Halo: Reach

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3060 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,497 out of 3060
  2. Mixed: 331 out of 3060
  3. Negative: 232 out of 3060
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  1. CapitanQwark
    Jul 9, 2023
    5
    It's not that good. Some enemies are really brainless and the playability feels a little bit outdated, even for his time.
  2. AlcoholicGoat
    Mar 27, 2022
    7
    An improvement from ODST. The story was a bit too self serious but it's not "jarring" in the way The King's Man was. It's self contained, and has something in mind. Forge is cool
  3. ChumaGG
    Jan 6, 2022
    7
    Reach es un buen Halo

    Aunque no envejeció muy bien, la Historia es un 10.
  4. ProfAmateur
    Aug 13, 2021
    6
    Ich spielte auf der Xbox Series X, was natürlich einen richtig geilen FPS-Boost zur Folge hatte. Das Spiel lief sehr flüssig.

    + Gutes Halo-Feeling
    + Gute Grafik für damalige Zeit
    + Weltraum Mission

    +/- Automatische Savepoints sind mehr oder weniger gut gemacht

    - Chronische Munitionsknappheit
    - "Specials" wie Sprint oder Hologram eher langweilig
    - Wenig neue Waffen und Gegner
  5. zNeverSleeping
    Oct 29, 2020
    7
    ---{Graphics}---
    ☐ You forget what reality is
    ☐ Beautiful ☐ Good X Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{Gameplay}--- ☐ Very good X Good ☐ It‘s just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{Audio}--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good X Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{Audience}--- ☐ Kids X Teens X Adults ☐ All    ---{Graphics}---
    ☐ You forget what reality is
    ☐ Beautiful
    ☐ Good
    X Decent
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ Don‘t look too long at it
    ☐ MS-DOS

    ---{Gameplay}---
    ☐ Very good
    X Good
    ☐ It‘s just gameplay
    ☐ Mehh
    ☐ Watch paint dry instead
    ☐ Just don't

    ---{Audio}---
    ☐ Eargasm
    ☐ Very good
    X Good
    ☐ Not too bad
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ I'm now deaf

    ---{Audience}---
    ☐ Kids
    X Teens
    X Adults
    ☐ All

    ---{Difficulity}---
    ☐ Just press 'W'
    ☐ Easy
    X Significant brain usage
    ☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
    ☐ Difficult
    ☐ Dark Souls

    ---{Story}---
    ☐ No Story
    ☐ Some lore
    ☐ Average
    X Good
    ☐ Lovely
    ☐ It‘ll replace your life

    ---{Game Time}---
    ☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
    ☐ Short
    X Average ☐ Long ☐ To infinity and beyond ---{Price}--- ☐ It’s free! ☐ Worth the price X If u have some spare money left ☐ Not recommended ☐ You could also just burn your money ---{Bugs}--- X Never heard of ☐ Minor bugs ☐ Can get annoying ☐ ARK: Survival Evolved ☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs    … Expand
  6. Modax19
    Apr 14, 2020
    7
    Good co-op experience. Was never really thrilled with the story. Multiplayer is fun but similar to other Halo games. Recommend you try it out if you have enjoyed other Halo games but not a must-play for me.
  7. Shimmeywill
    Feb 26, 2020
    7
    A downgrade from the rest of the series regarding the art design and characters. Otherwise a solid shooter.
  8. madmaxx507
    Dec 5, 2019
    6
    This is about the recently released PC version of the game. I never played a Halo game so I decided to check out the hype. The single player mode is the most mediocre campaign you will ever see. Bulletspongy, boring enemies, boring gunplay as well as incredibly foregettable characters and story. This game is what Bioshock Infinite would be without the story and amazing set pieces.

    First    This is about the recently released PC version of the game. I never played a Halo game so I decided to check out the hype. The single player mode is the most mediocre campaign you will ever see. Bulletspongy, boring enemies, boring gunplay as well as incredibly foregettable characters and story. This game is what Bioshock Infinite would be without the story and amazing set pieces.

    First of all, the story has the depth of space invaders. You can tell they expect you to be familiar with halo because they explain none of the background. There is nothing unique or interesting about it, and the developers do nothing to make you care. They don't show you why the bad guys are bad or why this planet is important or anything else. For me, it was just random bad dudes shooting at me for some inexplicable reason. In Mass Effect, you know the Collectors are bad because they show you. You see what they do to people. So you care, you want to defeat them. Not the case in this game at all. They are there, there are endless waves of them, and they want to kill you for some reason. That is literally it.

    The characters as well are incredibly forgettable and chliche. If you disagree I challenge you to name a single one, right now. We have the gruff scary dude with a huge knife. The smartass hacker lass with a good heart, and the grizzled veteran leader that just wants to get the job done. There are two others but I cannot even remember what their 'thing' is. I just finished the story and don't remember any of their names because .. they just don't make you care. There are scenes in the game where you can tell they WANT you to care, but never is there any actual interaction that would make you. Compare that with Mass Effect 2 which came out the same year, I am pretty sure you could name 3-4 companions and still know their back story. I don't expect any game to do it as well as Mass Effect but if they don't, clearly this game is not a 10/10, which would imply perfection. As a result, when you lose people in Mass Effect you actually feel loss. They were your friends in a way, with lots of shared experiences. When you lose characters in Halo: Reach all you will think is 'am I supposed to care about this?'

    Next, the gameplay. I am only talking about single player here, and man, it is rough. First of all the weapons are incredibly BORING. The vast majority feel like pea shooters without impact. If you disagree go play DOOM 2016 or Wolfenstein: New Order and then come back to this. There are some design decision in here that I just do not get. Why is sprint an ability? It's supposed to be a fast shooter. Why can I not shoot a shotgun directly when coming out of sprint? That makes the shotgun useless. Again, compare with Mass Effect 2 vanguard builds which are A LOT of fun with shotguns. Most of the game you run around with the same goddamn rifle you got at the beginning of the game because it is the only thing doing even a mediocre amount of damage which is important, because

    the enemies are boring, bland bullet sponges. The most interesting enemy has a shield, so you have to stagger them and then you can kill them. That is literally the best the game has to offer. Everything else just requires you to hit it, A LOT. No strategy involved here. Again, compare that to DOOM 2016 or W:NO. Oh, and don't even try upping the difficulty because it just makes the enemies MORE BULLETSPONGY.

    Oh, and the vehicle sections. God DAMN are the vehicle sections boring. Remember Assassins Creed II? The cool chase sequences you had there? Yeah, that came out the same year. Compare with vehicle sequences in this game, they are ALL slow, get stuck on everything, and feel incredibly clumsy. Also, incredibly repetetive. Just hold the left mouse button on this banshee for twenty seconds. Now do it 30 times more. Wat.

    If someone would ask me to name a single good thing about this game, honestly, I couldn't. It is mediocre in every regard. Hence why I am writing this review, because I am honestly flabbergasted that so many people rate this as a perfect game. This does not feel like an opinion that could be objectively justified.    … Expand
  9. Onask
    Dec 23, 2018
    7
    Primer juego de la saga Halo que termino y la verdad que no ha estado mal, pero me esperaba algo más. La historia está bien sin más, no estoy muy ubicado en el lore pero se que es una precuela y que el grupo de Spartans que forman tu pelotón no son relativamente relevantes para la historia del Jefe Maestro.

    Las misiones están bien, hay una buena variedad de armas y es divertido sobre    Primer juego de la saga Halo que termino y la verdad que no ha estado mal, pero me esperaba algo más. La historia está bien sin más, no estoy muy ubicado en el lore pero se que es una precuela y que el grupo de Spartans que forman tu pelotón no son relativamente relevantes para la historia del Jefe Maestro.

    Las misiones están bien, hay una buena variedad de armas y es divertido sobre todo en cooperativo. Recalcar especialmente la majestuosa banda sonora que de antemano sabía que poseía la saga Halo en conjunto, con temas increíblemente bellos y épicos.

    Como no he jugado al multijugador quizás por llegar 8 años tarde, no voy a valorar ese aspecto, pero supongo que en su día estaría bien y a día de hoy desértico como es lógico.

    Si posees una Xbox 360 o Xbox One, es un imprescindible solo por ser exclusivo de esa consola.    … Expand
  10. Co-Odyssey
    Jul 8, 2018
    7
    To me Halo Reach was always "that Halo game". Reach is a game that made a lot of advances that can be seen as innovations or seen as steps back for the series. Reach tries to fix the weapon sandbox, but ultimately a lot of the new weapons fail to fix anything nor are they that memorable. Like the weapons in game mechanics feel forgettable, yet they set a dark precedent for where theTo me Halo Reach was always "that Halo game". Reach is a game that made a lot of advances that can be seen as innovations or seen as steps back for the series. Reach tries to fix the weapon sandbox, but ultimately a lot of the new weapons fail to fix anything nor are they that memorable. Like the weapons in game mechanics feel forgettable, yet they set a dark precedent for where the series was heading with enhanced mobility. Like Reach's mechanics the art style also set a new path for the series that is unquestionably divisive. All of the improvements to the games engine allow for neat things like animals and rain to be rendered, and reach is certainly prettier than Halo 3. However the game runs so sluggishly whether you play it on XBOX ONE or XBOX 360, Reach is well-known as the least smooth Halo game. The story of Reach interesting but maybe not as newcomer friendly as Halo: CE. The greater character focus and gritty look create a surreal atmosphere, but ultimately the game feels like the wrong direction for Halo.… Expand
  11. harryjc
    Oct 31, 2015
    7
    Out of all the Halo games I've played I found this to be the weakest. But it's not a bad game whatsoever. I just found the story underwhelming. It lacked a sense of mystery and discovery, which the first Halo actually had. Halo Reach was rather mundane. The combat was excellent, as in all Halo games, but I didn't really have much fun with this. There was something lacking that I can'tOut of all the Halo games I've played I found this to be the weakest. But it's not a bad game whatsoever. I just found the story underwhelming. It lacked a sense of mystery and discovery, which the first Halo actually had. Halo Reach was rather mundane. The combat was excellent, as in all Halo games, but I didn't really have much fun with this. There was something lacking that I can't quite put my finger on. Perhaps having a game without Master Chief broke the narrative I was used to.

