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. chronoT
    Sep 4, 2012
    8
    Halo is a hit or miss for a lot of people, but personally I like the Halo series, and I think Reach is some of the best it has to offer. Overall for a XBox game this looks good, feels good, and the multiplayer is pretty damn fun IMO. The story here is definitely not the strongest of the series, but the single player is worth taking a look at and an absolute challenge on legendary. I noHalo is a hit or miss for a lot of people, but personally I like the Halo series, and I think Reach is some of the best it has to offer. Overall for a XBox game this looks good, feels good, and the multiplayer is pretty damn fun IMO. The story here is definitely not the strongest of the series, but the single player is worth taking a look at and an absolute challenge on legendary. I no longer own a 360 nor do I plan on it, which is not that big of deal to me except I will miss Halo 4. I do think 4 looks seriously promising.… Expand
  2. AudioThirteen
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    This is a great game, and it is masterfully done, however, it still lacks in some of the things that make a Halo game Halo. While the graphics and soundtrack are perfect, I am a little disappointed in the story. While it is a great story and all, it just doesn't beat Halo 3. If you want a great shooter game, play Halo: Reach, however if you want a great campaign, play Halo 3. Notice thatThis is a great game, and it is masterfully done, however, it still lacks in some of the things that make a Halo game Halo. While the graphics and soundtrack are perfect, I am a little disappointed in the story. While it is a great story and all, it just doesn't beat Halo 3. If you want a great shooter game, play Halo: Reach, however if you want a great campaign, play Halo 3. Notice that I'm not going to go in-depth on how the stories are different, if I did I would have ruined the game for you.… Expand
  3. Breegullbeak
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    Was the greatest shooter online ever made. Bungie made a truly great online shooter and they were easily able to tweak playlists and add new game types as they saw fit. That is where the problems start. A week after the game came out due to popular demand S.W.A.T. was added. Multi team S.W.A.T. was beautiful chaos head shots everywhere. Then S.W.A.T. was removed from multi team and givenWas the greatest shooter online ever made. Bungie made a truly great online shooter and they were easily able to tweak playlists and add new game types as they saw fit. That is where the problems start. A week after the game came out due to popular demand S.W.A.T. was added. Multi team S.W.A.T. was beautiful chaos head shots everywhere. Then S.W.A.T. was removed from multi team and given it's own playlist. Then the player count in multi team was changed, and things were removed and changed according to what would make the the game "more fair" according to the "victims" of someone who practiced the art of armor lock or used a gun that was good.

    Things got worse and worse. When the First DLC hit it really only had one good map, and the playlists were very different. 343 took over and things got worse. Elite slayer was changed so drastically that not even fans of it voted it anymore. Good luck getting into a game of it since the games that come up are the most popular. The second DLC sucked two outside of a firefight map. The Anniversary map pack sucked as well, and it's not the games fault. Due to the fact that there is a large number of people who haven't played Halo 1 & 2, there is a large number of people who haven't played the new maps previously. The people who have however know them inside out and have strategies already made up due to previous experience. Firefight is great. It is nowhere near as difficult as ODST, but it is fun to set it up your way.

    Forge World is incredible. While the maps that Bungie made may be bad, the maps and custom games out there made by fans are the saving grace of this game, but the one thing that remains untouched is my favorite part of the game.

    The Campaign is incredible. I never gave a damn about the story in Halo, but Reach manages to have semi-interesting characters and a kick ass campaign to go along with it. I'll try and remember the fond memories of Reach at launch, but outside the campaign and custom games, there is noting I'd ever want to go back too.

    Remember Reach. 2010-2010    … Expand
  4. potatoes351
    Aug 13, 2012
    9
    Nearly a decade of work from Bungie has culminated into this, the companies final Halo game. Reach tells the widely referenced but (never told in a video game) story of The Fall of Reach. You play as Noble Six, Noble Teams newest member after the previous Six gave their life protecting the team. You soon find that the Covenant has infiltrated Reach and begins a full scale invasion.Nearly a decade of work from Bungie has culminated into this, the companies final Halo game. Reach tells the widely referenced but (never told in a video game) story of The Fall of Reach. You play as Noble Six, Noble Teams newest member after the previous Six gave their life protecting the team. You soon find that the Covenant has infiltrated Reach and begins a full scale invasion. Unprepared the UNSC defends as long as they can deploying Noble Team to all the pivotal warzones in the battle for Reach, however as we all know Reach is inevitably lost. The characters are likeable and relateable, they have character and you feel sad when they are lost. Reach completes the Halo saga (more or less *eyes Halo 3 ending*) and as a Halo fan, I am proud of Reach.… Expand
  5. cbb1018
    Aug 6, 2012
    9
    Bungie came back with its last Halo installment as a prequel to the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. And it may surprise you on how good a prequel can be. Your part of a group trying to save the planet Reach from the Covenant. This game goes through the relationships of everyone in your group and how passionate a team of soldiers really can be. It has you going from beginning to end withBungie came back with its last Halo installment as a prequel to the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. And it may surprise you on how good a prequel can be. Your part of a group trying to save the planet Reach from the Covenant. This game goes through the relationships of everyone in your group and how passionate a team of soldiers really can be. It has you going from beginning to end with non stop action. The multiplayer is great as well. It brings back everything you love about the previous Halo installments but brings much more to the table. Halo: Reach is a must have for any Halo fanatic like myself.

