Halo Reach is out and Bungie's final farewell to Halo is a doozy. For those that don't know, Bungie's contract with Microsoft is up and they are forming a partnership with Activion for further ventures (possibly multi-platform). That doesn't mean no more Halo however, it just means no more Halo games from Bungie.
As such, Reach is without a doubt the best in the series. Leveling it's classic controls, weapons, vehicles and maps. All of which are updated and tweaked slightly. My favorite of which is the pistol's return to true form. The battle rifle has also been scaled down to single shot instead of a three round burst, something that I'm finding easier to use then previous incarnations. Maps are mostly updated ones from Halo's past which is cool and the gametypes are varied and many.
My only complaint against the gametypes are that in ranked matches, you can only vote for a predetermined set of games. I'd rather vote for which maps to use, and then have a definitive control over what gametypes I can play.
Reach does a great job at keeping track of your progress, offering daily and weekly challenges to keep the fun going. A list of all your friends and what they are doing within the Halo-verse is also conveniently placed on the side of the screen. I'll reiterate, it is amazingly convenient. Im not so sure about jumping into other player's games thru it though as I have yet to be successful in doing so. Mostly I end up sitting there (even for campaign) waiting and being bored.
Another knack (albeit small) against Reach is it's lack of Co-op matchmaking. But Bungie has promised to put it in in an upcoming update.
Speaking of the Campaign, it's never been really good in the Halo games. They've had their incredible and awesome moments for sure but the story lacks the type of attention to detail and depth that something like Mass Effect carries in spades. Reach attempts to remedy this by adding in more characters who are more then faceless Spartans this time around. And although it isn't much, their additions are a welcomed change and a step in the right direction.
So did you have any second thought about getting Reach? Chances are you didn't. Chances are you already own it. So why are you reading this? Go on and keep playing. Otherwise, go pick it up. It's worth the investment. The replay value on this one is through the roof so your bound to get your monies worth out of it.
I give Halo Reach 4.5 out of 5. It is rated M for Mature.
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