Halo 3: Recon Revealed at TGS

Author: Vince | Date: October 9, 2008

Bungie have finally revealed their big Halo 3 announcement at TGS by announcing a full blown expansion called Halo 3: Recon. It seems that most of the internet rumors were true, as the expansion will put you as a special forces Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) in the events leading up to the Master Chief’s return to Earth at New Mombasa, effectively making it a prelude to the events of Halo 3.

Included will be new multiplayer maps, all fully customisable in Forge mode, and more new forge objects. Whether these are the ‘Mythic’ maps mentioned in the new achievements has yet to be announced, but expect more news soon.

Currently pencilled in for a Fall 2009 release, H3: Recon will be released on traditional physical disc media rather than digital download over XBL. Read the full press release, including the cover artwork, after the break.

Developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by acclaimed developer Bungie, “Halo 3: Recon” is a stand-alone expansion that extends the award-winning “Halo 3” experience with hours of new campaign and multiplayer gameplay.* The release adds a new dimension to an all-encompassing universe that gamers around the world have known and loved for more than six years.

The new campaign chapter predates the events that unfold in “Halo 3” and gives players a new perspective through the eyes of a new hero in the “Halo” universe. New multiplayer maps ensure that the award-winning Xbox LIVE experience of “Halo 3” continues to thrive.

Features:

Top features include the following:

• All-new campaign content. The “Halo 3: Recon” campaign is an intriguing side story that takes place during the terrifying events leading up to the Master Chief’s return to New Mombasa in “Halo 3.” Experience the fate of Earth from the brand-new perspective of a special forces ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper), adding a unique outlook and new gameplay elements to the events that unfold in the trilogy’s finale. While the feel of this new chapter will greatly resemble that of previous “Halo” experiences, “Halo 3: Recon” will require players to employ more elements of stealth and cunning than ever before.

• A new hero: Prepare to drop. Known for their courage, valor and, at times, insanity, ODSTs are among the fiercest UNSC soldiers, priding themselves on being the first unit deployed into hostile situations. While not as large or supernaturally gifted as their Spartan comrades, these “Hell Jumpers” more than compensate with their ferocious attitudes and unwavering nerve.

• Expanded multiplayer collection. No “Halo” experience would be complete without groundbreaking multiplayer content,* and “Halo 3: Recon” gives fans more of what they love. With exclusive new maps and full Forge options, players will find more multiplayer content than ever before with “Halo 3: Recon.”

• Ever-growing community options. Players will continue to enjoy all the great “Halo 3” technological innovations, including Saved Films, screenshots, Campaign Scoring and four-player co-op. All of the new multiplayer maps fully support the Forge editor, offering endless gameplay customization possibilities for fans.

About “Halo”
“Halo 3” is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where “Halo 2” left off, answering questions about the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, “Halo 3” continues the franchise’s grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE.

Developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and is optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. “Halo 3” was released in 37 countries and 17 languages. To date, more than 24.8 million copies of the games in the “Halo” trilogy have been sold worldwide.

About Bungie
Bungie was founded in 1991 with two goals: to develop games that combine brilliant technology, beautiful art, intelligent stories and deep gameplay, and then sell enough of those games to achieve its real goal of total world domination. Over the past 10 years, it has produced games such as the “Marathon” trilogy and the first two “Myth” games, hailed as classics by critics and gamers around the world. Bungie’s “Halo” franchise is an international award-winning action title that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 24.8 million units worldwide, spawning action figures, books, a graphic novel, apparel and more. Bungie’s most recent masterwork, “Halo 3,” has sold more than 7.6 million units since its Sept. 25, 2007 release, and is continuing to grow and expand with new downloadable content and the “Halo 3: Recon” extension. Bungie became a private company, independent of Microsoft, in October 2007. More information on Bungie can be found at http://www.bungie.net.

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The information contained in this fact sheet relates to a pre-release product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect the product when it is first commercially released. This fact sheet is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the fact sheet or the information contained in it.

*Xbox LIVE Gold account required for online multiplayer gameplay