Halo Reach Review

Halo is a science fantasy first-person shooter series that tells the story of a united humanity fighting a war for survival against a ruthlessly devoted multi-species alien religion called the Covenant.

Halo Reach is a prequel story about the Covenant invasion of the human planet Reach. The ensuing battle doesn’t go well for humanity.

I loved Halo and Halo 2, and found Halo 3 and Halo ODST lacking.

The Good

Reach is jam packed with fun.

In single player each level feels unique, while online multiplayer has tons of levels and game-modes.

The controls are intuitive and responsive.

The sound and graphics are beautiful, and it makes the whole experience feel very compelling.

The game puts your character at the center of the story in a fairly personal way. You are part of a squad of super-soldiers, and as your comrades start to die, it really builds up the tension. This is the best storytelling that we have seen in a Halo game.

They did a good job working a wide variety of character from throughout the Halo Universe into this story.

No Flood. I’ve always enjoyed fighting the Covenant, but those parasitic zombie bastards drive me completely nuts. I’ve wanted a Flood free Halo game since I played the original Halo in 2001.

The Not So Good

While the story is the best we have seen in a Halo game, sometimes it becomes vague and impersonal.

The menu navigation isn’t always intuitive.

The Ugly

Occasionally the graphics hiccup when you hit a checkpoint. It’s not horrid, but I expect better from a AAA title such as Halo Reach.

The Bottom-line

Halo Reach is a must-buy if you are either a Halo or FPS fan.

Its rare that I want to play through a game for a second time, but I am really looking forward to running through single player again, and spending many more hours blowing up my friends online.