while back Game Informer Magazine Associate Editor Matt Miller had the distinct honor of travelling out to Bungie to play some Halo 2 multiplayer. While his aim may not have been that good (I think he actually shot himself in the foot once) he did come back with a virtual treasure trove of details about the game.
Assault on the Zanzibar Power Station
On the beach stood a lone Warthog and a single Covenant Ghost. As Red 3 hustled towards the Ghost, I jumped onboard the Warthog turret. “I need a driver!” I voiced across my team intercom. Red 4 pulled up into the driver’s seat and we were off. Our first roadblock came in the form of the Elite Sniper on the cliffs above the beachhead. The sharpshooter dropped Red 6 before he could get off a shot, but we sped safely by towards the battered and war-torn gates of the Mombasa Wind Power Station. As we crossed the threshold I spied a rocket whiz past my head and smash into the rock behind me, scattering fragments against my Mjolnir armor. Without pausing to think, I opened up with the turret, nailing rounds towards the source of the explosive. We continued to speed towards the enemy base, but as I was distracted by the enemy rockets, another Elite slipped out from a nearby rock and launched hiimself at the front of the Warthog. Before I could swing the turret around, he had jacked Red 4 from the driver’s seat and brought the Warthog to an abrupt halt. I swung up and out of the turret position and thumbed a captured Covenant plasma grenade at the offending Blue Elite. I registered a certain degree of morbid satisfaction as I heard the sticky grenade blow behind me, along with the Warthog he had commandeered from us. A single wheel rolled past me as I continued forward to the now very close enemy flag. However, as I rounded the corner into the inner keep I was greeted by another Blue, this time with Energy Sword in hand. His disfigured alien visage seemed to twist into a grin, and I thought I heard him laugh as the blue crackling blade came swinging at me…
The Big Picture
Halo was just a skirmish compared to the downright frenetic fragfest that its sequel has to offer. While Bungie has remained absolutely tight-lipped regarding the single player experience awaiting us in November, I had the chance to spend several hours trying out the extensive multiplayer beta that Microsoft employees have been enjoying these past few months. Having done so, I can safely conclude that anticipation for the game is by no means misdirected. It’s hard to describe the incredible action that occurs when so many players get together in one battle site and have at it. Pieces of vehicles and buildings fly past you in explosive flight paths, and multi-colored weapon effects flash before your eyes. Coming over a hill onto the battlefield is an experience like no other I’ve had in gaming. Halo 2’s multiplayer is every bit as spectacular as we’ve expected it would be, and we’ve got all the details laid out here to help prove the point.
Prepping for Battle
Bungie has made sure that Xbox Live gameplay for Halo 2 is fast, intense, and flexible. Of equal importance has been maintaining the atmosphere of friendly party competition that the original Halo has already established through its now famous LAN parties. There are effectively two main ways to get into a game once you log on, one ranked and one unranked. By joining a ranked game, you have the option to play Free-For-All, Small Team, or Large Team play, (which includes support for up to 16 players on a map). Each of these three styles of play will have independent rankings, meaning you might have a small team rank of 6, while your Free-For-All ranking might be only 2. Beyond this, ranked games are extremely limited in their options, as the system will automatically assign you into the most fitting game available based on your choice. This strict system of control is meant to limit cheaters and players who specialize in one map or weapon, and instead maintain the rankings as a place for the best overall players. While you won’t be able to choose which kind of game to play, Bungie has said that they will monitor the game after launch, and set the frequency of certain types of games to show up more frequently. (Somehow, I think Energy Sword matches might see an early boost in popularity, but more on that later). In order to keep the LAN party sensation of the original, ranked games can still be played with your buddies by forming a party – a group of players who band together for a single gaming session, (unlike a clan, which maintains cohesion between log outs). Also, it appears that Bungie is trying to include 2-4 player split-screen while online. That’s right. If plans stay constant, you and three buddies should all be able to jump onto Xbox Live from the same TV. Apparently, developers have managed to overcome the challenges such a prospect presents to the hardware, allowing 4 independent players to be running at once.
While the ranking system may seem limiting to some, those who want more choices certainly need not feel rankled. The other choice for play are unranked games, where nearly every parameter you could want may be tweaked and controlled, including who you’re playing with and what weapons will be used.