    Pros:
    -Great story
    -Good graphics
    -Good Multiplayer

    Cons: -This is Bungies last Halo installment    … Expand
  6. takepantsoff
    Jul 28, 2012
    10
    Probably the most fun one can have for $60 these days. With the amazingly well rounded multiplayer with forge and custom games giving you unlimited amounts of replay value. I would easily pay $120 for this game. Gorgeous graphics for its time and most games dont touch it today. The only way you can have more fun than this for $60 is if your into cheap prostitution. Which I do not endorse
  7. IdiotFalcon
    Jul 21, 2012
    9
    Despite not being the largest bang fans wanted Bungie to end the series with, Halo Reach is still the best all round Halo game so far. While some fans may complain that Reach's storyline conflicted with Halo cannon, this is something most gamers can completely ignore as Reach's story will slowly unfold and submerse you as you play through the single player, with realistic characters thatDespite not being the largest bang fans wanted Bungie to end the series with, Halo Reach is still the best all round Halo game so far. While some fans may complain that Reach's storyline conflicted with Halo cannon, this is something most gamers can completely ignore as Reach's story will slowly unfold and submerse you as you play through the single player, with realistic characters that depict the story's emotion as remember the Spartans you will be fighting with are soldiers and not happy-go-lucky hero's. Some sequences in the campaign will feel reminiscent and almost taken from past Halo games this can be glanced over as Bungie has ditched the tedious looming corridors and repetitive missions by making every experience in the campaign completely different so you may have experienced it in previous games but not once will it repeat in the campaign itself. Although there is a bit of back tracking Bungie has smoothed this over by changing the scenery and enemies when you have to return as two missions take place in the same base but they feel like completely different environments.
    Powerups and equipment are now replaced with Armour Abilities that you can use in campaign and multi-player which include invisibility now known as active camo, the ability to shoot out a hologram as a decoy, jetpack (no real need for an explanation), a new bubble shield, sprint and armour lock an ability that makes you invincible but immobile at the same time.
    For their last game Bungie has incorporated a new recoil system called bloom which instead the standard recoiling upwards when shooting the bullets fly less accurately the longer or faster you shoot
    and you will see you reticle inflate to show you the area where your bullets may be hitting.
    While bloom may be almost unnoticeable in campaign it is in multi-player with the character models moving faster, the random bullet spread can be frustrating sometimes especially in competitive play and another thing on the MP is that over the year that Reach has been out there is a bit of unbalance in the armour abilities as with players getting to use them more they find out if they are over powered and armour lock is and as you stop when you use it, stops the gameplay as well which hurts the fun of multi-player as a lot of people use armour lock. But this only really noticeable in the core Halo gametypes as Reach offers an unprecedented amount of playlists to choose from with playlists like invasion which pitches elites verses Spartans, Grifball where two teams of four beat the living daylight out of each other in a crazed effort to get a bomb to the other side of the court, and the ever frantic, hectic, fun return of multi-team which also includes new gametypes like rockethog race and with friends multi-team is easily some of the most fun you can have on any game.
    So even though the core elements of Halo multiplayer are hurt a bit, Reach's variety in fun game modes needs to be explored to get the best out of it.
    Theatre also makes a welcome return in Reach and just like in Halo 3 you can replay, pause and record footage from your gameplay
    Possibly on of the biggest overhauls in Reach is in Forge
    Forge now has its own massive map built specifically for forging and is just simply huge and offers tons of different places ideal for creating your forge built map which is made easier to do with the ability to snap controls, edit the co-ordinates phase and phase and fix the forge piece and speaking of forge pieces there is a truck load of objects to manipulate and play with from massive Colosseum walls to crazy man canons that propel you across the map.
    So whether put painstakingly long hours into perfecting your map or just want to explode your friends in the most obscene way you will end up spending countless hours in forge.
    While the core multiplayer may not be as fun as Halo 3 which still undeniably has one of the greatest multiplayer components of all time,Halo Reach has so much variety, customization and overall accomplishment that makes it possibly the best overall first-person-shooter of this generation because of how much content it provides for the player and is a definite buy for any fan of Halo, shooter and creation.    … Expand
  8. EiiteDonkey
    Jul 4, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game makes the beloved Halo franchise better. The campaign is great and its one you can play over and over again. The story is a good prequel to Halo Combat Evolved, gives good back story to cortana, the beloved AI that helps Master Chief. The Multi-player is good for competitive and lazy players, many different game types that keep you from getting bored. You will spend too much time playing this game, but it is totally worth it for the fun you get out of it. The Forge is way better than Halo 3, Smooth, Easy, Quick. You can build maps quickly or spend time and have great detailed maps. The Firefight mode is awesome, with new game types and custom game types you will want to continue on battling the covenant. Halo:Reach is a 100% BUY. But with Halo 4 around the corner, no point now.… Expand
  9. French_Antoine
    Jul 1, 2012
    9
    The best gift Bungie could have give us before they leave the Halo scene. This game is a gorgeous diamond. The controls are awesome and dangerously responsive, graphically, no major issues, and the music are just to dream about. The multiplayer is really challenging and unique, since everything goes very fast. Skill is the deal.
    The negative point I would give it is that they could have    The best gift Bungie could have give us before they leave the Halo scene. This game is a gorgeous diamond. The controls are awesome and dangerously responsive, graphically, no major issues, and the music are just to dream about. The multiplayer is really challenging and unique, since everything goes very fast. Skill is the deal.
    The negative point I would give it is that they could have offered us a better single player story. They should terribly have more respected the novel.    … Expand
  10. ADIL
    Jun 30, 2012
    8
    Halo: Reach very good game on xbox 360 and like part from Halo 3 halo 3 odst and i like any game is name halo ! my score 8/10 ... and this game the best game shooter on xbox 360 and we need see halo 4 how the game come to gamer ! by adil khojah
  11. Notdavidbowie
    Jun 21, 2012
    8
    Halo Reach holds it's place in the Halo Series. It has an absolutely fantastic storyline following that of a spartan in a team of elite spartans. The game brings lots of new ideas to Halo's Table. Various new weapons, vehicles and of course, for the first time, built in armour abilities. I enjoyed this game the full way through and it even skewed away from the fps style game and went toHalo Reach holds it's place in the Halo Series. It has an absolutely fantastic storyline following that of a spartan in a team of elite spartans. The game brings lots of new ideas to Halo's Table. Various new weapons, vehicles and of course, for the first time, built in armour abilities. I enjoyed this game the full way through and it even skewed away from the fps style game and went to the space flight combat simulator. Halo 3 offered me one of my first online gaming experiences and I never found a game I enjoyed online more. Unfortunately, the online didn't hold it for me with Halo Reach. It felt like there was too much going on, too many ways to avoid being killed. The added armour bonuses left all your other halo expertise slightly useless. In saying that, it is still a GOOD online experience by all accounts. I haven't played the game in almost a year but currently the online is holding me back from my last achievement so I will consider investing more time to that game. If you the Halo universe, want more scope on the story, see and experience the legendary fall of Reach, then this is certainly a game worth buying.… Expand
  12. Necrotaur
    Jun 13, 2012
    8