    At any rate, this game is worth a look, especially if you're a Halo fan.    … Expand
  12. JoshLuck1995
    Sep 10, 2014
    7
    My least favourite game of the series, in my opinion - lacked the special story feel of previous ones and just didnt feel quite right. however it must show something that if this is my least favourite game of the halo series and it still gets a 7, that shows just how good the series is.
  13. Phil133
    Jul 6, 2014
    6
    The halo series is just not what it once was, the single player campaign was nothing special and the characters were easily forgettable. The multiplayer by this point is still solid but does not stand up to the level achieved by Halo 2 and Halo 3
  14. fijiboy
    Apr 20, 2014
    7
    I feel that the halo franchise in general is overated for the most part. I enjoy the weapons and multiplayer in reach a lot, but the campaign is kind of boring. Its not bad but it lacks anything memorable or creative. like I said though, its strong points are in the multiplayer, and the forge mode is also really cool, in fact its probably my favorite thing about the game. this game didI feel that the halo franchise in general is overated for the most part. I enjoy the weapons and multiplayer in reach a lot, but the campaign is kind of boring. Its not bad but it lacks anything memorable or creative. like I said though, its strong points are in the multiplayer, and the forge mode is also really cool, in fact its probably my favorite thing about the game. this game did create some memorable moments when playing with friends, but when wanting to play a game by myself, it was forgettable. a lot of fun can be had with this game as long as your playing with somebody.… Expand
  15. Gnarleon
    Mar 14, 2014
    7
    There's no denying that Reach tailors to Halo fans. It's a solid shooter with consistent and well crafted mechanics, and meets all the basic requirements that a AAA title sci-fi shooter should. Outside of this, there's little else to be had. One could make an argument in favor of the multiplayer (which is a hell of a lot of fun), but the game does little else to stand on its own. The storyThere's no denying that Reach tailors to Halo fans. It's a solid shooter with consistent and well crafted mechanics, and meets all the basic requirements that a AAA title sci-fi shooter should. Outside of this, there's little else to be had. One could make an argument in favor of the multiplayer (which is a hell of a lot of fun), but the game does little else to stand on its own. The story is bland, ambiguous, and fails in almost every attempt to provoke an emotional response from players. There's a feeling of dread and inevitable vain in the campaign, but not in a way that carries any weight at all. As a Halo title, Reach is a good experience. But without the established Halo lore and rabid fan base, Reach would simply be another shooter to write off and save some money.… Expand
  16. elitefour
    Oct 26, 2013
    5
    im sorry
    but this game is horrible
    the story is bored,the characters are not like masterchief
    the game is so realistic that is bored
    the graphics are ok,but i think is game is overated just because
    had an awesome multiplayer
  17. askewreviews
    Sep 9, 2013
    7
    It's an pretty good game in its own right but a disappointment as a Halo game. Take CoD's multiplayer formula, give it a sci-fi skin and make player bullet sponges, and you've got Halo: Reach
  18. LoonyBin
    Sep 6, 2013
    6
    Halo Reach is the weak point in an otherwise amazing franchise. This time the characters are uninteresting, the plot is decent yet lacking and the changes to the weapons are disappointing. Halo reach does have great multi-player however it is no better than previous halo games. If you are looking into buying a halo game and are new to the series, this one can wait.
  19. Jackunpack
    Sep 2, 2013
    7
    I have never quite understood why people act as if this game series is slightly more incredible than the concept of breathing. I've played the second and third game in the series and they are by no means bad but I've never found them as enjoyable as the people who have apparently been getting blowjobs by Microsoft while playing the game.
    In any case, Halo: Reach is a strong entry in the    I have never quite understood why people act as if this game series is slightly more incredible than the concept of breathing. I've played the second and third game in the series and they are by no means bad but I've never found them as enjoyable as the people who have apparently been getting blowjobs by Microsoft while playing the game.
    In any case, Halo: Reach is a strong entry in the series with a few quirks that hold it back from being incredible. The single player is probably the best thing about the game; the characters are interesting enough (if a bit generic) and the voice-acting and sound design is superb. Graphics are phenomenal and the overall presentation is outstanding.
    The problem is the same as in all Halo games the combat is so unbelievably average. The weapons have not changed (basically) and most of them lack any real impact as everything is so bullet-spongy it's sickening. For anyone who isn't a top-player this game will be extremely RNG. The best tactic for beginners is simply to pick up an assault rifle and hold down the trigger until something falls over. You will have to play hours and hours before any other strategy becomes even valid. The enemies are very same-y and these fights are only broken up by turret-sections (snore) and some very welcome and well-designed air-combat. But the story comes to a satisfying conclusion and the final parts of gameplay are very intense and emotional.
    The multi-player is what people are the most worked up about, however and I just don't understand why. The customization is fantastic but once again if you aren't a hard-core player you'll never get to play around with it properly. The combat is the same as in the single-player but the weapon-variety is for the most part even worse. The forge mode and theater are the only two things that keeps the multiplayer fresh. You can save replays and edit them in the theater and here you can do some pretty incredible stuff if you know what you are doing. Forge is a powerful tool if you're interested at all in creating your own maps. It is a bit limited but fun if you can work around its limitations.
    So overall Halo: Reach is neither awful nor spectacular. It's just plain ol' good.    … Expand
  20. MrFluffy63
    Mar 22, 2013
    7
    This was like Goldeneye for me. I spent GOD HOURS (600-1000hrs) playing this game. While it is dated now, and nobody plays the multiplayer anymore, and the fact that Halo 4 really outdoes this game brings it down a bit for me. But while this game was popular, it was awesome. The campaign is good, but it really is just standard FPS fare with that "touch" of Halo. Sadly, the campaign is NOTThis was like Goldeneye for me. I spent GOD HOURS (600-1000hrs) playing this game. While it is dated now, and nobody plays the multiplayer anymore, and the fact that Halo 4 really outdoes this game brings it down a bit for me. But while this game was popular, it was awesome. The campaign is good, but it really is just standard FPS fare with that "touch" of Halo. Sadly, the campaign is NOT where the game shines. It is better everywhere else. Firefight is amazing with all its abilities and customization. Multiplayer is also great, but it does take a while to load. But the thing that I really put my time into was forge. The options were ENDLESS, and me and my friends put nights into nights doing random junk. And with the added ability to post maps for the public and download them, this was a gift. The game looks and sounds great too. But things have changed now. Halo 4 came out, leaving Reach dead. There will never be another game that I put this much time into, and thats why this game is great. While everything is now outdone with its sequel, nobody really pays attention to this game. But eventually it does get boring, and you will trade it in. But if you just got it, prepare to be amazed and addicted.… Expand
  21. SilentSputnik
    Feb 8, 2013
    5
    HR is underwhelming in every way. There's no reason to play it instead of Halo 3. The single player made me want to gouge my eyes out. The multiplayer wasn't impressive at all.
  22. emoney
    Nov 28, 2012
    6
    Overall the game was decent armour lock is so stupid doe some of the game had good ideas but the maps werent that great and it takes years to rank up.
  23. mistahARK
    Oct 6, 2012
    7
    Overall, Reach was an alright game. The campaign was allright, nothing outstanding, nothing terrible. The multiplayer added in Armor Abilities, which was something new for Halo. There is also weapon bloom for the first time in Halo Reach. Both of these additions were unnecessary for the success of a Halo title, and while I think Sprint was a success, the rest should have been left out.Overall, Reach was an alright game. The campaign was allright, nothing outstanding, nothing terrible. The multiplayer added in Armor Abilities, which was something new for Halo. There is also weapon bloom for the first time in Halo Reach. Both of these additions were unnecessary for the success of a Halo title, and while I think Sprint was a success, the rest should have been left out. Armor Lock is especially awful, completely breaking the flow of the game and dominating all close quarters combat. Jetpacks break the flor of every map, and are way too powerful in many ways. Weapon bloom was also an awful idea, and it took the developers over a year to remove it, despite constant complaints by the community that it adds randomness to every encounter, and encourages spamming, not pacing of shots. The maps were also pretty awful, there's only a couple that I actually enjoyed. There were a few in the map packs that I enjoyed, and the Anniversary maps are also awesome. As of right now, most of the Reach servers are populated by 12 year olds, so that makes the game that much les fun to play, as you are constantly getting TK'd for your power weapon, or your entire team quits if they're not doing so well. Halo 3 was a much better game, and there's a reason that Reach has failed to keep any sort of presence on their servers only 2 years after release. If you're considering buying this game right now, I'd just wait for Halo 4, it's everything good about Halo 3 and Reach, but balanced and well made.… Expand
  24. TheStranger
    Sep 20, 2012
    7
    Campaign isn't so bad in this actually. Might of enjoyed it more than 3. The multiplayer? Ehhhh. Not so hot. The loadouts were quite lame and the level design wasn't on par with Halo 3. What can you do when every level has to fit the ridiculous jet pack? Bungie might of rushed this to get the hell quickly away from Microsoft and start their new ambitious project. Not cool.
  25. Beauboy93
    Jun 4, 2012
    6
    Looking back of Halo Reach, I have to say it is one of my least favorite Halos. The addition of Armor Abilities and interesting weapons is all I can say that is good about this game. The story did not fit with the current Cannon, often contradicting what already happened in the books. The multiplayer was also delivered terribly with maps taken right out of areas found in the campaign.Looking back of Halo Reach, I have to say it is one of my least favorite Halos. The addition of Armor Abilities and interesting weapons is all I can say that is good about this game. The story did not fit with the current Cannon, often contradicting what already happened in the books. The multiplayer was also delivered terribly with maps taken right out of areas found in the campaign. Bungie later admitted that they regretted making that decision. Halo is built on good story and good multiplayer. Reach did not deliver on either front.… Expand
  26. Redoer
    May 27, 2012
    7
    I'm a huge fan of the series, and bought this game on release. First impressions were good; the maps they shipped the game with were well designed and varied, although there were fewer than Halo 3 had shipped with. I had many hours of enjoyment, but I feel there are many issues with the game. I'm not a fan of bloom, for one. On release, all the people whining about bloom bothered me,but II'm a huge fan of the series, and bought this game on release. First impressions were good; the maps they shipped the game with were well designed and varied, although there were fewer than Halo 3 had shipped with. I had many hours of enjoyment, but I feel there are many issues with the game. I'm not a fan of bloom, for one. On release, all the people whining about bloom bothered me,but I can sort of sympathize with them now. Bloom adds a level of randomness not present in previous games; spamming can potentially yield the same result as taking well paced shots. While the title update greatly reduced bloom, I don't feel that's the perfect solution. The semi-auto DMR was kept in check by the bloom. The BR didn't need bloom due to the burst-fire nature of the weapon; unless you kept on-target for the duration of the burst, you wouldn't cause maximum damage, unlike the DMR.
    The campaign was good in terms of story, although I did miss playing as the Master Chief and it felt a little short. However, the sabre mission added a bit of variety.    … Expand
  27. MalcomGTX
    May 2, 2012
    7
    The multiplayer is fantastic, IMHO the best in the Halo franchise, however the Story was a bit 'generic' feeling. Although I know the ending was coming, I felt no sympathy for any of the team; their characters did not connect with me so the 'sad' sequences did not feel as moving as they should have.

    I still feel like an ending where you escape/live might have been stronger, it just felt    The multiplayer is fantastic, IMHO the best in the Halo franchise, however the Story was a bit 'generic' feeling. Although I know the ending was coming, I felt no sympathy for any of the team; their characters did not connect with me so the 'sad' sequences did not feel as moving as they should have.

    I still feel like an ending where you escape/live might have been stronger, it just felt like too much of a downer, especially knowing it was Bungie's last Halo game. I feel like they should have gone out with a bang, not the slow crawl to death, despite the emotional impact that kind of ending was meant to give.    … Expand
  28. IplayGAMESone23
    Mar 23, 2012
    7
    I thought although this covers the things Halo 3 missed that it was a bit of a disappointment. It had a really disappointing campaign with lots of really bad things. I loved the multiplayer although I really disliked the powers system. I found splattering myself on armour locks EXTREMELY frustrating. I definitely prefered 3 and I hope 4 is a lot better than this.
  29. AFrozenFireball
    Mar 8, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Alright, Halo: Reach. Let's start off with the campaign; now, I personally was extremely excited to see what Bungie would do with Reach's campaign as I've read the novel 'The Fall of Reach' and in my personal opinion it is easily one of the best in the series.

    There is such beautiful story-telling and the opportunities were rich and infinite, Bungie truly could have delivered an amazing and immerse single-player experience, even far surpass that of Combat Evolved's, unfortunately, it falls short.

    There are a lot of things that Bungie did wrong with Reach, for one, they chose not to follow the book, but rather tell the story of how Reach fell from a different perspective; Noble Team's, Noble Team consists of six highly experienced Spartans, each assigned with a number, i.e. Noble 1, Noble 2, etc.

    You assume the role of Noble Six, you are replacing a Spartan III that had just recently been KIA, Thor, he used to be Noble Six or the sixth member of Noble Team, after his demise, you are tasked to fill his boots.

    Noble Team is as follows:
    -Carter-A259/Noble 1, he's the leader dude.
    -Catherine-B320/Noble 2, she's the team's techie.
    -Jun-A266/Noble 3, he's the team's best shot.
    -Emile-A239/Noble 4, he's the typical and cliche filled badass of the team.
    -Jorge-052/Noble 5, he's the big guns' guy and the only Spartan II in Noble Team.

    Now, the biggest problem with Reach's single player is the plot, in the sense that it absolutely and utterly destroys about 10 years of established Halo canon, and I, for one, do NOT like broken canon, right off the bat we see this; Carter, Jun and Emile, as suggested by their service tag number starting with an 'A' were members of Alpha Company, which was the first company of Spartan III's, for those who have not read the books, Alpha Company was wiped out during Operation: PROMETHEUS, therefore, Carter, Jun and Emile should be dead, but they're not, and yet, Bungie provides no info on why these three guys are still alive. That was the first contradiction I found while playing through Reach, but there are loads, the Pillar of Autumn being docked on Reach's surface is another one, the time it took for the planet to fall, along many others. Now that's only canon collisions. Let's move on.

    The missions themselves were incredibly repetitive and boring, there was absolutely no Halo feel to them, and at no point during the campaign did I ever feel like I was actually on a planet that was under invasion of a far more advanced alien race, Reach was getting fckd up, down and all around, for Christ's sake, and yet, the missions were disappointing, we needed to see the bigger picture, we needed to see how the planet literally fell apart in a matter of days, but half of the campaign was:
    >Kill some aliens.
    >Deactivate AA battery.
    >LOLDONE.

    Not to mention there was little to no character development, hence the reason nobody gave a flying f*ck about any of Noble Team's deaths. I shouldn't have been hysterical laughter after Kat got rofl-sniped. It shouldn't have been 'YES!' when Carter crashed his pelican against the Scarab. Bungie emphasized character development so much in their ViDocs, actually stating that Reach was going to be a character-driven story, well, I can safely say that Bungie and I have two completely different definitions of a 'character-driven story', all in all, the campaign was a major disappointment, and had some exciting moments, but overall, it was executed quite poorly.

    Now let's move on to the real juice of Halo: Reach - the multiplayer. This specific portion of the game was something that was hyped to death, Bungie always mentioned how they wanted to change the way Halo multiplayer works, that statement in particular was something that worried me.

    As much as I hate to admit it, I do not like change, Halo's multiplayer didn't need change, it was just fine, it only needed some refining from Halo 3's; better netcode and hitscan weapons and we would have had a multiplayer as good as Halo 2's. Instead, Bungie decided to take a noob-friendly route, they added Armor Abilities, reticule bloom, increased aim-assist, and bigger hitboxes.

    The two latter additions made the game way too easy, and the 2 former added randomness of biblical proportions. And THAT, is no good. Let me quote something a Bungie multiplayer designer said back in 2008:
    'Any time you have a game system which players cannot understand, it might as well be random. No matter how fair the tiebreaker may be, if a single Assault Rifle bullet can slip by and decide the outcome, it might as well be random. And randomness is a poor substitute for tactics and skillful execution.'

    Reach's multiplayer mechanics and sandbox contradict the latter statement. As its multiplayer is the most random out of them all.

