Halo Reach review

So here it is, the final curtain.  Bungie reaches the end of the road with Halo and bows out with their heads held triumphantly high, knowing they have done us proud.  There is no air of regret; the millions in adoration will not be left feeling mournful, all for one simple reason.

This is no revolution; it is the game that we were all expecting to play.  But do not take this pessimistically.  It is a perfection of the formula that we have come to know and love.  Ever played a game where you can sense that it’s the game the developer wanted to make?  No rushed creativity or blundered moments for release date, just all finely crafted from start to finish.

This is Halo Reach.  And it’s the game Bungie wanted to make. 

The tale is a triumphantly bittersweet conquest, as you play the part of Noble 6, part of a crack squad from the human race’s military stronghold on The Planet Reach.  What we have here is the prelude to the adventures of Master Chief; the story ends at the beginning.  As you play, you’re instantly enthralled into the mission, primarily for the enjoyment of the levels themselves, all varied and beautiful in depth and detail. 

You instantly feel the fact that Bungie have really stepped up their game in the story department.  No longer is it just an excuse for some kick-ass battle sequences, it’s an excuse for kick-ass battle sequences with some actual emotional investment (if you look for it).  Voice acting is a significant revolution over the somewhat muted performances from previous Halo titles, and cut scenes have a certain epic characteristic that stops you from skipping.

Speaking of epic, it would remind me too much of my media studies days to give you a full breakdown of the devices used in the visuals and the audio, so allow me to sum it up for you a little differently.  Invite Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay and James Cameron to a meeting with John Williams and Howard Shore.  Lock the door and forbid them from coming out until they’ve created something, which exposes the best of each other’s abilities. 

This is Halo Reach.  It gives the word “epic” a new definition in videogames.

The levels are both what we expect from a Halo game; but on a much larger scale.  If you ever thought that Halo levels couldn’t get bigger and theatrical, then the beach run to the star craft will beg to differ.  The locales differ greatly, and the player conditions vary, making every level feel different and fresh, along with a particular level of gameplay that nobody will expect…well they probably do now since chances are you’ve played it or heard of it.  But I’ll just say that it’s limiting on playability; but it’s a welcome change of pace in the otherwise balls-to-the-walls shooter experience you’re getting here.

The enemies give you a thoroughly enjoyable challenge.  In true “three bears” style, is not too difficulty and yet not too easy either.  It’s been tuned just right so there won’t be many fluke deaths that the series has been notorious with for me.

This is not to say that the game is perfect.  As the game remains the same almost through and through, only expanded, this means that the problems with the game have been expanded somewhat.  No matter how extravagantly varied Reach becomes, there’s still the unfortunate conclusion.  Whether it’s at the halfway mark, or 75% through, that the game feels very same-y.  I know it’s bad to blast the game because of this; it just gives the solo playing campaign pretty much no replayability.

However, you and I know full well that no matter how beautifully crafted and epic-in-scale the single player is, a different part of the game’s offering will be the key selling point and the sole reason why people persevere with Halo Reach.

We fire up matchmaking, get into a game relatively quickly through a very easy to use menu system, and for those who didn’t get onto the beta, the multiplayer follows the same route that the singleplayer did.

It’s the same; but it feels so different.

Some game modes now give you the ability to select a perk to begin the game with.  These replace the rather clumsily executed equipment items of Halo 3, and it’s been utilised much more efficiently here.  It does so much more to the game play experience, and using them can be real game changers; but they don’t turn the game into a landslide like Modern Warfare 2’s AC130.  They still actually require skill and good timing to use to their fullest potential.  It’s this thinking-on-the-fly that will have many players hooked on levelling up their characters.  A much more robust XP collecting, RPG-esque experience is on the cards with unlockables which are purchased using in game points collected based on player performance.

And yet, with all these new additions, and some incredible new maps (including a curtain call from the one and only Blood Gulch) it’s still instantly familiar to all who have gone within any Halo game in the past.

Then we have Forge.  Recognisable by all, yet a whole different beast.  A dedicated map is now your primary canvas, and the possibility of Rude Goldberg type devices is endless.  The sheer amount of expansive manipulation of items and construction (and destruction) is simply mind-blowing.  Machinima directors are going to have one hell of a field day over this.

The campaign, in a multiplayer context, starts to make so much more sense.  Those expansive battlefields weren’t just a one-person operation, those sweeping moments of sheer awe weren’t supposed to be enjoyed alone.  Teamwork is the name of the game, and Bungie unapologetically celebrate the camararderie made by one of the finest co-op experiences you’ll have all year.
Nine years.  Five iterations.  Millions of adoring fans.  One word: synergy. 

This is Halo Reach: a game for everybody.  There is an unexplainable quality to this game that makes it not only accessible but also emotionally adopted by all parts of the community.  It’s a game for the fans, as much as it is for newcomers and doubters alike.  This is Bungie at their absolute best, the definitive halo.  The final chapter that we all wanted.  This game is as much a professionally crafted piece of entertainment as it is a community effort.

This is Halo Reach.  We are Halo Reach.  What a way to go.