Two Weeks Until Halo Reach Releases!

If a couple days ago we’ve seen the Noble Team in action via GTTV’s interview with Bungie, now it’s G4TV’s Hands On that shows us some new and exciting Halo: Reach campaign gameplay. Adams Sessler from G4TV sits with Marcus Lehto, Bungie’s Creative Director, and talks about the developer’s latest entry in Halo’s universe.
Exciting Halo: Reach Gameplay Footage Shown in G4TV's Hands On In the first part of the Halo: Reach Hands On Preview, Marcus and Adam discuss some interesting things about Halo: Reach’s bigger environments, new weapons and modes and redeveloped Artificial Intelligence.

Halo Reach The Most Anticipated Game of 2010

As it was obvious from all the Halo: Reach gameplay videos and trailers we’ve seen so far, Reach is the first game in the series that gives the feeling that players are really participating to an epic battle. One of the focuses for Halo: Reach was to have more characters out on the battlefield than in any other game that Bungie ever created. Marcus Lehto says that it was an opportunity for the developer to express just how epic the battle against Covennant is, by showing what’s going on not only in the player’s immediate gameplay zone but battles that are happening in other parts of the planet or just over the horizon (MAG deja-vu anyone?).

In this new Halo: Reach gameplay footage (scroll at the end of the article) we can see one of the new weapons in action – the grenade launcher with its EMP alternate fire mode. The EMP fire mode is especially interesting since Marcus says that it will allow players to disable and eventually board Covenant Wraiths and Banshees.

Halo: Reach reintroduces the Covenant Elites from Halo: Combat Evolved as a formidable enemy. These enemies have a completely redesigned AI that brings a new sense of intelligence to their character.
Will the Banshee be boardable in Halo: Reach? It seems like it.

Will the Banshee be boardable in Halo: Reach? It seems like it.

In the second part of the Halo: Reach Hands On, Adam asks Marcus about Reach’s graphical engine, the Co-Op mode, story, customization and other cool stuff.

Again, as evidenced by the Halo: Reach gameplay videos we’ve seen, the game has suffered a huge graphical overhaul. One of Bungie’s goals in Reach was to create much bigger environments than ever before. So in order to accomplish this, most the game’s engine was completely redesigned.

Regarding the story, Bungie’s creative director says that, initially, the Noble Team is sent to investigate why a military group has disappeared. So their job is to understand what happened and to deal with whatever caused this problem. More about the Noble Team can be found out in the Halo: Reach A Spartan Will Rise Trailer.

Banshee

With regards to character customization, Bungie has taken the limited possibilities that were present in Halo 3 and really expanded them (there are now lots of helmet customizations as well as chest, armor, forearm, thighs, knee pads and stuff like that). Also players will be able to choose the gender of their character so, if a woman Spartan is more to your liking, you can have it your way. What is also pretty cool is that the customizations that you’ve done to your avatar are completely mirrored over the course of the whole game and also in the cinematics.

It’s also great to know that the team has handpicked the aspects that worked great in all Halo games, from Combat Evolced to ODST, and polished them even further in Halo: Reach. So the great AI Combat in open spaces from Halo 1 will return as well as the elements that made Halo 2′s storytelling awesome and some of the weapons and vehicles introduced in Halo 3.

Elites Vs Spartans In Halo Reach

The Halo: Reach release date is September 14th. If you pre-order the game from Gamestop (Standard, Limited, Legendary) you will receive an exclusive in-game UA Multi-Threat Mjolnir Mark V(B) Armor (it provides Spartans with the most impact across all combat scenarios), a token to download the Spartan Recon helmet with the Visor/Blast Shield (available both in single and multiplayer) and a chance to win a life-sized Halo: Reach Spartan Soldier.

If you prefer Amazon (Standard, Limited, Legendary) you will get $20 off a future video game purchase.

Microsoft will also release a Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach Console (Amazon, GameStop) that might be a justified enough reason to expand your gaming universe.