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. Termin8ter
    Jun 25, 2017
    8
    Halo Reach is an excellent way for Bungie to close off the franchise that they created. Boasting a much more expanded upon Forge, much more fleshed out Firefight from ODST, massive and addictive multiplayer that is still pulsing proudly after all these years, a gripping and satisfying campaign that tells the prelude story before Combat Evolved begins, featuring a fresh new space combatHalo Reach is an excellent way for Bungie to close off the franchise that they created. Boasting a much more expanded upon Forge, much more fleshed out Firefight from ODST, massive and addictive multiplayer that is still pulsing proudly after all these years, a gripping and satisfying campaign that tells the prelude story before Combat Evolved begins, featuring a fresh new space combat level which was designed by Sage Merrill, the guy behind Crimson Skies on the Xbox. This game is so packed to the brim with content, it's amazing what Bungie has accomplished here. This game would get a legendary 10/10 score, if it were not for a few issues. First off, there is no Legendary ending. Why? Why break tradition if this is intended as a thank you to the fans? And to be honest, the character development wasn't that great. As the Noble Team started dying like flies, I found myself barely caring. And it was also a shame that Bungie didn't capitalize on the excellent new space combat controls by applying it to multiplayer, far improving the experience. Sadly, Bungie didn't want to annoy all the Halo fans by switching up the formula, because there are so many Halo fans, but I believe that taking that brave step would have been worth it. Overall, Halo Reach is a great game and a great way to end my favourite franchise. if you appreciate good games, pick up Halo Reach.… Expand
  2. Epik_Ninnja
    May 23, 2015
    9
    Halo Reach breaks away from Master Chief and follows a team of Spartans that are ordered to protect the planet Reach against the Covenenant. You can play the campaign alone or co-op online. Then there’s matchmaking which includes a wealth of modes (one in which you can play as an Elite). You can choose which ability you want before respawning; a jetpack, a deployable shield, etc., whichHalo Reach breaks away from Master Chief and follows a team of Spartans that are ordered to protect the planet Reach against the Covenenant. You can play the campaign alone or co-op online. Then there’s matchmaking which includes a wealth of modes (one in which you can play as an Elite). You can choose which ability you want before respawning; a jetpack, a deployable shield, etc., which is new to Reach and improves every game mode. On top of this there’s a firefight mode that you can either play as a survival mode with limited everything or unlimited ammo with powerful weapons and 20 minutes to score big. There’s also a map-maker (forge) mode and theater mode. Your custom Spartan carries over all three modes, which you can buy new armor for with money you gain from playing (and from the addictive daily challenges). This game exceeds all previous Halos, in my opinon, and should be experienced by any shooter fan with an Xbox 360. I give it an 8.7.… Expand
  3. TheBlazingTruth
    Sep 4, 2015
    10
    This game is great. The ability to create and be your own spartan is one of the best things to happen to the franchise. Campaign wise, the game has an amazing story and great graphics for its time on the 360. One of my favorite games of all time. The multiplayer as well was amazing, especially the living dead mode. Well made, and fun to play. Remember Reach.
  4. cish
    Oct 20, 2015
    8
    Was expecting more from this game. The lore that surrounded reach in previous games made me super excited to play this but the story was rather uneventful. The recoil was overdone but was a good idea.
  5. SDS_IV
    Nov 25, 2015
    10
    Without just absolutely oozing all over the place during this review.... Ya know what that's impossible. This game is amazing. It's BEYOND amazing. This was the best title in the Halo franchise. I miss this game really bad and hope that they remaster it at some point as I was really disappointed it was skipped over during the Master Chiefs collection. This game not only deserved to be onWithout just absolutely oozing all over the place during this review.... Ya know what that's impossible. This game is amazing. It's BEYOND amazing. This was the best title in the Halo franchise. I miss this game really bad and hope that they remaster it at some point as I was really disappointed it was skipped over during the Master Chiefs collection. This game not only deserved to be on there it might even deserve its on dedicated remake.

    If you gave this game negative reviews you have no idea what makes competitive matchmaking multiplayer good in an FPS. This is the epitome of first person shooters. I hold this game to a higher standard than Halo II and my personal favorite CoD title Word at War.

