Halo Reach is the latest installment of Bungie's popular long-running sci-fi series. The game takes place before the first Halo, putting you in the middle of a war between the humans and the Covenant. You play as part of a Spartan squad of super-soldiers and complete various objectives critical to winning the war.The story isn't anything special since it is virtually the same as any other prototypical military shooter that takes place within a large-scale conflict, but at least in this game, you get to go into space! There just aren't many chances for plot or character development when you spend the majority of your time shooting aliens.
The graphics suffer from a curious case of ghosting that's apparent from the very first scene. Although the game has some stellar skies, the entire graphical package is not impressive. Environments look simple, textures are average, special effects are okay, but at least the framerate's solid. The sound does it job with good voice-acting and the weapons pack the appropriate amount of punch. The music is great as always and the overall presentation is polished.
Although it seems like all I have is bad things to say about Halo Reach, I will say this: Halo Reach is one of, if not, the best single-player first-person shooter campaign on consoles. The joy of combat is simply unmatched in any other game. The enemy types, the weapons, and the AI all complement each other creating a unique battlefield that is both dynamic and exciting to navigate. It's been a long time since I've played against enemies that actually move and react to my actions. Enemies run away after you slaughter their comrades. They don't stay in one place, waiting for you to pop them in the head. They actually run for cover, try to flank you, and flush you out with grenades.
The levels are designed with great variation in elevations, structures, and different terrain types to make each encounter exciting. Throw in a mix of vehicle combat (including spaceship dog fighting) and turret sections and you have yourself a campaign that is varied, excellently-paced, and fun.
Bungie always throws everything and the kitchen sink when it comes to options and Reach is no exception. Multiplayer is chock-full of choices from the Forge to its 4-player co-op component.
Halo is Halo. If you're looking for a dynamic single-player campaign and an impressive suite of multiplayer options, just reach for the nearest copy of Halo Reach.
