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. Goatbot
    Sep 24, 2010
    7
    There seems to be a lot of people here ranting that anyone who gives this game a low score is a fan boy and then saying something like "Halo is the best game ever 10/10" Um? Really? Isnt there a little tiny bit of hypocrisy there?

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

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

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


    Halo better than CoD, less consistent than Battlefield. Reach also has The Cage, possibly the worst multiplayer map ever in any game and its even got more contenders to that title in its 8 non forge map roster. It falls between the 2 for me with a 7.5.    … Expand
  2. ApocalypseBrown
    Sep 24, 2010
    7
    To make absolutely clear I am NOT a PS3 fanboy, as unfortunately there are many on here wasting space. Halo Reach was always going to be a bit of a emotional border, Halo Combat Evolved and Halo 2 are the best first person shooters (along with Half life 2) out there period! However it's 2010, and Reach feels like a watered down Halo 2. Why? For instance the single player is completeTo make absolutely clear I am NOT a PS3 fanboy, as unfortunately there are many on here wasting space. Halo Reach was always going to be a bit of a emotional border, Halo Combat Evolved and Halo 2 are the best first person shooters (along with Half life 2) out there period! However it's 2010, and Reach feels like a watered down Halo 2. Why? For instance the single player is complete rubbish, absolute waste of time. Co-op fairs a little better, but both players will need to have the same level of dedication to wade through the tedium. Multiplayer was the only reason I got this and to be honest I am slightly underwhelmed! Rehash's of Halo maps from the past and Horde, sorry Firefight mode is good but not great. The new powers up are welcomed, and elite/swat death-matches bringing new and immensely fun moments. But ultimately is this game worth it? It's up to you whether you love the series of not, for me there are better games out there right now (like Bad Company 2 and Gears of War 2) but undeniable Halo is still immense fun, even though tiresomely familiar.… Expand
  3. Hullspawn
    Sep 24, 2010
    8
    This is the second time I've reviewed this game the first time I gave it a 6 mainly because I didn't think it lived up to my admitedly very high expectations but after a while with it and lots of time spent online with my friends I can see that this like halo 3 before it has true potential to grow into a world class shooter it's not quiet there yet it needs more maps and a few match makingThis is the second time I've reviewed this game the first time I gave it a 6 mainly because I didn't think it lived up to my admitedly very high expectations but after a while with it and lots of time spent online with my friends I can see that this like halo 3 before it has true potential to grow into a world class shooter it's not quiet there yet it needs more maps and a few match making problems ironed out but it's fair to say that I've had more fun here than I have in an fps for a long time. It's not perfect yet but it could be given time so for now it's an 8 :)… Expand
  4. walt
    Sep 24, 2010
    4
    i have tried.. really i have.. i wonder how many other people have to... they say great story.. i say read go to any library and pick a book its guaranteed to have a better story.. gameplay ok at best... multiplayer painful waiting times... ridiculous game modes like infected that last about 2 mins.. pointless.. i liked the first Halo.. it didn't blow me away or anything.. it was alright..i have tried.. really i have.. i wonder how many other people have to... they say great story.. i say read go to any library and pick a book its guaranteed to have a better story.. gameplay ok at best... multiplayer painful waiting times... ridiculous game modes like infected that last about 2 mins.. pointless.. i liked the first Halo.. it didn't blow me away or anything.. it was alright.. i tried Halo 2 got bored after 1 hour... Halo 3 got bored after 20 mins.. I played Reach for a few hours trying to see what the hype is about.. i just can't see it... sorry.. bland and cliche story... average graphices.. poor multiplayer... i'm trading this in tomorrow...… Expand
  5. GameMechanic
    Sep 24, 2010
    7
    There was a lot of hype over Halo Reach, that's a given... there's a lot around all Halo's in fact but while Halo Reach brings a lot of novelty and a much needed graphical update to its engine, it doesn't feel as much different from the previous titles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Cons
    - Heavy emphasis on the current/previous Halo community vs new players
    - Matchmaking 'True Skill' is quick to 'promote' you to play against higher ranked players
    - Community players does not fit too well with the cooperative game modes unless you know them well
    - Very hyped game that offers an experience only slightly different than past Halo titles (more of the same)
    - Challenges are more geared towards multiplayer/cooperative    … Expand
  6. SMScorx89
    Sep 24, 2010
    10
    This was Bungie's last Halo game and hope 343 Industries can fill those big shoes. The campaign may seem short, but it is engaging, the multiplayer is at it's finest, Forge allows greater freedom, and Firefight has been greatly improved. There are also little bonuses for the game, so sign in and check them out. This truly is the best Halo game and the best bet to get Game of the Year.
