode, which is cool.  But the main campaign is 2p only like the first even though you have a FOUR PERSON SQUAD (so 2 AI's when online) for most of the game.

'tis really my only complaint with the game.  I'm sure 2p is still a lot of fun like the first one.  I've only had a chance to go through 1p, but I'm looking forward to going through it in 2p.  But I can just imagine how much fun 4p would've been like Halo 3 when I watch me + 3 AI guys fight through these stages.


Back on topic, I like Halo's story.  It might not be anything more than a videogame story, but I enjoy a worldview and mysteries in my action/shooter games.  It gives me stronger motivations to shoot aliens in the face if done decently.  Puzzle games, racing games, sports games, etc... don't really need plots, but FPS games should have them.  Just remember to make all cutscenes skippable

Story does not equal plot. Character interaction, character back stories, motivations, dialog - all were sacrificed on the altar of MOAR PLOT.

[Cormacaroni]

I agree with you that 4P co-op in Gears would be great, by the way, but I'm not sure if it's fair to mark down the game for not having that feature. It's hardly the norm yet, and you have to give Epic props for pushing forward co-op gaming in general.

[brawndolicious]

I remember in Gears1 4P co-op wouldn't make sense because there were a lot of sections where there was only Marcus and Dom.  Is it the same in Gears2?

[Tieno]

I remember in Gears1 4P co-op wouldn't make sense because there were a lot of sections where there was only Marcus and Dom.  Is it the same in Gears2?

Yep, there there are (a lot of) parts where you're not playing with 4. They didn't want to go the halo route but have it make sense within the story. Then again Horde has the essence, where you just play badass fights upon badass fights in close quarters, with all the fluff and 'varied' gameplay cut, so I don't mind with Gears 2.