The biggest game of 2010 was released recently. Halo Reach! This Xbox 360 exclusive is the 4th release in the huge flagship series on the Microsoft consoles. The original Halo was the first "Killer App" on the original Xbox console. Bringing the FPS genre to the forefront in a way it had never really been done before. Usually FPS games were only on P.C. Halo changed all of that.
I must admit that I wasn't really a FPS fan, though I did enjoy the original Halo and Halo 2 even more then the first. Online was a different story, I was used to 3rd person shooters and the look and feel of an FPS was a bit challenging at first. I enjoyed Halo 3, mostly the custom games and the campaign was amazing. Reach however wasn't a sequel but rather a prequel.
Prequels are all the rage these days, it seems people like to start there stories out at the midway point instead of the beginning! (Thanks George Lucas!) Anyway, I wasn't sure what to expect from Reach, I knew the online multiplayer would be tight and it certainly is, I'll get to that a bit more in a minute. Where Reach really shines is the campaign.
The story is set on the doomed planet of Reach, those in the know, know exactly what's about to go down and it isn't going to be pretty. The voice acting and cut scenes are some of the best I've ever seen in a video game. You actually care about your teammates and that's something long missing from the Halo series. There are new weapons and new vehicles and a bigger emphasis on squad based combat. The battles are plentiful and the sheer amount of enemies on the screen at the same time is impressive. Bungie went and wrote a whole new engine for Halo Reach, went back to the basics and it shows. The models look better then ever, especially the Elites and the Grunts. Elites are once again menacing and tough to bring down. There are eleven levels in the campaign and my favorite was the space combat levels, they are well done and amazing to look at and take part in. It is slightly like the space combat from Star Wars Battlefront 2, but done on a much grander scale and with the graphics amped up to level ten.
One of the best things about Halo has always been the Co-Op campaign option and so that's what I jumped in with, 4 player online Co-Op. I'm surprised more games don't offer this, I'm happy to see newer games are starting to step up and offer something Halo has been doing for years and years now. Myself, Icecreamman, Hellhammer and Striker jumped into the Reach campaign on Legendary and had an absolute blast! it's the best campaign in the Halo series and you'll need your teammates every step of the way. I wont spoil the plot or anything, but this is what gaming is all about, playing through some games with your buddies in a Xbox live party chat. It just doesn't get any better then that. The campaign we beat over a two day period and probably took us about 10 hours to complete, keep in mind that was on Legendary. I will say, stick around until after the ending credits for a little playable Easter Egg.
Now on to the multiplayer. There are so many options here it's unbelievable! seventeen multiplayer maps, including the new "Firefight" mode. New weapons like the grenade launcher, plasma launcher and more. The Needler is back and is once again effective. They have done away with duel wielding weapons. They give you class based options now as well. You can choose to have either Sprint, Jetpack, Hologram, cloak with scrambler. I really enjoy Sprint, it makes it more like some other FPS games, but it's sprint on a limited basis, so it's more realistic then even on Call OF Duty.
You can totally customize your character and spend Credits you earn from completing challenges and getting kills and finishing maps. You can rank up as well. You can even purchase firefight mode voices. Everything is totally customizable. The new game modes are a lot of fun, I enjoy Swat. Which is pretty much a "hardcore" mode. If you get a headshot, the other player dies instantly. Simply put, it's a game mode with no shields and no frags. In a lot of ways, this is more realistic then Call Of Duty as well. There is enough content to keep you busy for years and years to come.
This in my opinion is the best Halo game to come out. It's the most complete both online and offline. The party system is redone and is really working well. The servers are supporting well over one million players at the same time! Halo Reach has already broken records for sales, over two hundred Million in sales day one! It's the flagship series at it's best. If you like FPS games or if you've casually enjoyed any of the Halo games then this is the game you've been waiting for.
It get's five fucking T-Bags out of five.
The lone negative thing I can say isn't really even negative. I will say this game takes skill and there is a learning curve. If you are expecting to hop on the game like you can on a Call Of Duty game and go positive and make an impact for your team you might be a bit disappointed. This is a skill game, finesse and strategy. Thats what I enjoy about it. You might not. This is a must have for any and all XBox 360 owners though.
*5* out of *5*
--Crapgamer
