This crazy Halo: Reach PC mod brings AI to Forge mode

Halo: Reach Forge art.
Halo: Reach Forge art. (Image credit: Bungie)

The arrival of Halo: Reach on PC has led to a crazy amount of awesome mods coming out, ranging from an imitation of Halo 5's Warzone mode to a version of Firefight where you can play as Marines. One such project that just released is one that adds something fans have been asking Halo's developers to add since the Forge map editor came out in Halo 3: the ability to spawn AI enemies. Here's what you need to know about this fantastic mod, including what the capabilities of it are and how you can download and install it.

So, how does the mod work?

This mod works by adding a brand new spawn menu to the Forge mode when in singleplayer, which contains a wide variety of enemies from the Halo: Reach Campaign and Firefight modes that you can place in your map. All AI are hostile to you but will form teams with one another based on factions. So, for example, UNSC Marines and ODSTs will work together against a group of Covenant Elites and Grunts, and so on. Because all of the AI see you as an enemy, the mod author, Seraphiicy, made sure to give the player invincibility when in Forge's editing mode.

There are respawning and non-respawning variants of the AI, and all of them are capable of basic movement. This means that you can effectively create your own warzones by creating vehicles, structures, and terrain for the AI to use and traverse. For anyone who wants to study the behavioral patterns of Halo's AI, create a custom psuedo-Firefight map, or simply spectate some epic battles, this mod is a godsend.

How to install the mod

The mod in action.

Source: Seraphiicy on Nexus Mods (Image credit: Source: Seraphiicy on Nexus Mods)

First, before doing anything else, you're going to want to enable Forge mode ahead of its official release if you haven't done so already. The process of doing so is a little complicated as you have to edit some code in a file, but fear not; we've got a guide that breaks down the process.

Once you've made it possible to use Forge in Halo: Reach, the next step is to download the mod files and install them over the vanilla files from the game. Thankfully, the mod download includes a readme document that explains everything you need to do, and the good news is that it's a lot less complicated than the process of enabling Forge in the first place. Once you've followed the author's instructions, the mod will be installed properly, and you'll be ready to go.

Your thoughts

What do you think of this mod? Personally, I think it's incredible that we finally have working AI in Forge, and I can't wait to see how the author of the mod improves it over time. Make sure to check back on the mod page regularly, as future updates will no doubt bring even more features and functionality to the project.

Halo: Reach on PC is available for $10 on both Steam and the Windows 10 Store.

Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.