Halo: Reach
Developed by Bungie
Xbox 360
As Bungie’s last addition to the Halo universe, Halo: Reach has to be the pinnacle of a decade of long, hard work.
Starting with Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001 and culminating with this game, Bungie has done the gaming community a great service.
What seperates Reach from the original Halo trilogy — as well as one other, the pseudo-expansion Halo 3: ODST — is that there is no Master Chief. Instead of taking command of the iconic faceless protagonist, you play as Noble 6, a rookie in a SPARTAN group Noble Team.
The game is a prequel to the Halo trilogy, set on the titular world Reach, a planet inhabited by humans and serving as the home of the SPARTAN Program. Mere minutes into the game the planet is invaded by the extraterrestrial alliance, the Covenant.
The whole campaign lasts anywhere from six–eight hours, depending on your skill level. The story is great and anyone familiar with Halo universe lore will be drawn in by references to future events that took place in the other games.
However, the meat of the game lies in its multiplayer modes, where the player can battle against friends in co-operative play or people around the world over Xbox Live. The online mode is robust, with a healthy dose of variety in game modes and an improved matchmaking system.
Last but not least, there is Firefight mode, which made its debut in ODST. Anyone familiar with Gears of War’s Horde mode and Call of Duty: World at War’s Nazi Zombie mode will be right at home, as players fend off wave after wave of the Covenant. It is easily one of the best game modes in Reach to play with friends, locally or online.
The game is unfortunately short on multiplayer maps. However, Reach’s highly customizable Forge mode, as well as the promise of map packs in the future, more than make up for this shortcoming.
Reach, being Bungie’s Halo swan song, is a complete package. With almost limitless multiplayer options, a story that will captivate fans and a thriving online community, Reach is the pinnacle of the series and a testament that perhaps Bungie’s future endeavors will be just as memorable.
At ease, soldiers. You deserve it.