Electronic Theatre In-depth Review: Halo: Reach

            The Halo series has always been considered a thoroughbred FPS, eschewing the demands for greater realism by delving yet further into action hero and sci-fi schlock, and yet somehow making it uniquely appealing. Those well versed in the franchises’ legacy thus far would probably be quick to tell you that, much like Sony’s award-winning God of War series, it’s not the plot itself that keeps enticing players back, but the events in which players partake that such a plot allows to occur. Halo has always been about open, epic-scale battles on foot or with vehicular aid, alone or as part of a team, and Halo: Reach is a confident presentation of Bungie’s acute awareness of the true strengths of their groundbreaking series lie.

            The single-player campaign is one of the most powerful FPS experiences available on console, perhaps only falling short to the majesty of Half-Life 2. Halo: Reach undoubtedly has the strongest plot of any Halo game yet, and even those that have never previously experienced Halo any part of the series will find themselves pulled along by the efforts of Noble Team. The feeling of being part of a larger force has always been part of Halo’s spectacle, but with the support of Noble Team in Halo: Reach it feels much more close than previous titles, even when playing co-operatively with a friend. You’re not just one of the most recognisable forces in a large army, you’re one of six personalities all looking out for each other.

            Of course, the gameplay is openly designed around the fact that the majority of the campaign sees you being joined by one or more members of Noble Team. Your AI teammates are intelligent enough to be genuinely useful during combat, but so too are your enemies. Of course, the maps lend themselves perfectly to this balance of support and aggressor teams, with expansive areas filled with cover of varying size and strength giving players opportunity to exercise organised tactics and flanking manoeuvres, but allowing your adversaries to do exactly the same. Halo: Reach’s AI combat is undoubtedly some of the most advanced and enjoyable yet seen on consoles, and the classic structure of small squads followed by epic scale battles and a homerun through hardened foes never tires.

The difficulty settings the series has championed, Easy, Normal, Heroic and Legendary, are nearly as famous as the games themselves, and while experienced players will find little challenge on the easier settings, Heroic and Legendary will certainly provide a challenge at certain points. The seventh mission in particular marks a significant jump in the difficulty curve, an awkward series of fire fights make for an uncomfortable amount of restarts given the relative ease of earlier levels, and act as an unsightly blemish on an otherwise expertly paced game.

The final stretch of the campaign, without wishing to spoil it, is undoubtedly one of the most well pitched videogame sequences ever created, and despite it’s brevity, it manages to deliver more believable characterisation with a few interesting camera angles than most games do in there twelve-hour lifespan. Halo may not be known for plot exposition, but in these final moments it clearly aims to rectify that issue.

Of course, any gamers who have played either Halo 3 or Halo 3: ODST will no that while the Campaign may be playable by up to four players (maximum of two per console), feature a wealth of variable options and a number of additional, unique Challenges, it’s realistically only one small part of the package presented. Overarching every aspect of the game is Halo: Reach’s credit system. Used to purchase new customisation options for your multiplayer and Firefight character, credits are earned for playing any part of the game, with more being made available by completing more difficult actions. From simple kills to winning games to coring highly in Firefight, there are literally dozens of ways to earn credits before even bringing into play the aforementioned Challenges. Challenges are set daily and weekly, each presenting a set task such as killing a number of enemies in a set mode or completing a number of levels in Campaign on a set difficulty, players will earn a significant credit bonus by achieving the challenges. Credits are also directly related to your player rank, which is the calling card for your capabilities online.

Multiplayer gameplay is all that which players had expected from one of the most popular online multiplayer gaming series ever, and much more besides. An unprecedented amount of customisability is available thanks to Halo: Reach’s overwhelmingly open Forge, but in truth only the most ardent fans will ever draw the most form the phenomenal depth available. Thankfully, players can jump straight into matchmaking and find themselves playing a whole range of different modes, on a variety of new and familiar maps for entire evenings. Realistically, the online gameplay is little more than a refinement of that seen in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, but that refinement is far more than is needed to keep Halo heads-and-shoulders above the competition.

Halo: Reach’s Firefight is undoubtedly were more revisions have occurred. Debuting in Halo 3: ODST – an option now referred to as ‘Firefight Classic’ – players will play on a series of all-new maps, tailoring the number of waves and sets to their desired length. Those out to break records and win Achievements are in for the long haul, but anyone can pick-up a pad and jump into a game. As was mentioned earlier, the combat of Halo: Reach is strong enough to carry this mode with just a single player, but obviously the co-operative tactics that are available make Firefight an incredibly compulsive experience when working with like-minded friends.

There are many that would argue against Halo as a groundbreaking series, but they are undoubtedly missing the point. From Halo: Combat Evolved through to this latest instalment, Halo has never intended to redesign the wheel. Instead, it aims to modernise it, replace old and worn mechanics with new, grander gameplay initiatives. Every aspect of Halo: Reach has been expertly crafted, a meticulous farewell from Bungie to the series that made its name. Halo 3 gave gamers a reason to invest in an Xbox 360, Halo: Reach is the reason they won’t regret having done so. The plight of your cause may well be inevitable, but from your arrival on Reach to the final moments of human life on the planet, it’s an unmissable ride.

In-depth Reviews Score Interpretation

-END-