    Bit of a late review on this one, but Halo: Reach is pretty good. The single player campaign is fun and has an excellent story, and the multiplayer continues in the vein of previous Halo offerings with interesting, arcadey game types. Customizing your spartan is a pretty cool feature, but unlocking armor pieces and ranking up feels like a chore sometimes with the huge amount of creditsBit of a late review on this one, but Halo: Reach is pretty good. The single player campaign is fun and has an excellent story, and the multiplayer continues in the vein of previous Halo offerings with interesting, arcadey game types. Customizing your spartan is a pretty cool feature, but unlocking armor pieces and ranking up feels like a chore sometimes with the huge amount of credits you have to earn. Fortunately this is helped by daily and weekly challenges.… Expand
  13. SrSpock
    Jun 8, 2012
    10
    Definitivamente o melhor jogo que já joguei, não da pra falar apenas do halo Reach é preciso ver Hallo como um todo, depois de jogar na ordem: Halo 3, Reach, Halo CE e ODST, todo o enrredo do jogo vem a memoria como se fosse um filme.

    Empolgante, animador, tenso, prende o jogador ao jogo, a hitoria é espetacular, em resumo, a serie    Definitivamente o melhor jogo que já joguei, não da pra falar apenas do halo Reach é preciso ver Hallo como um todo, depois de jogar na ordem: Halo 3, Reach, Halo CE e ODST, todo o enrredo do jogo vem a memoria como se fosse um filme.

    Empolgante, animador, tenso, prende o jogador ao jogo, a hitoria é espetacular, em resumo, a serie Halo é o estado da arte.    … Expand
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. namDa65
    May 20, 2012
    9
    One of the kings of multiplayer gaming. Very skill based still and I love it. This is balanced team multiplayer gameplay at its finest (Besides CSS and DoTA :) ) . The new maps are great as well as the enhanced graphics. Yes, even though it is sub HD I like the updated look. Great game, must buy if you think you are good at multiplayer. Campaign sucks **** though.
  17. SCHMOOPITIZE
    May 15, 2012
    9
    Halo Reach, is defiantly the pinnacle of first person shooters in the past 5 years or so. The game's campaign is gripping and filled with Halo esc sci-fi lore. You will find yourself on recon,stealth, FULL SCALE WARFARE, FULL SCALE SPACE WARFARE, search and rescue and defensive missions. My two favorite missions in the game are the full scale warfare one and the space combat one. TheHalo Reach, is defiantly the pinnacle of first person shooters in the past 5 years or so. The game's campaign is gripping and filled with Halo esc sci-fi lore. You will find yourself on recon,stealth, FULL SCALE WARFARE, FULL SCALE SPACE WARFARE, search and rescue and defensive missions. My two favorite missions in the game are the full scale warfare one and the space combat one. The fourth mission tip of the spear is by far the best. Filled with explosions that don't feel like a Michael Bay film. Also, it's cool to have to infiltrate enemy bases on your own land. Also, it's this halo's "vehicle mission." My second favorite is the one just after it. Starting with a world war 2 style "storm the beach" into a UNSC base, only to take control of a space fighter and duke it out STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT 2 STYLE! (about time)
    The multi-player is more of the same...but not...Same classic modes within (CTF, slayer and such) but new ones such as Headhunter are involved where in this mode you get a skull for each kill, and the rest is self explanatory. The armor customization is REALLY GOOD. My only problem is the leveling system. I have Xbox live but i don't see anyone ranking up without it. Also, ranking is extremely easy until you get to L.t Colonel I HATE DIFFICULTY SPIKES.
    Forge is back and better then ever. With a whole level designed juts for forge. It's amazing, however because of this no one and i mean no one uses forge on any other map. I believe they should make a second forge world in a DLC.
    Fire Fight, is like forge, back with more customazation. You can customize wave after wave. However at first the editor can be confusing. Also in a future halo you should be able to set to the point how many of each enemy you want.
    Other modes are the same (theater)
    THIS PRODUCT IS AMAZING AND STILL HOLDS UP TO THE NEWEST GAMES.    … Expand
  18. blackboxman
    May 6, 2012
    8
    everybody is complaining about the graphics of this game, why? do you want to say you play a game because of the graphics?
    you play a game because it's fun not because it looks beautiful.
    the story of the game is good but could be better. people are complaining about the realism of this game, but games like mario or cod are realistic? in mario you are a plumber who wants to save a princes    everybody is complaining about the graphics of this game, why? do you want to say you play a game because of the graphics?
    you play a game because it's fun not because it looks beautiful.
    the story of the game is good but could be better.
    people are complaining about the realism of this game, but games like mario or cod are realistic?
    in mario you are a plumber who wants to save a princes every f***ing time.
    and in cod you are a super-soldier how can survive everything, and if you get hit somewhere your eyes start to bleed and if they stop bleeding and you become healthy, no medpack, nothing.
    this game is actualy more balanced than cod
    people who play longer get better weapons(cod)
    everybody haves the same equiment at start or respawn(halo)
    and halo haves not so much campers( cod haves a lot)
    i know i used cod a lot in this review but it could be every other first person shooter ( since most of them are cod-copies)    … Expand
  19. TheSquirrel
    May 5, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. From a single player perspective, this game has a very different feel from the other Halo games, primarily because if you know anything of the Halo universe, you know that Reach was lost. This gives the game and several intense moments a very sullen, dark feel. This is esspecially true of the slow thinning down of your team. In ODST, everything works out in the end for your squad, so the dark theme of that game is less impactful. If you play these games just to shoot stuff, you won't have a clue what I'm talking about. If, however you game for story, you've likely felt a sort of hopelessness in this game, which adds a very powerful base for all the other game's stories to launch from. Play Halo one afterwards and you fight meaner, harder. The graphics, sound, control, and variety are excellent. Most bizarre is the fantastic space mission that comes out of nowhere. Bungie most have bored and decided to try their hands at something new. Excellent game, excellent story, but the multiplayer has trouble distinguishing itself, despite the modifications.… Expand
  20. 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
  21. unknown09111
    Apr 5, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is great because of changes of graphics, gameplay and good story. It tells how Cortana have been able to get to Master Chief because of Noble 6, which is a great prequel to halo combat evolve. Also, please stop fanboy biased for PS3 and Xbox 360 exclusive games, i own a PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox, and PS2. Those exclusive games are good. I am very glad they made a very good game because Halo 3: ODST isn't much a good game for me in my opinion.… Expand
  22. aaronrs2
    Mar 28, 2012
    10
    Do you know hat does epic mean? It means HALO REACH, an infinite game, with a good campaign, (the only problem is that you don´t use master chief) and the perfect multiplayer.
    You have got as maps as your XBOX flash drive can have, because with forge you can create whatever you want. Races, battles with lasers...
    You can play also the epic firefight mode, and the classic    Do you know hat does epic mean? It means HALO REACH, an infinite game, with a good campaign, (the only problem is that you don´t use master chief) and the perfect multiplayer.
    You have got as maps as your XBOX flash drive can have, because with forge you can create whatever you want. Races, battles with lasers...
    You can play also the epic firefight mode, and the classic matchmaking, but the best thing is to play in your own maps with 15 friends!
    Graphics don't matter, you will LOVE this game.    … Expand
  23. 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.
  24. NorBdelta
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    Ok yes this is another Halo, is the campaign entertaining? Hell yes. Now the beginning cinematic paints a pretty bleak picture. But this is all part of the time-line in the halo universe. I certainly found the Spartan 3 squad-mates true to their roles, the armor mods very useful, the AI tough and the new enemies a nice change.

