It is no secret that gamers are often struck by nostalgia and it’s become evident that those within the walls of Bungie Studios have been bitten by the bug as well.

As more and more gameplay footage, screenshots and trailers emerge it paints and ever brighter picture of what the salivating masses can expect to see come September 14th.

With the first glimpse of the ever iconic ‘Blood Gulch’ surfacing weeks ago, forums everywhere were lit ablaze with praise for Bungie and their flawless adaptation of the fan favourite. But as we were to find out, the pristine presentation of this map was just a mere introduction for what was to come.

Blood Gulch Gets A Facelift

Shortly after releasing details of the remake of ‘Blood Gulch’ (now known as ‘Hemorrhage’), we were gifted with an even bigger surprise, one that will change the face of halo forever.

Enter ‘Forge World’ a blank canvas that features five varied playing spaces with which players can create their very own maps and gameplay variants. The introduction of such a vast playing space will undoubtedy spawn countless maps and allow those with creative flair to flourish.

“Ze plane Boss, Ze plane!”

As we reeled from this game changing feature it wasn’t long before people started to see the countless benefits of such a tool. Community members with ever the keen eye for detail were quickly picking up hidden clues that lead us to believe that several remakes will make the grade, all courtesy of Forge World of course. Pictured below is a remake of the Halo 2 map ‘Ascension’ (now known as ‘Pinnacle’).

Yep we’re screwed, Spartans can fly now!

So you ready for more? That’s right, Bungie felt it necessary to keep spewing remakes straight from the belly of the Seventh Column… Hey, I’m not complaining!

Feast your eyes on ‘Reflection’ the shining remake of ‘Ivory Tower’.

It’s like staring into the sun!

Bungie have sought inspiration from the previous Halo titles borrowing heavily from the physics and gameplay mechanics that made Halo: Combat Evolved into a universal hit. However not to be left out in the cold is its sequel Halo 2, and as many have commented it appears that many staple maps that were featured in Halo 2 have either been directly ported into Halo: Reach or have been the inspiration for new maps that look to utilise many of the new features present in Halo: Reach.

None more so than the classic arena style map ‘Midship’ which was born again in Halo 3 as ‘Heretic’. It appears as though Bungie may not be done with the ‘Midship’ as they have borrowed heavily from the map with its newest iteration ‘Zealot’.

It tastes like Purple!

If for some reason your not impressed with Bungie’s offerings so far (and quite frankly if you’re not, there is just no pleasing you!), I’ve left the best for last.

When I viewed the video that the following screenshot is taken from, my jaw dropped. I was taken aback by what I was witnessing, Bungie has obviously been listening to the prayers of many die hard Halo: Combat Evolved fans and have offered up a slice of heaven (I’m hoping that come release, they’ll dish up the rest of this delicious cake). Featured below is the firefight map known as ‘Corvette’, for those who never played Halo: Combat Evolved it is the same playing space that was featured within the campaign level ‘Truth and Reconciliation’.

It’s like looking into the past!

The countless hours that have been put into developing these maps whilst ensuring that they do not detract from the look or feel of their predecessors is truly amazing.

My hat goes off to you Bungie and I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for us!

I was speaking to Mitch recently and we were joking about modifying particular Halo Reach Loadouts so they were more ‘World of Warcraft’ like.

We saw some serious ’suggestions’ for loadouts on the Bungie.net forums and one of those was ‘Horn’ – When used, the enemy is scared and runs in the opposite direction. Naturally, this suggestion was met with much hostility. My first reaction was ‘This isn’t WoW’. Needless to say, I did find it particularly hilarious!

Stealthed Spartan / Rogue Amongst the Battlefield

So we decided we would compile a short list ourselves together below by modifying some of the current loadouts, but if you have your own suggestions, leave them in the Facebook comment box below and we’ll add them to this list and credit you for it!

Camoflauge -
When activated, you become invisible for 10 seconds. Your first melee on an enemy target while stealthed stuns that enemy for 3 seconds. Must be behind the target.

