Gametypes
The gametypes I have come across so far include the regular Slayer and Team Slayer ones, with old favourites such as Crazy King and Single Flag CTF returning. I have also played a version of Territories called Land Grab (I think) where once a territory is captured it is locked to that team/player. Assault is now renamed Single Bomb – with the implication that there could be a Two Bomb variant. There is also Oddball, though I haven’t been in one of those games yet, plus a gametype called VIP. This seems to be a version of Juggernaut, where one member of each team has overshield, and the aim is to kill the opposing team’s VIP. When they are killed a different member of the team is designated the VIP. I’m not sure if the VIP has any further advantage than the overshield.
Weapons
The starting weapon is the revised Assault Rifle, and it’s a great general purpose weapon. There is less emphasis on dual-wielding, and a consequent increased variety in encounters, with more grenades and melee attacks being used. That said, the new Brute Spiker Gun seems designed to be dual-wielded, and is often found in pairs. I like it a lot, as it’s quite powerful at close and medium range. It feels more satisfying to use than the SMGs from Halo 2. I also like the new Brute Spike grenades. I find myself switching to them as soon as I pick any up. They stick to anything, and it’s very gratifying when you stick an opponent with one. Their blast radius seems small, but they’re deadly if you’re up close to one.
The new Spartan Laser is great fun. There’s nothing quite like unleashing a red ray of death across the map. It is slow to fire, and the targetting laser warns your intended target, giving them a chance to take cover. It has a limited number of shots – 5 I think. But it is extremely powerful. There are another couple of new weapons that fall under the category of heavy weapons – the Chain Gun and the Missile Pod. The Chain Gun can be removed from a turret and carried round, while the Missile Pod can be found lying around the place. When carrying either of these weapons, the camera switches to third-person view. You move much slower than normal, and you cannot switch weapons. The ammunition of both weapons is limited, and the Missile Pod can track targets – but possibly only vehicles. I have found both of these weapons to be of limited usefulness, but that is probably down to my own incompetence 🙂
All of the weapons from Halo 2 reappear with the exception (so far) of the Energy Sword and the human Pistol. They have all been tweaked to some extent. For example, the Plasma Pistol overcharge shot doesn’t track nearly as well as in Halo 2. The Carbine fires faster, and the Needler is now a weapon you want to find – it too has a greater rate of fire, and is great at medium range. The Plasma Rifle seems more powerful to me, and can often be found in pairs. It does seem to overheat quicker – just one of the balancing tweaks made to the weapons.