There’s Something About Halo 3: Recon

The developer of the Halo series, Bungie Studios, sure knows how to throw a birthday party. On September 25, exactly one year after the release of Halo 3, Bungie tantalized gamers with footage from an upcoming expansion for their most popular franchise. The trailer showcased a major city being ravaged by a cloud of landing pods, followed by the tagline “Prepare to Drop.” Forum boards ignited with speculation, while Bungie remained quiet. But thankfully, answers were finally revealed at October’s Tokyo Game Show: Halo 3: Recon is coming in Fall 2009.

Here’s the debut trailer, to tantalize you like it did so many recently:

As the above trailer shows, players will not be taking the role of series staple Master Chief, but rather as a yet-unnamed Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (which were first seen in the Halo 2 level “Helljumpers”). According to a Q and A posted on Bungie.net, Recon takes place during the Halo 2 timeline, “just after the slipspace rupture on New Mombasa” that “took place as [the Covenant ship] Regret left the planet… players will learn more about what happened on New Mombasa during some of the events of Halo 2.” Though the trailer does show Brutes patrolling the streets after the ODST landing, this timeline would mean that the Elites are still a part of the Covenant and, thus, may potentially be an enemy. Less exciting (to me, at least) is that this allows for the Flood to still be around, meaning we could potentially face another patience-testing level in the vein of Halo 3’s “Cortana.”

Most interesting to me, however, is how playing as an ODST might completely change many of the gameplay aspects that have been a staple of the Halo franchise. Obviously, the ODST is not wearing the iconic MJOLNIR armor that adorned the Master Chief, meaning he/she may not have rechargeable shields. Might the series return to the health bar from Halo: Combat Evolved?

Even more indicative of a gameplay shift is the ODST’s new gun, which appears to be an SMG modified with a silencer. Though Bungie states that Recon is “definitely still a Halo game as you’ve come to know it,” a silencer indicates that much more emphasis will be placed on stealth than in the series’ past. Might we see a Halo-themed version of the “All Ghillied Up” stage from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare? One can only hope.

As far as story goes, the focus on reconnaissance could lend this installment a spy-like flavor, maybe tapping into elements established by series like Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid. Could there be other conspiracies entwined in the Covenant’s plans? We’ll also likely see how the Covenant locates the portal to the Ark, as well as more details on the shift from Elite to Brute as the right-hand species to the prophets; but seeing as how these details were already established in Halo 2 and 3, hopefully they won’t be the focus of the game’s story.

Possibly the most important aspect of the Halo franchise’s success has been the extensive multiplayer options, and Recon promises to keep up this tradition. Not only will it include the Mythic Map Pack (which will be released first, in the spring), it will also include maps that are themed after the levels found in the campaign mode. And for those Gamer Point hounds out there, the campaign will provide 1000 more points to diligent players.

So should you be excited about Halo 3: Recon? For those of you who contributed to Halo 3’s $170 million first day intake, the answer is likely a resounding “yes.” For those of you who were not impressed by the series’ previous entries, the new gameplay elements (when we know specifically what they are) might garner a second look. There are already several people in the gaming community who have voiced negative opinions about this upcoming installment, but I remain hopeful that Recon won’t be just a rehash of the first three games. The elements are in place for this game to be an exciting new experience for Halo fans, so maybe next fall will be another of Bungie’s birthdays for us to remember.