With an action packed campaign and a multiplayer that will suck you in for hours on end, Halo Reach exceeds expectations
The campaign begins as you are introduced to the hardened members of Noble Squad, an elite group of Spartans who have seen plenty of action as portrayed in their worn armor. You play as Noble 6, the newest addition to the squad who is filling a position that some members of the squad would rather not see filled. The game almost immediately drops you into the campaign. Noble Squad has been sent to the Planet Reach to investigate a series of what seem to be rebel attacks.
As soon as you step out of the pelican and onto the beautifully rendered soil of Reach, the graphical improvements since Halo 3 are overwhelmingly apparent. The whole game has a crisper feel to it. NPC's, vehicles, and the environment have been improved to provide visuals that clearly trump those of Halo 3.
As you investigate the planet, you soon encounter the notoriously familiar covenant. Covenant forces have undergone a makeover that gives them a more diverse look that still remains true to the look of the time period that the game takes place in. That being said, elites resemble the elites encountered so long ago in Halo 1. However, the drastic graphical improvements since Halo 1 make this throwback a welcome one that seamlessly meshes old and new. One of the greatest upgrades to Reach is the improvement of enemy AI. This is most clearly seen with Jackals. Different classes of enemies bring their own unique tactics and less predictable movements to battle. While the classic shield wielding Jackals are still highly prevalent on the battlefield, Reach introduces a more agile class that unpredictably leaps out of the way of danger and scales buildings, making a joke of your misguided bullets. Elites are smarter than ever, expertly hiding from your shots when they are in danger. As shots are exchanged back and forth, your squad mates shout dialogue relevant to the their actions and the covenant mock you and exchange commands in alien tongues. The choice to revert covenant dialogue back to theirt alien languages provides that first contact feel that Reach strives for. The covenant seem less relatable and more of a threat when they are not speaking English which adds to the ambiance of the game.
Most important to the Halo series of course, is the game play. Halo Reach provides action packed game play that introduces a new ability system that adds new strategy and fun to the experience. Throughout the campaign levels, players encounter brightly colored holograms that the player keeps with them until a new one is picked up. The holograms grant you special abilities which and include the sprint, armor lock, shield drop, active camo, and jet pack. The majority of these abilities are useful and can be used interchangeability depending on the dynamics of the campaign level. It is fun to sprint your way into battles guns blazing, and later attempting to stealthfully scale that same level with active camo. Regardless of what abilities the player makes use of, the majority of them fit into the game play very well and provide a new layer of strategy.However, players will find that the shield drop ability provides little use as it has been dumbed down since Halo 3and seems to break down after just a handful of shots. Reach takes a tip from first person shooters like Call of Duty in introducing the sprint ability and serves as a welcome addition. Armor lock provides the player with temporary immobile invulnerability for a few seconds and can dramatically turn the tide of battle by saving your last bit of health from being burnt by the plasma of a covenant rifle. Overall, these abilities enhance the game play and give the player more options to implement their own unique strategy and style of game play.
The story line of Reach is a bit more simple than those of its predecessors. It is more straight forward and less ambiguous than some of the story aspects of the game's predecessors. However, the unique members of noble squad with their distinctive personalities and attitudes make the campaign worth playing through multiple times. Each member of noble squad adds a different dynamic to the squad to create a well balanced cast of characters that you will care for and come to love. The story is somewhat predictable as it is a prequel and is told at its finest through the game play rather than the cut scenes.
A beautiful score narrates the campaign which serves to compliment the action and drama of the game. The score takes a different approach than those of prior Halos and completely strays away from the themes we have come to so closely associate with the master chief. While players may be disappointed not to hear these oh so familiar tunes, they will not be let down by the heart pumping percussions and battle themes that Reach implements.
Reach has improved upon its predecessors in every way possible. With heightened graphics and game play that keeps the player begging for more, Reach does the series great justice and introduces a few new aspects to move the series several steps in the right direction. Halo veterans and new recruits alike will find the game to be one of the best shooters to date, with great story telling ability, and unrivaled game play.