I think there comes a point in each and every major game franchise where it becomes near tedious to review. Maybe this is the point where the developers need to take a break from the franchise or maybe it’s where we need better reviewers. Either way, Halo has reached (see what I did there?) that point with Bungie’s latest (and final) Halo title, Halo Reach. This is due to the fact that the Halo formula hasn’t ever exactly evolved over the years. The question here though is, is this a bad thing? If Mario can do it, why can’t Master Chief?
Halo: Reach
Developer: Bungie
Price: $60.00
Platform: Xbox 360 (reviewed)
In the universe of Halo, we never knew what happened to Reach other than ‘big, bad shit went down.’ Well, this title is all about that very big bad shit that did, in fact, go down. You’re given the role of Spartan Noble Six, the newest recruit to the Spartan Noble Team (of six). As Six, you will play through the downfall of Reach and see just how the noble Spartans went about trying to save the dreaded planet. In spite of my mocking, this actually gives Halo an opportune premise. This gives Halo the chance to build a game entirely on characterization to center around that idea of hopelessness. Don’t worry kids, Bungie delivers. During each mission, I, personally, felt overwhelmed by the Covenant like the rest of my squad. And even when I was storming through swarms of suicidal grunts, I couldn’t help but feel dark cloud drawing nearer and nearer. It’s actually impressive seeing this merge of gameplay and story. Especially since most of the story is told through story interrupting cut-scenes.
Everything isn’t great in the world of Halo, however. As hinted at in the opening of this review, there comes a point in a long-running game franchise where the core gameplay gets monotonous and needs to be either evolved or mixed up with brand new elements. Halo: Reach tries to do both. They successfully evolve the gameplay by the welcomed additions of abilities, health limitations, and new weapons. Thumbs up there. The bad news is, Halo can’t seem to mix up its elements very well. In fact, it only really tries twice. The first is during the space flight dog fight that was revealed at E3. This would have been a very fun and welcomed addition if it had lasted more than eight minutes. The other time is during the stealth mission early on in the game. This is yet another edition that would’ve been rather well received if Modern Warfare didn’t beat it to the punch. With that, it just feels like Bungie was trying to steal some of Infinity Ward’s thunder. Thumbs down there.
Good news everyone, this is a Halo title. Translation? We have multi-player and it’s brilliant. As someone who tr
ies to feel as if they didn’t waste $50 on Xbox Live Gold, I play a lot of multiplayer. With that in mind, I can honestly say this is the best multi-player experience you will find on any system. When playing, you can tell that the developers spent many hours trying to keep each game type constantly balanced to the point I’ve never been killed due to something that felt unfair. With that in mind and diverse maps, unlocks, and game types, this is a multiplayer that anyone can enjoy. The best of the best will enjoy extremely tactical firefights while the newcomers will have fun with each and every kill they obtain. Halo has, once again, proved itself as being one of the best multi-player experiences that money can buy.
Whilst the game isn’t perfect, it is one of the better ones Bungie has put out on the market. The campaign is short lived and repetitive, yet it is still crazy fun and well thought out. The multiplayer is spectacular with endless unlocks, gametypes, and ways of play in general. With those in mind and the four player co-op as well as firefight, Halo: Reach is easily worth the price.
The Final Word
If you like shooters, buy it. If you like Halo, buy two copies.– MonsterVine Rating: 4/5 – Good
