Earlier today Bungie released the Invasion gametype for the BETA of Halo reach, this gametype involved new elite Armour set-ups, weapons a Vehicles.
Invasion comes in two modes, Invasion and Invasion slayer, Unfortunatly due to problems involving trying to upload my pictures to my fileshare to add them to this your just gonna have to use your imagination for Invasion slayer
Invasion
This is your typical Assault gametype like Unreal tournement but just without the announcer going crazy saying stuff like “GODLIKE!”
It starts out with a group of 6 spartans split into 3 groups of 2 facing of 6 elites also with the 3 groups of 2 set-ups the Elites start with 2 classes like the spartans with 2 classes, the Elites get the Plasma rifle (now known in this as the plasma repeater) 2 Plasma grenades and the evade ability OR they can choose the needler, Plasmas and the Camo abilty, Spartans can choose between Marksmen which is 2 frags, sprint and the DMR (the predicesor to the BR with 12 shots and single shot) and the scout which is AR, Pistol, Frags and Sprint.
Those who remaber me hating the Stalker setting I take it back, it is incredibly helpful for the first 2 parts of Invasion and it seems to be tweaked slighty, so long as you crouch walk now its incredibly hard see people camoed, and in this gametype its very important as Spartans have the range advantage while the Elites have the close combat advantage.
Elites have Evade and Plasma repeaters PLUS camo making them very tough to beat close range
if part ones is taken by the elites New Armour types, Weapons and Vehicles spawn, Elites just get an extra secondary to there stealth class and the Warrior class becomes Zealot meaning the Needler rifle is there primary, Spartans have there scout turn into a Gaurd class, baasically they get the standard guard, with the weapons the new weapon to make its debut in the BETA is the Spartan lazer…its pretty much the same as Halo so nothing to say about it, vehicles spawn as well, For the Elites they get the Wraith and Ghost meaning they dominate vehicle-wise at this point AND close combat though its all down to player skill at range now, the Spartans get the UNSC Warthog.
Here is my first complaint, the Warthog, the Wraith has been buffed up and is actually a force to be recconded with so thats fine, the Ghost is alot smoother meaning less cheap Ghost kills but the Warthog…For who don’t know the Warthog is a light attack vehicle, its basically a hybrid between a rover and a buggy with a big machine gun on the back, now its LIGHT armoured yet it can take 3 plasmas and still keep driving?
This warthog just survived 3 plasmas with a 4th about to turn it into the 4th of July
the Ghost is a light vehicle as well which brings to question the strenght of the Warthog, its gun has been weaked abit (or I had horrible gunners who knows) but its still ungodly strong in defence, However one good with the Warthog is hijacking, before you can hijack a guy and killhim before he even know what happens, however now when you hijack you automatically go in the drivers seat giving the driver a slim chance to get his ride back.
After the second area is taken by Elites both groups get 2 new armour set-ups and new vehicles, Elites get there Zealot replaced so here evade is now a jetpack, they also get a “chapion Zealot” whic is a Needler rifle, a Plasma repeater and stealth, and the gladiator which is evade, sword and plasma repeater, Spartans get guard with a shotgun (there origonal guard is replaced with the jetpack) ad the grenadier which is grenade launcher and the sprint abilty, the two vehicles are the Elites get Banshees and the Spartans get an old friend: the scorpion.
Ok next complaint, why do Spartans get the grenade launcher? its the second best anti vehicle gun minus the Lazer, PLUS its a good infantry killer.
Second why is the banshee so much weaker? yes yes its a light armoured air unit but somebody with an AR can beat one.
Amazing I have no complaint against the scorpion, its fire rate and damge has been increased but its health have been decreased (4 plasmas compared to the previous 7 in Halo 3). the Final objective in Invasion is the Elites must carry a core from inside the building to a waiting Phantom. basically if the Elites get the core outside the building you best hope your team are good because its normally all over, because of the weapons Spartans have a huge advantage indoors and the elites have the superority outdoors, also some Spartans have the dumb idea to wait where the elites take the core and campt that out, which works untill the Wraith, Banshee or stolen tank kill them all (trust me i’ve seen it happen).
I’ll hide near the goal point and wait for the core to come to me! I is genius!
My final complaint is that the game is to short maybe 5 minuetes per part, and unlike games like Team fortress 2 when the ELites capture an objective the time doesn’t add on, it just goes back up to 5 so if you captures the first objecctive in 1:25 you wouldn’t get 8:35 to win, you’d still have 5 minuetes.
Overall Invasion has a few bugs to iron out but its a BETA and thats what its for
Good:
-Intense gameplay
-Vehicles
-Elites now have more set ups
-new way to play Halo
-Seems something you MIGHT spend a good chunck of your day playing now
bad:
-Warthog way too strong armour-wise
-Grenade launcher as starter on Tier 3? Really?
-Elites go from close range to vehicle to open area superiority
-Banshee way too weak armour wise
Part 1 BETA score: 7.5/10
Part 2 BETA score: 8/10
Its defently improving but a few more bugs need to be ironed out but as i said, it IS a BETA.
Tune ín next week when I review Bungies last mode: Generator defence
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…