Communication while online is handled impressively during battles. Through your headset, you can communicate with anyone nearby to your avatar just by speaking, and your message is broadcast to anyone within a given proximity. In other words, drop an enemy, and you can pass his corpse and talk a little trash. Alternately, tap and hold the white button (which might be mapped to a different place in the final version) and while holding it down anything you say will be heard by anyone on your team. The team intercom system works well, and allows for some quality tactical planning while in-game.
Faces and Places
Your online avatar is highly customizable. While you can choose between a Spartan and an Elite, both are effectively the same in terms of gameplay capabilities. Further customization occurs in your color choices, which include primary and secondary colors, as well as highlights on your armor, and even a personalized emblem. The biggest apparent change to your own personal HUD display seems to be shields and health. The current plan is to take out the health bar entirely, while strengthening the shields to compensate. This decision was made in part to better facilitate the single player game, where checkpoints were often reached in the original with only one small red health bar left to make it through to an entirely new checkpoint. In fact the new shield is a reverse engineered version of the old Covenant shield technology. It remains to be seen how this shift will affect the overall experience, but I didn’t feel it negatively impacted the multiplayer game at all. After outfitting him, we got to try out our version of the Master Chief in five of the brand new environments, each of which I’ve detailed to the best of my memory below.
While Zanzibar has been talked about plenty, I reinforced my perception that this will be an immediate favorite for fans. I also picked up a little extra background on its origins by examining the in-game stage description. The Zanzibar multiplayer level occurs in and around Mombasa Wind Power Station Number 7. It is described as an aging reminder of East Africa’s early attempts at nationalization. (I have to admit to being a sucker for these little tidbits of sci-fi background). The stage is absolutely perfect for single flag CTF (Capture The Flag), with an appropriate offensive beachhead to begin an attack from, fully stocked with vehicles, as well as an intricate interior defensive base protected by turrets and numerous sniping spots. Several interactive actions allow for a changing field of battle throughout a match. Action tends to get concentrated in the inner courtyard of the Power Station, where defenders will make their last stand while the offensive force throws everything they have at the base.
Waterworks is undoubtedly the largest map we got to play on, and is a gigantic indoor cavern of machinery and rock. Two bases lie at either end of the huge area, and are split by an incomplete wall and several endless chasms into which unsuspecting players can fall. Banshees can be flown through breaks in the wall, and used to assault the enemy base, presuming of course that you are able to get by the Covenant tanks that tend to be available to defenders near their spawn point. The map seems ideal for Assault mode, which has you carrying a bomb into your enemy base in order to blow it from inside. The bomb may be disarmed by an enemy if they are given time, but if you can keep the bomb free of diffusing enemies, the point is yours.
Lockout is an interconnected series of walkways high in what I can only assume to be one of Earth’s remote mountain chains. Snow lies heavy about the research facility, which is described as a probable location from which the humans have attempted to study the insidious Flood. The site includes numerous drops which can be passed over with a well timed jump between areas. The small size of the map makes for an intense and fast game, one that seemed ideal for a quick game of Swords, where the energy blades abound and death seems to wait around every bend of the walkway.
Midship is another fairly small map, this one aboard the Covenant ship known as The Begotten Angel – described as not the most agile command cruiser in the Covenant armada, but certainly the most luxurious. Small purple hued passageways line the area, which includes a central open core where most of the overt fighting occurs. The coolest aspect about Midship that I came across was that it was the only map in which I found the Brute Shot, one of the new weapons in Halo 2. Placed in a hidden nook high at the top of the stage, it is difficult to reach but well worth the trouble, as its bouncing grenade-like projectiles dropped my enemies with ease.
The last new multiplayer stage I was privy to was the Ivory Tower. The in-game stage description details it as the old home of the famous human socialite Lance O’Donnell. (I don’t know who he is either, so don’t ask). The top floor of the building has now been converted to a public park, where all the action occurs. This public park includes gorgeous futuristic fountains, arches, and pillars, amid green gardens and ivory walls. The stage seemed highly suitable for all sorts of basic skrmishes and battles, and includes different levels that can be reached by stairs or hover lift.