  7. Comalv
    Sep 24, 2010
    7
    This is a very good and solid game but far from perfect. While the campaign is very solid and probably deserves a 9 for awesome scenarios, plot and storytelling, with a good variety of things to do, although some of the dropships spurting out MOBs (specially at higher difficulties) seems old and random. The coop side of multiplayer (campaign and firefights) are very well made and theThis is a very good and solid game but far from perfect. While the campaign is very solid and probably deserves a 9 for awesome scenarios, plot and storytelling, with a good variety of things to do, although some of the dropships spurting out MOBs (specially at higher difficulties) seems old and random. The coop side of multiplayer (campaign and firefights) are very well made and the skulls system gives a solution for perfectly adjusting difficulty. The multiplayer versus side on the other hand offers very little new stuff (mainly armor upgrades) and feels overall old and not really that entertaining (except maybe for halo fanboys). Also all the stuff you get for levelling up is purely cosmethical and while some is really nice it surely doesn't add much to the longevity of the game. Overall a Must-Have for Halo enthusiasts, a 30ish hours of fun for the casual gamer… Expand
  8. Hinin
    Sep 24, 2010
    10
    This must be THE halo game of generation, story was good and graphics worked well. You can't call yourself a fps-player if you don't try this masterpiece. It's not flawless, but near to it. AI really gives you good fight in story-mode and especially in firefight. Loving it.
  9. mrcritic
    Sep 24, 2010
    9
    I was expecting much more from Halo: Reach, however it didn't necessarily disappoint me. I liked it, but not enough to go crazy, like I did with Halo 3 or Halo 3: ODST. Maybe not the best, but definitely not the worst.
  10. Island7
    Sep 23, 2010
    10
    Halo Reach is the best game in the Halo series to date. There is so much to do and see in this game it is overwhelming. A must buy for anyone with an Xbox 360!
  11. masterbedgood
    Sep 23, 2010
    10
    HALO: Reach takes what is great about the franchise and makes it better. The campaign is by far the most story-driven of any of the HALO titles with plenty of excellent set pieces and emotional scenarios to draw you into the drama. The weight of the fall of one of humanity's largest colonies is conveyed in a truly masterful fashion. The closing scene after the credits is one of the mostHALO: Reach takes what is great about the franchise and makes it better. The campaign is by far the most story-driven of any of the HALO titles with plenty of excellent set pieces and emotional scenarios to draw you into the drama. The weight of the fall of one of humanity's largest colonies is conveyed in a truly masterful fashion. The closing scene after the credits is one of the most memorable scenarios I've experienced in any game.

    Multiplayer is as addicting as ever. With the new credit system allowing you to cosmetically customize your Spartan III being a new pull to keep you engaged, you won't be backing away from this game any time soon. The controls are, expectedly, responsive and intuitive, and the new armour abilities add a new layer of strategy and give you several novel ways to unleash mayhem.