    In conclusion, Reach brings a disappointing Campaign and a disappointing multiplayer to any veteran Halo fans that understands the game's core mechanics.    … Expand
  30. 7dogguy
    Feb 16, 2012
    6
    the second worst halo ever this game is stupid the storyline is no where close to interesting the chracters in the storyline have no personality they took out all the good guns from halo 3 and the muliplayer maps suck the only good thing about this game is that they added new vehicles, improved forge mode and fire fight thats it it they ruined the multiplayer with there loadout system tothe second worst halo ever this game is stupid the storyline is no where close to interesting the chracters in the storyline have no personality they took out all the good guns from halo 3 and the muliplayer maps suck the only good thing about this game is that they added new vehicles, improved forge mode and fire fight thats it it they ruined the multiplayer with there loadout system to wear you get jetpacks and you can have this thing called armor lock that makes you invulnerable for like 8 seconds i was so disappointed in this game even so the good outweighs the bad 6/10… Expand
  31. WielderofKnives
    Jan 27, 2012
    6
    Dear People of Metacritic,
    I implore of you to know what this game is. Halo reach, the last bungie made halo. A game that some consider the best of the series, while others completely dislike it. Fanboys have given this game a perfect score, those who hate halo have given it a 0. So I give a completely unbiased review. I have long been playing this game series. They are favorites of mine,    Dear People of Metacritic,
    I implore of you to know what this game is. Halo reach, the last bungie made halo. A game that some consider the best of the series, while others completely dislike it. Fanboys have given this game a perfect score, those who hate halo have given it a 0. So I give a completely unbiased review. I have long been playing this game series. They are favorites of mine, but I personally did not enjoy this entry as much as those of the past. Especially halo 2 and halo 3. A lot of the cool weapons from halo 3 had been removed, for continuity or to put an emphasis on marksmanship I don't really know. The story of the single player seemed so linear and generic, and the characters had no depth to them. When Kat one of the Spartans dies, taking a needle to the head, I didn't feel anything, because I didn't even know her as a character. I compared this to the death of Sergeant Johnson, a character that had been around since the first game, and had grown on me, along with the death of Miranda Keyes who died in a bold attempt to save Johnson. I thought that was inspiring as well. I suppose that Halo Reach is not a real part of the halo canon mostly because it doesn't have anything to do with the sage in the first three games, and it plays a lot differently than the others, though it does have a lot of similarities with the first game. The single player isn't linear, there are some good map designs, the graphics are alright, but its just not that interesting, which for a halo game is rare, it was the same feeling I had when playing ODST, I didn't have an epic rush of feeling like a hero. The multiplayer is what you expect from a halo game, it really isn't that much different other than the fact that almost every game mode starts you off with the DMR. There isn't much tactics, and it is a lot of jumping around and spamming grenades, but I don't have any complaints. I like the currency system and I hope it is brought back in Halo 4. The Firefight mode is pretty awesome, its best with three friends and on a hard difficulty, legendary perhaps, to make it more than a slaughter fest of covenant unless you like that sort of thing. And lastly, there is the Forge mode, which is the best thing about this game, you can make your own maps, and its very precise if you know how to use it. If you are a fiscal gamer you will get a lot out of this package as long as you have Xbox Live. But don't get this if you don't have Live. Its not like halo 2, where the single player was awesome enough to keep you satisfied if you didn't have Live.    … Expand
  32. Cock-A-Saurus
    Dec 29, 2011
    6
    Huge disappointment. The campaign is way too short, nothing new added, and just boring. The multiplayer is pathetic, with "re-imagined" maps that don't compare to the original versions, and new maps that just suck. The abilities are okay, but not well thought out in either campaign or multiplayer. Also, the new weapons are greatly inferior to the original artillery. All in all, a greatHuge disappointment. The campaign is way too short, nothing new added, and just boring. The multiplayer is pathetic, with "re-imagined" maps that don't compare to the original versions, and new maps that just suck. The abilities are okay, but not well thought out in either campaign or multiplayer. Also, the new weapons are greatly inferior to the original artillery. All in all, a great disaster to a once great series.… Expand
  33. lugia4000
    Dec 25, 2011
    7
    As much of a fan you are, you cant give this over a 9. Its simple, campaign is pretty short, worst campaign on all Halos. The multiplayer introduced the DMR, which does not have any skill to use. Multiplayer of this game is the worst of all Halos. Firefight is pretty good, I see no problems there. The fact is, many professional players left this game, due to the fact that the DMR isAs much of a fan you are, you cant give this over a 9. Its simple, campaign is pretty short, worst campaign on all Halos. The multiplayer introduced the DMR, which does not have any skill to use. Multiplayer of this game is the worst of all Halos. Firefight is pretty good, I see no problems there. The fact is, many professional players left this game, due to the fact that the DMR is random. In Halo 3 you needed skill to reach max level, in here everyone reaches max level, even if the player sucks. Still, Halo Reach is still a great game, but Bungie left me dissapointed with this game.… Expand
  34. spadenx
    Dec 16, 2011
    7
    Campaign is too difficult (even on easy) and will result in a ton of cheap and annoying deaths, Also it doesnt bring the emotional feel that it should (research the Halo universe if you dont know what Im talking about). Multiplayer has seen a lot of improvements and its easily the best its been since the first Halo game. Firefight lacks maps and Forge mode is fun. Overall its a prettyCampaign is too difficult (even on easy) and will result in a ton of cheap and annoying deaths, Also it doesnt bring the emotional feel that it should (research the Halo universe if you dont know what Im talking about). Multiplayer has seen a lot of improvements and its easily the best its been since the first Halo game. Firefight lacks maps and Forge mode is fun. Overall its a pretty decent Halo game but still has its problems.… Expand
  35. asylumspadez
    Nov 15, 2011
    7
    Its what you expect from the Halo franchise, A different look this time around a few new armor add ons for the different modes int he game but besides that, Nothing has changed from any of the other Halo games. Also uneven difficulty makes campaign insanely hard, Even on easy.
  36. Bigredd77
    Nov 12, 2011
    6
    Good game but not great, needs to push the boundries and really hasn't. Amazing how these so called "critics" give out 9 out of 10 ratings like bubblegum on halloween. Worth picking up but not a must have by any stretch. (keep in mind I think the original Halo was a 9.5 game-when it came out it deserved that to me) This Halo....gets a 6 out of 10...good not horrible, not great, certainlyGood game but not great, needs to push the boundries and really hasn't. Amazing how these so called "critics" give out 9 out of 10 ratings like bubblegum on halloween. Worth picking up but not a must have by any stretch. (keep in mind I think the original Halo was a 9.5 game-when it came out it deserved that to me) This Halo....gets a 6 out of 10...good not horrible, not great, certainly not flawless. Still like the game mechanix though.… Expand
  37. Decimator
    Nov 9, 2011
    5
    This game is nothing like the first 3 Halo games, instead it's completely different. The cannon of the story has been screwed and because of that the book Halo: The Fall of Reach had to be rewritten. Not to mention that the voice acting for this game was so bad that I could have done a much better job doing the voices in this game. The multiplayer has absolutely no competitive play. YouThis game is nothing like the first 3 Halo games, instead it's completely different. The cannon of the story has been screwed and because of that the book Halo: The Fall of Reach had to be rewritten. Not to mention that the voice acting for this game was so bad that I could have done a much better job doing the voices in this game. The multiplayer has absolutely no competitive play. You can easily earn credits in matchmaking even if you're bad at the game. This game is 'noob friendly' and not recommend for competitive players.… Expand
  38. FJBarrett
    Oct 25, 2011
    6
    Halo: Reach did not follow up well from Halo 3. They really missed the ball in regards to multiplayer matchmaking. Although they included an interesting new Arena playlist, they offered no ranked playlists... none. That is ridiculous and literally makes the game x349879 less fun.
  39. Daematune
    Oct 22, 2011
    7
    As a halo game it's approving, but as a prequel to the epic halo universe it's disappointing. Key elements in the story's structure were scarce, there were few enjoyable moments and everything we really wanted to know was not told. On the mutliplayer side, the game shines brighter, more or less. The new class system was implemented, new player made maps, better matchmaking, more weaponsAs a halo game it's approving, but as a prequel to the epic halo universe it's disappointing. Key elements in the story's structure were scarce, there were few enjoyable moments and everything we really wanted to know was not told. On the mutliplayer side, the game shines brighter, more or less. The new class system was implemented, new player made maps, better matchmaking, more weapons and ultimately just a more enjoyable experience. The balancing with the new class system is fairly obscure however, all of the four choices are completely diverse and do not mesh together well in combat, it's nothing game breaking though, however, it could be to some who are looking for a balanced, well rounded fight.… Expand
  40. KulakxRatings
    Oct 2, 2011
    7
    Pretty basic halo game. All I noticed were textures, improved drama, improved game mechanics, nothing much else.
    I think this game is just out their for money, I know the point of making games is money but with so many halo titles as it is I am feeling nothing special for halo games any more. Besides the upcoming Halo anniversary.
  41. bram29
    Oct 2, 2011
    6
    i didn't think the game was bad, but it was a bit lacking. it really has nothing that makes it stand out, and with so many good shooters on the market, your choice swiftly goes out to another game.
  42. shane_kirby
    Jun 16, 2011
    5
    Fof the record this is the first Halo game I've played. I chase the game because it is a prequel to Halo series. The game play is excellent aside from the fact it mimics call of duty : modern warfare etc. Its actually uncanny how similar the games feel (aside from the fact one is science fiction, the other is based on present ). What I Hated about the game and almost every damn (largeFof the record this is the first Halo game I've played. I chase the game because it is a prequel to Halo series. The game play is excellent aside from the fact it mimics call of duty : modern warfare etc. Its actually uncanny how similar the games feel (aside from the fact one is science fiction, the other is based on present ). What I Hated about the game and almost every damn (large budget) first person shooter is how the story line is non existent. You are just given one command after the next (check point to check point). I've played around 5 hours of the game and have no clue as to the purpose behind anything my character does. At least in call of duty they gave a small cut scene at the start to tell you why your character is doing what they do. Fist party video gaming is going to **** The companies are too greedy and don't want to take chances anymore. There is no originality in games any more. Most big budget games are sequels and use the same gaming engines to make a large line of games... Its all done for profit and not passion.… Expand
  43. brady4
    Jun 9, 2011
    5
    Very VERY boring it may be packed full of features but that doesn't make a game, graphics are mediocre, sound is good. You are in the same location for about half of the game, gameplay is repetitive. Drop ships keep coming and coming and you constantly have to kill the waves of enemy's, They try and mix it up but the vast majority of the game is shooting from the ground. The highlyVery VERY boring it may be packed full of features but that doesn't make a game, graphics are mediocre, sound is good. You are in the same location for about half of the game, gameplay is repetitive. Drop ships keep coming and coming and you constantly have to kill the waves of enemy's, They try and mix it up but the vast majority of the game is shooting from the ground. The highly anticipated space level is disappointing. The one thing that bugs me is that it does have very good ideas but they somehow manage to make it boring when it really shouldn't be ie, the space mission. Do not get me started with the multiplayer out of all the overrated multiplayer games this should be at the top of the list. I had the seem reaction with the multiplayer as i did with the campaign "meh".… Expand
  44. frogwipe
    May 1, 2011
    5
    Mutiplayer is horrible is this game. It spawns palyers right in front of you and the bullet damage is so weak that it's tough to get kills....better use a gernade or just rush a dude and melee him because it's nearly pointless to fire at them (5 sniper shots to kill a guy? Come on!). Graphics are ok, the story is decent I guess...there are much better shooters out there. Really just pickMutiplayer is horrible is this game. It spawns palyers right in front of you and the bullet damage is so weak that it's tough to get kills....better use a gernade or just rush a dude and melee him because it's nearly pointless to fire at them (5 sniper shots to kill a guy? Come on!). Graphics are ok, the story is decent I guess...there are much better shooters out there. Really just pick one of the better selling games (BF, COD, ect.) and you'll have a better game on your hands.… Expand
  45. dupplawt
    Apr 24, 2011
    6
    Halo Reach is a good game; armour abilities give Halo a much needed bit of innovation, and the weaponry is quite different to previous Halo titles. The campaign is enjoyable and proves a challenge on Normal difficulty. I have yet to attempt it with my mates on Legendary but expect it to be difficult. The story is good, and the characters sculpted nicely before the inevitable conclusion.Halo Reach is a good game; armour abilities give Halo a much needed bit of innovation, and the weaponry is quite different to previous Halo titles. The campaign is enjoyable and proves a challenge on Normal difficulty. I have yet to attempt it with my mates on Legendary but expect it to be difficult. The story is good, and the characters sculpted nicely before the inevitable conclusion. The multiplayer is where this game is brilliant value-for-money; many many modes from infection to classic team deathmatch, with anything from 4v4 to 9v9 games, you're sure to find something to play and there are many maps, some huge, some nice and intricate. Forge mode returns, but on a grand scale, with an enormous world on which to create a map. Firefight also returns, with Xbox LIVE support and very in depth settings to tweak how you wish. This game is literally jam packed with content and it's hard to fault it in any way or do anything but recommend buying. I enjoyed it, but it didn't strike that same special feeling as I got when I played Combat Evolved all those year ago. 3/5.… Expand
  46. Jerik02
    Apr 19, 2011
    6
    This game was alright, but ultimately disappointing in terms of story and characters. You don't really "feel" the struggle and ultimate doom of Reach as the game skips around into smallish missions. You think if you were really a Spartan, you'd be on constant valuable mission after another. If the game had twice as many levels and was longer, that would be more like it. Multiplayer is ok,This game was alright, but ultimately disappointing in terms of story and characters. You don't really "feel" the struggle and ultimate doom of Reach as the game skips around into smallish missions. You think if you were really a Spartan, you'd be on constant valuable mission after another. If the game had twice as many levels and was longer, that would be more like it. Multiplayer is ok, but the grind to get the rank achievements was frustrating as I had to keep playing the game far after I didn't want to anymore. This is why some achievements suck.… Expand
  47. Sceptic
    Mar 26, 2011
    7
    Easily the best Halo.I quite enjoyed it really.A very well made game that has suffered from the hype.Considering the lengths Microsoft has gone to make Halo a household name,you'd assume that Reach was the second(or third if you like) coming of Half-Life.
    No,it's not,but still a very enjoyable,if generic FPS.Fans will froth,the rest of us will just like it for what it is.
    A decent game.
  48. ImmaGamer
    Mar 25, 2011
    6
    Oh my, they actually think they are making this better? Its exactlt the same (oh and maybe they made the AR look a little uglier) and the same was already terrible! This game deserves a nice spot in the bottom of the bargain bin, where all the rusty pieces of gum are. Ya that's right.
  49. PrettyShambolic
    Mar 24, 2011
    6
    If you're buying this for the single player side of things, invest your money elsewhere or you'll be extremely disappointed by an unimaginative gun and run fest that could have been a million times better. The game has no real substance, nothing that challenges you at all mentally, it's just point and shoot, then point and shoot again. The storyline didn't leave any lasting impressionIf you're buying this for the single player side of things, invest your money elsewhere or you'll be extremely disappointed by an unimaginative gun and run fest that could have been a million times better. The game has no real substance, nothing that challenges you at all mentally, it's just point and shoot, then point and shoot again. The storyline didn't leave any lasting impression either. 3/10. However, if you're buying this (as you should be) for the MMO side of things then you're in for a real treat. There's nothing groundbreaking about Halo Reach, but it's a beautifully polished multiplayer experience that you'll have hours of fun playing with friends. My biggest criticism of the MMO side of things is the lack of a working system that pits players against each other based on skill. There is an option for this in the custom menu, but it doesn't seem to work at all. What this means is that absolute newcomers will get pitted against experienced players which is indescribably frustrating as you try to find your bearings. Stick with it and it will be rewarding, but I'd have expected a better effort from an experienced developed like Bungie.… Expand
  50. digiblox
    Feb 23, 2011
    7
    If you liked the previous Halo games, you will like this one, again. As a fan of Halo. I won't give this under a 7 because I do like it and there are some new additions, but honestly. It's getting kind of old.
  51. msherry9
    Feb 10, 2011
    5
    I can't tell you how excited I was for this game to finally come out. I was a massive fan of Halo 3 and thought to myself: "Finally, a new game to keep me away from COD! And a new Halo game to top it off!" And now, I can't tell you how horribly upset I am in purchasing this game. First off, the campaign isn't terrible, but it's far from good. The Noble Six Team has a variety of character,I can't tell you how excited I was for this game to finally come out. I was a massive fan of Halo 3 and thought to myself: "Finally, a new game to keep me away from COD! And a new Halo game to top it off!" And now, I can't tell you how horribly upset I am in purchasing this game. First off, the campaign isn't terrible, but it's far from good. The Noble Six Team has a variety of character, but none of them are very deep and you never really get to interact with them on a level further than "Stop shooting me, I'm on your side!" Obviously, since I knew the campaign ending, I was expecting an epic climactic battle. Instead, you get a very anti-climactic ending that leaves you staring at your screen, mouth ajar. They don't even use the classic epic Halo theme music in this campaign, which I was very disappointed in. The voice acting works, but nothing too special, and the cutscenes and cinematics are sometimes cool, but mostly boring. The achievement "Monument to Your Sins" was supposed to be ridiculously hard, and yet, I got it on the second day of owning the game. Moving on to multiplayer, this is what I bought the game for, and I must say that this is what REALLY disappointed me. The developers apparently got extremely lazy when making the maps for this one, considering several of them are remakes from Halo 2, and several others are Forge maps that you can make yourself in two hours. The other maps that are new are uninspired, boring, and bland. They have Team Snipers, and yet, there is only two maps where Team Snipers is adequete to be played on, while the other times it places you in The Cage, a Forge map where you respawn in the enemy's sniper crosshairs constantly. The spawning overall is terrible, and I have several Theater videos of either me respawning in front of an enemy or vice versa. The DMR is absolutely stupid, and the blossoming effect of the reticule takes out so much skill, resulting in a DMR match being a blindfiring spray and pray after the first 3 shots. Most of the other encounters with enemies quickly transform into a massive grenade-fest, with the enemies hiding around a corner chucking a seemingly unlimited amount of grenades around the corner at you. Armor abilities are ridiculous, especially Armor Lock, being very overpowered. My friend recommends SWAT, but that's the no-skill game mode, and I shy away from that. The character customization is cool, but the majority of the unlockables requires you to play probably in the neighborhood of a billion games, so that's no fun. The Forge is obviously very cool, and the Theater is still top notch for videos and screenshots, plus they have a new system where you can track down to see how many screenshots of other people you're in, which is cool as well. Overall, if you're a hardcore Halo fan, you can have some serious fun with this one if you don't mind lucky deaths and grenade wars. If you occasionally enjoy Halo, I'd probably stay away from this one. Sorry Bungie, but you need some catching up to do to COD if you want to be king again of the FPS's.… Expand
  52. SPAH
    Dec 23, 2010
    7
    More of the same, with additions, fixes, and a well disguised end to the legacy of Halo. I specially liked the gameplay changes, most of them feel like I'm playing TF2 in space.
  53. El_Burrito
    Dec 4, 2010
    5
    More of the same. The visual quality is on par with Halo 3, the game play is on par with Halo 3, the campaign is a bit less than Halo 3, how ever if you are into the Haloverse story, then you won't care as it is a prequel to help explain some things. Multi-player is basically Halo 3 with jet packs.

