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Genre: First-Person Shooter
Systems: Xbox 360
Developer: Bungie Software
Publisher: Microsoft
Multiplayer: Yes (16 online, 4 offline)
Rating: Mature
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Rating: Mature
Release Date: September 14, 2010
With Halo 4 looming in on the horizon already, I figured hey, why not write my thoughts on the game that proceeds it. Halo Reach is another fantastic entry in the Halo saga. While it may feel a little too familiar for those accustomed to the franchise as a whole, it contains enough fresh and interesting ideas to keep the series from becoming completely stale.
Gun smoke permeates the air. Even after this one fleeting moment of victory, a feeling of uncertainty and impending doom permeates the thick, damp air. The vivid colors that paint the ground are that of the enemy: the Covenant. Now that the fighting has finally ceased, there is a strange sense of serenity to the area. Disregarding the tumultuous aftermath of the events that just transpired, they finally have a clear picture of what they are fighting for: their home, Reach. This glint of beauty is all that is needed to instill some semblance of hope in the mind of a soldier, a super soldier: a Spartan.
Welcome to Reach. If you have been following the Halo series since its inception, you already know the eventual outcome of this vast planet that harbors various Spartans, civilians, and strange wildlife. Until now, however, the dots have been left unconnected as to how such a place could collapse under the malignant force of the alien race known as the Covenant. And how exactly did Spartan 117 (or Master Chief) end up becoming the sole Spartan to survive such a catastrophic event?
The plot itself, without taking into account the whole overarching narrative, is actually surprising simple. You are a part of Noble Team, an A-team of sorts that consists entirely of Spartans. Spartans are super soldiers that were produced by the military agency known as the UNSC. You play as Noble 6, a new member of the team, which also includes the characters Kat, Emile, Jorge, and their leader, Carter. As soon as you meet up with everyone, things quickly get hairy, as the Covenant armada wastes no time in making its presence known on the mysterious planet.
Each character has a different personality, but they range from various stereotypes that have been used countless times before. Tough guy? Check. Headstrong leader? Check. Computer expert? You got it. This wouldn't be so bad if the characters weren't so one-dimensional. No one is developed particular well, with the lone exception being Jorge. He might have a rather intimidating exterior, but early scenes provide his character with a sense of kindness and good-will. The other characters, on the other hand, never really seem to care about anything other than the mission at hand, which is somewhat disappointing, as this makes it difficult to connect with them. The story told during gameplay segments is also very predictable for a halo game, with beacons needing to be destroyed and driving sequences being the order of the day. However, the way the game connects noble team with the rest of the Halo saga is very interesting and moving. The end of the game is also very well done and deserves a special mention.
Welcome to Reach. If you have been following the Halo series since its inception, you already know the eventual outcome of this vast planet that harbors various Spartans, civilians, and strange wildlife. Until now, however, the dots have been left unconnected as to how such a place could collapse under the malignant force of the alien race known as the Covenant. And how exactly did Spartan 117 (or Master Chief) end up becoming the sole Spartan to survive such a catastrophic event?
The plot itself, without taking into account the whole overarching narrative, is actually surprising simple. You are a part of Noble Team, an A-team of sorts that consists entirely of Spartans. Spartans are super soldiers that were produced by the military agency known as the UNSC. You play as Noble 6, a new member of the team, which also includes the characters Kat, Emile, Jorge, and their leader, Carter. As soon as you meet up with everyone, things quickly get hairy, as the Covenant armada wastes no time in making its presence known on the mysterious planet.
Each character has a different personality, but they range from various stereotypes that have been used countless times before. Tough guy? Check. Headstrong leader? Check. Computer expert? You got it. This wouldn't be so bad if the characters weren't so one-dimensional. No one is developed particular well, with the lone exception being Jorge. He might have a rather intimidating exterior, but early scenes provide his character with a sense of kindness and good-will. The other characters, on the other hand, never really seem to care about anything other than the mission at hand, which is somewhat disappointing, as this makes it difficult to connect with them. The story told during gameplay segments is also very predictable for a halo game, with beacons needing to be destroyed and driving sequences being the order of the day. However, the way the game connects noble team with the rest of the Halo saga is very interesting and moving. The end of the game is also very well done and deserves a special mention.