    If you are a 360 owner, Reach is definitely a must-have title for your library.    … Expand
  12. NicktheCritc
    Sep 23, 2010
    9
    Halo: Reach. Amazing for Halo fans. Great for everyone else. The campaign is more fulfilling if you play on "Heroic" difficulty. Which will take you roughly 10 hours. The campaign if littered with dramatic cut scenes and cinematic "WTF" moments that will not disappoint. Multiplayer is back with the quick and action-packed games you would expect. Story is great but could use moreHalo: Reach. Amazing for Halo fans. Great for everyone else. The campaign is more fulfilling if you play on "Heroic" difficulty. Which will take you roughly 10 hours. The campaign if littered with dramatic cut scenes and cinematic "WTF" moments that will not disappoint. Multiplayer is back with the quick and action-packed games you would expect. Story is great but could use more background. Overall the game is a 9.3.… Expand
  13. Olegskij
    Sep 23, 2010
    6
    Dull and boring, pointless story badly told in the most pompous style. But the worst thing is: this game is at least supposed to be a technological marvel but its graphics are really boring, like a 2006 shooter. Come on guys, whats all the fuzz?!?! Go play Bioshock instead with incredible design and really interesting setting and story!!!!
  14. Neelyry
    Sep 23, 2010
    10
    Reach is easily the best halo since combat evolved. Really it should have been Halo 3. Campaign was a tad short but classic. All these people that didnt like it are flat out little kids, that arent old enough to buy the game in the first place, complaining about how they changed it so much. They complain that they were great at halo 3 and suck at this. That's because this, unlike halo 3,Reach is easily the best halo since combat evolved. Really it should have been Halo 3. Campaign was a tad short but classic. All these people that didnt like it are flat out little kids, that arent old enough to buy the game in the first place, complaining about how they changed it so much. They complain that they were great at halo 3 and suck at this. That's because this, unlike halo 3, this is not noob friendly. They took away noob dual wielding, never seen one pro use this on a regular basis, as well they made the cross hair expand with the recoil so you have to time your shots and slow the pace. This is halo back to its roots, where it should be. Pro's are finally obvious and no little kids can think or claim they are pros, like they did in halo 3, because true skill really comes through this time. I have won 1000's of dollars in tournaments (since halo 1) and was flat out sick of all these noobs claiming to be pro. To the point where i stopped taking challenges unless it was at a tournament. Lost count of how many kids i shut out that thought they were MLG. This game finally puts noobs and medium skilled players in their place. If you dont like it, practice and get better. Dont blame the game for showing you who you really are. New weapons rock and are balanced, as long as you have an intelligent approach to combat situations you should do all right.… Expand
  15. skuz440
    Sep 23, 2010
    9
    Halo 3 was nowhere near as impressive as the new Reach, the graphics and environments are eye poppingly beautiful, the audio and music is atmospheric and powerful, and the story, well, it's there. Most people play the game for the sake of playing the game, and I'm no exception. This is Halo on Steroids, big, beautiful, loud, explosive and a treat to play. Don't expect much new gameplayHalo 3 was nowhere near as impressive as the new Reach, the graphics and environments are eye poppingly beautiful, the audio and music is atmospheric and powerful, and the story, well, it's there. Most people play the game for the sake of playing the game, and I'm no exception. This is Halo on Steroids, big, beautiful, loud, explosive and a treat to play. Don't expect much new gameplay here, but count on an awesome time in front of your big screen. It's a must-buy for ANY Xbox owner.… Expand
  16. SPINEY
    Sep 23, 2010
    9
    While a lot of people say Bungie has done nothing new with Reach, I just say they haven't played yet. Armour abilities, an extensive cosmetic armoury and a graphics quality to die for. The story was a little iffy at points but the action more than makes up for it. The multiplayer is fun and rewarding. It's consistent, balanced, and hectic to say the least. Also, don't compare this to MW. AWhile a lot of people say Bungie has done nothing new with Reach, I just say they haven't played yet. Armour abilities, an extensive cosmetic armoury and a graphics quality to die for. The story was a little iffy at points but the action more than makes up for it. The multiplayer is fun and rewarding. It's consistent, balanced, and hectic to say the least. Also, don't compare this to MW. A military game and a sci-fi game cannot be compared. Also I don't understand what people mean about the graphics being poor. Obviously they don't know the technical side behind it all. Higher resolution textures than have ever been on the x-box, higher poly models than have ever been on the x-box and shadowing and specular quality I have never seen on a console. I guess you need to know to see. Overall, great graphics, great multiplayer, awesome action and a story that holds replay value. Seriously, stop comparing this to MW2 and compare to other sci-fi shooters like Crysis. Which it is ultimately better than.… Expand
  17. JosephR
    Sep 22, 2010
    10
    if anyone knows anything about games, its that graphics don't make the game. People are talking about how this isn't realistic at all.....idiots its **** halo what do yo expect. If you want realism go play arma 2, and sit there for 15 min waiting for someone to walk by.