    In short, Halo 3. It's not bad, but it doesn't really feel new.
  54. chay96
    Nov 28, 2010
    6
    I think that Halo reach deserves a 6 because, although the graphics are fantastic compared to Halo 3 or Halo 3 ODST, I think the story is a bit dull. The ability to explore huge maps within the campain like on the mission "winter contingency" is great, but I prefer to get straight to the fight, rather than get lost in the map. I agree that it is a must buy, and is a challenging game onI think that Halo reach deserves a 6 because, although the graphics are fantastic compared to Halo 3 or Halo 3 ODST, I think the story is a bit dull. The ability to explore huge maps within the campain like on the mission "winter contingency" is great, but I prefer to get straight to the fight, rather than get lost in the map. I agree that it is a must buy, and is a challenging game on heroic, but I found that unless you pay a lot of attention to what their saying, I kind of forgot and it's easy to lose track of things.
    So when I played it later I listened closely, but in doing that I was paying attention and wasn't affected by the fighting part of the game. I just waited for someone to say something, getting me killed at some stage.
    Multiplayer and forge are very impressive, with the ability to bond parts in forge (which I think most of the Halo 3 fans have had to do the hard way for 3 years!) it has become easier than ever before, but if there was one thing negative I had to say about forge is that it's nowhere near as fun as Halo 3. Yes, you can now build almost anything imaginable with the best Halo graphics ever, but the only map that you can do that on is a little bit too big and too many open areas. Halo 3 maps like "Sandbox" and "Standoff" were what I think were the best that maps could get, they were just the right size and had cliffs as death barriers resulting in the most epic multiplayer matches.
    If you haven't bought Reach yet then look forward to:
    Graphics
    Multiplayer (If with XBOX Live)
    Characters
    Overall I think that Halo Reach is a brilliant game that has had a lot of time put into it and the story is fantastic but it's just not fun. With Halo 3, I always go back to my favorite missions and maps, but with Reach I completed it, went on forge, and then played it a week later, unlike Halo 3 when it was played every day of the week in my spare time. And thats why I gave it a 6. But it still is a must buy.    … Expand
  55. Badsniper
    Nov 19, 2010
    6
    The hype for this game was literally immeasurable. Halo: Reach, though breaking the cannon of the game delivered a good solid campaign, and I was happy from beginning to end.

    Campaign (5): 91% The Features in this game are amazing! Theater is back, and Forge has been completely remade with the grid, and the immaculate Forge World, truly this is the customization many halo fans have been    The hype for this game was literally immeasurable. Halo: Reach, though breaking the cannon of the game delivered a good solid campaign, and I was happy from beginning to end.

    Campaign (5): 91%

    The Features in this game are amazing! Theater is back, and Forge has been completely remade with the grid, and the immaculate Forge World, truly this is the customization many halo fans have been hoping for.

    Features (2): 97%

    This is why I have chosen to give this game a 6, The multiplayer is terrible if not broken. Armor abilities were a good Idea on paper however Armor lock just slows down gameplay, and gives unfair advantage to the person using it (as long as their teammates are somewhat competent). And bloom, a mechanic I thought would benefit the series, has instead shamed it. Rarely do I win a medium range fight when I am pacing my shots, and the other person is firing fast with the DMR. this change in what I've come to know as Halo multiplayer (I played Halo 2 and 3 online) is not good, and in the end just demolishes the competitive side of the game.

    Multiplayer (4): 10%
    (4(10) + 2(97) + 5(91))/11 = 62.64%    … Expand
  56. FadeOutAgain
    Nov 14, 2010
    7
    Best Halo game ever. That doesn't really mean anything though, the formula and mechanics are far too familiar to leave an impact. If you're not sick of Halo, you'll have a blast. If you are, then you shouldn't pick it up. It's a very polished game with some weird difficulty spikes occasionally. It's much more cinematic than the rest but it justs the swan song for a series that failed toBest Halo game ever. That doesn't really mean anything though, the formula and mechanics are far too familiar to leave an impact. If you're not sick of Halo, you'll have a blast. If you are, then you shouldn't pick it up. It's a very polished game with some weird difficulty spikes occasionally. It's much more cinematic than the rest but it justs the swan song for a series that failed to evolve. All in all, not bad, just very stale.… Expand
  57. Eliut
    Oct 29, 2010
    7
    This is just a Halo 3 ODST with Steroid´s, the new control is horrifying and confusing, only has a new weapon and the campaign is super predictable and undoubtedly need a total renovation urgently!
  58. Harlan
    Oct 28, 2010
    5
    Halo: Reach was like beating a dead horse, but then the horse reared up and turned into Optimus Prime, then fell apart into a heap of metal. Disappointing beginning, strong middle and an ending which didn't seem worthy of the incredible things that the SPARTAN soldiers accomplish during the series. Rent.
  59. KaffeineTwoD
    Oct 25, 2010
    6
    Oddly feels like a step backwards. Sure there is more content than Halo 3 and ODST, but it doesn't feel as well made in the multiplayer area. Setting that aside for now, the campaign is probably my favorite since Halo: CE. Firefight is pretty fun though it got old relatively fast for me. Back to the competitive multiplayer, I have a few problems with it. For one, the maps are justOddly feels like a step backwards. Sure there is more content than Halo 3 and ODST, but it doesn't feel as well made in the multiplayer area. Setting that aside for now, the campaign is probably my favorite since Halo: CE. Firefight is pretty fun though it got old relatively fast for me. Back to the competitive multiplayer, I have a few problems with it. For one, the maps are just horrible, there's no other way to twist it, they even managed to turn Blood Gulch into an often unbalanced map. The spawns are atrocious on most maps, contending with Modern Warfare 2 with some of the worst I've encountered, spawning on grenades, taking two steps and getting assassinated, the list goes on. The weapons, love some hate some. I never knew I liked the BR from past games until I picked up the DMR, not that it's much of a problem because they brought back the original pistol, which more than often outdoes the DMR. Sniping seems almost too easy, like the hit boxes are bigger than the should be, i really don't know. Most other weapons won't wow you, but you probably won't hate them either, I won't going into talking about all of them. Now, armor abilities, these can be super annoying or just... there. It seems like people on forums have called every armor ability from sprint, to drop shield, jet pack, and armorlock noobish. I won't delve far into my own opinion on the matter but will say this is the main deal breaker for me. Not to mention the mere fact that people have called every ability but roll, noobish, shows that it was just a bad idea to implement them. I wouldn't call them noobish, but each does give you a cheap way to kill or avoid death. All the joys of splattering and sticking are gone with the chance someone could have armorlock, sprinting with the sword is viewed as a cheap tactic, dealing with cloakers is plain annoying. It really does just cause problems, but I feel for people looking for a more casual multiplayer it could be enjoyable, but I've gone back to Halo 3 already. In all honestly I call it a renter, you can blow through campaign in not too long, but if you end up liking the multiplayer, buy it.… Expand
  60. beastlove
    Oct 22, 2010
    5
    If you played halo, halo 2 and halo 3 then you have already played halo reach. It is a bit like listening to the greatest hits of status quo - the same pattern over and over and over again. Nothing really new. Same level design, same guns, same bad guys etc etc. If you haven't played halo, halo 2 or halo 3 then this game is great!
  61. mhvelplund
    Oct 20, 2010
    6
    It's a decent shooter with some good moments, but the story is very clichéd. Unless you bought it for the MP, it's not worth the price tag for a new game.
  62. MartyJ
    Oct 11, 2010
    6
    This is such a hard game to review, lets post a question first, Do you love halo? If so then you are going to love reach, its fantastically pretty making improvements in visuals all over the game, the textures are better the models pretty much everything looks better. This game is a treat to play its a totally polished version of the halo brand and this is its downfall, for non hardcoreThis is such a hard game to review, lets post a question first, Do you love halo? If so then you are going to love reach, its fantastically pretty making improvements in visuals all over the game, the textures are better the models pretty much everything looks better. This game is a treat to play its a totally polished version of the halo brand and this is its downfall, for non hardcore halo gamers this is just halo 3 polished which in turn was halo 2 polished, the campaign has got worse and worse since halo 2 and that wasn't amazing either. Although I'm saying its not an amazing campaign its not a bad one and here lies Reaches major problem, for me its good, even great but its not amazing and its not a big enough step forward and this has been my feeling of all the halo games since 2.

    Multi-Player.
    This again is the same its great it does what halo does best online multiplayer but there is a flaw all the maps that people were shouting for in halo 3 and were told they didn't want to re do them, well guess what they've turned up in either a full map or a forge variant. Now this is good but some of the best halo 3 maps are missing!?

    They should of picked the best maps from halo 1 - 3 but I'm sure the majority are well aware it likely to be in DLC not sure how but I'm sure its going to happen.

