Halo Universe Explained - Part 8: Halo 4 Features

I'm a day late - Blame Sandy.

I have two posts left before Halo 4 launches on November 6^th.  I’ve read over my previous post and realized I’ve covered just about everything I wanted to cover.  So for the last two posts I want to focus on Halo 4.  With this post I am going to focus on the features of the game.  Next Monday, just hours before launch, I will post speculation on what might be happening in the story of Halo 4.

As a fan of the series I have devoured every last morsel on information about what to expect from Halo 4.  However, some planning on playing the game may not be as obsessed.  Well, this post is for you.  You’ll find out about the 2 versions of the game, the game modes, the all new progression system, and DLC plans.

Regular or Limited Edition

Halo 4 will be released as two versions a standard edition and a limited edition.  The self-explanatory standard edition retails for $60.  The limited edition retails for $100 but includes some goodies that may be worth it for die-hard fans.  Along with the game, the LE contains:

• the season pass which grants access to the first three map pack DLC ($30 value),
• immediate access to the 6 class specializations (discussed below in the progression system),
• a digital copy of the extended version (90 min.) of the web series Halo: Forward Unto Dawn
• various digital goods such as exclusive armor and weapon skins, avatar props, and in-game emblems.
• finally, a briefing packet on the UNSC Infinity – the largest ship ever built by humanity.

Note: In a surprise twist, the Halo 4 Limited Edition is actually limited in quantity.  The limited edition appears to be sold out at Gamestop, Walmart, and Amazon.

Halo 4 Game Modes

So you’ve picked up your version of the game…what can you play.

Campaign: The Halo 4 campaign features 4 player co-op and will return to the roots of the Halo franchise by featuring large scale vehicle battles mixed in with Infantry battles against some of the smartest AI in any FPS available.

Spartan-Ops: Spartan Ops is a whole new game mode for the Halo franchise.  Spartan-Ops is an episodic campaign that is Set 6 months after the events of Halo 4 and features a cast of Spartan-4’s known as Majestic Squad.  As a member of Majestic you will attempt to uncover the secrets of Requim.  Here is how it will work.  Each week, 343 studious will release a 10-15 minute CGI episode of Spartan-Ops, along with 5 playable missions that relate directly to CGI episode.  Spartan-Ops will be broken up into seasons.  The first season contain 10 episodes (50 playable missions) and is included both the standard and LE of the game.  Future seasons are in the works and will probably be DLC.

Wargames – the competitive MP for Halo 4 is known as Wargames.  343 studios are tying the MP to the Halo story by providing a fictional basis for the MP.  Wargames is set on the UNSC Infinity and features your very own Spartan-4.  Each MP “match” is meant to represent a “training” session within the virtual reality training facilities located on the Infinity.  Your performance in these “training missions” affects how quickly you progress through the Spartan-4 ranks.

Maps - 13 virtual settings (i.e. maps) are included in wargames:  

• 9 brand new maps: Abandoned, Longbow, Haven, Adrift, Complex, Solace, Exile, Meltdown, Vortex.
• 1 returning favorite – Ragnarok (remake of the Halo 3 classic Valhalla)
• Countless user-created Forge Maps – Players get three unique play spaces to Forge in: Ravine, Impact, and Erosion.  If Halo: Reach was any indication 343 will take the best user created maps and rotate them into to standard playlist.  In the end, Reach had between 25-50 maps in the playlist hopper.

Armor Abilities- Armor Abilities (AAs) were introduced in Halo: Reach.  Halo 4 adds some new AAs, while dropping other that did not mesh well with the Halo sandbox.  You can outfit your Spartan 4 in one of eight AAs: Jetpack, Thruster-pack, Camouflage, Prometheon Vision, Hardlight Shield, Hologram, Regeneration Field, and Deployable Turret.

Armor Mods- Each Spartan 4 can equip 2 armor mods - one tactical mod and one support mod. Tactical mods includes options that allow you to carry 2 primary weapons, have unlimited sprint, have shields recharge slightly faster,  pick-up grenades and ammo from the dead and more.  Support mods can provide larger weapon clips, allow you to reload faster, provide an increased radar range etc…

Progression System – The biggest change to Halo MP may well be the introduction of a new progression system that allows players to unlock in game content like weapons, AA and Armor mods.  Halo Reach had a similar progression system, but the unlocks were cosmetic only.  Your Spartan-4 will progress through 50 ranks.  After completing rank-50, you can select a specialization.  There are six specializations to choose from.  Each specialization contains 10 additional ranks As you progress through those rankes you will unlocking specialization-specific goodies.  After completing specialization rank 10 you unlock one of the specialization armor mods.  When the game is released you will only be able to choose from 2 of the specializations (unless you have the LE version, then you will have access to all 6 from the start). All together, your Spartan can reach a max rank of 110.