  18. AngryEddy
    Sep 22, 2010
    2
    Halo: Reach Around! Bored yet?

    I gave 2 but really it at least 4. I played one Halo before on PC and it quite good but I prefer Riven. Whats up with Master Chef? He no cook anything anyway.
  19. ccc
    Sep 22, 2010
    0
    This game is a big pile of crap.
    The reason for this is the simple fact that it is the 4rth installment into a series that is the exact same crap it was to begin with.
    Trash gameplay that a trained monkey could master. How mindless do gamers really need to be to play this game and love it seriously? Getting down to a technical level I must say Bungi is about one of the worst developers    This game is a big pile of crap.
    The reason for this is the simple fact that it is the 4rth installment into a series that is the exact same crap it was to begin with.
    Trash gameplay that a trained monkey could master. How mindless do gamers really need to be to play this game and love it seriously?
    Getting down to a technical level I must say Bungi is about one of the worst developers there are with little next to no talent with this latest offering again almost no improvement over the first installment.
    It still has massive frame rate issues and suffers slowdown just like the first one.
    The only true saving grace this series has is the story line which no shock there was not crafted by Bungi but hired writers which is still a double edged sword as the entire storyline is pretty much ripped from popular 1980 and 1990 movies.
    This game is a wreck and it is unbelievable that certain establishments give this game the ratings they do either by default of being bad gamers themselves, afraid to loose readers/fans or even paid off to say good things about it.
    I think as a company Bungi is great in the way that they can take a crap, sell it to you, wait for you to crap it back out then grab that and sell it to you again and again. They are the masters of that 15 seconds of gameplay, remember saying that Bungi? So shameful to do it and admit it.    … Expand
  20. E554551N
    Sep 21, 2010
    8
    Personally my favorite halo game. As anyone who has played halo from the very beginning should notice, gameplay has strayed far from the good old overpowered weapons and original missions of the original, but back then it was the newest and best around, now games have copied and improved. In my opinion Reach is Bungie and halo's way of adapting to the less original market and well they didPersonally my favorite halo game. As anyone who has played halo from the very beginning should notice, gameplay has strayed far from the good old overpowered weapons and original missions of the original, but back then it was the newest and best around, now games have copied and improved. In my opinion Reach is Bungie and halo's way of adapting to the less original market and well they did a damn good job!… Expand
  21. Review9
    Sep 21, 2010
    10
    Now i am a halo fanboy and for 6 years i have thought that halo 1 is the best in the series. Reach topped that and it is now my favorite game of all time. Campaign is only 6-8 hours but thats just a small part of the game. Multiplayer is fun as hell with over about 20 game modes. It's got firefight that is like horde from gears. Online 4 people can play the campaign together. It's myNow i am a halo fanboy and for 6 years i have thought that halo 1 is the best in the series. Reach topped that and it is now my favorite game of all time. Campaign is only 6-8 hours but thats just a small part of the game. Multiplayer is fun as hell with over about 20 game modes. It's got firefight that is like horde from gears. Online 4 people can play the campaign together. It's my favorite game of all time and i've bought every halo that's ever came out. I give it a 10.… Expand
  22. Spot21
    Sep 21, 2010
    10
    Truly a great game. I wasn't the biggest Halo fan but this game changed my opinion. New features like stealth 3rd person kills, classes, and a better forge made this game awesome. Great job Bungie
  23. Man2Env
    Sep 21, 2010
    10
    This is an amazing Game!!!!!!!!!! Any fan of a first person shooter will love it. My only complaint is the shooting mechanics are a bit off. Besides that buy it you will not regret it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  24. joe22294
    Sep 21, 2010
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is excellent in everyone of it's many aspects. First off the campaign, while short (about 8-9 hours long) is fun to play through and definitely warrants another playthrough, probably with one or more friends. The AI in the campaign however is a mixed bag; the enemy is even better than the older Halos almost to point of you predicting their movements, only to find that they've flanked you. Your allies AI on the other hand is unchanged, in that they still can't drive and will probably require nudging to get moving again. The good thing is that your SPARTAN buddies are invincible and can soak up damage, alleviating the pain on Heroic and Legendary.