    Now you might call me a fanatic but I have read all the Halo    Ok yes this is another Halo, is the campaign entertaining? Hell yes. Now the beginning cinematic paints a pretty bleak picture. But this is all part of the time-line in the halo universe. I certainly found the Spartan 3 squad-mates true to their roles, the armor mods very useful, the AI tough and the new enemies a nice change.

    Now you might call me a fanatic but I have read all the Halo Novels and I like to experience the Halo Universe in any additional way, this game lives up to my expectations of a Halo game but does have flaws, story wise mostly and does wander away from the time-line somewhat but it is forgivable.

    I enjoyed it and that is final.    … Expand
  25. Goaterminator
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    This game isn´t bad at all, but is too short .
  26. haloface16
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    I will start this review by saying this is probbibly one of the greatest games ever! It has very hectic singleplayer. The multiplayer has a great amount of content. Excellent voice acting. This is a must buy for people who have Xbox360s. This is the greatest halo ever.
  27. paxbanana
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    Now, I'm not a Halo buff. The only other Halo game I played was Halo: 3. Just compared to Halo:3 in campaign and multiplayer, Halo: Reach is much better, hands down. The campaign is great, and the cut-scenes add a richness to the story. I enjoyed it so much I made it a goal to actually play through the game on Legendary single-player (and I did). I can't say I've done that on many games.Now, I'm not a Halo buff. The only other Halo game I played was Halo: 3. Just compared to Halo:3 in campaign and multiplayer, Halo: Reach is much better, hands down. The campaign is great, and the cut-scenes add a richness to the story. I enjoyed it so much I made it a goal to actually play through the game on Legendary single-player (and I did). I can't say I've done that on many games. Multiplayer is incredibly fun--Slayer and Firefight--and I feel the point system, player skill system, and the dropped game penalty is much, much better than Halo: 3. And, well, armor customization is a great reward for accruing points earned just by having fun. The weapons all feel like they pack more of a punch than the weapons in Halo:3, which is a huge plus. All in all, great game.… Expand
  28. 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
  29. Josh_47ra
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    Decent campaign, Really good multiplayer. Much better than Halo 3 and a campaign comparable to Halo 3: ODST. Great map packs, albeit a bit overpriced.
  30. Mako5
    Feb 26, 2012
    9
    Halo: Reach is a great game! The story was thrilling, engaging, unique, and amazing! I liked the fresh and almost tactical feel I got from the game. It felt much more like a military shooter. However, this game didn't feel very much as "Halo-y" as I wish it was. The new armor abilities were cool at first, then became slightly annoying. Hologram sucks, and armor lock really pisses me off.Halo: Reach is a great game! The story was thrilling, engaging, unique, and amazing! I liked the fresh and almost tactical feel I got from the game. It felt much more like a military shooter. However, this game didn't feel very much as "Halo-y" as I wish it was. The new armor abilities were cool at first, then became slightly annoying. Hologram sucks, and armor lock really pisses me off. Both can be pretty useless sometimes, and in multiplayer straight up aggravating! The armor ability of Spring made me wonder WHY Bungie never gave us the ability to sprint in the first place. If you ask me, being a Spartan in the game, being able to sprint should be mandatory. I enjoyed jetpack, and thought this new addition to game change the usual flow of combat and gave the player new ventures in how to engage enemies in both campaign and multiplayer. Halo: Reach plays good, looks good, and sounds good. Graphics are nice, though nothing to applaud over. Sound effects and music are excellent! The game plays nearly flawless and the AI underwent improvements since Halo 3 and ODST. The Covenant look awesome, and feel more powerful and intimidating. The two space-combat levels was a great addition, and are extremely fun. Halo: Reach is a large-scale, global war and it feels that way while playing. Playing as a Spartan III in Halo: Reach was addicting, and this game is still one of my favorites. The characters were a bit shallow however, and their deaths didn't have much impact on me. Overall, Halo: Reach is a great game and I recommend it!… Expand
  31. Rexnos
    Feb 24, 2012
    9
    Possibly the best Halo to date. The campaign was decent, but the multi-player was where this game excelled. The addition of armor abilities really expanded the game play beyond "see giant colored man, shoot giant colored man." Now if only they'll remove the radar...
  32. IlikeCod
    Feb 22, 2012
    10
    I love this game! I got tired of MW3 so I put Halo: Reach in my Xbox and......... it was AMAZING! The game modes are fun, weapons are balanced, and the graphics are just beautiful. It may now be true to Halo's roots, but it is a perfect Halo, and we can only hope that Halo 4 will blow us away even more.
  33. 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
  34. The1stGodfather
    Feb 14, 2012
    10
    This game is so incredible, it is the best action game to ever be created. The graphics are incredible: seamless, vibrant, smooth, and detailed. The characters and enemies are well-done pieces of graphic, and the maps and terrain is incredible and stunning. What amazes me the most, however, is this game's story line, which is so good that I can not think of a word to describe it... let'sThis game is so incredible, it is the best action game to ever be created. The graphics are incredible: seamless, vibrant, smooth, and detailed. The characters and enemies are well-done pieces of graphic, and the maps and terrain is incredible and stunning. What amazes me the most, however, is this game's story line, which is so good that I can not think of a word to describe it... let's just say the most amazing story line of a video game EVER. It is a great prequel to the other games, continuing off of the idea that the Covenant wants to wipe out the humans because we conflict with their religion. The entire universe that is created in these games is so incredible, it could be a movie. The entire plot of thousands of years ago the Forerunners taking a few sentient species aboard the Halos, and then activating the Halos to wipe out all sentient life to wipe out the flood. Those sentient species including humans, elites, and other members of the covenant. The amazement is stunning. This is such an amazing video game, I just can't get over it. It really shouldn't be rated M.… Expand
  35. MikMakPL
    Feb 13, 2012
    10
    Halo: Reach to gra, na którÄ
  36. 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
  37. sias
    Jan 18, 2012
    8
    The main reason I enjoyed this particular Halo installment (and Halo:ODST) over any other Halo game (not including Halo Wars - eugh) is because of the lack of the Master Chief and Cortana. I detested the story of Halo 3 because both Master Chief and Cortana are so hilariously dull as main characters and ever so slightly embarrassing. Whenever Cortana's face would flash up on screen tellingThe main reason I enjoyed this particular Halo installment (and Halo:ODST) over any other Halo game (not including Halo Wars - eugh) is because of the lack of the Master Chief and Cortana. I detested the story of Halo 3 because both Master Chief and Cortana are so hilariously dull as main characters and ever so slightly embarrassing. Whenever Cortana's face would flash up on screen telling me how much she loved biscuits in the first level of Halo 3 I found myself cringing and hoping she'd vanish. My only problem with the Halo series has been the horridly cheesy story, with overly emotional choir music which worked very well with the first Halo game but is simply irritating in Halo 2 and 3. Halo as a series just takes itself far too seriously. Which isn't helped but the fan-base who do exactly the same. Luckily, Halo Reach rights many of the wrongs of Halo 3. The story is good and not steeped in tiresome Halo lore like Halo 3. A simple desperate struggle to evacuate a human colony from alien occupation ending in tragedy - which is so refreshing after previous installments in the series. Graphically this game is pretty good. Not pushing any boundaries, but everything looks smooth. Everything works well in Halo Reach and the inclusion of permanent jetpacks, cloaking devices etc really adds to the overall experience. Multiplayer is decent too and really quite addictive. Unfortunately Halo Reach doesn't really seem to aspire to do anything new. In fact I was glad to hear that 343 are taking the reigns of the series now. Hopefully they will inject something new and interesting into the Halo series.… Expand
  38. TristonDaShorty
    Jan 9, 2012
    8
    Halo Reach is super fun, and can have a great story at times. But the gameplay can and will get a little repetitive. Despite that it always provides enough variation to keep you going. Matchmaking is great but you can get tired of it. Overall, this is a pretty fun game, but it can be a little easy to get tired of.
  39. GamerReviews
    Jan 6, 2012
    10
    Reach is a game you just can't stop playing. The campaign is so much fun, especially playing in co-op with friends. Firefight is improved over Halo 3: ODST, and very exciting. Looking at multiplayer, it is filled with the best game modes in the franchise, great gameplay, and tons of different options. Definitely a game you could stay addicted to for months.
  40. kanji_sasahara
    Jan 5, 2012
    9
    The gameplay is smooth and the story is what I expected, but I never really had a bond with the main character like I did with Master Chief, so that's the reason I docked 1. The multiplayer on the other hand is the best I have ever played. The variety of maps, game types, and general awesomeness is what makes it a great game.
  41. M4TR1X
    Jan 3, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've played is game for almost a year now and I'm not bored of it. This made up for the emptiness that halo 3 gave me. With what started as a noob friendly multiplayer is becoming more competitive (arguable) now that 343 has taken over halo. They are doing requests from the community (especially MLG) that are making it better for most people. I took a break from this game to go play battlefield 3 and was slightly surprised to have as much fun as I did before. FORGE: much improved on Halo 3s and is a very good map making system. MULTIPLAYER: fun and being changed for those who wanted zero bloom and rank playlists. CAMPAIGN: can play up to 4 people over live and two local (I think) . Short but made me sad at the end and clap. FIREFIGHT: improved off ODSTs game mode and I have made some pretty fun game types to play with friends. CUSTOM GAMES: imagine CoDs private matches on fun steroids. Paired up with forge and crazy changes to gun load outs, health, movement, damage, etc is really what makes me come back and play reach. The game runs pretty smooth for 30 FPS and with three map packs, people are just finding all kinds of things to do in the game. Graphics are pretty good but not the best compared to other games but still make the game enjoyable. I would consider this game medium paced and definitely not for everyone. But for those who like fun games… Expand
  42. XRAIN
    Dec 31, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Reach doesn't reach the quality of previous Halo games. Not even ODST. Sure it's great, that the gameplay changes, but this time the changes made the game only worse. Campaign is interesting at first, but the potential is horribly missed. Even though it has a lot of variation, it's way worse compared to previous campaigns. Deaths of Spartans just feel pointless. Why? Because there isin't really any kind of character development, making you feel nothing about it, what Bungie would have probably wanted you to feel. Second problem is the levels. You might think, that you will get epic fights and such, but Bungie didn't do anything like that. Space battle is ok, but it didn't feel as good as firefights in the rest of the time. Potential is horribly missed, but the epilogue level is great. What about multiplayer? It isin't really better than campaign. Bloom slows down already slow gameplay. Jumping and player speed has been reduced for armour abilities. Ridicolous aim assist, which allows shots to be hit even, if you just went to cover. Maps are horrible and grenades are ridicolously overpowered. You can't jump to avoid grenade damage and you will die from grenade, if you have suffered only 5% damage to the shields. Sprint + Energy Sword is now overpowered combo, because of lack of blocking. If you want to buy Halo game, buy Halo 3 instead. This game is just bad.… Expand
  43. 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
  44. PcTran
    Dec 28, 2011
    9
    This is the only FPS I'm not tired of. All the shooters have made me feel burnt out. For new innovative experiences I play many indie games. But this is the only game that has me coming back. The campaign takes 3rd place in the Halo series in my book, behind ODST and 2. The Forge is probably the best map editing/creating tool for consoles. It's simple and clean to use. The firefight isThis is the only FPS I'm not tired of. All the shooters have made me feel burnt out. For new innovative experiences I play many indie games. But this is the only game that has me coming back. The campaign takes 3rd place in the Halo series in my book, behind ODST and 2. The Forge is probably the best map editing/creating tool for consoles. It's simple and clean to use. The firefight is improved greatly from ODST. But what always had me coming back is the multiplayer. The thrill of owning someone who isn't as skilled as you is always satisfying. But that's what separates Halo from most shooters out there. This requires skill. Precision, timing, and choices are all factors in how you play. You can't just aim you gun, spray and hope you get a kill. This is indeed a worthy swan song to Bungie's time with one of the most beloved franchises in all of gaming.… Expand
  45. 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
  46. Larux18
    Dec 22, 2011
    9
    Halo: Reach is a different Halo experience, very different from Halo 3 in fact, but the change moved toward the good side and that is something I appreciate. This game's campaign is set in the planet Reach and tells the story of how Reach fell and it gives an opening to the first Halo. I appreciated the campaign though it was just as hard as the campaign on Halo 2. Where this game reallyHalo: Reach is a different Halo experience, very different from Halo 3 in fact, but the change moved toward the good side and that is something I appreciate. This game's campaign is set in the planet Reach and tells the story of how Reach fell and it gives an opening to the first Halo. I appreciated the campaign though it was just as hard as the campaign on Halo 2. Where this game really rocks is at multiplayer, with a very wide variety of weapons, newly added maps, and online firefight this game purely rocks, making custom matches is also great and the forge mode is purely epic and uploading those maps in file share is great. Overall this is a great experience, just remember this changed a lot from Halo 3 but overall this is worth 60$.… Expand
  47. Acht_Neun_Aus
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    I really like Halo Reach, like all the Halo's I played, and like all the Halo's I played, the Campaign wasn't very thrilling and exciting as it promised. BUt like all the other Halo's, it had a nice multiplayer and is fun to play with friends. Unlike Halo 3, they threw in a bit of Combat evolved stuff in there and made it as fun as the first. The multiplayer was better in Reach than HaloI really like Halo Reach, like all the Halo's I played, and like all the Halo's I played, the Campaign wasn't very thrilling and exciting as it promised. BUt like all the other Halo's, it had a nice multiplayer and is fun to play with friends. Unlike Halo 3, they threw in a bit of Combat evolved stuff in there and made it as fun as the first. The multiplayer was better in Reach than Halo 3, and the story was okay. 10 out of 10… Expand
  48. killerbees311
    Dec 21, 2011
    2
    Basically think of everything good about halo2 / halo3 in your head. Now remove it and think of a game made by 10 year olds with a multiplayer that now turned me into a call of duty fan because I cant stand it and its borring.

