Halo Reach

I’ve never really understood the Halo phenomenon. I’ve met people who have raved about the multiplayer, yet I’ve never found it as addictive or fun as the Call of Duty series. I’ve met people who have raved about the story, yet I’ve always found it overly complex and cartoony. But here’s the thing: despite all of this, Halo Reach blew me away. Why? Well, from the outset, this is a game which has a darker tone, a grimmer story, and a deeper emotional resonance. And since I’m big on story, this is a big deal for me. Then there is the art style. With Halo Reach, Bungie have moved away from the bright, cartoon style. In its place is a richer, more mature look.  Finally, while I don’t think I’ll ever be a true Halo multiplayer fanboy, I have to admit that there is enough here to be worth the price of admission alone. There are so many modes, so much creative potential (Forge mode is greatly improved), not to mention an addictive credit-based levelling system, that Halo Reach easily qualifies as the most fully-featured multiplayer game available today. The campaign is a big step in the right direction. As I mentioned, it’s a darker tale. Halo Reach is a prequel to Halo 1, and it tells the story of the fall of the planet Reach, the base of UNSC (read: good guys) military might. So of course there is plenty of heroic sacrifice. Also, working with a team of Spartans (not just Master Chief on his lonesome) gives the campaign some truly terrific moments. Storming a beach with your team about half way through the campaign is a standout moment. There’s more variety too, with space dogfights, sniping missions and more on offer. Oh, and it’s all set against some of the most gorgeous vistas this side of Mass Effect 2. Of course, Halo Reach still has its faults. Even though being part of a Spartan team is cool, I didn’t feel like Bungie did enough with the concept. Really, Noble Squadron plays very much like an extra tough version of the nameless marines who accompany you in Halo 3. It would have been nice to be able to issue squad commands of some sort. Then there are the graphics, which, while overall a huge improvement over past Halo games, do suffer from frame rate hiccups from time to time. In the greater context of what’s on offer here though, these are minor complaints. If you are even remotely a shooter fan, Halo Reach is worth buying. It’s got a very good campaign (and at 7-10 hours it’s a decent length too). It’s got Forge Mode. It’s got a replay theatre. It’s got fun, deep multiplayer. It’s got just about anything you could ask for, and it’s a fitting last Halo effort from Bungie.
Reviewed on: XBox 360 Available on: XBox 360 Reviewed by: