Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Masterpiece"

Regardless of fanboys of the Cod or Halo franchises, Halo: Reach has all the needs of a fan of a FPS, and then some.

First, the Campaign: As the sixth member of a Spartan squad known as Noble Team, you play through a harrowing campaign of hope, tragedy, and loss in the final days of defending the planet Reach. With a brilliant cast of characters that Bungie makes relatable to you, Marty O'Donnell's musical scores that have helped make the Halo series what it is, and the ability to customize your Spartan in both the campaign and multiplayer (and play 4 player online/system link co-op, 2 player split-screen), the campaign has a far more human feel to it than that of previous Halo installments, and will definitely be a more memorable experience.

Second, Multiplayer: Bungie's design leads have once again done a great job with multiplayer, improving upon aspects of both Halo 2 and 3. The "Y menu" is back, enabling you to see what your friends are doing online in Halo: Reach and be able to seamlessly join them in lobby and bring your party along. The infamous VETO! has also been updated, so that now you cast your vote for one of several available options and maps instead of being stuck with a map that no one wants. Combine that with the new armor abilities, assassination animations, and weapons/reticile bloom, the multiplayer is far from boring or worn out.

Finally, Forge and Firefight: Perhaps the two most important features of Halo 3 and ODST have been reimplemented and upgraded in Halo: Reach. Firefight is now 100% customizable, in which you could conceivably create a game against all Hunters with a bottomless clip and 2000% damage resistance. Forge can now be used as a full map editer, in which you can phase objects, create maps, and tag files faster and easier than ever before, and with Bungie's community filesharing, you can look up and download popular maps/gametypes all from the comfort of your couch.

Whether your a pro gamer, an artist, or just want to have fun, Halo: Reach has plenty to offer.