15 Years Later, Halo Is Reviving One Of Its Coolest Multiplayer Experiments
Invasion of a classic.
It’s been 15 years since Bungie concluded its tenure with the series that put it on the map. And the most recent game in the Halo series is celebrating the occasion with the return of a classic, experimental multiplayer mode.
Halo: Infinite is bringing back Invasion, the asymmetrical, objective-based multiplayer mode last featured in 2010’s Halo: Reach. The mode has a team of eight attackers pushing to complete an objective, such as capturing a point on a map or bringing a flag back to their base, while a defending team seeks to shut them down. The two teams alternate until one side earns three victories. If both teams are successful in their bid, both walk away with a feel-good win.
Attackers and defenders can choose from specific loadouts that are conducive to the side they’re on. Similar to Battlefield, players can spawn on their teammates or “buddies,” so they can get back into the fight quicker. Another cool wrinkle of the original was that attackers were typically outfitted as more durable Spartans, while defenders were the faster Covenant.
In this redux version of Invasion, the game type mostly plays out the same, save for a few tweaks. For one, both sides are the standard Spartan, with one being called the UNSC and the other called the Banished. Infinite’s Invasion mode will also feature custom versions of existing maps created by players in the community, as well as the return of two classic maps, Breakpoint and Recovery. Needless to say, Halo Studios has done a pretty good job making this feel like a proper updated version of the classic competitive mode.
The new mode is part of Infinite’s big Fall update called Operation Warpath. The update includes a new Lancer armor set and UEG Regalia parade coating, which all players can earn if they unlock 20 tiers in this season's free battle pass. For those who upgrade to the premium battle pass, a new weapon skin and a sick-looking Spartan helmet modeled after the historical Greek soldiers of old (check out the trailer above to see it in action).
The free tier of this season’s battle pass will be available until October 7. For those who upgrade to the premium tier, there will be no expiry date for when these unlocks will be available.
Halo: Infinite has been celebrating the upcoming anniversary of Halo: Reach for a few months now. During the last season, the game introduced the Falcon, an air vehicle that was last featured in Halo: Reach, as well as a new alien rifle called the Vestige Carbine. The Vestige Carbine is modeled after the Needler Rifle, a Covenant weapon known for its sniper-like qualities.
As a big fan of Reach, it’s nice to see this entry get the admiration it deserves from the current developer at the helm. While Reach wasn’t as popular as 2007’s Halo 3, I firmly believe it’s Bungie’s best work in the franchise. It marked a high point for the series before the Bellevue-based developer went on to develop the MMORPG-shooter hybrid, Destiny.
