Halo 3: ODST Additional Firefight Details Exposed

Katrina "ShadokatRegn" Pawlowski September 2nd, 2009 at 12:43 PM

This hurts me more than it hurts you...

As the release of Halo 3: ODST rapidly approaches, we're getting a few more of the gritty details emerging from the woodwork. Unfortunately, we've got some disappointing details this time, specifically about the highly anticipated Firefight mode. Buckle your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

First and foremost, a few of our community members discovered that Halo 3:ODST will have the same online-to-local co-op restrictions as Halo 3. 2 players per console, period. Yes, that does include Firefight mode.

"That means in order to play on the same screen as four friends, you’ll have to System Link a couple of Xboxs together with two copies of the game. A little disappointing, but this also applies to the similar Horde mode in Gears of War 2 and Left 4 Dead as well."

Or, you can play 2 players local, and 2 players online - still a bummer of a restriction for those stoked for Halo 3: ODST's Firefight mode.

The second Firefight restriction noted, was the lack of a Matchmaking mode. That's right, Halo 3: ODST will not have matchmaking for Firefight mode. You'll be dependent to rally your troops on your own - good thing you have us, Right?

"Unfortunately it seems you will have to rely on your friends, or recent players, list to play ODST with anyone…for Firefight is based upon the co-op model of Halo 3, according to Bungie Producer Curtis Creamer."

Halo 3's Matchmaking mode only works for versus games; in order to organize a co-op night, you have to know the people you co-op with. For Firefight mode, however, it feels like that should have come standard given the type of co-op it is.

As a reminder, there will be no duel-wielding weapons in ODST, the mysterious Covenant race called the "Engineers" will finally make an appearance, and we will see the return of the Mortal Kombat style announcer to reward us vocally when we get a "TRIPLE KILL!"

And finally, Editors personal downer; My beloved Elites will not be making an appearance in Halo 3: ODST. A piece of me died when I learned that the Elites were completely left out of the Halo 3: ODST storyline, for whatever good reason. First, we lost our "WOTWOTWOT," when Halo 2 taught Elites to speak, and now they're just a memory.

Source: Link

Tags: xbox 360 preview halo 3 odst firefight

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16 Total Reader Comments

Biohzrd451 at 07:52 AM on 9.2.2009

I will def wait on the price to drop on ODST before I pick it up.

Mrxknown_JG at 08:38 AM on 9.2.2009

The Elite issue is tied to the whole civil war arc that started min-Halo 2

Still I look forward to the hands-on responses the forums will ignite...

smurphster at 08:48 AM on 9.2.2009

right.. the elites all left on the ship you see jumping to hyperspace while you're falling in your pod. the rest (brutes, grunts, hunters, jackals) were left behind to clean up. that was one of the first things bungie announced about the game and there was much disappointment. i'll miss them but it'll still be a blast. besides, if sequels never changed the formula, we'd lose interest.

that first quote makes no sense. i think he meant "same room" not "same screen". although i suppose you could hook up 2 xboxes to the same screen through some sort of high-tech gadgetry.

ShadokatRegn at 09:15 AM on 9.2.2009

Firefight has no story; and Sgt Johnson will be there, so why not a few Elites to go with?

smurphster at 09:23 AM on 9.2.2009

sgt johnson is like a gold lancer or warthog with painted flames, ... they all deserve a "wtf"

but yeah, that's a good point.

txshurricane at 09:40 AM on 9.2.2009

Elites will still be playable on the second disc. I don't think that counts, though.

blakepro at 09:44 AM on 9.2.2009

When I saw that I was like... WHAT!?? You only need one TV!? That would make mini LAN parties SOOOO much easier to pull off!

So I guess based on smurphsters response, thats not the case? you can only have two people on one screen so to do 4 player couch, you would need two copies of the game, two xbox 360's, and two TVs.... right?

smurphster at 09:46 AM on 9.2.2009

there we go... kat, we'll jump in a custom halo 3 game and i'll be an elite just for you to shoot at. i can't do the fancy strafe and dive moves they did in halo 1 though

@blakepro: yes

morris694 at 11:09 AM on 9.2.2009

i can't wait for the game it looks sweet. i hear word that the games been leaked. "it looks like Microsoft and Bungie are having an issue with keeping Halo 3: ODST out of the hands of eager players until its official release date. CVG reports that Microsoft is investigating what they call "a very small breach" in their distribution chain that resulted in a number of Halo 3: ODST copies leaking out in France nearly a month before its September 22 release" I am betting that with that little so called leak it has made its hands to pirates

blakepro at 11:15 AM on 9.2.2009

I read that they are somehow figuring out who is playing the game without a legitimate copy and banning their live accounts if they connect online. I suppose its a lot easier before the release of the game...

hedgehogaj at 11:20 AM on 9.2.2009

Mabye Elites will be playable DLC characters.

smurphster at 11:49 AM on 9.2.2009

even if you play it offline, your xbox will upload your activity as soon as you sign in again.

i doubt there are many lagit copies out there. probably only bungie employees and people who had something to do with the project (nathan fillion definitely has a copy). i don't think they sent out any press copies since they've been inviting press to the studio to try it and they've been showing it off at other venues.

Antilogic at 02:28 PM on 9.2.2009

thats not a really disappointment for me...I don't really like online play and the most important thing to me is to combine splittscreen and System Link like in L4d...I raged a lot when I realized that you can't mix those syslink/splittscreen in the CoD Waw Zombie mode

ong_elvin at 05:10 PM on 9.2.2009

Hmm... leaked in France eh? Sounds familiar. Halo 2 was also leaked in France a few weeks prior to worldwise release.

As for the players... the players have done nothing wrong per se. There is no reason to ban the people who have already paid for the game. All that does is alienate the fans, without addressing the actual problem. A similar thing happened with the Halo 2 Map Pack release in Australia. Several retailers sold it one week early. Nobody was banned over it. The fact every retailer released the Map Pack early and also went on to sell copies of Halo 3 suggests to me it was a fault on the part of Microsoft, not the retailer.

It is the distributors who have screwed up. Thus, Microsoft will go after the distributors, not the consumer. Further, copies won't work without console modding, and modded consoles are banned from online play to begin with. So there's no problem with the consumer.

Torg001 at 07:14 PM on 9.2.2009

It will still be 4 players, 1 screen local, won't it? But only 2 players split screen online, just like Halo 3 was, right?

txshurricane at 08:58 PM on 9.2.2009

For the versus modes, yes. The co-op campaign in Halo 3 was 2 players for local or online splitscreen.
Likewise, Firefight mode and the new campaign will be 2 players only per machine.