Can I Haz Recon?

Sometimes no hype at all works so much better than over hype. Bungie have been teasing Halo fans for months with hints of possible new games or new content but have been oh so good at not giving anything away. Considering how Halo 3 was hyped up to the max its new announcements have been relative surprises to most.

We have had all those lovely new achievements lately, most so generously easy to attain it feels like a thanks for your support kind of present. Possibly scorning those who earned 1000g from the original achievements to earn the rarer multiplayer armour permutations though as the new online ones can, if desired, be unlocked in social matches with a gang of friends who have shelled out for the Legendary map pack. But of course aesthetics aren’t everything but at least those who have strived and failed to unlock certain armours and accessories can now wear them with pride (sort of).

“Man this new armour itches”

So now the fans are naturally wondering if there are going to be more helmets and armour with the new batch of achievements and there’s always been one variation in particular that no amount of points have ever been able to unlock. Given only at Bungie’s disgression to those deemed worthy of it, the Recon armour has inevitably been the most sought after and has seen Bungie’s forums and inboxes filled with so many countless requests, pleads and threats from those begging to be bestowed with the honour of wearing it that Bungie actually banned anyone from starting Recon request threads describing it as a “full blown epidemic” and stating, amongst other things :-

“Nothing about Recon armor ever needs to get posted. You can’t have it, you don’t need to know how to get it, we don’t care about your complaints about how you can’t have it, or gloating that you do have it. If you want to talk about it so bad, make a group where you can make it so that all threads have to be about Recon armor.”

The elusive Recon Armour

It’s not like these customisations actually have any benefit in the game, they don’t give you more resistance to certain weapons or have faster shield recharge times but then who wants to look like everyone else? Self expression is human nature, it’s nice to stand out from the crowd. Be it through skill, a clever gamertag or your characters appearance, we all want to feel unique and special in some way. If a gamer is convinced that Recon armour will do that for them then they are gonna try everything they can to get it even if that means being struck with Bungie’s dreaded and all powerful Ban Hammer!

So things quietened down on the Bungie forum, threads of the new achievements and Mythic Maps were abundant, but, after months of respite a familiar word has popped up again – Recon! The new expansion – Halo 3 Recon due in autumn 2009 is a prequel to Halo 3, apparently it will come with new achievements totaling 1000 Gamerscore and da-daaaa a new aesthetic, I wonder what it could be?! While I personally do love speculation of all kinds could the folks at Bungie soon be inundated with a new question – will I getz Recon??