    Multiplayer is the same as it was before; well balanced and extremely enjoyable. The weapons are rarely overpowered to one-another and those that are can be scarce. The new load-out system which allows players to choose the weapons/ability they start with may seem similar to MW2, but are non-customisable, meaning everyone can only select from predetermined options and not an overpowered one like in MW2.
    Reaches firefight is the same survival-based gameplay found in ODST's firefight. This version however can now be customised at the same level as custom games can be, and uses load-outs like in multiplayer matchmaking. The maps used can't be forged sadly.
    Custom games remains largely unchanged from Halo 3, with just some minor options added.
    Forge is made even accessible in Reach, and the player will feel even more in control of what they're doing. The biggest changes include item degree snapping, the ability the phase items through each other, instead of having to use a glitch in Halo 3, and the edition of a giant forgeable map with many different play areas throughout.
    Theatre is unchanged from Halo 3, aside from the ability to rewind campaign.
    The ability to customise your character has increased dramatically from Halo 3, with tons more options and more areas to customise.
    The graphics are an improvement from Halo 3s and while they're not at the same level as CoD/BBC/Gears, are far to be considered bad, and are impressive non-the-less.
    Overall, the game has more features than nearly all other shooters on the market. Call me a fanboy if you will, but give a damn good reason just why you think it's bad as well.
    9.5/10 (rounded to ten)    … Expand
  25. InClass
    Sep 21, 2010
    10
    Okay beyond the obvious people who feel different by putting down something great to stand out from a the majority (I get it). But putting this one down is crazy if not foolish. The idea of perfect is out there but so is this game. Not since the time of Resident Evil 4 have i been so engrossed in a game.
  26. andydutto
    Sep 21, 2010
    9
    Halo reach top game great graphics but can be frustrating wen u die loads as u will throughout the game great game to play will keep u going for hours. amazing story simply has to be said that Halo reach has to be the best Halo game i ave ever played
  27. Circus
    Sep 21, 2010
    8
    The graphics are nothing special in reach and to be honest there are no great innovations in the game play. However the music is, as ever, spectacular. The story for me was as if they had put no effort into it although the ending really made me feel nostalgic. I loved the way they tied it into the first scenes of combat evolved. Yet I would have liked to find out more about theThe graphics are nothing special in reach and to be honest there are no great innovations in the game play. However the music is, as ever, spectacular. The story for me was as if they had put no effort into it although the ending really made me feel nostalgic. I loved the way they tied it into the first scenes of combat evolved. Yet I would have liked to find out more about the forerunners, cortanas origin and of course the flood. At one point I thought that there may be room for the flood in the game as there was a marine in typical combat evolved style, sitting on the floor with a gun to his head talking to himself about the "other" aliens. logically though it would have been stupid to have the flood on reach and really what I am saying is that the original 3 halos are the ones to play, all with good narrative. ODST and reach sadly are simply not up to par when it comes to story (even though Reachâ… Expand
  28. Syk0m0nk3y
    Sep 21, 2010
    0
    Once again Bungie fails to breath life back in a title that has been dead since it's first iteration. Halo: Combat Evolved was innovative and the universe it painted was new and exciting. Halo 2 failed to follow that example and the subsequent titles have only heaped more dirt on it's grave. With any luck this will finally be that last Halo title.
