Bungie has revealed that, in spite of head writer Frank O'Connor suggesting otherwise,
Halo 3 will feature online four player co-op.
In an update on its website, Bungie tells us:
“Of course we were working on it, but we were also working on something better. Not two player co-op. Not three-player co-op, but up to four player co-op. Online. On Xbox Live, or sure, System Link if you prefer.”
This comes after Frank O'Connor indicated that
design issues would prevent online co-op being available upon Halo 3's release.
Bungie tells the world that it was, in fact, a bit nervous about revealing it. “We wanted to make sure all our t's were crossed and our i's are dotted before unveiling this important new part of
Halo 3’s Campaign mode” the update says. “Apart from the horrifying network challenges this new mode presented us, were the various gameplay balance issues it adds to the fray. So, we got it all together, polished it, and that’s why we’re revealing it now”.
Bungie also opted to avoid having the “slightly surreal compromise of two identical Master Chiefs” running around together for “fictional reasons”. Instead, Bungie tells us, “Player one will control the Master Chief, player two will control the Arbiter and players three and four will get the chance to control two brand new Elite characters.”
Expect more details to emerge on how the co-op will work, as Bungie tells us, “we’ll be revealing some more ways to make the game more interesting and challenging for multiple players in the very near future.”
For all the latest
Halo 3 news and screens, visit SPOnG's
dedicated game page. You can find out what SPOnG thought about
Halo 3's competitive multiplayer element
here.Thanks to SPOnG member, PreciousRoi for pointing this out.