Halo 3 campaign mode to feature online co-op for four

Bungie confirms that upcoming sci-fi shooter will let gamers play through story as Master Chief, the Arbiter, and two new Covenant Elites.

While Bungie gave the world a good look at the upcoming Halo 3's multiplayer battles in the form of a hugely populated beta program, it has been much more tight-lipped about its plans for the sci-fi first-person shooter's campaign mode. Today the studio confirmed a much-speculated piece of information about the campaign mode, stating on its Web site that it will indeed support online cooperative multiplayer for up to four players.

Since there's only one Master Chief, the four-player online campaign mode will include three more playable characters: Halo 2's Arbiter and two of his fellow Covenant Elites. All characters will play identically, but the Elites will wield carbines instead of battle rifles. That's an awful lot of firepower to throw into the same situations as the game's single-player campaign, but Bungie says it's addressing the various gameplay issues it creates.

"You're going to want to play co-op as hard as you can stomach it," Bungie's Web site warns. "We'd certainly recommend Legendary, but we'll be revealing some more ways to make the game more interesting and challenging for multiple players in the very near future."

The online cooperative mode will support the game's film-saving functions, but gamers will not be able to join in midgame. Players will have to congregate in a lobby first, from which point they can pick up the campaign at any saved checkpoint. As in previous games, players will have the option of cooperative split-screen play, but it is limited to two people. However, once matched, a pair can complete its foursome through system link or by going online.