Prepare to Drop: Trailer
On Thursday morning at 7:07 a.m. PST, Bungie released a trailer for their Expansion for the Campaign of Halo 3.
Early Thursday morning, a trailer revealing appeared on the Xbox Live Marketplace . It’s difficult to determine whether the trailer is an expansion of Halo 3, or a new game entirely. In the trailer, the Halo 3 logo is shown, as well as the words, “Prepare to Drop“.
On the Xbox Live Marketplace, the description reads:
“High action and deep mystery await players in the new Halo 3 campaign experience. Prepare to drop!”
Bungie had originally intended to make this announcement during E3 2008, but had their plans changed by their publisher Microsoft. Before changing, a mysterious counter had appeared on Bungie.net which was stopped, and then returned on Wednesday, Sep. 24th 2008.
Many speculated that this announcement could have been for the now confirmed “Mythic Map Pack“. According to Bungie.net, “We do have new maps still coming to Halo 3 but the release specifics are still being worked out with our partners.“
Prepare to Drop
The “Prepare To Drop” trailer is filled with hidden clues about the upcoming Expansion Pack for Halo 3. We’ve put together an analysis of important frames so you don’t have too.
Right from the start, we see a covenant cruiser flying somewhere in New Mombosa. It’s assumed that this is just moments before Regret makes his jump in New Mombasa in Halo 2. Several seconds later, we see a huge explosion which may be caused by the slipspace rift.
Confirmation that this is in fact New Mombasa, and it has been evacuated.
We see a series of drop pods closing in on New Mombasa, coming in two different directions. The Super Intendent AI targets the ones dropping to the right, and displays a message “AUTH.NEGATIVE”.
In the same few frames as above, the message, ‘ACTIVATING SUBROUTINE “VERGIL”‘ and “WARNING! DATA LEAK ON LEVEL 9!” are displayed. These messages show up several times in short intervals throughout the teaser.
After the huge slipspace rift, everything goes dark, and a sequence of messages display very rapidly on the screen. “Maddie, Where are you?” is one of the messages.
“Danger.Flood Zone” is another one of the messages.
Following these messages, we find a possible release date for Halo: Prepare to Drop. Hidden in some meaningless text is a date that reads 01/06/09.
A lone drop pod emerges at 53 seconds. There is no indication why emphasis has been put on it, but it could perhaps contain our protagonist(s). Could it be the chief? We doubt it since it wouldn’t seem to make sense with the timeline.
Rather, we like to believe that the first series of drop pods were all wiped out by the slipspace rift. In response, a team is deployed, but only one (perhaps the only one that remains?)
This fits in nicely with the recent posts by the Super Super Intendent on Bungie.net:
[COMM.DUTY.OFFICER]: “Listen. We have a report of core data corruption.” Corrupted by the blast?
[COMM.DUTY.OFFICER]: “We’re sending a team, alright?” Officer is sending team to the corrupted SI?
[SMN.ACTUAL]: “Empty archer pods six through twelve!”…
[SMN.ACTUAL]: “It may have passed us, Lieutenant, but it’s still in range.”…
[EXPLOSION (2.3482s)]
[STATIC (3.8761s)] Pods are deployed — the ship is still in range (on Earth) — then a long explosion and static. Coincidentally, the Explosion and static is nearly precisely the same amount of time the explosion and static for the slipspace rift lasts in the trailer.[SMN.ACTUAL]: “Alright, Captain. You’ve got your squad.” After the explosion, an additional squad is confirmed.
Prepare to Drop seems to be the name of the expansion.
Details on New Halo 3 Map Pack
Bungie finally gives us the full scoop on the brand new Halo 3 Map Pack (deemed the “Heroic Map Pack” going on sale December 11th for 800 Microsoft Points). This time, they’ve got some pictures of the maps to share. Read more
Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack Coming Dec. 11
Halo 3 is getting three brand new maps come December 11th according to Xbox.com (Spring 08 for those not wanting to buy the maps). Not sure how they were able to spill the details about the new downloadable maps before Bungie, but we’re excited that they are coming so soon! Read more
Halo 3 Original Soundtrack Preview Site Live
One of the defining characteristics of the Halo Trilogy has been the incredible soundtrack that accompanied the beautiful gameplay. Both Halo 1 & 2 had done a fine job with the music, but Halo 3 truly brought with it one of the best soundtracks the video game industry has quite possibly ever seen. Read more
Tired of Shotty Snipers yet?
Yesterday, Bungie released their first Matchmaking update to Halo 3 (already — the game has only been out for about 2 weeks). They’ve made a few notable changes, most of which make us very happy:
- Big Team Battle matches are now 16-player affairs.
- In the Team Slayer playlist, the appearance of Shotty Snipers has been greatly reduced.
- Now, when players veto Shotty Snipers, the game that results from the veto will not be Shotty Snipers.
- In one-sided VIP matches, the attacking team will now see a waypoint for the VIP they are hunting.
- In Lone Wolves, Slayer gametypes will appear more frequently.
Looks like Bungie heard the cry of fans on their forums and took action on their requests. Aside from reducing Shotty Sniper game variants, they have also souped up Big Team Battle matches again, which will make for some intense games in the coming weeks.
