firefight
Latest
'Halo 5' is bringing back the long-missed Firefight mode
Life hasn't been kind to you if you're a fan of the players-versus-AI Firefight mode in Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach. You didn't just lose a direct equivalent to it in Halo 4 or Halo 5 -- you didn't even get it back with the remastered ODST from the Master Chief Collection. However, 343 Industries has finally heard your cries. As part of a content roadmap, the studio has revealed that Firefight is coming to Halo 5 in several months through a new mode, Warzone Firefight. The developer isn't saying much about what's different at this point, but you should get your fix of players-versus-environment gameplay as you fight off "common foes." Riveting! This won't make up for the relatively undercooked initial launch, but it could give you a reason to keep playing well into Halo 5's lifespan.
Halo 3: ODST 'Campaign Edition' drops on Games on Demand
A stripped-down version of Bungie's Halo 3: ODST is now available on Games on Demand for $15.Halo 3: ODST "Campaign Edition" includes both the campaign and the co-op Firefight mode, the latter of which is a survival variant where four players take on waves of attacking Covenant enemies.When Halo 3: ODST first launched in 2009, it included the Halo 3 multiplayer component with additional maps exclusive to the ODST package. If you find yourself desperate for Halo 3 multiplayer, you can buy it through Xbox Live for $20 now.
Mass Effect 3 Leviathan and Firefight DLC detailed
After officially announcing it at EA's Summer Showcase today, BioWare dropped a few more details on Mass Effect 3's Leviathan DLC on its blog. The Leviathan DLC, a single-player campaign that expands on the game's story, received an alluring description from BioWare:"Something lurks in the dark corners of space, something powerful enough to kill a Reaper. Shepard must discover the most closely guarded secret in the galaxy before the Reapers silence it forever. Discover more about the origins of the Reapers as you race across the galaxy to find the Leviathan. Unravel the dark history of the Reaper Race before it is too late."Leviathan's plot is set in the midst of the Mass Effect 3 story, prior to the game's ending. The "Reaper origin story" will allow players to "explore uncharted systems and new areas on the Citadel" and "interact with brand new characters." Additionally, players will unlock the AT-12 Raider shotgun and M-55 Argus Assault Rifle as part of the downloadable content. The Leviathan DLC will land on Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 later this summer for $10.BioWare also announced a weapons DLC pack for the game called the "Firefight Pack," which will include "two powerful new weapons and five bonus weapons" for use in the game's single-player campaign. The Firefight weapons pack is set to launch August 7 for $2. Check out our galleries of both pieces of DLC below.%Gallery-161685%%Gallery-161690%
Firefall makes with the G-Star trailer explosions
If you have two minutes to spare and a desire to become moderately pumped-up about Red 5's up-and-coming sci-fi shooter, then you could do far, far worse than to watch the G-Star trailer for Firefall. There's no narrative behind it, mind you, but if you love eye candy, then you're in for a treat. Explosions, super-jumps, flights, weapons of all makes and models, snipe attacks, anti-aircraft batteries, and intense brawls are spliced together to give you a quick-and-dirty feel for the game. Currently the game is in limited beta testing. You can watch the full Firefall trailer after the jump!
Video: Halo: Reach's Firefight, as previewed by Bungie
We don't know what you guys are pumped for most in Halo: Reach, but for us it's easily the new Firefight mode. That's why we had to share this video, which does an amazing job at slowing down time and making our wait that much tougher. Join us by checking out the video past the break.