The Tools of the Trade
Clocking in with just over a dozen weapons, (not including the two returning grenade types), Halo 2 should have all sorts of options for the enterprising player. Add to that the flexiblity of dual wielding, and there are all sorts of ways to take out your foes. While dual wielding is incredible, it may not be the right choice for some, as it automatically maps to your left trigger. In other words, you won’t have access to your grenades when you’re dual wielding. Plus, several of the weapons are too large to be wielded one-handed, so you’re out of luck there as well. Check out the armament options below.
Battle Rifle – Effectively replacing the assault rifle of the original, the battle rifle packs a heavy punch and has a limited zoom
Magnum – The new alternative to the oft touted “overpowered pistol” of the first game, the magnum is less powerful, and without a scope, significantly decreasing its dominance. By no means useless, it remains a great option, particularly when dual-wielding. It’s just not the only way to go anymore.
SMG – Perhaps the most well known of the new weapons, (because of the early single player demo we all saw back at E3 2003) the SMG is a powerful companion, and with one held in both hands, it can effectively mow down your enemies, particularly at close and mid range.
Plasma Pistol - The Covenant sidearm returns with few changes, and can still be charged for a powerful, shield-draining shot.
Plasma Rifle - Also largely unchanged, the rifle seems to be stronger than its previous incarnation, and more balanced against its Terran counterparts.
Rocket Launcher - Another returning weapon, this time with the ability to track enemies with a lock-on and then home in. (as shown in the E3 2004 multiplayer demo. Take a look!) With the extensive vehicle usage in Halo 2’s multiplayer, the launcher will undoubtedly become the weapon of choice for anti-vehicular specialists.
Shotgun - It may have been slightly weakened since the original, (it’s hard to say after only a full day’s play with it), but the shotgun remains a formidable deterrent, fully capable of dropping your foes with a single headshot.
Sniper Rifle - Nothing to report here. Still challenging to use. Still deadly.
Brute Shot - My personal favorite of the new weapons in the game. The Covenant Brute shot acts like a combo Shotgun/Grenade Launcher. It fires off an explosive round that bounces once and then soon after explodes. While not quite packing the punch of a rocket, these grenade-like shots can be sent out in quick succession, with little time in between attacks. The weapon can be used to shoot around corners to clear a corridor, or aimed to bounce off a wall and hammer a gathered group of enemies. Even the name got me excited, as I realized that this deadly amalgam is likely the primary attack of the ape-like Brutes, one of the new foes which will undoubtedly kick my ass on Legendary in the single player campaign.
Needler - Despite its unpopularity, (or maybe because of it), the Needler makes a return in Halo 2. Far more powerful than before, a wise Spartan (or Elite) should be cautious not to ignore the more powerful version that is now at your disposal. It also looks cooler, with impressive particle effects illuminating the pink/purple sparks that shoot forth from it.
Carbine - This light repeater rifle is of Covenant design, and feels very similar to the old Assault Rifle in style and function.
Beam Rifle - The Covenant equivalent of the Sniper Rifle, this multiple level zoom weapon is heat based instead of using bullets.
Energy Sword – Last, but certainly not least, the Covenant Energy Sword can now be swiped off the body of your foe and wielded to the dismay of your enemies. Fast, maneuverable, and very one-hit kill oriented, the sword alters the dynamic of play by making close-up melee a viable option for more than last ditch attacks. Many players will almost certainly specialize in its use and perfect the skills of dodging long range attacks in order to get in close and take you out.
The Last Word
Let’s be honest with each other here. We all know Halo 2 is going to totally rock when it releases on November 9th. Maybe I know just a little better how much because I’ve gotten to see its phenomenal destructible environments, its immaculately balanced combat, and its incredible sounding weapons as they whiz past my head. (Did I mention that every sound in the game is fully positional, so that surround sound users may very well cry with joy when they try out the game?) Still, there are numerous questions left unanswered. Single player story and gameplay remains a vast and unknown mystery. And while the multiplayer experience seems too good to be true, we have to wonder if maybe it is. Has Bungie really succeeded in optimizing the capabilities of the hardware so that the game will run without poor frame rate issues and other technical problems online? Still, after touring the hardworking studio that is Bungie, I have faith that things are well in hand to be ready by release. When it comes out, there will almost certainly be those that complain about one thing or another, but the question will really be this: Has anyone else even come close to making it this good? We’ll have to wait and see.