You can tell Bungie are the pioneers of the console FPS as soon as you start shooting your first Covenant fodder. The game controls very smoothly, with the sensitivity being just right. The button layout is easy to understand and adjust to. Though the way you play and progress through each level is very similar to other Halo games, it is still a great deal of fun. The various guns all feel very powerful in your hands, as do the melee attacks. New assassination moves also make these melee attacks all the more satisfying, whether it be against the Covenant or another player online.
Speaking of which, online play remains as fantastic as ever. New to the series, you can now choose from a series of preset loadouts before and during every match. These loadouts contain your primary and secondary weapons, grenade type, and the brand addition called an armor ability. What are armor abilities you may ask? These power ups grant you different gameplay capabilities, such as jet packing around a map or sprinting, and you can only equip one at a time. They seem to be balanced out fairly well, and their integration into the Halo universe is very natural and not out of place. These abilities are by far the biggest change of pace from prior Halo games. Though they are not game changing, the armor abilities are overall great additions to the franchise.
The game is always bustling with players ready to shoot you square in the face online as well. Connections were very smooth for me, with little to no issues (except when players quit out or get booted). The new credit system is also very rewarding, though all the unlocks you can purchase are cosmetic only. I can understand the reasoning for this, since the Halo fanbase doesn't want its Halo game to become too unbalanced, but a little experimentation might not have been too bad the freshen up the game's pace.
Speaking of which, online play remains as fantastic as ever. New to the series, you can now choose from a series of preset loadouts before and during every match. These loadouts contain your primary and secondary weapons, grenade type, and the brand addition called an armor ability. What are armor abilities you may ask? These power ups grant you different gameplay capabilities, such as jet packing around a map or sprinting, and you can only equip one at a time. They seem to be balanced out fairly well, and their integration into the Halo universe is very natural and not out of place. These abilities are by far the biggest change of pace from prior Halo games. Though they are not game changing, the armor abilities are overall great additions to the franchise.
The game is always bustling with players ready to shoot you square in the face online as well. Connections were very smooth for me, with little to no issues (except when players quit out or get booted). The new credit system is also very rewarding, though all the unlocks you can purchase are cosmetic only. I can understand the reasoning for this, since the Halo fanbase doesn't want its Halo game to become too unbalanced, but a little experimentation might not have been too bad the freshen up the game's pace.
The game maintains the same graphic style of Halo games, with the various purple and blue hues of the Covenant architecture in full effect. The planet Reach does seem more dark and dreary though, with the primary color palette consisting of many muted colors in the terrain and environments. The world Bungie has created isn't the most detailed or beautiful place that you will see, but it is still a great looking game. There is some slow down here and there when the action gets heavy, as well as some graphical hiccups during cutscenes, but none of this is game breaking.
Marty O'Donnell's soundtrack remains as haunting and interesting as ever. You can tell he has experimented with a different sound this time around. The world of Reach is slowly turning to shambles, and the soundtrack perfectly compliments the feelings of eventual collapse and sorrow felt throughout the narrative, especially as the campaign progresses deeper and deeper. There is a consistently somber tone to the musical score that perfectly embodies the events unfolding before the payer. The sound effects have received a nice boost in quality as well. The guns especially sound much more deadly than in any other Halo game, which was always a nagging issue for me in prior games.
So how does the end product turn out? Overall, I was very satisfied with my purchase of Halo Reach. The game packs a ton of content, especially if you have access to the online universe. The newly revamped Firefight mode is also a load of fun, especially with all the ways you can customize your experience with it, whether it be alternating enemy types or simply making yourself invincible and blowing away the Covenant horde sky high. You can even, essentially, create your own maps in the Forge mode, though the limited environmental pallet may disappoint some. There is simply so much content to this game that I can assure you that you will not regret the $60 you spend on it.
While Halo Reach doesn't reinvent the FPS genre, or even the franchise itself, I had a great load of fun with this game. Though there are still ways that Halo can improve its story-related gameplay segments and overall level structure, it's still a fantastic game that I wholeheartedly recommend. The future of the Halo franchise may be shrouded in mystery with Bungie handing the reins over to 343 Industries, but one thing is for certain; this Spartan isn't dying anytime soon.
While Halo Reach doesn't reinvent the FPS genre, or even the franchise itself, I had a great load of fun with this game. Though there are still ways that Halo can improve its story-related gameplay segments and overall level structure, it's still a fantastic game that I wholeheartedly recommend. The future of the Halo franchise may be shrouded in mystery with Bungie handing the reins over to 343 Industries, but one thing is for certain; this Spartan isn't dying anytime soon.
Overall: Great
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