Bungie recently sat down with Game Informer and granted the magazine an exclusive interview. In the interview, Bungie detailed some more feature for the upcoming Halo: Reach, the most noteworthy being the 'Armor Lock' ability.
Josh Hamrick, sandbox designer for Reach, was quoted for describing the ability as
Sounds great, if just a bit overpowered. In response to that, Hamrick explained that, in order to keep things fair, players initiating the Armor Lock cannot move, aim, or shoot. Basically, they are stuck in place, but cannot be killed. Armor Lock can be initiated up to three times on one charge, or one players can sustain armor lock once for a few seconds. Sound good? Well wait, there's more!
Along with protecting players from impending doom, the Armor Lock also has a knockback feature, as well as functioning as an EMP, disabling all vehicles nearby when it is initiated. Hamrick explained
After all of that, the interview also hints at an unrevealed vehicle being made available in Reach. I am not sure how to feel about Armor Lock; it sounds like a really great feature, but it may very well change the way Halo can be played. Be prepared, as I'm sure Armor Lock will be a big part of Reach's upcoming beta! What do you guys think?
Josh Hamrick, sandbox designer for Reach, was quoted for describing the ability as
Unattributed Quote:
"...kind of a throwback to the old school bubble shield, but you always have it on your person and it's intended to keep you safe. It's kind of like a block. If your opponent closes on you with a shotgun or is about to land a melee blow or run you over with a vehicle, you can engage Armor Lock and become temporarily invulnerable."
Sounds great, if just a bit overpowered. In response to that, Hamrick explained that, in order to keep things fair, players initiating the Armor Lock cannot move, aim, or shoot. Basically, they are stuck in place, but cannot be killed. Armor Lock can be initiated up to three times on one charge, or one players can sustain armor lock once for a few seconds. Sound good? Well wait, there's more!
Along with protecting players from impending doom, the Armor Lock also has a knockback feature, as well as functioning as an EMP, disabling all vehicles nearby when it is initiated. Hamrick explained
Unattributed Quote:
"There is also a knockback and EMP blast component. The longer you hold your Armour Lock, the more pronounced the effect will be. There are three different tiers – if it’s just a short lock, I’ll get a small knockback and a tiny bit of EMP up to the max level, which is a much larger knockback and EMP blast. It’s really intended to say, “hey, you better not mess with me, I’m extremely dangerous even though I’m trapped in here!” It’s particularly effective against vehicles as well. Also, if you’re stuck with a plasma grenade or have needles in you, they’ll be knocked off when you engage Armour Lock."
After all of that, the interview also hints at an unrevealed vehicle being made available in Reach. I am not sure how to feel about Armor Lock; it sounds like a really great feature, but it may very well change the way Halo can be played. Be prepared, as I'm sure Armor Lock will be a big part of Reach's upcoming beta! What do you guys think?