Armor Lock -
You turn to stone, reducing all damage taken by 100% for 5 seconds. During this mode, you are allowed to attack and move, but will be restricted to only using a pistol. When Armor Lock fades, you take 50% increased damage for the next 5 seconds.

Hologram -
Summon a replica of your spartan to fight along side you for 15 seconds. The spartan will automatically follow you everywhere you go, attacking the same enemy you attack with his/her fists.

Sprint –
Increases your movement speed by an additional 35% for the next 10 seconds. While in sprint mode, your chance to dodge bullets or melees is increased by an additional 50%.

Jetpack -
You summon an attachable jetpack allowing you to fly for 10 seconds. Only useable in multiplayer maps that have 3 or more levels.

Fake Death -
You fake a death. Dramatically collapsing to the ground and potentially tricking your opponent into thinking you died. Lasts up to 6 seconds.

Heal -
When activated, allows you to heal a spartan on your team by meleeing them. Heal mode lasts 6 seconds and is only useable on one spartan per use, may not be used on yourself.

Now not to intentially bash the Bungie.net forums, there are occasionally some genuinely intelligent threads created for discussion, but every now and then you get some diamonds like the ones above. Stay tuned for more next week.

I can hardly wait already.

As the launch of Halo Reach draws nearer, we are running a nation-wide Halo related project and we need your help to complete the task, or atleast – do as best a job as we can do.

We plan to capture the atmosphere of as many midnight launches at possible. Obviously, it’s impossible for the 10 or so staff we have here to be in multiple places at once – so we are asking for support and assistance.

We need 1 person from each midnight launch event to be responsible for taking photos (and/or filming) if they so wish. We intend on creating a giant gallery that will create memories for years to come. We want people to look back on the this gallery and be like ‘I remember that night!’.

The photos you take will be featured on this site – and potentially, somewhere else special . If this is something you would be interested in helping us out with, please refer to this thread (on our newly themed forums), be sure to check the original post for further details.

For further or more specific information, please email chris @ haloreach.com.au.

So the time is fast approaching and as we count down the time between now and Halo: Reach’s release I would like to have a quick look back at what brought us to this point.

This whole thing started before the whole Xbox Live bonanza. Back to when if you wanted to play multiplayer it meant packing up your TV, Xbox, Chips, Soft Drinks and a sleeping bag, and got your parents to drop you round at your mates house so you could play this new game that everyone at school has been talking about – Halo: Combat Evolved.

And those humble beginnings are why this brand that Bungie have been able to foster is so successful. Not only was it a killer storyline that challenged you at every turn, but it was a game that excelled where other games consistently fail – replayability. Even after you had clocked through the Campaign on each difficulty, even Legendary! There was still what is still considered one of the best multiplayer components of any game to ever be made.

Halo: Combat Evolved

Long were the nights with 5 or 6 people all plugged into the same power point screaming at each other for screen looking or cheering about a clutch kill that won a game or stopped a flag being captured. Or the random games of Destruction Derby on Blood Gulch where kills in anything but a vehicle were venomously lauded.

This in turn spawned an even greater plateau, the competitive scene. For me it was SXLC and the chaos and friendship that ensued will never be forgotten. Some of the best, and worst, times were spent in the hallways of SXLC where quality matches were being played and above all fun was being had. The success of those LANS helped spawn many tournaments throughout Halo 2 and 3.

And that brings us to the most anticipated game, probably, ever. The midnight release, the ability to go online and pwn n00bs. All these things made the hype of Halo 2 skyrocket. And as a whole the game delivered. The frantic games online brought new foes and friends alike and I can remember sitting in a full lobby for about 3 hours and not playing a game because we were all too busy having a good old chat.

Halo 2

It introduced us to a whole new Halo family and culminated in what was at the time the largest, most organised Xbox Competition to be organised. The Bigpond Tournament in Sydney. Putting faces to people you had been playing with, talking with on the forums, or arguing with was awesome. And once again a Spectre run event went off with minimal fuss and maximum fun.

