So we are here again, another Halo game. Now I believe there are two thoughts people may have about this the ‘OMG its HALO!!!!’ and ‘really? Another one, I thought ODST would be the end’ and I’ll admit I belong to the second train of thought. However it wasn’t until I saw the adverts and played the Beta that I thought ‘hey they might be trying to do something different’. I cannot help but feel that this has to be something different, in order for this franchise to survive. I want to feel some of the magic I felt back in 2001 and the launch of Halo. Halo Reach is a prequel to the first Halo ‘EVERY LEGEND HAS A BEGINNING’ is written boldly on the back of the box, when I first heard this I thought ‘this is where we see where the Chief came from etc…’ this is not the case. The story then is about a group of Spartan soldiers ‘Noble Team’ and their heroic acts to defend the planet of ‘Reach’. You play the newest member of the team and are merely referred to as ‘6’. Throughout the 10 missions you will battle alongside the other Spartans, My favourite member of the team was Emile even if he did drive me off a cliff on a quad bike… top tip! Don’t let them drive! The story overall is nothing spectacular, but does bring a level of emotion not really present in previous titles. The prequel aspect is enjoyable and you will find yourself getting excited at the sight of familiar characters in a younger form. There is a reason I have brushed over the story, not just my aversion to spoilers but lets face it Halo has never really been about story its about ‘Combat Evolved’.
There are many new features in Reach that make this game the next step in FPSs, I’ll try and cover as many as possible. First off you will immediately see that you can customise your Spartan ‘6’ can be male or female, pick your colours and logo. You will also notice armour variations these can be unlocked with Credits acquired in all Halo modes. When you first step into Reach you will feel strange, I would best describe it as coming back from holiday to find someone as decorated your house. It is still familiar; you know where everything is but it’s fresher new and improved. This is due to the core mechanics, a variation on the ODST visor with a night vision system replacing the clunky light from the first 3 games, new weapons such as the M392 DMR designated marksman rifle and the T31 R- needle rifle add some amazing mid range efficiency. As well as the new weapons old favourites have been revamped or ‘devamped’ for this prequel. The shotgun for example looks awesome, but for me the weapon of choice has to be the return of the overpowered pistol. Fans of the first game know what I’m talking about. All weapon info can be accessed by hitting the ‘Back’ button. We have looked at what changes have been made to the Spartans but that’s really only a small percentage of what makes Reaches overhaul so special. The Covenant have become more deadly than ever not only due to new weapons but the way they move. The Elites in particular move with great speed twisting and rolling which not only makes them a challenge to shoot, but gives more organic feel adding yet further to the polished feel of Reach. If you are having trouble with those pesky elites be sure to use the new assassination ‘now that’s a knife’ just hit melee attack behind an unsuspecting enemy and watch as you knife them in the head. If that wasn’t enough upgrades such as ‘sprint’ and ‘armour lockdown’ add yet more advancements in combat. Vehicles are not without their updates with the addition of Space battles and helicopters the game is jam packed with features keeping the Halo experience fresh.