I have to admit, I had been waiting for this game for quite some time. As the release date drew closer, I was counting down the days until I could experience Bungie's final entry into their beloved Halo series. I have to admit though, I wasn't a huge fan of Halo 3, I didn't like the crap graphics or the multiplayer, and I was worried that Reach was going to be more of the same. I was wrong.
Halo Reach is a significant improvement on Halo 3, not just in terms of graphics. The shooting seems more refined, and the addition I like about it is the more realism, in the sense that the crosshair actually expands as you fire, rather than not at all in Halo 3. Also, it takes longer to reload a gun when you empty a clip fully then reloading with a spare bullet or two in the chamber. The best new addition I think is the addition of armour abilities. Now rather than just having a shield and health, you can also have abilities like sprint(which speaks for itself), armour lock (which makes you invulnerable for a short time but you are also unable to move) and a few others. Unfortunately, I found the story less invigorating than Halo 3. It was strong enough that I wanted to continue to play through to find out what happens, but I found it hard to have any emotional attachment to the members of Noble team. I think that Bungie was trying to get you to feel for these characters (*SPOILER ALERT*) but their seemingly inevitable deaths failed to shock me in any way. (*END OF SPOILER ALERT*)
This game is also good for players new to the series, as it tells the story before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved (Halo 1) so story knowledge of the other games is not required (but it will make it easier to understand). The story involves a group of Spartans known as Noble Team, defending the planet Reach from the invading Covenant forces. You play as Noble 6, the latest edition to Noble Team. I recommend that you play the campaign with friends, as your squads AI is pretty awful, and on legendary difficulty, makes it that much harder.
Of course, multiplayer is where Reach really shines. All your standard multiplayer types are back from Halo 3, but there are some interesting new additions aswell which make multiplayer even more enjoyable. In multiplayer you now have loadouts, which have various weapons and armour abilities and Elites have an additional ability as well as the same ones the Spartans have called evade, which is a dodge roll. There is also a new game type called Invasion, which pits a group of Spartans vs a group of Elites in objective and slayer based game modes. Also, the game mode firefight is back from Halo 3: ODST, which pitches you and 3 teammates against increasingly difficult waves of covenant forces, and you get scored on each match. You rank up through earning credits, which you can spend on customizing your armour to look individual. There are also daily and weekly challenges, which earn you extra credits to rank up even quicker.
Overall, Halo Reach is a major improvement over Halo 3, and the best entry in the series in my opinion.
Scores:
Gameplay: 8/10 It hasn't changed much since Halo 3, but the addition of armour abilities puts a interesting new strategy into it.
Sound: 7/10 The score is up to the Halo standard, and the sound effects are good, but the voice acting can be a little dull at times.
Graphics: 9/10 The graphics have had a major overhaul, and the new weapon designs are good.
Replayability: 9/10 You may play through the campaign once or twice, but its the multiplayer that will keep you coming back for more, and with regular challenges and playlist updates, it wont get stale very quickly.
Overall Score: 9.5/10
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