    Halo reach ended halo to me. Together, removing the BR and the Jetpacks, armor lock and the other joke perks make this feel like a cheap shooter by a no name company
  49. 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
  50. glacier777
    Dec 10, 2011
    10
    As good as the previous Halo's. The campaign is clever and engaging, but achievable even on solo legendary. Multiplayer is yet again outstanding. Any halo fans need this game. I just wish that they hadn't replaced some of the weapons with worse versions.
  51. Misasouza
    Dec 7, 2011
    10
    If this game had to be summed up in one word, the word would be: Perfection.
    This game is not only one of the best game made â
  52. tbouniverse
    Dec 4, 2011
    10
    I can say, from all my gaming years that this is the best prequel and end to any series in gaming history. A mad intense single player campaign, lovely voice acting, graphics and gameplay. If you have an Xbox360 go do yourself a favor and get it ASAP. Although many other games have better graphics, the difference from previous Halo's are visible and the gameplay makes up for it. Noble 6I can say, from all my gaming years that this is the best prequel and end to any series in gaming history. A mad intense single player campaign, lovely voice acting, graphics and gameplay. If you have an Xbox360 go do yourself a favor and get it ASAP. Although many other games have better graphics, the difference from previous Halo's are visible and the gameplay makes up for it. Noble 6 is just as cool as Master Chief, if not better. I will miss Bungie and the end of Reach for whenever I play on an Xbox360. I pray that Microsoft doesn't screw this up, ever. Again, a must buy and a touching, awesome ending to the greatest franchise on the Xbox360.… Expand
  53. IcyGames
    Nov 29, 2011
    9
    Halo is far superior to it's competition, always introducing something new and always making sure the community has something to do months after it has been released with excellent story line (which nearly no other FPS game has), fun and fair multiplayer where everyone has just as much chance to win, firefight which is personally one of my favorite things included with this game. It evenHalo is far superior to it's competition, always introducing something new and always making sure the community has something to do months after it has been released with excellent story line (which nearly no other FPS game has), fun and fair multiplayer where everyone has just as much chance to win, firefight which is personally one of my favorite things included with this game. It even has split screen! If you just got a 360, then I'll recommend you get this game right now!… Expand
  54. superturtle
    Nov 26, 2011
    9
    Hands down, Halo Reach is the premiere shooter for the Xbox 360 console. Bungie have worked hard to combine the best of the Halo franchise into this game, and it has paid off. The game looks and plays fantastic, with some new impressive visuals powered by a newer game engine. Campaign featured a solid campaign with the perfect blend of storytelling, combat and landscapes. The multiplayerHands down, Halo Reach is the premiere shooter for the Xbox 360 console. Bungie have worked hard to combine the best of the Halo franchise into this game, and it has paid off. The game looks and plays fantastic, with some new impressive visuals powered by a newer game engine. Campaign featured a solid campaign with the perfect blend of storytelling, combat and landscapes. The multiplayer is the best for the Halo franchise yet with all new playlists, weapons and maps. There is a much greater focus on customization, as you can modify almost all aspects of your character's armour. The firefight mode is great, with a lot of options you can change to fit your desire. Forge is also revamped and there is a lot more you can do with it. Bungie/343 is also a great company, as they still support this game a year later, and you can access multiplayer stats and a lot of information on their website. Overall, Reach is a must-own for shooter fans on the Xbox 360.… Expand
  55. NuclearPenguins
    Nov 25, 2011
    9
    Freaking love this game. Bungie is great. Honestly 4 player split screen online is amazing. I wish more devs did that and for this Halo is one of my #1 played games since I can always play it while I have my buds over. Only 1 gripe: BTB only lets 2 people on a console play at once. LAME!!!
  56. PlasmaPrestige
    Nov 24, 2011
    8
    Gorgeous visuals, and engrossing multiplayer make this game great, but unfortunately Bungie's lack of care for the fiction is starting to become apparent, especially given the horrendous AI of the campaign. Nonetheless, not to be missed by Xbox 360 owners.
  57. Kamodo2
    Nov 23, 2011
    9
    OVERVIEW: With their last Halo title, Bungie definitely went out with a bang, showing no signs of laziness. Instead they showed hard work and dedication to create a meaningful, respectable game.

    PROS: The hard work put into Reach definitely shows. Everything is brand new from the art work to the game engine. The game runs great and smooth with little to no problems. The presentation is    OVERVIEW: With their last Halo title, Bungie definitely went out with a bang, showing no signs of laziness. Instead they showed hard work and dedication to create a meaningful, respectable game.

    PROS: The hard work put into Reach definitely shows. Everything is brand new from the art work to the game engine. The game runs great and smooth with little to no problems. The presentation is amazing which includes some emotional and nostalgic story telling. The amazing multiplayer is better than ever, including tons of maps, tons of game types, and great matchmaking system, and a great leveling system. But the best part of this game is all the things there is to do. Forge is greatly improved for Halo 3 which now includes Forge World, fusing, and a lot of items. Firefight is included which contains customizable game types. Speaking of game types, Custom Games is included which contains almost limitless possibilities and endless combinations with forge. On top of all that there is matchmaking for campaign and firefight.

    CONS: Reach is a beautiful game, but the graphics are not the best when compared to other shooters. Other problems are small things, like theatre has been reduced to 1 player only. You can't forge firefight maps. No matchmaking for custom games. Campaign is a bit short. These are all small things that are unnoticeable when enjoying the other options.

    GRAPHICS: 8 out of 10; Not the best, but still beautiful enough to envy planet Reach.
    STORYLINE: 8 out of 10; Very emotional and the connection to other Halo's is clever, but this is only done in through cut scenes.
    GAMEPLAY: 9 out of 10; Very unique with the wide range of weapons and the addition of load outs.
    LASTING APPEAL: 10 out 10; So many ways to play, and they are all fun and lasting. OVERALL: 9 out of 10

    CONCLUSION: What is so great about this game is all the things to do, how they all relate together, and how I could play every one for hours.. The small flaws are shadowed by what's great about this game. Bungie really gave it their all in this one, and it shows.    … Expand
  58. biscuitboy46
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    Bungie put their heart and soul into their last Halo game; everything about this game is amazing. The campaign is breathtaking and emotional; I felt Reach was my home planet. The story is riveting to the last cutscene and ties together with Halo CE perfectly. The multiplayer is also very fun and addicting; Bungie took all the great weekend playlists from Halo 3 and added them to theBungie put their heart and soul into their last Halo game; everything about this game is amazing. The campaign is breathtaking and emotional; I felt Reach was my home planet. The story is riveting to the last cutscene and ties together with Halo CE perfectly. The multiplayer is also very fun and addicting; Bungie took all the great weekend playlists from Halo 3 and added them to the standard playlists. Firefight is also very fun and very customizable although for it to be any fun it has to be played with two or more people. Overall, this game is a great edition to the Halo series and it is definitely worth the money.… Expand
  59. MediaFreak
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    First off, this game is better than a 9, but I refuse to give a game that's not perfect a 10, and I can think of a few things it's missing which I'll get to at the end.

    The campaign mode for Reach is excellent, I don't personally think it has as many memorable moments as Halo 3 did in that department, but it's still a top notch campaign and you'd expect nothing less from a Halo game. The    First off, this game is better than a 9, but I refuse to give a game that's not perfect a 10, and I can think of a few things it's missing which I'll get to at the end.

    The campaign mode for Reach is excellent, I don't personally think it has as many memorable moments as Halo 3 did in that department, but it's still a top notch campaign and you'd expect nothing less from a Halo game.

    The multiplayer mode is probably the best in terms of online FPS that I've ever come across. It's so well balanced in terms of weapons and the extra choices of particular power you choose really adds new dimensions to the strategy of the game. The game boasts some really great maps and now a year in it has lots that I've never even seen before. The medals you get within the game are always fun to see, and as always bungie.com has a great deal of stats, it's just a shame they can't be accessed from the Halo Reach game itself.

