Halo 3 4 player co-op confirmed

[Bad^Hat]

Should be awesome! Still not really "hyped" for Halo 3 since I'm expecting pretty much more of the same, but it's shaping up to look like a pretty worthy purchase none the less.

 

[Ren.182]

Sounds good
Will help me kill any spare time I have at uni

 

[Asknoone]

I hope this means the levels are going to be bigger and more open, as opposed to simple linear stuff that we've seen before. More Assault on the Control Room, please.

Yeah, I think the reason for that is the larger the levels the easier it is to forgive copy/paste and sloppy level design. I really enjoyed those levels too, but I think it was mainly because when going down the linear route of Halo, the shooting-gallery gameplay was more prominent and the level design more obviously cut and paste.

I'm not too fussed about 4 player co-op. I don't have Live (though when I have the cash I hope to get it because I don't doubt the amazing of Halo multiplayer), and the fun I mainly got from Halo co-op was exploiting the levels and doing dumb things. But sometimes it was exciting on Legendary.

 

[Warbie]

Stop it with the sloppy level design criticisms Yes, the orignal was guilty of it on a few levels (this has to be the most widely exagarated grievance in video gaming history), but on the whole the series has displayed excellently varied and well realised level design - especially when compared to fps of the time. The larger scale levels were simply better because of the greater number of choices they afforded - do I go on foot, use a tank, warthog, banshee? Each decision completely changing the experience and challenge.

What i'm excited about with Halo 3 is more of the same on a greater scale. Now 4 mates can charge around through, hopefully, bigger and more content filled levels. I want vehicles everywhere and whole covenant armies to cut through. More people = more options, fun, banter over comms, longevity. It's win win.

 

[Asknoone]

but on the whole the series has displayed excellently varied and well realised level design.

I've got something in my throat. Sorry. SpluttercoughLOLspluttercough.

Anyway.

 

[Warbie]

Look at the fps that existed up to when Halo came out. Seriously, when taken in context this is a nitpicking criticism - and something so many fps have been more guilty of (just look at the Dooms/Quakes/FEARS/SoFs etc etc of this world). We had large outdoor areas seamlessly integrated with interiors (something modern fps still have yet to match). Fighting through swamps, storming along beaches, snow levels, night assaults on alien planets. The reason Halo gets this stick is because a tiny number of its levels suffered from cut and paste design to a greater extent (library, space ship level) - it's that much more obvious in these cases.

But hey, this is Halo. Selective memories and hate is fair game

 

[Raxxman]

Halos background graphics were really basic though.

And the seamless outdoor indoor was long conquered before Halo emerged. Just look at Tribes.

 

[Warbie]

Please :/

I enjoyed Tribes, but it isn't in the same league. Not even slightly. Operation Flashpoint is the closest I can think of - unfortunately its interiors were poor and the combat basic.

 

[Raxxman]

Tribes is also ancient compared to Halo. It still had seemless indoor and outdoor arenas, and ran really well on 56K modems.

Playing Halo on the PC shows how basic the design is. Character models are good but backdrops are somewhat basic.

Oh and Chrome did indoor + Sprawling outdoor as well now I think about it. I kinda liked Chrome.

 

[Sparta]

The reason Halo gets this stick is because a tiny number of its levels suffered from cut and paste design to a greater extent (library, space ship level) - it's that much more obvious in these cases.

A tiny bit?

Almost half the game is going back through levels you've already done.

I guess you're right. Memories are selective with Halo

 

[Kyorisu]

Because it means you'll either get hit when your 360 explodes trying to render that, or you'll see a Halo 3 with relatively ugly graphics.

Pro tip: Your rendering each player window at a much smaller resolution.

Also why the hell are they always so damn shiny? Must fight to defend whatever but god forbid if our armor get dirty

 

[Warbie]

Almost half the game ....

I guess you're right. Memories are selective with Halo

Exactly.

 

[Sparta]

Exactly.

Where am i wrong exactly?

 

[Warbie]

I mean just a slight exageration. Half the game in bold, come on.

 

[Sparta]

I didn't half, i said almost half the game. And i'm right too.

10 chapters right?

1. Pillar of Autumn.
2. Halo.
3. Truth and Reconciliation.
4. The Silent Cartographer.
5. Assault on the Control Room.
6. Guilty Spark 343
7. The Library
8. The Two Betrayals
9. Keyes
10. The Maw

Out of those 10 chapters, i'd say 4 of those chapters involve original level design, and three chapters you walk back through. 3 exact levels are used for 6 chapters of the game (Pillar, Truth, Assault used for The Maw, Keyes and Betrayals). Then there's the library which is not worth arguing for when it comes to...well...anything cause the level just sucks.

But even when counting the library you're still left with only 4 levels out 10 that aren't used twice in a 10 level game.

I'm saying, if you're gonna argue that Halo has varied level design, you may as be arguing that pigs can fly. Every fps game in the last decade has had that level of variety in it at the very least. They just haven't been as entertaining as Halo (minus some rare exceptions).

 

[Warbie]

Then why (well, we all know the answer) does Halo get singled out over and over again? The fps I mentioned, which are just a small selection of those that I could have, are far more dull and repetitive in level design, yet rarely get a mention. It only takes someone to whisper the name Halo and the same people come in spouting out the same stuff they have in countless other threads.

As for backtracking - a few of the levels in Halo that do invlves this are arguably some of the best in the game. Going over the same area again isn't always a bad thing.