    Overall a good game but only buy if you truly love halo if your not a huge lover I'd look elsewhere    … Expand
  63. Sim-V
    Oct 10, 2010
    5
    I have 20 years of experience with videogames (consoles and pc) and I am a bit disappointed with Halo Reach .
    Graphics is not so impressive, is worse than 2006 PC games and even on console I have seen something better.
    Interiors have a bad lighting, low res textures and few objects. The engine drops frames very often, especially near smoke or in the middle of battle. Gameplay is THE SAME    I have 20 years of experience with videogames (consoles and pc) and I am a bit disappointed with Halo Reach .
    Graphics is not so impressive, is worse than 2006 PC games and even on console I have seen something better.
    Interiors have a bad lighting, low res textures and few objects. The engine drops frames very often, especially near smoke or in the middle of battle.
    Gameplay is THE SAME of Halo Combact Evolved, this could be a good aspect for someone, but not for me. The introduction of Armor Abilities is only a minor addition (most of them are useless).
    Physics engine feels very very old, very little as changed from Halo CE.
    Vehicles seem weightless and without friction with the ground.
    Squad members AI is very bad (bots are unable to drive, they do not search for protection and shoot a bit to an enemy and a bit to another one, killing only 2-3 enemies out of 10).
    Noble team members are not deep characters, they have no secrets, hidden weaknesses, a background story ... so we do not become attached to them.
    Even the soundtrack is not so good as in the other Halos.
    Campaign is very boring on the first half, then it has an improvement from mission 5.
    Multiplayer is excellent as usual.
    Concluding, I can say that Halo reach is a sort of Halo 3 with minor addition and better graphics (but not so impressive), there are no important innovations, short and boring half campaign, banal characters, bad squad members AI, old physics engine, unchanged gameplay.

    I would have given 7.5 to Halo Reach, but since as many people have given wrongly 10, I am forced to compensate giving 5.    … Expand
  64. conorbobonor
    Oct 6, 2010
    7
    Halo reach is a good addition to the halo series but is it as good as everybody expected it to be?
    Generally putting the game in for the first time my immediate reaction was 'online!'
    And i generally enjoyed the online experience occationally saying WOW at a few of the new features. However within a week i found it very mechanic and not inventive enough to be too intrested in it. For    Halo reach is a good addition to the halo series but is it as good as everybody expected it to be?
    Generally putting the game in for the first time my immediate reaction was 'online!'
    And i generally enjoyed the online experience occationally saying WOW at a few of the new features.
    However within a week i found it very mechanic and not inventive enough to be too intrested in it. For those of you who have experienced the forge of halo 3 you will be blown away by the forge mechanics in reach but i generally dont belive it is as good as bungie hyped it up to be and you may get bored within a few days playing within it. The campaign has a good pace to it and is quite fresh but once again will not occupy you too much unless your trying to go through on legendary. Overall the game is worth a buy but i wouldn't reccomend playing it at a constant level at the risk you may become bored quite quickly and will not become intised.    … Expand
  65. VeryCutePanda
    Sep 28, 2010
    7
    Probably the only reason why I gave a lower than expected score is because the whole gameplay experience is dull... well, it's still the same thing with no improvements and the vehicle controls are still god-awful. The plot.. it's Halo, the plot is not the driving force and it never will be but Reach manage to make me feel for most of the characters so... Kudos. Graphics is nice, music isProbably the only reason why I gave a lower than expected score is because the whole gameplay experience is dull... well, it's still the same thing with no improvements and the vehicle controls are still god-awful. The plot.. it's Halo, the plot is not the driving force and it never will be but Reach manage to make me feel for most of the characters so... Kudos. Graphics is nice, music is forgettable (as always) and there's always certain minor flaws waiting to jump on you when you're enjoying yourself too much on this game. In conclusion, it's doesn't suck since they basically mirror almost everything from the previous game-engine but sadly it carries the flaws too.… Expand
  66. Akiba_22
    Sep 28, 2010
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I bought this game thinking i'd give halo a final shot after playing halo 3 and feeling disapointed mainly by a bad ending. I didn't preorder it and i really just spent money for the sake of it.I'm doing this review after completing the campaign on legendary by myself and a few missions in co-op and around 7 hours multiplayer. But anyway......
    I'll start off with the good points. Its halo so how bad it can it be? You can't really be cheap on this game and theres not many glitches so for multiplayer you'll never feel cheated or think the games flawed unlike other games like COD or GOW which have many flaws but i still prefer them to halo.
    Now the bad points. **** HELL where do i begin.
    The storyline was terrible partly do to piss poor voice acting and a group of characters that had as much charisma and emotion as a wooden plank i didn't care if any of them died because they weren't interesting characters. In a scene when a marine is being shot at by wraiths he sounds like he spilt his morning coffee over him rather than hes gonna die. And the storyline itself isn't interesting with once again a bad ending way to tie off a series bungie.
    Then theres the gameplay. They've gone back on themselves taken out a number of good features making it have the least in game features since halo one, a game thats Nearly 10 years old. Dual-wielding has been taken out (who SERIOUSLY thought that was a good idea, Fire the dumbass), multiple weapons have been taken out and some replaced by cheap copies. A gun called the concussion rifle is really just a brute shot instead it fires plasma instead of grenades why go to the effort?????? The ai in this game also isn't up to scratch. Sometimes elites stand about why your blasting them in the face with a DMR and then sometimes there **** psychic. Case in point ,at one point in the game two wraiths are shooting at you and a group of spartans when your at the top of a hill (Mission three) these wraiths know where you are even when behind rocks or when you leave there sights its really frustrating!!!!!(this is also the part where i quoted the bad voice acting "i've got enemy tangos on my six" go see for yourself) The AI in this game is bad but for your allies OH MY GOD there **** they don't help you you'll be lucky if they fire a bullet to help you out and there idiots when given regular marines as you can recruit them they die in an instant so would your spartan allies too if it wasn't impossible for them to die. Another thing i found a crap addition was the Power-ups. Some are good Holograph,evade,sprint and active camo were good and were extremely useful. But the others were terrible the computer never falls for armore lock up the bubble shield (sorry drop shield) is easily destroyed since it lasts depending on damage unlike in halo 3 where it was based on time. And the worst of all........ jet packs?????? IS THIS FROM RUSSIA WITH **** LOVE, JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!! They are crap there is never a good time to use them in battle as cover is much more important then flying around, they also fuel the case of the AI being bad because the computer can't shoot and fly at the same time. Thats right the computer can't multi-task in 2010. A slightly annoying point is that they let you use active camo in multiplayer which is a bit annoying but not that bad.
    Multiplayer
    The multiplayer in this one is the worst i've played yet in the halo franchise.
    Theres a few good points though. The servers are very good hardly any lag really well organised and games are quick to find. The forge worlds the best yet and could be like little little big planet (though not as good, but still pretty good)depending on how far the players are willing to go and if bungie uses user created maps. This could mean free dlc map packs. All the game modes are here and some have been revised such as firefight in multiple ways pretty damn good on those fronts. However.... this is the last game in the series so they should have gone ballistic throwing classic maps, map layouts, weapons etc straight at you BUT THEY DON'T. Instead the make cheap copies, the best halo map off all time Coagulation (called hemorrage in this) is a terrible copy. I also noticed a map called reflection on this which is once again a copy of a halo 2 map ivory tower.. As well as a re-imaganing off sanctuary from halo 2, all really cheap copies worse than the ones off previous games even with todays technology. The armor abilites ruin multiplayer so i often just play SWAT, and there using the vote system why not have regular good old fashioned team slayer instead of elite slayer or **** like that. Make what people want to play more specific instead of making them have a flip of a coin chance of playing a game mode they like or one they loathe.    … Expand
  67. Crofto
    Sep 25, 2010
    7
    Reach is undoubtedly Bungie's greatest effort for the Halo series, but even so it doesn't quite manage to match the astonishment of the first game, the multiplayer powerhouse of the second game, nor the overall refinement of the third game.

    Let's get one thing clear - Halo has never been a world class FPS when compared to the likes of Valve-made shooters, but as a console gaming series    Reach is undoubtedly Bungie's greatest effort for the Halo series, but even so it doesn't quite manage to match the astonishment of the first game, the multiplayer powerhouse of the second game, nor the overall refinement of the third game.

    Let's get one thing clear - Halo has never been a world class FPS when compared to the likes of Valve-made shooters, but as a console gaming series they've managed to offer plenty of solid enjoyment for millions of people. Unfortunately, Reach has arrived at saturation point; new additions to the game are not enough, and things that really grated for past multiplayer elements still exist (quitters keep qutting, and are not replaced, for example) and the lack of any real customisation and progression makes it lose-out compared to other games (you can spend experience on armour parts, but overall they add so very little to the game).

    The campaign manages to entertain, but the story, characters, and setting are a massive let-down. Uwe Boll could probably muster something better than what Bungie have done here, with not even one character offering the heart or soul equal to the likes of Cortana, Sergeant Johnson or even the Arbiter. If this were Bungie's first game then the campaign based on gameplay alone would be enough, but with Halo 3 and ODST already available and better, it's hard to fully recommend Reach.

    As an overall package the game will do enough to keep fans happy, but don't be expecting a massively impressive swan-song here.    … Expand
  68. Goatbot
    Sep 24, 2010
    7
    There seems to be a lot of people here ranting that anyone who gives this game a low score is a fan boy and then saying something like "Halo is the best game ever 10/10" Um? Really? Isnt there a little tiny bit of hypocrisy there?

    Halo is supposed to be the pioneering game for XBox. It defines the consoles success. MW2 is the fastest selling game. So if theyre that big and that good then    There seems to be a lot of people here ranting that anyone who gives this game a low score is a fan boy and then saying something like "Halo is the best game ever 10/10" Um? Really? Isnt there a little tiny bit of hypocrisy there?

    Halo is supposed to be the pioneering game for XBox. It defines the consoles success. MW2 is the fastest selling game. So if theyre that big and that good then why cant they have dedicated servers?! If Battlefield has it and it works perfectly well then surely the supposed "biggest 2 games of all time" can and should have it. It certainly eliminates the annoyance of host migration when youre just 1 bullet away from killing someone and suddenly everything stops and the screen goes black while the host changes.

    The campaign for Halo was unimpressive and for large parts quite boring and repetitive. Still probably better than CoD ripping off The Rock or Enemy At The Gates or probably Apocalypse Now or something now theyre in Vietnam for Black Ops. CoD fans can hush about CoD campaigns being amazing. They obviously havnt played Mass Effect 2. Thats how a campaign should be. The Halo universe is barely a scratch on MEs branching storylines and character relations. Reach has huge balance issues especially in its Invasion game mode and also its spawn points. I spawned in the same room as 4 guys in the blue team earlier. The problem was that I was on Red Team and on SWAT I think you can imagine the amount of holes that put in my head before I even took 1 step.