    The things which need improving on are as follows: Jet Packs shouldn't be in the game, they're really irritating especially when half the people in the game are flying about. The map selection needs to be more random, I'm sick to death of playing Sword base cos it's the one people know the best. The lacks of a Final Kill Cam, Replay Death and levelling up perks that COD made popular are all annoying not to have.    … Expand
  60. Aarvex
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    This is the best Halo Campaign. This is the best Halo Multiplayer as well. The campaign puts you in a position where you feel for the characters. The game delivers a solid well put together cast and puts you in some tight situations that feel even more epic than previous ventures. The sense of an apocalypse drives the single-player. The multiplayer is the best in any shooter to date andThis is the best Halo Campaign. This is the best Halo Multiplayer as well. The campaign puts you in a position where you feel for the characters. The game delivers a solid well put together cast and puts you in some tight situations that feel even more epic than previous ventures. The sense of an apocalypse drives the single-player. The multiplayer is the best in any shooter to date and requires an incredible amount of skill to become good at but at the same time you don't have to be incredible to have fun. There are so many multiplayer options and an improved upgrade system brings Reach ahead of Halo 3 in the Multiplayer department.… Expand
  61. FlyingAsianBear
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    Being new to the Halo series, I've been blown away so far. I found the campaign fun at some parts, but dragged at other. The real fun of the game is the multiplayer. The game is packed with many game modes, forge, and fire fight. Each one of packed with lots of replay value. The strongest point of this game is freedom. You are able to create your own game modes and play to your ownBeing new to the Halo series, I've been blown away so far. I found the campaign fun at some parts, but dragged at other. The real fun of the game is the multiplayer. The game is packed with many game modes, forge, and fire fight. Each one of packed with lots of replay value. The strongest point of this game is freedom. You are able to create your own game modes and play to your own settings. Forge is very intuitive and easy to use. Fire fight is fun with more people around. You may not like playing competitive online with others, but the multiplayer with friends is well worth it.… Expand
  62. GestalReplicant
    Nov 19, 2011
    8
    Halo: Reach's story is easily one of the weakest in the overarching franchise, and its campaign is little more than a series of impressive setpieces with little to no justification for why exactly they are happening; it also manages to conflict with its own canon from past stories. It is a testament, then, to the multiplayer aspect of the Halo series that it manages not only to succeed,Halo: Reach's story is easily one of the weakest in the overarching franchise, and its campaign is little more than a series of impressive setpieces with little to no justification for why exactly they are happening; it also manages to conflict with its own canon from past stories. It is a testament, then, to the multiplayer aspect of the Halo series that it manages not only to succeed, but excel to new heights. This is the best online multiplayer has ever been, let alone the multiplayer of the Halo series. If you own a 360 and plan to play anything online, this is a must.… Expand
  63. 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.
  64. kaj510superdude
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    A really good game it definatly raises the expectation for the halo series. When you play it i guarntee you'll be saying "wow this is so awesome that i pooped my self" overall just a good game. you gotta have no brain or taste in games if you dont even remotely like it. Just watch out there are some new monsters that really pack a punch
  65. djWAX
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    In terms of mood, story, and delivery, this is the best of the series. As far as multiplayer goes, it is incredibly refined and balanced. It certainly isn't as addicting as Halo 3, but it's unquestionably a better game, all-around. People are quick to put it down, but most of the discontent stems from the fact that it's a bit more difficult to be good at, and even with the addition ofIn terms of mood, story, and delivery, this is the best of the series. As far as multiplayer goes, it is incredibly refined and balanced. It certainly isn't as addicting as Halo 3, but it's unquestionably a better game, all-around. People are quick to put it down, but most of the discontent stems from the fact that it's a bit more difficult to be good at, and even with the addition of load-outs, there isn't as much to exploit. If you're looking for the best game in the series, look no further.… Expand
  66. 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
  67. spartan117gw
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    Game delivered. People **** about this game and then MW3 comes out and that makes this look like pure gold

    New engine
    New maps and some classics
    new game types and gameplay
    new features and additions to forge
    Great closing story bringing us back to the beginning
    highest quality from bungie.
  68. VaaderDj19
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Epic Game, Epic Story and great gameplay mechanics..The story of the tragic fall of Reach is told brilliantly and it doesn't matter if you have knowledge about the inevitability at the beginning or not..The pain of losing your team feels real and the last mission the way it closes out was a fitting way for Bungie to say goodbye to a much loved Franchise. Multiplayer is solid, Slayer is byEpic Game, Epic Story and great gameplay mechanics..The story of the tragic fall of Reach is told brilliantly and it doesn't matter if you have knowledge about the inevitability at the beginning or not..The pain of losing your team feels real and the last mission the way it closes out was a fitting way for Bungie to say goodbye to a much loved Franchise. Multiplayer is solid, Slayer is by far the most satisfying. THere is real innovation in how you use ur abilities and sprinting + melee is a great tactic. Beats the recycled garbage that is Call of Duty any day.… Expand
  69. crispi182
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    Soy muy fan de Halo pero en verdad no se me hizo tan agradable algunas habilidades de armadura porque campean mucho eso de volar o cubrirse pero ya con las actulizaciones se han ganado esta calificacion esperemos que mas puedan mejorar los de 343 sobre este juegazo
  70. JamesKeely
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Halo: Reach is something special. A love letter to Halo fans, and a perfect example of how to make a first person shooter, this emotional, powerful science fiction epic is expertly crafted. The campaign is a deep and poignant tale all woven around 10 flawlessly executed levels, each more astounding than the last. The gameplay improvements are subtle yet do so much, perfecting the Halo -Halo: Reach is something special. A love letter to Halo fans, and a perfect example of how to make a first person shooter, this emotional, powerful science fiction epic is expertly crafted. The campaign is a deep and poignant tale all woven around 10 flawlessly executed levels, each more astounding than the last. The gameplay improvements are subtle yet do so much, perfecting the Halo - and in doing so, the FPS - formula. This is first person shooting at its finest. It's also a gorgeous game, the attention to detail staggering, ensuring the world is totally believable, and the sound effects and epic soundtrack only add to the incredible atmosphere. Once again Bungie perfect competitive multiplayer, offering a very fun and fluid yet incredibly deep experience that will live on as long as the Xbox 360 exists. Firefight is a refinement of the excellent co-op mode first seen in ODST and is infinitely enjoyable. In short, Halo: Reach delivers on every front. This story of the beginning is also the perfect end for Bungie. This swan song is packed full of masterful content. From the incredible story-driven campaign to the wonderful multiplayer, Bungie have truly gone out with a bang. The best Halo game yet, and one of the greatest first person shooters, ever. A masterpiece.… Expand
  71. Cyclone
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten!Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten!… Expand
  72. 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
  73. Sparta
    Nov 9, 2011
    9
    This game is the Best halo so far! It has great graphics, story line and a great multi player. The Campaign is a little hard to follow because I didn't really know who was who but that's the only bad thing.
  74. grandpajoe6191
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    Now, "Halo Reach" here is a perfect example of what epicness is. Bungie made a great game with rich texture and graphics as well as using good lightning effects. The campaign's a 'meh', but its the multiplayer that overrides the cons. Unlike COD, Halo allows 2 people to play multiplayer using the same screen. The weapons are more creatively designed and you are allowed to customize yourNow, "Halo Reach" here is a perfect example of what epicness is. Bungie made a great game with rich texture and graphics as well as using good lightning effects. The campaign's a 'meh', but its the multiplayer that overrides the cons. Unlike COD, Halo allows 2 people to play multiplayer using the same screen. The weapons are more creatively designed and you are allowed to customize your own spartan soldier. What more could you ask for? A definite game you must try out.… Expand
  75. xxpuffinpurpxx
    Nov 6, 2011
    10
    i thought this was one of the better halo games. reach totally grabbed me by the balls by its multiplayer, its just too **** fun. thiers a ton of unlocks for each rank that keeps you comin for more. **** the campaign better than the last installments in the series, alot more varied battlefields. the graphics are detailed so **** much, you can go to the theater to look at past games youi thought this was one of the better halo games. reach totally grabbed me by the balls by its multiplayer, its just too **** fun. thiers a ton of unlocks for each rank that keeps you comin for more. **** the campaign better than the last installments in the series, alot more varied battlefields. the graphics are detailed so **** much, you can go to the theater to look at past games you played and i **** you not, zoom in on anything.... its got little scratches on guns, armor, everything. just **** crazy, and i wasnt even that impressed with halo 3, i thought it was gay as **** excluding multiplayer. reach just has the craziest glitches ive ever seen in a game, like i just got through playin a match and it was 2 on 1 i died, and somehow right after that the 2 dudes just died spontaniously.... gotta double kill! its just packed with neverending moments that leave you flabbergasted haha. i advise to people who havent tried it, check it out, its a fine investment for a great package in all. i give it a ten just because it blew all the other games outta the water. i liked halo 2 more than any of the other games but this one just blew that mo****er out the water, check this **** out… Expand
  76. EnigmaReviews
    Nov 5, 2011
    10
    This game is a masterpiece. You talk about going out with a bang Bungie did it with this amazing game. With a new game engine this game really shines it isn't the best fps out there but the scope of the game is what makes it amazing. Starting off with the campaign I would say its a blockbuster of a campaign the story is amazing and it gives you the feeling of how the humans are losing theThis game is a masterpiece. You talk about going out with a bang Bungie did it with this amazing game. With a new game engine this game really shines it isn't the best fps out there but the scope of the game is what makes it amazing. Starting off with the campaign I would say its a blockbuster of a campaign the story is amazing and it gives you the feeling of how the humans are losing the war. The only problem with it is you don't really get know who your character is and not much of a story is behind him/her. The multiplayer is the best yet for any Halo game adding some new modes such as Invasion which is awesome but the maps could have been better. It wasn't that they weren't good it's just that you've seen have of them before but it doesn't take away from the multiplayer. The games soundtrack is like the sugar coating for all the games amazing glory with some amazing music that goes perfect with what's happening in the game. The new forge is great and allows you to make the map of your dreams and the forge world map is the perfect canvas to use it on. The map is extremely huge 10x larger than anything expected. Firefight 2.0 is even more amazing than the first firefight and that's saying something since the first was so good. It's almost hard to believe that you get this all in one package which is why I'm giving it a 10/10.… Expand
  77. aadms
    Nov 2, 2011
    8
    In Halo Reach, Bungie followed their same old formula from Halo 3 and made some minor additions with updated graphics. It is a very well paced, consistently engaged in action type of game that is Halo's trademark with the plus side that it is longer in storyline than most other shooters like Call of Duty. Some minor customization of your character is allowed in the beginning of your game,In Halo Reach, Bungie followed their same old formula from Halo 3 and made some minor additions with updated graphics. It is a very well paced, consistently engaged in action type of game that is Halo's trademark with the plus side that it is longer in storyline than most other shooters like Call of Duty. Some minor customization of your character is allowed in the beginning of your game, which is a nice because we all know Spartans are suppose to wear Green & White. It doesn't score as high as Halo 3 because it is not a sequel but a prequel that doesn't add anything to the lore.… Expand
  78. 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.
  79. 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
  80. HofmanT
    Oct 22, 2011
    8
    Alright, I've been a big time Halo fan for about 9 years now. I've played every Halo game (Including Wars) for countless hours and have read all the books. The Halo series is one of my favorite video game series of all time.