I wonder if we’ll ever have a BTB Rocket Race…
1: Arrival/Sierra 117
Walk It Off
Objective: Get to the river for evac
Getting up from the crash site, you must follow your team to Sgt. Johnson. You won’t have an objective arrow now, but your team will always know where to go. The Arbiter will always have a blue arrow above his head — even if he is behind a wall — allowing you to find your bearings easily. For later missions, an arrow may appear if you lose your bearings too long, or if you forget your current objective.
Like a beacon, he knows the way.
Follow your team until you come to an opening with a waterfall. Once you reach the entrance into the clearing, a Covenant Phantom appears and drops the first enemies you encounter. Follow the path up to your right, and engage the troops in the cement bunkers to your right.
Eliminate all hostiles.
After you have finished off the first wave, a second wave appears, dropping from a Phantom that appears at the little waterfall in front of you. Kill this wave and cross to the other side of the river via the rocks along the waterfall, and kill the third wave of troops.
Kill the second and third waves, Grunts then Brutes.
After dispatching all the troops in the immediate area, follow your team through the cave tunnel marked with a red flare.
Follow the red lights.
Emerging from the cave, you’ll come across a horde of sleeping Grunts. As instructed by your squad, take out as many as you can with a melee attack. (You’ll kill about five Grunts before they wake up, thirsty for revenge.)
Assassinated!
Then, prepare yourself for heavy resistance — Jackals, Grunts, and Brute Commanders. We recommend a pair of Brute Spikers, as they do considerable damage to even shielded enemies when used in tandem.
Dual Spiker = death to all before you.
You and your squad will keep moving towards the Sgt., entering a small ravine. As you enter the ravine you will see a Brute holding a marine by his throat above you. If you are quick enough, you can kill the Brute and rescue the marine, bolstering your own forces.
If you’re fast enough you can save him.
With your new teammate in haul, make your way up and around onto the upper area where the brute was, then enter the large cave marked by a red flare. A vision of Cortana flashes on screen. Follow the chain of red flares until you make it to the end of tunnel.
Don’t worry about how these flares got here — just follow ‘em.
Charlie Foxtrot
You’ll find the bodies of marines as you emerge from the cave. Search them and you will find a Battle Rifle.
Take the Battle Rifle off this marine.
Now that you have the Battle Rifle, continue forward until the path drops off. Ahead of you by the river are several enemies fighting a pair of Pelicans. Up on high ground, use the Battle Rifle to take them out, then advance to their location on the river.
Keep your distance whenever possible.
Approaching the river, you’ll see a pair of Banshees swoop in and down the Pelican that Sgt. Johnson is in. Although you’ve reached the river for evac, your evac has been taken out, resulting in a new objective.
She’s going down!
Objective: Find Johnson’s crashed Pelican
Kill the enemies fighting the Pelicans, then move into the ravine to meet your allies. With only a few steps into the ravine, you’ll receive fire from Jackals with Carbines along the upper walls of the ravine, but they’re easily spotted because they’ll flash a purple light while aiming at you.
The purple light gives the snipers away.
Move along the ravine, dispatching the Jackals and other ground forces, until you come upon a point where you see marines fighting. Turns out they were aboard Johnson’s Pelican! You’ve found the crash site!
Monkey People
To see the family of monkey people on Sierra 117, go just past the point where Johnson’s Pelican gets shot down; you will see a concrete column with the number 3 on it. Stay beside the left wall and go as high as you can. When you reach a point that you have to drop down to the ledge that the Jackal with a Carbine is/was standing, turn around.
The Monkey People are right there against the wall.
Save those marines.
Objective: Find Johnson before he’s captured
Fight off the forces attacking the crashed marines, including the ones dropped in by the Phantom, then collect the Sniper Rifle and ammo by the downed Pelican.
Pick up both sniper rifles; you’ll need the ammo.
With your newly found Sniper Rifle, head back the way you came, towards the cave with a red flare by its entrance surrounded by your troops.
This is the final cave with flares, promise.
Enter and move through the cave, down its path, until you come to a cliff overlooking an enemy installation. A cut-scene ensues about an imprisoned Johnson, prompting a new objective.
There’s Johnson! Save him.
Objective: Rescue Johnson and his squad
Take out as many troops as you can from your high ground position. Also, several troops sit right below you on the other side of the dock to your left.
Snipe as many people as you can from up here.
Drop down and proceed forward to the bridge that allows you to cross to the other side of the dock. You will have to fight several Brutes on the bridge, including a commander complete with Gravity Hammer. Kill him and take his Hammer.
Shoot him from a distance, run when he puts his shields up, then finish him.
Use the Hammer to kill the remaining forces standing between you and Sgt. Johnson’s cell. Free Johnson, drop the Hammer for a different weapon, and prepare for your new objective.
The Hammer crushes all.
Objective: Stay alive – Pelican inbound
Two Phatoms will come in and drop off several troops. Finish them off and then join Sgt. Johnson and the remaining marines back on the bridge between the docks. Jump on the Pelican and the mission is over.
At the end of the level. Face the Pelican that arrives. Turn 90 degrees left and jump onto the large ledge. Walk all the way down until you see a thinner ledge on the building in front of you. Jump onto it and follow it all the way to the end where the Skull sits in the shadows.
Effect:In co-op games, if one player dies, you all restart at the last checkpoint. In individual games, if you die, the entire mission restarts.
Rescued.
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