Halo: Reach Review

Over the past decade, Bungie has treated us to one of the most loved and respected franchises in video game history. The Halo series has solidified itself as a catalyst in the console shooter movement, implementing design choices that have quickly become standard in the genre.    

Halo: Reach is the final Bungie developed installment in the series, and they made sure it was their magnum opus.

As a prequel to the original Halo, the game follows Noble team in their efforts to defend planet Reach from the Covenant invasion. Introductions for each character are brief, and rarely do you see any emotion come out from their hollow canvases. While the attempt to give each member of Noble team a personality is clear, they still end up becoming faceless space marines fighting for the cause.

However, the interesting part of Halo: Reach's storyline is that you know you are fighting a battle that's already lost. Any self-respecting Halo fan knows the fate of Reach, and the game still makes sure newcomers understand they will not make it out unscathed. Nonetheless, the story does create some jaw-dropping set pieces that truly capture the scale of a planetary alien invasion; you will always feel like a small part of a much larger conflict. Thankfully, Reach manages to struggle out a narrative that, while still lacking in character development, gives a more compelling reason to fight for humanity.

Game play has remained largely unchanged throughout the series and Reach is no exception. But the addition of armor abilities shifts the tide of battle, adding a new layer of strategy for Halo veterans to uncover. These range from something simple, like a sprint mechanic, to making a hologram of your character in order to confuse enemies. They are definitely an appreciated addition.

Another feature for which the franchise has gained recognition for is its multiplayer option, and, once again, Bungie has delivered.

A couple of new game modes have been added to the almost overflowing amount already present, the most noted of which is Invasion. Invasion matches are multi-round games where an attacking team needs to achieve certain objectives to destroy the defending team's base. Cooperation is key in these matches, in which an unorganized team can be taken down within a few minutes. There is a variable known as Invasion Slayer, where the objectives that have to be taken are constantly on the move and the roles of defender and attacker become extremely ambiguous.

The amount of modifications that can be applied to each match are staggering, and at times, harkens back to the days of Goldeneye for the Nintendo 64; it is simply that kind of unadulterated fun. Housing one of the deepest and most varied game creation options, Halo Reach makes sure you are getting your money's worth.

Finally, one cannot talk about Halo without mentioning the soundtrack. Composer Marty O'Donnell has outdone himself with an appropriately epic, yet somehow subdued, score that fits the mood of the game perfectly. And the fact that the world around you is slowly being destroyed does opt for a much more somber atmosphere than the other Halo games are able to achieve.

Halo Reach is without a doubt the best game in the series. It combines the best aspects of previous games, and stands as a testament of how much the developers have grown over the past decade. The game has been polished to a shine, and the multiplayer has content to keep anyone busy for months. This is definitely a must-buy for fans of the series.