Halo: Reach

Halo: Reach, set to be the last Halo game created by Bungie, is an immaculate and violently addictive game. Like the other Halo games that preceded it, Reach is a first person shooter following the storyline of Noble 6, a Spartan-III. The game takes place days before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, and serves as a prologue for the series.

The gamer plays the campaign story mode through the eyes of Noble 6, a member of the Office of Naval Intelligence secret Spartan program, and is a member of the third generation of the program. Unlike Master Chief, a Spartan-II, Noble 6 is more along the lines of a juiced up football player then a super human. The Spartan-III program took the elite of the military and genetically enhanced them, outfitting them with downgraded Mjolnir Armor and shielding technology. The player will probably notice this the most as shields are slightly less effective in this game and the elites, who make a return as the primary “elite “ (redundant I know) forces of the covenant, are significantly bigger than the Spartans. The game opens with Noble 6 joining Noble team as a replacement for the Spartan who dies in the trailer, Thom. Other members of noble are Carter, the team leader, Kat, splicer, Jorge, heavy weapons specialist, Jun, the team's sniper, and Emile, explosive ordinance. The team is tasked with discovering what silenced a research outpost on Reach, the fortress world of Humanity. They discover a covert assault by Covenant Special Forces; the invasion of Reach has begun.

Throughout campaign you will face a variety of covenant enemies; every species makes an appearance in the game, which you will have to kill with a variety of weapons, some classic and some new. Among the new weapons introduced in the game are the needle rifle, the DMR (Designated Marksmen's Rifle), and the Plasma Launcher. Fan favorite, the Battle Rifle, no longer appears in the game. The DMR is set to be the replacement, shooting only one round at a time, but can take down a Spartan in as little as five shots. The Spartan laser also returns, but only with a four shot clip.

The storyline takes you through the fall of Reach to the covenant, gameplay lasting anywhere from eight to fifteen hours. The contemporary difficulty settings return, with Legendary remaining the hardest setting of any game I have ever played. New sandbox AI incorporated into Reach makes each enemy encounter unique, even on the same spot in a level. There are no apparent glitches (unintentional that is) and few instances of cheap deaths. A note though, an energy sword can kill you through thin walls if you are standing against them. Just a warning.

Where Halo has always stood out is in the Multiplayer area. Here, Bungie has outdone itself. Forge Mode returns from Halo 3, Firefight from Halo 3: ODST, Theater mode and plain old matchmaking. Matchmaking includes around ten playlist, updating as Bungie receives feedback, but is currently comprised of the following: Slayer, Team Slayer, Big Team, Multi-Team, Swat, Snipers, Infection, Team Objective, Firefight, Invasion, and Rumble Pit (apologizes if I forgot something). Each playlist has at least two game types on various maps. The game comes with eight campaign based maps and half a dozen or so Forge world maps. In addition to matchmaking, there is the Arena, a competitive, rank based multiplayer with several game types and playlist. A good record gets you a better ranking, and contests are expected to be held.

Halo: Reach also completely revolutionized the rank system. Instead of experience based, there are now credits, earned through performance and arena competitions. All game modes in the Reach can earn you credits, as well as earning achievements and commendations, a new feature that allows you to win bonus credits for headshots, explosive kills and such when you perform enough. The credits are used in the armory, where you can customize every aspect of your armor. This includes gauntlets, waist, shins, shoulders (individually) and much more. Each category has many options, the major aspects with more than a dozen. There are also armor effects and firefight voices, but these are much higher end. Some equipment requires a specific rank and others can only be unlocked through Halo: Waypoint, which is free to download.

The graphics of the game make everything else look awful. Bungie's improvements over Halo: 3 and ODST are primarily in the little details, but there are also so Macro changes that stick out. Bungie has become famous for the extent they reach (get it?) with level design. If you get out of a map you will find entire areas of render map that was included for no reason. These are often some of the best areas of the game. The particle restrictions Bungie encountered in earlier Halo games are much further back, allowing for larger explosions in higher detail.

As this is Bungie's last Hurrah before handing the mantle of Halo to 343 Industries you can find many secret things hidden away for the true Halo nerd to find. Easter Eggs are large and come often in Halo: Reach, none of that cardboard cut-out stuff from Halo 3. Easter Eggs found so far (you actually have to work to get the good ones) include access to Doctor Halsey's lab, filled with Halo Machinima memorabilia and references, guarded by six or so elite Zealots with energy swords, the ability to fly a Pelican or a Wraith, A dance party in a club featuring hunters and grunts, and four banshees that magically appear for your use.

The major game play changes are mostly an improvement. The assassination system adds real value to a beat down, while the changes made to elites to make them significantly stronger and faster really change the balance of the game. The removal of gear pick-ups and the addition of armor abilities and the load-out system make your Spartan an individual on the field. These additions make the game more accessible, because if you're a god sniper, go for Marksmen, or if you do close combat, pick Operator. New game types like Head Hunter and Invasion make Halo multiplayer the most diverse system out there. If you are a multiplayer fan, Reach offers more than any game I have played (which doesn't include Black-Ops yet so don't hold me to that).

Rating:

Gameplay: There is so much to do! If you can't be entertained here then you should try Wii sports of something because there isn't much better. My primary complaint with gameplay is that there just aren't enough maps, to many of the maps are forge world, and some of the maps are unbalanced. Also, energy sword through the wall.

3.75 Out of 4.0

Storyline: You just can't touch it. Epicness oozes out of every moment of the story. Especially the last two levels.

Can't say much more without ruining it.

3.0 Out of 3.0

Graphics: A few hiccups here and there, overall a work of art.

1.75 Out of 2.0

Bonus Point: Awarded for the assassinations system, Lone Wolves at the end and for throwing Master Chief in there at the end. (He's to the right during the closing cinamatics of the penultimate level in when you're looking out the pelican. Turn your right stick hard to the right and you get a glimpse of him in a cryo-pod.

Overall Rating

9.5 out of 10

By Hegemon

Date: December 4, 2010