  29. VengeanceUK
    Sep 21, 2010
    6
    overhyped and under fulfills, not what i (and lots of others) were hoping for, for bungies swansong halo game. feels too old. too many fanboys screaming i love halo, when halo became disinteresting after the shambolic end to halo 2. it just no longer has that wow factor, maybe in part as it is a prequel and we know what we already know but it just feels slightly disjointed and wrong. butoverhyped and under fulfills, not what i (and lots of others) were hoping for, for bungies swansong halo game. feels too old. too many fanboys screaming i love halo, when halo became disinteresting after the shambolic end to halo 2. it just no longer has that wow factor, maybe in part as it is a prequel and we know what we already know but it just feels slightly disjointed and wrong. but thats my opinion. i see all these 10's and raving reviews, that the game just does not deserve… Expand
  30. Big_jon
    Sep 20, 2010
    10
    I should say going into this that I am a Huge Halo fan, I have loved all the past games, Halo CE and Halo 2 being my favorites. That aside Reach tells the story of six very human Spartans and there struggle to try to save a Doomed planet and lay the steping stone for the eventual survival of mankind. Going into this you know the outcome but the story getting to that out come is one ofI should say going into this that I am a Huge Halo fan, I have loved all the past games, Halo CE and Halo 2 being my favorites. That aside Reach tells the story of six very human Spartans and there struggle to try to save a Doomed planet and lay the steping stone for the eventual survival of mankind. Going into this you know the outcome but the story getting to that out come is one of Heroism, sacrifice and loss. Five Hundred million people died on Reach and it is safe to say that this is the darkest game in the entire series. The cinematics have taken influence from movies like "Hurt Locker" and "District 9" in that it is a very close up boots in the mud story, it does this to great affect. I found my self growing attached to some of the Spartans and needless to say their loss left me with a haunting somber feeling that I could not shake, Understanding the characters and the universe will help to heighten the effects of the story. The visuals of this game are beautiful with crisp textures, lush foliage, amazing weather effects, water and animation this may well be the best looking Xbox 360 exclusive out. this is also first Halo game where the faces on human characters look great being on par with Gears of War 2 and Uncharted 2. But all this beauty does come at a cost of the frame rate from time to time, must notably in the first level and in the cut scenes. Game play is the culmination of all the best parts of past Halo games, it feels refreshed with things like weapon bloom, sway and sprinting to give it a far more modern feel. There also are many things that show up for the first time in a Halo game wich not only are pretty darn cool they made this game stand out for me. The enemies are fun to fight and on Heroic and especially Legendary they are a true challenge. The AI in Reach is some of the best in any game I have ever played, Elites are back in front and no longer will you be fighting the boring, stand still Brutes from Halo 3. Hunters on Legendary are the toughest Halo foe I have ever encountered and this is a dream for any long time Halo fan. Though in some of the later levels there can be parts where there are too many high level enemies and not enough of the weapons you need to properly get the job done leading to some frustrating parts. This was my experience on Legendary anyways. Multi-player is very fun, guns have a kick and the new falcon is a blast. Halo 3 left me lacking a little bit and this so far seems to fill the niche Ive been wanting for a while and with so many things to do in this game, it will keep a fan entertained for a long time. With saved films along with an over hauled forge mode added in to the mix along with matchmaking support for the fully customisable Fire Fight and campaign. As of launch yet to be included seems to be the campaign matchmaking. This is a lot of multi player content, we will have to wait and see if it lasts the test of time. All in all this is a fantastic experience that gave me the best first time impression of any Halo game since the original one, this is a great conclusion to Bungie`s Halo and a must play for any Halo fan be it big or small. If you have never played a Halo this is were to start. From the beginning you know the end.… Expand
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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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