Halo 3, probably the most popular statistically of all the games, was a beast in itself. Taking what we thought could be done and blowing it out of the water. New maps, new enemies, play as an Elite??? What are they thinking? But after all the bugs and tweaks and pulls of the community after the Beta they developed once again, as they had since Halo: CE, a game that, try as you might, you couldn’t help but put the hours into. But by this stage the feeling of community, the LANS, the comps, the scene, had been taken over by the convenience of the internet and Xbox Live.

It is our hope, here at HaloReach, that we are able to put foot to arse on the community side of things and get back to were playing Halo meant having fun with your friends, competing against each other, getting reacquainted with old friends and making new ones. In essence breathing life back into the Halo Scene.

So when you pick up your copy of Halo: Reach on September 14th; I hope that your answer to my question, in the title of this article will be, with us.

Bungie have announced that Halo: Reach will be released on September 14, 2010.
Source: Bungie.net

Biggest Blockbuster Game of the Year ‘Halo: Reach’ Launches Sept. 14, 2010

More than 2.7 million players make history with record-shattering demand for the “Halo: Reach” multiplayer beta.

REDMOND, Wash., May 24, 2010 – The most anticipated game of the year is making its worldwide debut this September. “Halo: Reach,” the blockbuster prequel to the best-selling video game franchise and hailed as the No. 1 game series of all time,(1) will leave its mark on the entertainment landscape when it launches worldwide, starting Sept. 14, 2010, and in Japan on Sept. 15.

Developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by acclaimed studio Bungie, “Halo: Reach” drops players back into the iconic universe they love so they can experience the birth of the “Halo” legend. During the past 10 years, the “Halo” franchise has inspired multiple New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more, and it has sold more than 34 million games worldwide to date.

“‘Halo: Reach’ is the culmination of a decade of ‘Halo,’ a franchise that has become a global entertainment and pop-culture touchstone,” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios at Microsoft Corp. “Just as ‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ catalyzed the success of the original Xbox to define a decade of entertainment, ‘Halo: Reach’ will push the boundaries for what’s possible in video games and help make 2010 the biggest year in Xbox history.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that ‘Halo: Reach’ will be one of the biggest games and hottest entertainment products of the year,” said Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop. “Pre-orders for ‘Halo: Reach’ have been off the charts, with fans snapping up the limited and legendary editions since they were introduced just a month ago. Overall, it’s a real testament to the passion of the ‘Halo’ fan base.”

Consumers Help Make History With Record-Breaking “Halo: Reach” Beta

As a testament to the anticipation for its release, more than 2.7 million “Halo” fans helped make entertainment history this month by participating in the “Halo: Reach” multiplayer beta on Xbox LIVE, making it the largest console video game beta test on record and more than triple the size of the “Halo 3″ beta. Players completed more than 13 million online games and logged over 16 million hours of online gameplay, amounting to over 1,826 years of total play time in just over a two-week period. The data and user feedback gathered from the beta will help Bungie and Microsoft further refine the game and deliver a blockbuster experience that fans have come to expect from the “Halo” franchise.

“Halo: Reach” follows the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers as they make their final stand on planet Reach, humanity’s last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth. Representing the best-in-class multiplayer elements that have become the hallmark of the “Halo” series, “Halo: Reach” offers the most action-packed multiplayer experience yet on Xbox LIVE. The “Halo: Reach” experience is completed with an intense campaign, an unparalleled suite of features and stunning new visuals powered by groundbreaking new technology.

“Halo: Reach” represents an enormous evolution for the genre-defining “Halo” games, and is testament to Bungie’s 10 years of experience crafting amazing experiences. During the past decade, “Halo” fans have demonstrated their commitment to the franchise by logging more than 2 billion hours of gameplay on Xbox LIVE, sharing millions of pieces of user-generated content, creating original “Halo” machinima series and even holding “Halo” themed weddings.

