Following on from our review of Invasion, the Halo Reach beta has provided yet another new game-type for the fans to tear apart. Generator Defence, titled Network Test 1 on the playlists, is a 3 on 3, Spartans versus Elites affair, where the Spartans must protect a trio of generators the Elites seek to destroy. Whatever the result, in the next round the Spartans become the Elites, and vice-versa.

Unlike the majority of the beta, Generator Defence is suffering a fair few hiccups. Significant delay can be noted between button-prompts and on-screen actions, not to mention a sense of sliding when moving forward. It explains the title, Network Test 1, emphasis on ‘test’, but some fans believe it’s because Bungie are not only testing the multiplayer servers, but the co-op, too.

Generator Locked!

Like Invasion, Generator Defence can only be played on one map, Overlook, a sprawling rural vista located in Reach’s mountainside. It’s a beautiful map, with Spartans spawning in a dimly-lit barn, Elites on a rocky outcrop across the map. A river carves across the middle of the map, and the Elites must climb either a steep hill, boulder-strewn field or the exposed middle-ground to reach the generators.

The objective for Elite’s is simple. Shoot, melee or grenade the generators until they explode. However, Spartans can ‘lock’ each generator, gifting it invincible for thirty seconds. Games often devolve into a maelstrom of bullets, as Elites pound generators, unaware of locking mechanism, as Spartans cluster to besieged generators, ignoring the other two, rendering them defenceless.

Weapon Drop

The loadouts for Generator Defence are identical to the third tier of Invasion. Spartans can equip Shotguns with Armour Lock, Assault Rifles with Jetpacks and Grenade Launchers with Sprint, among others. Elites can carry Energy Swords, Needle Rifles and Plasma Repeaters with Evade, Invisibility or Jetpacks. So expect plenty of airborne Spartans and Elites, and explosions below.

Added to the mix are weapon drops, which occur at the start of the game. A Longsword surges by overhead, dropping four weapon-crates for the teams to fight over. Sniper Rifles, Rocket Launchers and Spartan Lasers can be found, and in the wide-open, exposed areas of Overlook, all three can be deadly and turn the tide.

Get the lowdown on Felix's strategies and see what problems he encountered...

Following on from Matt’s first impressions piece on the Halo: Reach Beta, week two of the test run sees a new game mode: Invasion, Halo’s first truly objective-based multiplayer mode. It’s a multitiered, multi-team game type, where teamwork and strategy trump run-and-gun tactics. You’re split into two-man teams, with three teams of Spartan pairs, and three Elite duos. Elite’s must crack the Spartan defences protecting a valuable date-core, and escort it to a docked Phantom. Spartans must prevent this from happening, at all costs.

Invasion can only be played on Boneyard. But while you’d expect this map to become boring the tenth or twentieth time around, it is so large you’ll constantly be finding new spots to hide, new roosts to snipe from and new avenues of death.

Stage 1

Invasion is comprised of three stages. If you’re an Elite, you must hold highlighted portions of the map to open up the next stage. As a Spartan, you’ll need to prevent the Elites from doing so, simply by removing them from these vital areas.

At Stage 1, each side only has two loadouts to choose from. Spartans can choose from an Assault Rifle or DMR loadout, each with access to the Sprint perk. Elites can either choose a Plasma Repeater with the Evade perk, or a Needler and Invisibility.

Elites spawn on the ground, in the shadow of a colossal frigate being stripped for parts. The area is debris-strewn, so cover is plentiful, but remain in the open for too long and DMR-equipped Spartans on the frigate will pick you off eventually.

The frigate contains the highlighted areas you must unlock. Stairways on either side of the frigate grant the Elites access to its upper layers. Spartans spawn inside the frigate, and their elevated position and superior weaponry mean Elites must be tactical in their approach. It’s often best to organise a split-attack, two teams ascending the frigate on either side, splintering the Spartan ranks.

Once the Elite’s have held the generators for long enough, the next stage opens.

Click here to see if the rest of Invasion Mode is up to scratch...