Any Halo fan should know by now that there are some major changes coming to the franchise when Reach launches this fall. Bungie is adding a number of new features to the game that will undoubtedly redefine the way Halo is played. From all new game types, to Load Outs and Armor Abilities, there will be plenty of new content for gamers to sink their teeth in when the beta launches next month. In fact, we’ve put together a multi-faceted feature – “Out of Reach” – dedicated to discussing and speculating what to expect from Bungie’s swan song.
In their latest update, Bungie has been kind enough to shed some light on their new Load Out system. While the purpose of this system is to allow for more flexibility for the player, the level of customization is limited substantially. “Load Outs are not player created or defined, but rather playlist and/or game type specific. Essentially, they allow you to choose your Armor Ability, your starting primary and secondary weapons, and your grenade cache on the fly,” the update explains.
One of the major questions that concerned our editors as they discussed Reach’s Load Out system, was how Bungie plans to approach it. While something strictly class-based like Team Fortress 2 was immediately ruled out, a setup more like Call of Duty seemed to fit the bill a bit better. Though, in order to minimize the amount of potential balancing issues, it looks like Bungie is taking a slightly more limited approach than Infinity Ward. It is also important to note that the Load Out options are also based upon the playlist. “For some playlists, that might mean every Load Out features the same weapon sets with only the Armor Abilities to distinguish them. For others, it might mean that as the game goes on, you’ll have access to more and more choices based on a number of factors we can fiddle with.”
Bungie’s announcement also unveiled a new Armor Ability: Armor Lock, which enables the player to temporarily freeze their character making him/her temporarily invulnerable. The length of time a player will remain in this state depends upon how long the button to activate it is held down. At first glance, this ability may not seem to provide all that much of an advantage, but after considering what this will enable players to do, including “shed plasma grenades, shred vehicles unfortunate enough to attempt a splatter, and deflect projectiles. (And you look pretty bad ass while you’re doing it)” it is clear that Armor Lock will make for an interesting addition that will certainly help in diversifying the competitive gameplay experience.
Another topic of controversy and much discussion has revolved around the differences between the Elites and Spartans. Much like our “Out of Reach” feature expected, there will be some substantial differences between the two; however, they will implemented in certain game types for the sake of balance. “…when we say Elites are faster, we mean it. Natively, Elites are about as fast as a Spartan at full Sprint. Add Evade into the mix, and they’re easily the most agile combatants on the battlefield in multiplayer. Unlike Spartans, their health is not limited to recharging in thirds as their vitality is whittled away in stages, but will recharge fully without even the need for a health pack. Their health also recharges faster, as do their shields.”
As for how Bungie plans to tackle the issues of balancing, each game type will address the character’s race selection differently. “In some circumstances, like Arena, you’ll only square off Spartan vs. Spartan or Elite vs. Elite. In others, well�stay tuned.”
The rest of the armor abilities including evade, sprint, jetpack and active camo are all fleshed out in much more detail as well. That, in addition to explanations regarding what to expect from each of Reach’s new weapons and vehicles makes for quite a hefty update. If you want to get caught up on every detail be sure to check out Bungie’s official weekly update here.