    That said, I really like Halo: Reach. It is the complete package. There are so many ways to have fun in this game. Reach's competitive multiplayer is very fun and is    Alright, I've been a big time Halo fan for about 9 years now. I've played every Halo game (Including Wars) for countless hours and have read all the books. The Halo series is one of my favorite video game series of all time.

    That said, I really like Halo: Reach. It is the complete package. There are so many ways to have fun in this game. Reach's competitive multiplayer is very fun and is what keeps me playing the game one year later. I wouldn't say that it's the best in the series, but it's still extremely fun to play. Forge and Firefight have both taken huge leaps from Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. Firefights customization is what really makes it fun, you can pretty much do almost anything you want with it. Forge World is just amazing, making awesome maps has never been easier. Just messing around with some friends in the huge environment can be extremely fun. And when you take your Forge World creation into Custom Games with friends, it's just plain awesome. However, there is one big problem with the game and is the reason why I gave it an 8 instead of a 9. The single player campaign, was not nearly as cool and epic as I had thought it would be. There was no character development at all, the voice acting was terrible, and most of the missions were boring and repetitive. It didn't really feel like you were part of this large scale epic fight for the planet, instead you ran around pushing buttons and switches. The planet itself seemed more like a civilian farming planet more then the vital industrial military planet it was supposed to be. In fact, the campaign is so horrible and disappointing I don't even consider it canon to the Halo Universe. If you want to know what really happened to Reach, just read the book Halo: The Fall of Reach instead.

    So overall, Halo: Reach is a great game, minus the single player campaign. It's a must buy for any FPS fan who owns an Xbox 360 and loves Sci Fi. I hope this review was helpful.    … Expand
  81. ancientscrolls
    Oct 21, 2011
    10
    Perfect game, with a heartfelt, thoughtful campaign, extremely (nay, ludicrously) varied multi player suite. If you are still on the fence about buying this game, and are at this very moment pouring over metacritic fan reviews whilst trying to make a decision... just do it. I played this game for a year straight, and have no regrets whatsoever.
  82. JON_RYO
    Oct 19, 2011
    9
    I really enjoy the halo games, not for their campaigns but for the online aspect, I haven't even played the second mission of halo reach but I have spent countless hours with friends and family playing online multiplayer, which is the only reason I bought this really, for the multiplayer, I do feel they tried to cater a bit more to the COD crowd with their powerups though. Having said thatI really enjoy the halo games, not for their campaigns but for the online aspect, I haven't even played the second mission of halo reach but I have spent countless hours with friends and family playing online multiplayer, which is the only reason I bought this really, for the multiplayer, I do feel they tried to cater a bit more to the COD crowd with their powerups though. Having said that it does add an interesting take on the multiplayer battles. Overall a great multiplayer game but I feel like Halo 3 was a better overall online experience. Still a great game with which bungie sign off from the series… Expand
  83. sinadoom
    Oct 18, 2011
    10
    I don't like Halo but this game is how every shooter should be designed. It is very well balanced, great online, campaign is epic and I did like the story. Weapons are good, they have added recoil and SWAT is very fun to play- it's the best game mode for any console FPS imo. It deserves a high score. The only problem was the horde mode, which isn't very exciting even if you play aroundI don't like Halo but this game is how every shooter should be designed. It is very well balanced, great online, campaign is epic and I did like the story. Weapons are good, they have added recoil and SWAT is very fun to play- it's the best game mode for any console FPS imo. It deserves a high score. The only problem was the horde mode, which isn't very exciting even if you play around with it on forge or custom game mode. Overall, this is the most complete package shooter on the market today. In the same way that Halo 3 was ahead of its time, this game offers more than the absokute minimum. You get progression in ranking through campaign, co-op, online, horde etc. But being a higher rank or completing challenges doesn't give you any advantage over a new player. Halo Reach delivers quality and quantity on all fronts.… Expand
  84. DarkEnergon
    Oct 11, 2011
    8
    Halo: Reach is a very well-made game, strong graphics, visual presentation, soundtrack+score and killer Halo Gameplay amount to one beast of a game. Nevertheless, it isn't near perfect. For one, the story is a giant flop, and serves as a major anti-climax for anyone who has played through the masterfully-written trilogy that was Halo, and while the gameplay is amazing (just like itsHalo: Reach is a very well-made game, strong graphics, visual presentation, soundtrack+score and killer Halo Gameplay amount to one beast of a game. Nevertheless, it isn't near perfect. For one, the story is a giant flop, and serves as a major anti-climax for anyone who has played through the masterfully-written trilogy that was Halo, and while the gameplay is amazing (just like its non-chronological predecessors), the structure often feels tedious and at times often very dull (the low-point being a mission where you fly through a city in a painfully-slow attack/transport chopper in the pouring rain, going back and forth across a very poorly made playing field providing assistance to random characters you neither know nor care about). Also, the new armour abilities, while some (the jet pack in particular) are definite wins, most of them serve simply to unbalance the gameplay and make it far more tedious, and seem a fairly pointless inclusion. If you can overlook these flawed abilities however, then the multiplayer aspect of Reach will be a fine way to kill time until H:CE:AE is released. Halo: Reach does succeed in many ways and is certainly better than most of the **** shooters we're exposed to, but coming from this right after Halo 3 (a vastly superior game in every aspect) will leave you longing for simpler times. Also, if you're a COD fan (much like myself) you'll find it very difficult to get into this, thanks entirely to the utter lack of customisation options in your load-outs (itself due to the minimalistic amount of weapons on offer)
    Final Verdict: 8    … Expand
  85. thejanxxmaster
    Oct 10, 2011
    9
    Good Campaign but not very long and has horrible A.I. Firefight is outstanding! The new Forgeworld is phenominal and multiplayer is loaded with playists! Overall amazing game with so much to offer but glitches and atrocious A.I. keep it from perfection!
  86. 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.
  87. 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.
  88. illage2
    Sep 26, 2011
    10
    I do not normally give a game a 10, but for Halo Reach I'll make an exception.

    The campaign is excellent, it's not too short, and it's not too long. It's story will draw you in and keep you interested, and in certain areas of the campaign you can actually fly space ships. Which in FPS history is a rare occurrence. As for multiplayer, every game I have is always stable and I have very    I do not normally give a game a 10, but for Halo Reach I'll make an exception.

    The campaign is excellent, it's not too short, and it's not too long. It's story will draw you in and keep you interested, and in certain areas of the campaign you can actually fly space ships. Which in FPS history is a rare occurrence.

    As for multiplayer, every game I have is always stable and I have very little disconnections. It's also a lot of fun, I love playing Firefight.

    Graphics wise Bungie have done a fantastic job. I can't really say anything bad about them really.
    The gameplay is also very solid.

    Halo reach is one of the few games that does not have any bugs or glitches that plague other games (Cough Black Ops Cough) It is a very enjoyable game and it has no doubt left it's mark on FPS History.    … Expand
  89. Chris_Burket
    Sep 24, 2011
    8
    honestly, I found this game to be very underwhelming and rather disappointing. And if it weren't for ODST I would say its the worst halo game.

    I found the campaign to be mundane, phoned in, and mediocre at best. It is lacking in presentation. for example, compare the invasion scene in halo reach to the San Fransisco invasion scene in resistance 2. resistance 2 delivers one of the most    honestly, I found this game to be very underwhelming and rather disappointing. And if it weren't for ODST I would say its the worst halo game.