Halo: Reach 'Forge World' and Firefight Versus mode introduced at Comic-Con Bungie panel
Last night at Bungie's Comic-Con panel, the studio went "beyond the canyon" and revealed what's behind the hill in the Blood Gulch remake: "The rest of the map." Turns out this version of Blood Gulch, which will be known as "Hemorrhage" in Halo: Reach, is actually one part of a gigantic five-part map called "Forge World" -- there's an island in the back bay, an outcropping called "The Rock," a hangar built into the cliff overlooking the bay dubbed "The Colisseum," and an open field area up above. The entire map starts out blank, and players will be invited to build their own levels in it using Reach's revamped Forge editor mode. "Forge World is the evolution of what we've been through with Forge," Bungie Community Lead Brian Jarrard told Joystiq at a Microsoft event following the panel. "How do we expand on it even further, and give people even more flexibility, and more toys to work with?" The answer: by combining very detailed and customizable tools with a variety of variables used in whatever ways players see fit, according to Jarrard. The Forge editor can now apply different physical models to pieces inserted on the map, leaving them fixed in mid-air or even half-embedded in other pieces. Additionally, spawn points can now be easily colored according to team, teleporters can be dropped at will and even customized for vehicles, and gigantic structures (like a multi-level tower) can be summoned and placed just about anywhere. %Gallery-96257%
Preview: Halo: Reach (Firefight)
I'm one of those rare gamers who prefer shooting computer controlled bad guys instead of good old-fashioned human beings. Competition doesn't bother me as much as the jerks on the other side; the whiny pre-teens, racists and cheaters. Forget about deathmatch. I'd rather cozy up on the couch and enjoy single-player. Halo 3: ODST changed that, thanks to Firefight mode. Bungie took my love for slaughtering AI bad guys and fused it with team-based play, where up to four players work co-operatively to outlast progressively difficult waves of Covenant. It was essentially the best of both virtual worlds, where I satisfied my desire to murder bots while cracking jokes with friends. That's why Halo: Reach is high on my radar. Firefight returns, but with a slew of new options that make it even more rewarding, starting with online matchmaking. Now you can play this mode 24/7 with anyone in the world. Yes, that means I could randomly wind up with three jerks, but at least one thing remains constant, and that's the Covenant. Even if my team goes rogue, I can still set off and murder aliens. %Gallery-96257%
Halo: Reach gets new and improved Firefight mode
There it is: Halo: Reach includes Firefight. Did any of us doubt it for a second? We certainly didn't, and our troops on location at a Reach event tonight have relayed some info relevant to your interests. First of all, Reach will include a new class: Medic. This Spartan comes packing a Dropshield ability -- the precursor to Halo 3's Bubble Shield. But that's not even the best part: The new Firefight will have a host of customization options. Players can create their own tailor-made Firefight modes, changing the enemy types, weapon loadouts and other modifiers, including Covenant health and aggression. You could seriously create a mode where it's nothing but peace-loving Grunts, if you want. Then, you can fill out some info and share your custom version of Firefight through your file share. Tonight's demo only has two playable maps, but we're working to confirm the total number planned for the final release. One final interesting tidbit we'll leave you with is this: Bungie said Generator Defense in the Reach beta was actually a test for Firefight.
VGA 2009: Bungie explains lack of Halo 3: ODST DLC
This past Saturday brought us the Spike TV Video Game Awards and – before experiencing the litany of world exclusives that awaited us inside – we spent some time outside cruising the red carpet and talking (briefly!) to many of the game developers and talent. We squeezed them for information as fast as we could while simultaneously wishing them holiday cheer and good tidings. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds. HHere's what we learned from Bungie's Curtis Creamer about Halo 3: ODST. Was there a decision made to have no DLC for Halo 3: ODST? Well, that was something that we didn't really think we could do for ODST because traditionally all of our DLC has been about competitive multiplayer. That's something that we had the systems in place for. But, since Firefight is more based on the co-operative campaign mode, that was a technology that we hadn't built up to a point where we could add DLC to the game. It would have been too much of an investment to make that happen.
