Additional Halo: CEA campaign details from PAX

I was fortunate enough to grab a spot in one of the last proper 3D showings of Anniversary today, and I have to say that I was impressed. I don’t own a 3D TV, and don’t plan to (I already wear glasses, why sport another pair?), but Halo almost had me changing my mind.

The 3D gameplay only works in the hi-res version of the Halo: CEA campaign — the classic mode remains untouched (as it should), and the multiplayer doesn’t use the feature as it’s using the Halo: Reach engine, don’t forget. If you’ve got a compatible TV and glasses, you should definitely use the 3D feature. It’s a system built by 343 Industries specifically for the game, and watching in action proved it’s spectacular (especially when using the needler) and doesn’t cause any system performance issues. It’s a truly magical experience, and I doubt I’ll say that again about any 3D feature for a good long while.

In addition to the 3D goodness, I also attended the Halo: CEA campaign panel which shed some new light on skulls in-game. Confirmed skulls include Grunt Birthday Party, the previously outed Grunt Funeral, and two newly released skulls: Malfunction, in which each player respawn randomly drops a segment off of your in-game HUB, and Boom, where explosion radiuses are doubled. It was also confirmed that skulls that have previously changed aggressor behaviour in-game will not be featured in CEA; this is to preserve the classic feel of the game so new animations and actions don’t take you out of the experience.

As with most additional features, the skulls (and terminals) in Halo: CEA will not appear in the game’s classic mode to preserve the feel of the game as it originally played 10 years ago. To use any of the game’s skulls, you’ll first have to track them down in each level, ala Halo 3, in the game’s hi-res mode.

I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on this title!