    Halo better than CoD, less consistent than Battlefield. Reach also has The Cage, possibly the worst multiplayer map ever in any game and its even got more contenders to that title in its 8 non forge map roster. It falls between the 2 for me with a 7.5.    … Expand
  69. ApocalypseBrown
    Sep 24, 2010
    7
    To make absolutely clear I am NOT a PS3 fanboy, as unfortunately there are many on here wasting space. Halo Reach was always going to be a bit of a emotional border, Halo Combat Evolved and Halo 2 are the best first person shooters (along with Half life 2) out there period! However it's 2010, and Reach feels like a watered down Halo 2. Why? For instance the single player is completeTo make absolutely clear I am NOT a PS3 fanboy, as unfortunately there are many on here wasting space. Halo Reach was always going to be a bit of a emotional border, Halo Combat Evolved and Halo 2 are the best first person shooters (along with Half life 2) out there period! However it's 2010, and Reach feels like a watered down Halo 2. Why? For instance the single player is complete rubbish, absolute waste of time. Co-op fairs a little better, but both players will need to have the same level of dedication to wade through the tedium. Multiplayer was the only reason I got this and to be honest I am slightly underwhelmed! Rehash's of Halo maps from the past and Horde, sorry Firefight mode is good but not great. The new powers up are welcomed, and elite/swat death-matches bringing new and immensely fun moments. But ultimately is this game worth it? It's up to you whether you love the series of not, for me there are better games out there right now (like Bad Company 2 and Gears of War 2) but undeniable Halo is still immense fun, even though tiresomely familiar.… Expand
  70. GameMechanic
    Sep 24, 2010
    7
    There was a lot of hype over Halo Reach, that's a given... there's a lot around all Halo's in fact but while Halo Reach brings a lot of novelty and a much needed graphical update to its engine, it doesn't feel as much different from the previous titles.

    Singleplayer-wise, the game is fun; having a full squad of Spartans this time around helps remove that reclusive feeling of being the    There was a lot of hype over Halo Reach, that's a given... there's a lot around all Halo's in fact but while Halo Reach brings a lot of novelty and a much needed graphical update to its engine, it doesn't feel as much different from the previous titles.

    Singleplayer-wise, the game is fun; having a full squad of Spartans this time around helps remove that reclusive feeling of being the only remaining bad-ass in the galaxy. It also feels a bit more grounded than playing Master Chief as people not only depend on you, but as a group instead. It might sound weird, but in the case of a military oriented, sci-fi shooter like Halo, being part of Noble Team makes much more sense than playing John S-117. It's also quite refreshing and a definitve look back on ODST which featured some of the same, except on a more 'human' level.

    Multiplayer-wise, the game cather to the same that followed Halo 2 and 3 and most of it remains unchanged. My pet peeve remains in that there's no need to have the crosshair off-center and down on the screen other than remind you that you're playing Halo and it doesn't feel like an innovation but more of an annoyance. It didn't ruin the experience, mind you (just something that you have to get used to) but I still am wondering why they'd take such a decision. The new armor abilities makes hunting for powerups a thing of the past and allows everyone to get a bit of a pick at the awesome from time to time. Many variety of gameplay within the same gametypes helps mix things up a bit though, as before, Sniper-only matches makes games completely one-sided. The matchmaking is weird to some point, often tossing you in game where you're clearly outclassed just to fill up for missing players. The 'True Skill' system still needs some tweaking; I'm clearly not cut yet to play in the 'big league' like those who spends all their free time in Halo but the game seems to assume I've already learned enough to be another headshot target.

    Forge is updated with a lot of goodies to make a very nice mix of things. It's a new and improved playground for the creative while also being a nice way to familiarize yourself with weapons, tactics and just recreate some environments you've played before. Add to this the new features like phasing which makes building areas much less reliant on engine-defying tricks and much more on ease of use. Some of the extras, like the Kill Ball and the Golf Ball/Club helps make it even funnier as you might end up setting up courses and playing sci-fi golf games in full battle armor (against sun burns)

    Firefight is back and even more moddable than before. Adding the possibility to edit every round, wave and set, even setting up the weapons available much like custom game rules and publish them as well for a bit of diversity. Again, my only gripe is with the matchmaking. Doing good in firefight will award you a fast track to Legendary difficulty, which means if you're not yet quite on par with it, all aliens, including grunts, will happily tear through you with ungodly precise sticky grenade tosses and enough armor to soak up 2 full reserves of assault rifle ammo. Sure, you can then need to rely on your teammates... but as stated earlier, it seems most of the Halo crowd (and I'm even tempted to say most of the XBox Live crowd) seems much less of team players and much more lone wolves which completely defeats the purpose of a cooperative game mode. Frustrated 2nd or 3rd place players would often top their endgame with a well placed sticky to another player, just for griefing. Thankfully, if you're lucky and he happens to have done so a few times already, you can boot them out, denying them their hard earned (or not so much) credits and XP for the match.

    The Challenges adds a 'come back' reason to the gameplay and while it was claimed that most of them could be done either in multiplayer matchmaking AND singleplayer, I've only noticed most week long Challenges to be multiplayer only. The game basically pushes you to kill other players to actually get something as the latest unlockable items requires over 10 million credits... something that is unthinkable to get if you play Singleplayer and Firefight only at about 500-1500 credits per game completed.

    Pros :
    - Improved engine that's a definite step past the Halo 2.5 engine from Halo 3
    - Fun gameplay elements and customisation
    - Firefight has matchmaking
    - Forge is now a much easier and full experience
    - Challenges adds day to day replay value

    Cons
    - Heavy emphasis on the current/previous Halo community vs new players
    - Matchmaking 'True Skill' is quick to 'promote' you to play against higher ranked players
    - Community players does not fit too well with the cooperative game modes unless you know them well
    - Very hyped game that offers an experience only slightly different than past Halo titles (more of the same)
    - Challenges are more geared towards multiplayer/cooperative    … Expand
  71. Comalv
    Sep 24, 2010
    7
    This is a very good and solid game but far from perfect. While the campaign is very solid and probably deserves a 9 for awesome scenarios, plot and storytelling, with a good variety of things to do, although some of the dropships spurting out MOBs (specially at higher difficulties) seems old and random. The coop side of multiplayer (campaign and firefights) are very well made and theThis is a very good and solid game but far from perfect. While the campaign is very solid and probably deserves a 9 for awesome scenarios, plot and storytelling, with a good variety of things to do, although some of the dropships spurting out MOBs (specially at higher difficulties) seems old and random. The coop side of multiplayer (campaign and firefights) are very well made and the skulls system gives a solution for perfectly adjusting difficulty. The multiplayer versus side on the other hand offers very little new stuff (mainly armor upgrades) and feels overall old and not really that entertaining (except maybe for halo fanboys). Also all the stuff you get for levelling up is purely cosmethical and while some is really nice it surely doesn't add much to the longevity of the game. Overall a Must-Have for Halo enthusiasts, a 30ish hours of fun for the casual gamer… Expand
  72. Olegskij
    Sep 23, 2010
    6
    Dull and boring, pointless story badly told in the most pompous style. But the worst thing is: this game is at least supposed to be a technological marvel but its graphics are really boring, like a 2006 shooter. Come on guys, whats all the fuzz?!?! Go play Bioshock instead with incredible design and really interesting setting and story!!!!
  73. VengeanceUK
    Sep 21, 2010
    6
    overhyped and under fulfills, not what i (and lots of others) were hoping for, for bungies swansong halo game. feels too old. too many fanboys screaming i love halo, when halo became disinteresting after the shambolic end to halo 2. it just no longer has that wow factor, maybe in part as it is a prequel and we know what we already know but it just feels slightly disjointed and wrong. butoverhyped and under fulfills, not what i (and lots of others) were hoping for, for bungies swansong halo game. feels too old. too many fanboys screaming i love halo, when halo became disinteresting after the shambolic end to halo 2. it just no longer has that wow factor, maybe in part as it is a prequel and we know what we already know but it just feels slightly disjointed and wrong. but thats my opinion. i see all these 10's and raving reviews, that the game just does not deserve… Expand
  74. MrSlippery
    Sep 20, 2010
    6
    I usually agree with the "real" critics, but not on this one. Played them all. Played this game, all parts, and nothing in the game is memorable for me. It has beautiful vistas and outdoor areas and improved resolution. My biggest disappointment was there was nothing new in the game-play. I have already played too many hours of the same game-play and the new armor abilities don't add muchI usually agree with the "real" critics, but not on this one. Played them all. Played this game, all parts, and nothing in the game is memorable for me. It has beautiful vistas and outdoor areas and improved resolution. My biggest disappointment was there was nothing new in the game-play. I have already played too many hours of the same game-play and the new armor abilities don't add much for me. My favorite part - the action after the credits. My final test of greatness; as soon as I'm done, I crank up the difficulty and start over. Couldn't be bothered.… Expand
  75. kenstarkun
    Sep 20, 2010
    5
    Those who claim this is the "Best Multiplayer Game EVAR!111!" have obviously never touched a fantastic multiplayer shooter like Team Fortress 2 on the PC, or have simply forgotten how amazing Halo 2's multiplayer on the Xbox was.
  76. Juan
    Sep 20, 2010
    7
    I don´t see significant improvements graphically, the single player campaign leaves much to be desired, however, is an entertaining game in its cooperative campaign
  77. podriscoll27
    Sep 19, 2010
    6
    Iâ
  78. Uh_Oh
    Sep 19, 2010
    7
    Since I played the beta I was a little underwhelmed on the game. I am happy to say the mp is better since that iteration. The campaign, i felt bored,never felt bored in a halo game before but this one did it for me. I had a hard time relating to the noble team. They all felt very dry for a conflict ending in near doom. I felt ODST was a stronger cast of characters. I'm glad bungie isSince I played the beta I was a little underwhelmed on the game. I am happy to say the mp is better since that iteration. The campaign, i felt bored,never felt bored in a halo game before but this one did it for me. I had a hard time relating to the noble team. They all felt very dry for a conflict ending in near doom. I felt ODST was a stronger cast of characters. I'm glad bungie is moving on to a new game. You have a since they're ready to get this game out the door and done. The levels didn't feel very imaginative, least in halo3 you felt the worlds you were in were interesting and fresh.… Expand
  79. the_capoe123
    Sep 18, 2010
    5
    I have been a Halo fan from the start, but this one seems to disappoint me. The graphics are better, yes, but some things have managed to become worse. I believed that in halo 3, the A.I. were lacking a bit of that "intelligence" part. Now they seem to have lost it completely. I have first hand witnessed teammate A.I. stare at enemies and not shoot, leaving me to do everything (onI have been a Halo fan from the start, but this one seems to disappoint me. The graphics are better, yes, but some things have managed to become worse. I believed that in halo 3, the A.I. were lacking a bit of that "intelligence" part. Now they seem to have lost it completely. I have first hand witnessed teammate A.I. stare at enemies and not shoot, leaving me to do everything (on Legendary, you'll take all the help you can get). Another thing...The elites are too powerful in campaign. It shouldn't take 2 shotgun blasts and 3 punches to take it down, when it takes me down in 1 kick. Games take longer to load and the online lag is horrific.
    Now, the few good things (if you can look past its bad things). The characters are more developed and there is a good storyline. Forge world is great once you get the hang of it and firefight is back and better than ever.
    I give Halo reach a 5 out of 10.    … Expand
  80. Flamesuitready
    Sep 18, 2010
    7
    I was really looking forward to taking part in the battle that we'd heard about since the start of Halo, the game was on pre-order for months waiting for the day of release and I checked on every morsel of information that was released by Bungie and it just made the wait all the better, this was going to be the great Halo send off that we'd all been waiting for.