Halo 3: ODST miniFAQ
.nounderline a { text-decoration: none; } Whether you're preparing to drop right in or are wavering outside the enlistment office, this is your basic field guide to Halo 3: ODST. Jump to a specific answer by clicking on a question below, or view the entire FAQ after the break: Is ODST worth $60? What's in the box? Should I install either game disc on my hard drive? What's it like not playing as Master Chief? What are the new weapons in ODST? Will you show me the Achievements list? How many missions are in Campaign? What are the collectible Audio Logs, and how many are there? Is co-op play supported in Campaign? What are the basic rules of Firefight? How many missions (or maps) are in Firefight? Can I customize my character in Firefight? How many skull modifiers are there, and what does each skull do in Firefight? Does Firefight support online matchmaking? Is there new Halo 3 multiplayer content? Do I need to keep downloaded Halo 3 maps on my hard drive? Where are the hidden skulls in the new Mythic maps? How do I unlock Recon armor for Halo 3 multiplayer? WARNING: FAQ contains spoilers pertaining to names and descriptive elements of Campaign and Firefight missions, Achievements, and certain hidden/unlockable content.
Hands-on: Halo 3: ODST Firefight mode
If Halo 3: ODST's campaign is "Combat Distilled," then its co-op multiplayer mode, Firefight, is the product of the same process, further refined. Firefight is combat distilled, then filtered; then distilled again and again. While the story mode can already be played cooperatively with up to four players (with or without scoring enabled), Firefight re-purposes eight of the sets from the campaign missions into closed, gladiatorial arenas where the odds are heavily stacked in the Covenants' favor. It's not a complicated formula. We've seen Gears of War 2 similarly extract itself into Horde Mode, as well as a number of other recent shooters spinning off their core gameplay elements into various arcade-like challenges. In all, Firefight contains ten maps (two are featured twice as night and day versions with slightly varied ingredients), and three of the ten are unlocked through campaign progression; though anyone can play on a locked map, so long as the match host has unlocked it. Likewise, except for the Rookie, character skins are unlocked through campaign play. (Sgt. Johnson will be a bonus skin for ODST pre-orderers.) Firefight lives on the campaign disc (separate from "vanilla" Halo 3 multiplayer; contained on a second disc), and players are bound to the limitations of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper: non-rechargeable health, no dual-wielding, and so on. You're no Spartan. %Gallery-72910%
'If people love it,' Halo's Firefight mode could be added to Reach
Halo 3: ODST's survival horde Firefight Mode is probably the most notable addition to the upcoming Halo 3 expansion from Bungie Studios. With Halo: Reach headed to consoles next Fall, the developer had left the possibility of the new mode's inclusion in that project up in the air ... at least until now. Speaking with Eurogamer at PAX 2009, Bungie community manager Brian Jarrard said Firefight could very well make it into Halo: Reach -- "if people love it," that is."I don't think we've ever been known to really take things away from each successive release, so I think it's safe to say that if Firefight gets a lot of traction and people love it, it probably has a good future home in our next title as well," Jarrard said. Shh! Nobody bring up the battle rifle!%Gallery-64703%
Sgt. Johnson shows off Halo 3: ODST's Firefight mode
This latest ViDoc from Bungie on Halo 3: ODST is quite the treat. It focuses on the Firefight mode, complete with narration from cigar-chomper Sgt. Johnson himself, even revealing a few of the Achievements and Skull modifiers. It's a pretty content-rich video for only being around two minutes and, well, we'd say more, but then that would only get in the way of you clicking the play button. [Thanks, jakob!]
Halo 3: ODST brings four-player co-op with Firefight mode
Those rings in space keep a-spinnin' as Bungie has revealed a new mode for upcoming Halo 3: ODST. Firefight mode will bring more than just the titular battles involving firearms, as it will allow up to four players to play co-operatively over Xbox Live or system link. These four stalwart ODST troopers will be tasked with dispatching wave after wave of attacking Covenant forces (think Horde mode ... with plasma grenades). Firefight mode will also include vehicles and, as an added twist, incorporate skull modifiers as you progress. And if your friends doubt the four Killtaculars in a row you just netted, you'll be able to point them toward the persistent leaderboards before you kick them out of your house and never talk to them again.%Gallery-64703%
