Firefight (Halo: Reach)
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| “ | It’s official. Firefight is back and better than ever. To get your drool on, go ahead and salivate over a Firefight that’s fully integrated into Halo: Reach’s matchmaking and topped off with an insane side of complete player customization, right down to each Set, Round, and Wave. And that’s just the beginning of the control you have over the experience.[1] | ” |
The Firefight game mode is featured in Halo: Reach, having originally debuted in Halo 3: ODST. Unlike ODST, Firefight was revamped in Reach to include a vastly expanded custom games system allowing for much more varied experiences then before. Due to the extent of the changes, the Reach iteration of Firefight is colloquially referred to as "Firefight 2.0".[1][2]
Overview[edit]
Firefight's return in Halo: Reach was marked by a drastic change in focus for the mode. In Halo 3: ODST, Firefight was debuted as a survival mode with (theoretically) infinite waves and limited resources; for Reach, the focus was shifted to customisability and a more arcade-styled focus that allowed for more varied playstyles (including the aforementioned survival focus). One major change from ODST was the addition of Firefight to multiplayer matchmaking, allowing prospective players to queue up with up to three other players to play Firefight. However, due to this online-focused shift, the default Firefight experience was shifted from infinite waves to only one round, allowing matches to finish in under 20 minutes. In addition, the updated gameplay mechanics of Reach, such as the player's energy shielding and generally less punishing gameplay, pushed Reach Firefight into a more casual playstyle.
The major focus of Reach Firefight was the custom game flexibility of the mode, with improvements made to allow users to save custom Firefight gametypes as they can any other mode. Custom gametypes can change almost any aspect of the experience including which enemies appear in what waves, skulls, the presence of dropships, map hazards, and the usual suite of player attributes (health, damage, ammo, movement speed, etc). A major addition was the new Custom Skull feature, which allows a player to create up to three preset Skulls (similar to the custom powerup) that can activate at specific times in the round and provide buffs or debuffs. If the traits or skulls are customised to player advantage, they are not counted for scoring purposes, with the game only counting points for time played and not enemies killed. In such a scenario, 1 point is awarded every minute.
The expanded featureset for Reach Firefight includes the option to fight against almost all of the enemies and NPCs in Reach - in particular Elites and Skirmishers which were not available in ODST, alongside a Firefight-exclusive set of "Heretic" enemies, which consist of Elites armed with human weapons. However, Engineers and Drones are not available in Firefight waves save for map-specific features, nor are Elite Zealots and Field Marshals. The Installation 04 map included in the Anniversary Map Pack includes a team of ODSTs to accompany and assist the player - a first in Firefight.
Other features included in Reach Firefight include the ability to use the target locator and night vision from the game's campaign. Elite players get access to a unique purple night vision filter, which cannot be used anywhere in the game outside of Firefight.
Player customisation[edit]
In Reach Firefight, players play as their multiplayer Spartan using the same custom armor as used in the rest of the game. However, unique to Firefight specifically are the addition of Firefight Voices - unlockable voice profiles for various characters from across the Halo series. These voices occasionally trigger while playing Firefight to say lines related to specific actions undertaken by the player.[3]
| Firefight Voices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Firefight voice | Unlock (Halo: Reach) | Unlock (Halo: The Master Chief Collection) |
 Noble Six |
Unlocked by default | Unlocked by default |
 Jorge S-052 |
10,000 cR | Series 1 Tier 77,  1
|
 Jun S-266 |
10,000 cR | Series 1 Tier 20, 1
|
 Emile S-239 |
10,000 cR | Series 1 Tier 35, 1
|
 Kat S-320 |
10,000 cR | Series 1 Tier 49, 1
|
 Auntie Dot [A.I.] |
15,000 cR | Series 1 Tier 56, 1
|
 Carter S-259 |
100,000 cR | Series 1 Tier 67, 1
|
 GYSGT Stacker |
||