    I found the campaign to be mundane, phoned in, and mediocre at best. It is lacking in presentation. for example, compare the invasion scene in halo reach to the San Fransisco invasion scene in resistance 2. resistance 2 delivers one of the most epic and jaw dropping scenes I have seen in a game and insomniac has a mere percentage of the funding behind them as bungie. for a game that capitalizes on a planetary invasion, you dont really get alot of epic encounters built around that theme in halo reach. in fact, you dont get very many epic encounters at all. most of the battles are relatively small scaled and they offer little intensity or a true warlike atmosphere.

    The story is terrible. I can accept that. but the problem is that it is terrible in a boring way. It seems like the voice actors and writers arent even attempting to make it entertaining or interesting. There are plotholes everywhere in this game. I dont usually bring up that sort of thing, but they are so pervasive in this game, especially surrounding the deaths of main characters. I read the book "fall of reach" and it actually fleshed out the universe of "halo" and made master chief a more interesting character. It also showed the spartans, earlier in their training program, going on missions against human insurgents and pirates. that would have been an interesting thing to see in the game. but halo reach doesn't take any chances and it doesn't offer anything as a prequel.

    the gunplay mechanics, in my eyes, are unforgivably primitive, especially for a big budget current gen title. There is no reason why halo games shouldn't incorporate ironsights by now. I dont think there is any other FPS franchise that could still get away with such a thing and be well received in the reviewing community. The gunplay overall has very little kickback or power behind it. the only weapon I found to have even a semblance of impact was the pistol. perhaps bungie was afraid to make significant changes to the gunplay because given the fact that this is a prequel, it would affect the continuity of the series. but I think that is really just a weak excuse.

    No matter what features they add to the multiplayer, it doesnt cover up the sub-par mechanics and gunplay, which are truly the core aspects of an FPS game.

    overall, halo reach isnt the worst FPS game out there, but I would definitely say its not a "great" game. if I were to judge it by the campaign alone, I would give it a 7/10. however, I think that due to the competent multiplayer (where clearly most of the effort has gone) I can give it an extra star, bringing it to an 8/10. honestly though I couldnt imagine giving it anything higher.

    Halo Reach's campaign doesn't live up the standards set by the first 2 entries in the series or even the third. Halo should be blazing ahead and creating campaigns that are a cut above the standard, but instead they are trailing half a gen behind game franchises like Killzone, Crysis, and Resistance to name a few. Hell, even Call of Duty, despite its stagnation, still has a far more sophisticated engine, more dynamic campaigns, and far better gunplay than any of the current gen halo games.

    its a shame this game has received so much undeserved praise. people are just so excited to have a game with "halo" in the name, that they dont stop to critically analyze it. I didnt go into this game wanting to hate it. as I said, I read the halo books. I was the biggest halo fan out there. at least up the halo 3. I honestly found this game lacking in every single aspect that matters to me in an FPS. If you havent experienced many FPS games this gen, than you may enjoy this. I know these games appeal to the more casual FPS crowd. However, objectively and in comparison to what is on the market right now, this game is not a contender, despite what some people will tell you.    … Expand
  90. EFKM
    Sep 24, 2011
    10
    This is a very cool sci-fi game. This is my favourite game. The story goood the gameplay very good and the music very very good. least 150 characters, least 150 characters
  91. Johnnybronc
    Sep 21, 2011
    9
    This game took what was a very over done franchise and brought something fresh a special to it. I'll be honest I didnt care for Halo 3, liked ODST but this game really brought back the enjoyment factor for me in a big way that I had been missing with Halo since the second installment. Thank you Bungie!
  92. shortyluke2012
    Sep 15, 2011
    4
    The only reason I think this game deserves a four is because of the new improved Forge Mode.. Halo Reach to me lost what Halo was all about, It doesn't feel like your having as much fun as you did in the previous games. The on-line on Halo like always is very laggy and most of the time you can't be bothered wasting time and will quit.
  93. BrawlerO
    Sep 15, 2011
    9
    If you like Halo buy it. Fantastic replay value and different game modes. Misses out on a 10 because of lack of Master Chief-ness and not a big fan of a lot of the MP maps (too many forge world levels!!!)
    Great work from Bungie to conclude their project....
  94. Bbop800
    Sep 14, 2011
    9
    I never got into the Halo series until I first bought Halo Reach on my Xbox. I was instantly hooked into the game since then. I personally don't find the campaign all that exciting if you play it solo, so I highly recommend going co-op on this one. Multiplayer is a fun and well-balanced experience that really shouldn't be compared to other first-person shooters out there. It has greatI never got into the Halo series until I first bought Halo Reach on my Xbox. I was instantly hooked into the game since then. I personally don't find the campaign all that exciting if you play it solo, so I highly recommend going co-op on this one. Multiplayer is a fun and well-balanced experience that really shouldn't be compared to other first-person shooters out there. It has great customization system, allowing you to change your armor, emblem, tag, helmet, color, and much more. Multiplayer also has a wide variety of game types, from the simple "team slayer", which is basically a team death match, to completely different things such as "infection", a zombie survival type of game type. There's also a forge mode which allows you to create your own maps. Overall this is a game with a decent single player campaign and EXCELLENT replay value.… Expand
  95. Anzrule
    Aug 31, 2011
    8
    Having played all of the previous Halo's I feel as this game has been a great addition to the franchise. If multiplayer is what your looking for Halo Reach a offers beautiful, fun and exciting gaming experience which never becomes repetitive, this game campaign is shorter than i expected and its firefight feature isn't really fun at the beginning and takes a while to kick off. Other thanHaving played all of the previous Halo's I feel as this game has been a great addition to the franchise. If multiplayer is what your looking for Halo Reach a offers beautiful, fun and exciting gaming experience which never becomes repetitive, this game campaign is shorter than i expected and its firefight feature isn't really fun at the beginning and takes a while to kick off. Other than that, this game is superb and most importantly fun.… Expand
  96. Geoffory2
    Aug 30, 2011
    9
    Bungie's last halo game, for the most part they have made a very good game but I think they stayed too safe and did not take any risks. The campaign is good and the multiplayer is great, but there were not many maps and all the forge made ones are boring and dull. Overall its a very good game. 9/10
  97. JAM123
    Aug 26, 2011
    9
    I'm a huge fan of the halo franchise and this game too. This is probably one of the best of the series next to Halo 2. Awesome storyline really backs the cool effects and scenery. The campaign is really good. The multiplayer is bad ass too. It's fast and easy to get the hang of. Nothings better than a game of Halo. Can't wait till next one.
  98. VIBU
    Aug 15, 2011
    8
    This game is sort of a mixed bag for me. Sure, the gameplay/multiplayer is very solid, like what we are used to from Bungie. The campaign offers a lot of variety and is very fast-paced, lot of action. However, there were no memorable moments in the campaign, at least until the end. The campaign is forgettable for the most part. For something as epic as the fall of Earth, loss of billionsThis game is sort of a mixed bag for me. Sure, the gameplay/multiplayer is very solid, like what we are used to from Bungie. The campaign offers a lot of variety and is very fast-paced, lot of action. However, there were no memorable moments in the campaign, at least until the end. The campaign is forgettable for the most part. For something as epic as the fall of Earth, loss of billions of human lives and fighting a losing battle, it was a disappointment for me. The characters were very forgettable, and Bungie obviously wanted us to feel attached to them, but when they started dying, I really didn't care as much, yet I couldn't even remember their name.… Expand
  99. SpartanEdge
    Aug 11, 2011
    10
    I've been a massive Halo fan since No 1,& i wasnt disappointed by Reach.In fact for me personally,its the best in the series so far.I loved the story,the characters,the events that take place within the campaign,the customisation for your character & the fact that you see your custom character in the campaign cut scenes.Some have criticised the music,but i think its the best music in theI've been a massive Halo fan since No 1,& i wasnt disappointed by Reach.In fact for me personally,its the best in the series so far.I loved the story,the characters,the events that take place within the campaign,the customisation for your character & the fact that you see your custom character in the campaign cut scenes.Some have criticised the music,but i think its the best music in the series by a country mile! I like the way the cut scenes are cut too,in a very cinematic way,& the first person cutscenes are genius.Always glad to see the Halo games have on & offline Campaign Co-Op,and Campaign matchmaking included this time also.Kudos Bungie! On the multiplayer side,Invasion is a welcome addition,& adds a bit of purpose to the matches,& Firefight is always good to come back to once in a while.In general Reach offers the definitive Halo multiplayer.I am so close to giving this a Ten.On the whole,a VERY cool game.… Expand
  100. TiptoeTurtle
    Aug 9, 2011
    4
    Just ok not worth buying. Buy this one used or hope you can win it for free some how. I would not pay full price for this game. Bungie hasn't made a good halo game since Halo 2 and Halo 3.
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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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