“Halo: Reach” is available for preorder in standard, limited and legendary editions at participating retailers worldwide. The standard edition has an estimated retail price of $59.99 (U.S.), and the limited and legendary editions of the game will retail for $79.99 and $149.99 (U.S.), respectively. The limited and legendary editions of “Halo: Reach” are packed with extras that fans won’t want to miss. The centerpiece of the legendary edition is a 10-inch-tall, hand-painted and individually molded Noble Team statue crafted by the expert artisans at McFarlane Toys. As a special bonus, fans can receive a token to unlock an exclusive in-game Spartan Recon Helmet, by picking up a copy of the game on launch day at North American retail stores, and outside of North America by making a pre-order reservation at participating retailers.

(1) According to a recent reader poll by Guinness World Records.

Halo Reach Beta – Stockpile On Powerhouse
Another clip taken from the Halo Reach Beta, this time Stockpile on Powerhouse. Another demonstration of a few more weapons and map terrain.

Halo Reach Beta – Stockpile On Sword Base
A clip from our very own Chris Hamilton playing the Stockpile gametype on Sword Base. Demonstrating the potentially overpowered use of the Plasma Launcher.

Name: Chris Hamilton

From: www.haloreach.com.au

About: Chris Hamilton is a longtime Halo enthusiast and contributor to the Australian Halo community. Chris is a writer for www.haloreach.com.au but has also been apart of www.xboxworld.com.au and www.gamersworld.com.au.

If you’ve seen the Bungie.net forums lately, you’ll notice the constant bug / glitch reporting going on in the Halo Reach Beta Feedback forum. While there are plenty of people pointing out the errors and the bad things about the beta, I thought I’d be a little different and point out the good things.

Spartans VS Elites

Firstly, having the Magnum to start is an absolute blessing. At range, yes, you generally get beaten by a DMR or Needle Rifle, but up close (if you’re accurate) neither of those guns stands a chance against the Magnum. When used well with either sprint or camoflauge, the Magnum truely is one of the better additions to the weapon sandbox.

Stockpile is actually alot of fun when you’re playing with seven other people who are taking it serious. The mad rush you make to the oppositions flags to quickly chuck them out of their in zone while also trying to defend your own can really end up being quite a memorable experience. The fact that it still is different to traditional capture the flag modes makes this great for a change.

Invasion is a blast and a great escape from the regular competitive gametypes that go on throughout matchmaking. People seem to take Invasion less seriously and simply enjoy it for what it is. It was great to see Bungie remove the DMR from Spartan Spawn Phase 1. It shows great committment from them to deliver an enjoyable experience for all people playing.

The Plasma Launcher is an absolutely awesome weapon. When used properly you can rack up a stack of kills with it. Charging up four plasma grenades and spraying is not only fun, but its also funny to watch. I don’t enjoy being on the receiving end of it though.

Noble Team

Sword Base is my favourite map out of all four so far. In saying that, i’ve always been a fan of open multi-level maps such as Prisoner, Hang Em High, Damnation etc, so it’s no surprise im fond of Sword Base.

Plasma Grenades work pretty much perfectly. I know there’s alot of discussion about the frag grenades, but the Plasma Grenades to me feel pretty much spot on.

The increased field of view is also a very welcome addition. I absolutely hated the tunnel vision that Halo 2 & Halo 3 felt like. A wider field of view does make the overall playing experience far more enjoyable – and who doesn’t like being able to see more of the awesome Halo terrains?

Oh and one final mention to the noises Elites make. Funny stuff.

What are your likes (or even dislikes) about what you’ve seen and played so far in the Halo Reach Beta? Let us know your thoughts using our comment box below.

Halo Reach ViDoc: Carnage Carnivale
The latest Halo Reach Multiplayer ViDoc released by Bungie, containing brand new clips, uses of new weapons, and a good look at the Halo Reach Beta maps – Sword Base & Powerhouse.