Plans for DLC

Wargames: 343 studios has already announced 3 future map packs.  They are scheduled for December '12, February '13, and May '13. The maps are included free with the LE version of the game.  If you don’t have the LE version you can purchase a separate season pass for $25.  Or you can buy each individual map-pack for $10.

Spartan-ops:  The first season of Spartan-ops (10 epiodes, 50 missions) is included for free with Halo 4.  Depending on popularity, there are plans for future seasons.  They have not discussed those plans.  

Important Note:  Microsoft has stated that in order to play Halo 4 MP gamers will need 8gigs of HDD pace available for a required install.  Though they have not said precisely what this is for, it has been speculated that this space is necessary to deliver to 1-2 hours of CGI being provided in the Spartan-OPs campaign.  In addition, like most MP games, the developer is recommending installing the entire game to ensure optimal performance.  In other words...delete some of the Demos you've never played, wipe out those 300 Skyrim saves, and make some room on that harddrive.

Halo Universe Explained: Part 7 - Halo 3 Aftermath

Halo 3 ends with the Chief destroying the Ark - the Forerunner Installation that builds Halos.  The race off the ark (the Warthog race that ends the game) has the Chief just barely making it onto the UNSC cruiser "Forward unto Dawn".  The cruiser tries to  jump slipspace, but just as it does the Explosion of the Ark hits the cruiser and rips it in two.  Half of the ship jumps safely away with crew in tack and is rescued by UNSC forces.  The tail end, where the Chief was, jumps away separately.  They survive, but with no working communication or navigation systems they are stranded, floating in space.  The rest of humanity believes the Chief is dead.  The legendary ending pulls out to show the Forward unto Dawn approaching a mysterious planet.

The events of Halo 3 seemingly ends the Halo threat.  Just as importantly, it ends the Covenant threat.  After realizing they had been lied to by the prophets all of the races that had been co-oped into the Covenant abandon the alliance.  The prophets that survive disappear.  The other minor races like the grunts and the Jackals are of little consequence to humanity.  Even the Elites (or Sangheili), the military wing of the Covenant seem of little threat because their leader - the Arbiter - has developed a respect for the bravery of the human race.  He desires to build a Sangheili/Human peace, so that the Elites can focus on rebuilding their home planet of Sanghelios.  The desire for peace is shared by the UNSC.  So all is well...

Not quite.  Turns out it is difficult for either side to move on after 30 years of a war of genocide.  There are factions on each side that are not willing to forgive and forget.  On Sanghelios, the Arbiter has a very lose grip on power.  A large faction of elites still want to destroy humanity.  For some it is still a religious matter - though they recognize the prophets lied, some still believe the Forerunner were Gods and still believe Humanity is an affront to those Gods.  Others simply do not trust humanity to keep any peace agreement. They want to finish humanity off before we have a chance to rebuild and grow stronger

There is one faction of humans who believe the same thing about the Elites - that once they rebuild, they will again turn their attention to destroying humanity.  The human intelligence community (ONI) knows that the Arbiter has a weak grasp on power.  They also know the faction opposing him want to finish humanity off.  ONI understand that given the 30 years of war, humanity needs a chance to rebuild.  So their objective is simple...make sure the Arbiter stays in power, while simultaneously funding the opposition to ensure the Arbiter's grip on power remains weak.  The idea is that if the Elites continue to fight each other, they can't fight humanity.  To do this ONI establishes a group of Agents known as Kilo-5 who make contact with the opposition and sells them weapons to use against the Arbiter.  Making this interesting is that the UNSC is unaware of ONI's mission and continues to work on a lasting peace agreement with the Arbiter.  So, one hand is shaking the Arbiter's hand, while the other is stabbing him in the back.

Another interesting element of the post Halo 3 universe is the role reversal.  Throughout the human-covenant war, the covenant had been technologically more advanced than humanity.  But after discovering a Forerunner-created planet (called a shield world) and unearthing a wealth of Forerunner knowledge that had been unknown even to the Covenant, humanity has become the most technologically advanced race in the galaxy.   Some of this advanced technology is used to build the Infinity - the 3.5 mile long starship that is the most advanced ship ever created by the UNSC.  The Infinity also houses the Spartan-4 program (which also benefits from the newly uncovered technology).  Both the Infinity, and the Spartan-4 program will play a significant role in Halo 4.

Also, the problems that humanity faced prior to the covenant war have returned.  The human insurrection that spawned the Spartan program has begun to once again gain power.  Interestingly, there is some evidence the human insurrectionists are being supplied Covenant weapons.  It is unknown, who is is providing them with weapons.  Turnabout is fair play I suppose.

So, If you have seen previews from Halo 4 and are wondering why the Chief is still fighting the Elites... this should explain that.  There is still a faction of Elites (and other races of the Covenant) that still worship the forerunners and want to see humans destroyed.