VaderRx presents:

In a recent article from CVG, they discussed a list of things they’d like to see in Halo 4. New enemies, more open levels, and multiplayer bots were among the features they are hoping for. With this being the eve of the Microsoft XBox 360 Showcase in San Francisco where a Halo 4 reveal is rumored, I have compiled a list of things that I’d love to see in the game.

1. Faster multiplayer…
I miss the days of a fast-paced Halo multiplayer experience. In all honestly, Reach feels like you are moving very slowly in comparison to the previous titles. Play a couple of matches in the “Anniversary Classic” playlist and then go back in to regular Team Slayer to see what I mean. With the game moving so slowly, it takes some of the adrenaline rush out the experience. It also drags games out longer than they need to be, especially on larger maps. It takes forever to get back to your teammates or the objective when you respawn. Crank that speed back up 343!

2. AT LEAST 8 original, competitive multiplayer maps at release…
I’m a huge fan of small to mid-sized maps, as well as maps that are laid out in a manner that encourages strategy and cooperation to succeed. Most of the maps in Reach are lacking in this area. Also I don’t want to see an excessive amount of Forge maps in matchmaking, and the ones that are in there need to have separate stats on Waypoint. Lastly, if there have to be community maps in matchmaking, keep them in their own playlist. I don’t want to be forced to play them.

⇑ CLICK HERE to expand and read #3-5!

3. Bring back a SKILL based rank system…
Sure, it is neat to reward the people that put hours into the game. Give them credits, or let them have special armor unlocked. That said, in terms of rank Halo must return to a skill based system. I used to hate playing second-accounters or people that bought 50′s in Halo 3 as much as the next guy, but I want to be ranked on how skilled I am at the game. I want to be able to quickly size people up in the pregame lobby based on how good they are at the game, not by how many hours they’ve been able to grind out with no regard to skill. Oh…and winning needs to be a major component in the formula. No more rewarding people for killing 200 people in a King of the Hill match with zero time in the hill.

4. No Flood please, and more new enemies…
The Flood was a good idea, but it is a little worn out. There has been speculation that there will be no Covenant in Halo 4, but toy mockups have suggested that may not be the case:

I wouldn’t mind seeing a few species that were in the Covenant here and there, but I don’t want them to be the main enemies again.

5. A good, solid “main” weapon…
I don’t care if they bring back the old Battle Rifle, fix the slow-paced shooting/bloom of the DMR, or give us something completely new. I just want a gun where if I’m head to head with a player that is inferior to me, he is going to be dropped, and if I’m up against a better player I will be the one waiting for a respawn.

From PCMag:

“Happy almost-tenth birthday, original European Xbox!

It almost sounds like we’re splitting hairs in that sentence, but that’s exactly what Microsoft plans to celebrate come March 14 of this year – ten years since the launch of the original Xbox console for the PAL territories. And to celebrate, fans of the Xbox’s successor – the Xbox 360 – are going to be able to get their hands on an exclusive “anniversary bundle” before anyone else.

According to The Examiner, Amazon France has spilled the beans on the details of the new Xbox 360 bundle hitting Europe. The bundle will include a 250-gigabyte version of the Xbox 360, a three-month gold subscription to Xbox Live, two wireless controllers, and digital versions of three games: Gears of War 2, Fable 3, and Halo: Reach. The game Halo: Anniversary is also included within the bundle, but it’ll be on a disc instead of a digital copy.

Other than that, Microsoft doesn’t appear to have done anything special with the bundle as-is: No custom design for the Xbox 360 or its controllers and not even the addition of a pretty little “10th” decal, nor anything to that regard. Only the box itself makes mention of the fact that the bundle marks the Xbox’s tenth birthday.”

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

Blastin’ and Relaxin’
Kill 180 enemies in any game mode in Reach.
2343cR

Demon
Kill 30 Elites in Firefight Matchmaking.
2400cR

Be Their Huckleberry
Kill 100 enemies in Firefight Matchmaking with the pistol.
2500cR

Weapon Swap
Earn 10 sprees in a Firefight Matchmaking game on Heroic or harder.
2000cR

It looks like we are getting an unexpected playlist update this month for Reach, courtesy of 343 Industries!  The changes are plentiful, so CLICK HERE to visit Halo Waypoint and see the news on this week’s Halo Bulletin.  The new playlists will launch January 10th.

Gunslinger
Kill 150 enemies in multiplayer Matchmaking.
5500cR

A Walk in the…
Kill 1000 enemies on Beachhead in Firefight Matchmaking.
3000cR

L.D. Pillar
Complete The Pillar of Autumn, without dying, with Mythic, Thunderstorm, Tilt, and Touch Luck on.
5000cR

Not as Clumsy or Random…
Earn 5 kills with precision weapons in a multiplayer Matchmaking game
2000cR

LazyGamer has an interesting theory about the release of Halo 4 on another platform other then the XBox 360:

“The first is obviously the Xbox 360 and the second is what I’m calling the XBN or XBox Next. Yes the rumour is actually stating that instead of using Halo 4 or 5 to launch a new console the new idea is to launch on both platforms at the same time and allow cross platform gaming. The theory behind it is that you’ll have Halo 4 on your lowly Xbox 360 and then your friend down the street will get a XBN and Halo 4 and you’ll be utterly blown away by the graphical improvement.”

I personally doubt this rumor, because if a new system was coming out in a mere eleven months, surely we’d already know about it. Interesting nonetheless, and we will know for sure before too long.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Covenant-cide
Kill 120 enemies in Firefight Matchmaking.
3200cR

Just Holdout
Kill 150 enemies on Holdout in Firefight Matchmaking.
2500cR

It was the Winter…
Complete Winter Contingency on Legendary without dying.
3000cR

Up Close and Personal
Kill 5 enemies with close quarters combat in a multiplayer Matchmaking game.
2343cR

Weekly Challenge:   

All in a Week’s Work
Kill 500 enemies in multiplayer Matchmaking this week.
20343cR

Daily Challenges:
   

One Spartan Army
Kill 100 enemies in Firefight Matchmaking.
2000cR
 
Support StructureEarn 30 assists in Firefight Matchmaking.
2250cR

 
Hyper Lethal Vector
Kill 150 enemies with headshots in Firefight Matchmaking.
1125cR
 
Inclement Weather
Complete a Campaign mission on Heroic or harder with the Thunderstorm Skull on.
3000cR

Light Fare
Kill 100 enemies in any game mode in Reach.
3000cR
 
Cook ‘em, Clean ‘em!
Kill 5 enemies in multiplayer Matchmaking while you’re jet-packing.
1000cR
 
L.D. Pillar
Complete The Pillar of Autumn, without dying, with Mythic, Thunderstorm, Tilt, and Touch Luck on.
5000cR
 
The Little Guys
Kill 125 Grunts in Campaign today on Normal or harder.
2000cR