    Unfortunately, as    I was really looking forward to taking part in the battle that we'd heard about since the start of Halo, the game was on pre-order for months waiting for the day of release and I checked on every morsel of information that was released by Bungie and it just made the wait all the better, this was going to be the great Halo send off that we'd all been waiting for.

    Unfortunately, as sometimes happens with a things you really look forward to, the finished article is never going to live up to the anticipation, Halo: Reach is the perfect example of this. The game is at best a half hearted prequel of the Halo games with the setting of Reach and a couple of familiar names/faces thrown in to actually make and connection to the franchise at all, that's not counting the same gameplay copied totally from the other Halo games, no innovation at all, not even any attempt, zero.

    The campaign mode is pitifully short and even having paced myself so I could savour the game I'd been looking forward to for so long I'd finished it within a day of release, to say I was disappointed would be a massive understatement, and there is no great ending either, you are left feeling very cheated. very lazy.
    The game will undoubtedly have hoards of on-line players who will dismiss the campaign mode completely, but to rely on the on-line element of the game to pad out such a weak title really isn't good enough any more.

    Shame on you Bungie.    … Expand
  81. Seehuusen
    Sep 17, 2010
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Multiplayer wise i am incredibly pleased, except for the poor amount of maps. it's following the halo 3 recipe, it works and some new stuff has been added. Making a long story short, i'd go for a 9/10 on that part. In single player however, the story and characters are a huge dissappointment, it feels like ODST 2, only without the spooky feeling of being alone in the dark. The gameplay is good, but the story is quite boring and the characters are not worthy of mentioning, there's a lack of backbone to the story, and it feels like youre watching a b-movie from hollywood. I can't possibly give that more than 5/10. It's very good gameplay wise, but the story and characters are far below average, and the single player experince is truly dissappointing, thefore, an average, 5/10. Overall the game scores 7/10 from me, cause i think Halo is just as much a single player game, as it is an awesome multiplayer shooter.… Expand
  82. Trucu
    Sep 16, 2010
    7
    I gave this game a couple days. I played the campaign (really short! I beat it on normal in under 5 hours) and played everything online has to offer and realized one main thing. Boring. If you have played Halo 3 or for that matter, any other Halo, it is the same basic game. Firefight is a a joke since you can make yourself invulnerable with unlimited ammo to get all the achievements.I gave this game a couple days. I played the campaign (really short! I beat it on normal in under 5 hours) and played everything online has to offer and realized one main thing. Boring. If you have played Halo 3 or for that matter, any other Halo, it is the same basic game. Firefight is a a joke since you can make yourself invulnerable with unlimited ammo to get all the achievements. Speaking of achievements, they don't even work all the time! How could bungie release a game with broken achievements?

    Basically, if you are interested in an in depth single player experience, you are better off figuring out why there needs to be another CoD clone of MW. If you are looking for the MP(like most of you are), I have to say it lacks. The grenades have a massive buff, the main weapons are the DMR and Needle Rifle, which leave the game with an empty feeling. The main strategy is to fire at the enemy until they turn a corner, then lob your nades if you see them on your motion tracker behind the corner. Teamwork? Yes, but the basic Halo teamwork there always has been. Such as,"Hey you have a sniper rifle!", says your teammate. *assassination* "Not anymore!" Then you are left with the decision to boot the player (which will harm your team since most games are small 4v4 matches) or let him be a 10 year old on your team. There is of course the other basic teamwork of,"Guys, lets run around or camp until we see enemies and then call out when their shields are down so we can steal each others kills." Not my kind of game.

    Hynda, the Wii has terrible games. I recently gave mine away. Who wants to play Mario and cartoon games forever? Other than the Japanese. 3 words; Fallout: New Vegas. When the Wii gets it, I'll S*** BRICKS.    … Expand
  83. RyanB2804
    Sep 16, 2010
    6
    I buy games for a single player experience. I see multiplayer as a bonus for my cash. But Bungie seem to do things the other way round. The campaign was short and in all honesty, boring, the AI is dodgy at times, and the graphics aren't up to snuff when compared to games such as Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2 and God of War III. Graphics can really help immerse a player into a game, but thisI buy games for a single player experience. I see multiplayer as a bonus for my cash. But Bungie seem to do things the other way round. The campaign was short and in all honesty, boring, the AI is dodgy at times, and the graphics aren't up to snuff when compared to games such as Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2 and God of War III. Graphics can really help immerse a player into a game, but this game really hasn't improved the visuals much since Halo 3. But i haven't mentioned the multiplayer yet. The multiplayer (the first game i have played online since Halo 3 back in December) is ok. It offers more than Halo 3 does, but that's pretty much it. The multiplayer for this game saves me from giving this game a 3/10.The only reason this game sticks out from the crowd is because it bears the name 'Halo'. Any other game like this would be ripped apart by reviewers. It isn't a crapfest like ODST, and it does improve somewhat over Halo 3, but it isn't worthy of all this praise.… Expand
  84. HoneyChicken
    Sep 16, 2010
    7
    This game looks good. But, with no Master Chief, no. With him not being a part of Reach, this game is an automatic failure. The gameplay is good, but there is NO way that you can say it is even anywhere near the best game ever. The best game ever, my friend, that goes to Grand Theft Auto IV. This is Halo 3, but worse.
  85. Goldciggy
    Sep 15, 2010
    6
    OK....Well, I see some people are just haters! 0/10 come on I didnâ
  86. Robx
    Sep 15, 2010
    7
    The first Halo was simply revolutionary, it implemented a bunch of the features we see on most games nowadays, from the Shield (Recovering after cover) to the whole multiplayer experience. The second one added certain details we lacked on the first, and focused on the multiplayer. From the third on, it's a repeating cycle; the same game with different maps. Having played them all, it'sThe first Halo was simply revolutionary, it implemented a bunch of the features we see on most games nowadays, from the Shield (Recovering after cover) to the whole multiplayer experience. The second one added certain details we lacked on the first, and focused on the multiplayer. From the third on, it's a repeating cycle; the same game with different maps. Having played them all, it's getting old, we have already experienced all of it's features in the past, and we keep getting the same. I'd hate to agree with the 'trolls' bashing the game because of it's hype, but it seems they do have a point. Nevertheless, it's a fun and dedicated game, but come on Bungie, you have the potential to give us some more!… Expand
  87. gavin1873
    Sep 15, 2010
    5
    A quick skim over the user reveiws has led me to believe that the numbers 1 through 9 do not exist in the world of amatuer reviewing and that the internet is populated entirely by fanboys desperately trying to justify the money they sink into their preferred flavour of console. Anyhoo... Halo: Reach is, technically speaking, not a bad game; it looks nice, the baddies are definitely notA quick skim over the user reveiws has led me to believe that the numbers 1 through 9 do not exist in the world of amatuer reviewing and that the internet is populated entirely by fanboys desperately trying to justify the money they sink into their preferred flavour of console. Anyhoo... Halo: Reach is, technically speaking, not a bad game; it looks nice, the baddies are definitely not stupid and the multiplayer is good if you like that sort of thing. No, Halo: Reach's biggest problem is that it's just so mediocre and safe; having the same charm and charisma as that of a brick, the guns feel plastic and ineffective, the ending is about as suprising as the sun rising and the new uber-super-awesomesauce armor powers can be laughably ineffective and are definitely not the game-changers promised in the hype. To be honest someone could swap Reach with Halo 3 when you weren't looking and you'd be forgiven for not noticing but again many believed Halo 3 would lead them to the promised land and if something's not broken don't **** with it. So to summarise; If you liked Halo 3 then you'll like this as it's more of the same, which is fine... If you like that sort of thing.… Expand
  88. ICUH8N
    Sep 15, 2010
    7
    THE GOOD - Improved AI, increased difficulty, tons of bells and whistles, main screen lobby is a genius idea, psych profile and game searching options help find games to your tastes, inclusion of secondary abilities is a nice touch, fixed the melee issues and an improved firefight mode with a variety of options. THE BAD - Gameplay after all these years is feeling bland and outdated.THE GOOD - Improved AI, increased difficulty, tons of bells and whistles, main screen lobby is a genius idea, psych profile and game searching options help find games to your tastes, inclusion of secondary abilities is a nice touch, fixed the melee issues and an improved firefight mode with a variety of options. THE BAD - Gameplay after all these years is feeling bland and outdated. Graphics, though better than Halo 3's, still aren't top notch. Too many camping locations on multiplayer maps. Awful and distracting music at times. THE UGLY - An embarrassingly low number of multiplayer maps (Inexcusable for a $60 package..you'll spend hours frolicking around on the same 4 similarly designed maps), a short and unevenly paced campaign (5-10 hours, depending on skill and difficulty), continued inclusion of the "cheap" pistol/charged plasma combo and the snap-to-target on the sniper rifle that takes out the skill of sniping and establishes it as one of the most unbalanced and camper friendly weapons of all time. THE VERDICT - A decent game, certainly not worth $60. Wait for it to hit $30-$40 before purchasing.… Expand
  89. Equation
    Sep 15, 2010
    5
    How I loved the Halo Franchise, Since the original Halo on the original Xbox... And how I was looking forward to this. But playing this feels old, compared to new fresher games this just feels old, the graphics have been improved, yes. online is still fun, yes (although alot the maps are just remakes *sigh*) the voice acting is generally poor and I never felt any emotional link with theHow I loved the Halo Franchise, Since the original Halo on the original Xbox... And how I was looking forward to this. But playing this feels old, compared to new fresher games this just feels old, the graphics have been improved, yes. online is still fun, yes (although alot the maps are just remakes *sigh*) the voice acting is generally poor and I never felt any emotional link with the characters, Times have moved on and it shows how much Halo has aged. I have still given it a 5 as I will still play it online time to time, but the single player campaign feels old and only took me about 6 1/2 hours to complete.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2010
1
#1 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2010
2
#2 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 99 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 99
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 99
  3. Negative: 0 out of 99
  1. Video Game Talk
    Jan 18, 2011
    80
    If you loved all the other Halo games, there's little I can say to dissuade you from purchasing Bungie's last creation in the Halo series.
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  2. Absolute Games
    Jan 15, 2011
    71
    Halo: Reach is not a breakthrough, yet it's a clear showcase of Bungie's creative growth. The game is hardly a "must buy" – its single-player campaign is way too short and uneven in quality, while multiplayer has very little room for expansion besides map packs and useless character decorations. But with that said, Reach is worthy of your attention for a couple of evenings.
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  3. Games Master UK
    Dec 25, 2010
    94
    Almost achieves the impossible and fulfills the hype. Among the best shooters ever created. [Issue#231, p.82]
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