For me, at least, the experience of playing Halo was extremely varied.

 

[Sparta]

Some people didn't find the game as fun as you and i do. Some people get ticked off when others claim Halo is the pinnacle of the FPS genre. But i think the reason most people dislike Halo dislike it because its the "popular" game thats gets all the attention from the gaming populace. Particularly the casual gamers, who haven't played other fps's like...oh...i dont know...maybe....Half-Life?

Its funny i'm saying that when i thought Halo was really great. Halo 2 is what grinds me.

Lousy Halo 2 and its marketing campaign and media saturation that better games lacked....*kicks at the dirt and grumbles away*

 

[KagePrototype]

Because it means you'll either get hit when your 360 explodes trying to render that, or you'll see a Halo 3 with relatively ugly graphics.

Either that or MS want more people to sign up for Xbox Live Gold, or something.

 

[Silarn]

While it's great that Bungie has kept up their support of co-op, I do have a gripe with most realizations of the theme, Halo included. I swear, just about every co-op game, which very few exceptions, is simply letting multiple people run through the game at the same time. I suppose they do, once and a while, throw more or tougher enemies at you to counterbalance your added firepower, but that's a pretty trite change. Same game, more guns. Still possible with one person, to be honest.

What I would love to see is for the game to actually change on a greater level to truly exemplify cooperation. Perhaps bosses would change their tactics so that the players need to co-ordinate and strike at the proper time or have one person do something to expose a weakness that his parter would have to exploit. Hell, it isn't too different from MMORPG raid bosses - just on a smaller scale.

I won't get my hopes up, however. Such a system would require more work than simply spawning a few more monsters or boosting a health value, God forbid.

As a co-op concept, I think that short little Guildhall mod demonstrated the idea fairly well in the puzzles and pacing at least. You work together only to duke it out at the end due to differing goals. It was pretty funny.

 

[Silarn]

I also thought I'd chip in with another tidbit. All those folks that rave about Halo are and were primarily console gamers.

Consoles hadn't had a decent PFS since Perfect Dark, and I think you'll find many people still have fond memories of that game. When compared to the numerous FPS games that have and had existed on the PC at the time, however, Halo was pretty average. Oh, it had some entertaining enemies with interesting AI and a decent storyline (by and far better than most FPS games), but the gameplay itself was pretty average and actually a bit restrictive, the graphics were no more than on-par, and it contained no discernible ideas that hadn't been done elsewhere at least once.

It was a breath of fresh air for consoles, but outside of that it was simply a decent game.

 

[Warbie]

As a long term pc and console fps fan I pretty much disagree completely with everything you mention in that last post, but I really can't be bothered to go into it anymore (perhaps in a few days after i've filled up my Halo rage bar ).

Horses for courses.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Horses for courses.

Vut

 

[Raxxman]

Halo = average.

That's so true it's unfunny.

halo only appealed to me because of the plot. (I'm a sucker for Sci Fi Epics) in terms of everything else it was average. Elite AI, boring. Making the morons jump off cliffs was so easy.

If you consider the occasonal 'Yuk Yuk Yuk' Duck and cover AI to be world class then... well

 

[mastag]

Halo = average.

That's so true it's unfunny.

halo only appealed to me because of the plot. (I'm a sucker for Sci Fi Epics) in terms of everything else it was average. Elite AI, boring. Making the morons jump off cliffs was so easy.

If you consider the occasonal 'Yuk Yuk Yuk' Duck and cover AI to be world class then... well

halo online = fantastic.

 

[Aki]

Nifty. It's better than the "Everyone's MC" coop they had before.

Awwww. When I read this I was hoping MC would meed up with some of the remaining Spartans Looks like Bungie will probably continue to ignore the great plot and characters of the books.

Did you read Ghosts of Onyx? They're in no position to help the Chief.

 

[Sparta]

halo online = fantastic.

This.

Playing Halo with 7 other friends and two xboxs is fantastic fun.

 

[Kyorisu]

Playing Halo with 7 other friends and two xboxs is fantastic fun.

Redundant statement of the year. "Playing games with friends is fun!"

 

[kupocake]

Nice enough. I hope it stays in for the Windows Vienna exclusive release, coming to my PC in time for the London Olympics.

 

[knut]

I was looking through GamesTM in a store at the weekend and theres a pretty big preview of Halo 3, involving screen shots of some new vehicles not yet seen on the net (atleast not that I've seen anyway) including some sort of Marine Banshee eqivilent that looks like the cockpit of a fighter and has two wing like side compartments for a soldier on each side to sit (like soldiers on the sides of the Little Bird helicopters) and a pretty large tank that has a small loading bay in the back which is pretty spacious; the picture shows two ATV's in the back. Think of the Scorpions tank tracks with a large box on the back... sort've. I'm telling you though, this tank thing is pretty big, so unless Bungie are going to take a leaf out of Battlefield's book and make some pretty big maps, this thing could be a SP thing only.

Wikipedia also says the Warthog without the chaingun is returning from the old concepts of Halo 2; the rear space now being a sitting compartment for more soldiers.

EDIT: GamesTM also shows the map editor deely thingy, Forge. Shows some pictures of a Scorpion in High Ground, which unfortunatly doesn't look that much different from the design from Halo 2.

 

[Warbie]

Edge had a large preview too - mentioning how maps caneasily be edited on the fly to change weapon spawn points, add/move things about etc.

 

[knut]

Oh, I might've been reading Edge actually now you mention it. Might buy it this week sometime.