    If you haven't played Reach please for the love of god try to give it a shot of the servers are still up.    … Expand
  6. armsoffury
    Jan 6, 2018
    9
    Story
    Really good story like everything about it the cut scenes the voice acting the missions and how the customization for your spartan and how your character gets put in the story.
    Forge The forge was super fun to miss around. A lot of improvements from halo 3 my only problem tho is i wish they had made the money higher so you could make more. Multiplayer It was really good like    Story
    Really good story like everything about it the cut scenes the voice acting the missions and how the customization for your spartan and how your character gets put in the story.
    Forge
    The forge was super fun to miss around. A lot of improvements from halo 3 my only problem tho is i wish they had made the money higher so you could make more.
    Multiplayer
    It was really good like the new game modes the new guns and the new armor abilities.
    My only problem tho was the bubble shield it could protect you from getting shot but that's not the problem is that it could regenerate you heath and shield back which was annoying.    … Expand
  7. porqueeuquis
    Jun 17, 2016
    10
    probably the best game I've ever played! gameplay is amazing, awesome story, huge multiplayer, i bit hard in Legendary but still my TOP 1 game! Best of all Halo's for sure
  8. Spooniix
    Jul 10, 2016
    10
    Halo: Reach is in my opinon the single greatest fps game of all time. This is coming from a guy who has spent many hours in multiplayer and singleplayer in every halo game to date. I find myself coming back to this game all the time even setting up my old 360 just to play it. My personal favourite game. It'll still be worth buying in 50 years. (Unless they remaster it, get that instead.)
  9. iamevilhomer
    Sep 20, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I would give the game a 10 but I can't even though I really want to and it's my favorite game.

    Soooo much content here...

    Great story... So what if it doesn't follow the books. The bungie halo games always did their own thing...

    Great campaign mode... No annoying flood. No super lame levels. Just action!

    Great game play... Halo at its best. All the halo goodness in the world is here.

    Amazing sound track... Marty at his best as usual. Him and halo ARE halo.

    Great in game visuals. One of the best looking xbox 360 exclusives. Even better looking than halo 4...

    Smart AI... Cept kat lol... I think they made her dumb on purpose to add difficulty.

    Tons of content... Forge world, fire fight, multiplayer and more! All custom tailored to fit your style.

    No weak micro transactions like halo 5 lol.

    It's one of the best halo games. It's easily competing for best halo game against 1,2, and 3.

    Now for the mediocre/bad...

    Some minor gripes...

    Spoilers!

    You can't explain Kats death very well story wise... What happened to her energy shields? And if they were out temporarily then that would explain why it only took one needle rifle round to kill her. Fair enough.... But if that's the case... Why didn't the shooter take out the whole team as well? They played this scene well emotionally but it was dumb in a logical kind of sense.

    I wish you could make a fire fight mode where endless sword elites attack you nazi zombies style. They can't shoot or toss nades. They can only use cqc melee attacks with their swords. I always thought that this would be kool... But heck... I dunno if it would be since it doesn't exist and I'm not sure how long it would take until it got boring...

    Spartan laser is much worse than it was in halo 3. In Halo 3 it was the end all cannon against anyone just about... In Reach it's much harder to pin point, takes longer to charge up, has less ammo, and requires a more steady aiming thumb. It's worse in just about every way. I guess they wanted to nerf it since it was a anti tank sniper rifle in halo 3 and that was kind of OP lol. It did make vehicles some what useless in halo 3 btb.

    Bloom... Made shots random some what. Granted this only really upset strict competitive players who take the game very seriously in the rankings and what not... But for them it was a bit of a downer even though it's pretty silly to take "skill" in a video game so seriously. Especially considering that halo 2 has a hit scan br with high bullet magnetism and halo 3 has a br that's spread is pretty random too. Halo isn't exactly the most skillful shooter out there folks... Just saying. Play for fun. Not to try and be super mlg pro elite status... No one cares how good you are at a game. Besides... There are plenty of playlists that don't have bloom or even armor abilities for that matter so there is no need to complain anymore.

    The rank system. Apparently some folks only played to see a number by their name go up. It motivated them to play for some reason. Instead of playing to have fun they would focus on the level 1-50 rank system. Reach has no such system unless you look it up on a web-site.

    Anyone else miss having bots in multiplayer like perfect dark 64?

    So those are the mediocre/bad things. A lot of which doesn't bug me personally but I can see why it would bug some people. Especially those who are not that smart or are too quick to judge this game.

    Remember folks... No game is perfect but some games are pretty awesome anyways so I give this about a 8 or a 9. A 8 at launch. And a 9 now that patches and more content polished the game up.    … Expand
  10. dislexicpotato
    Jan 4, 2020
    8
    This was the first Halo game I ever played and its a great game. The music is great, the visuals are great (holding up well even today on PC) there are a TON of game modes in the multiplayer, the combat itself is a lot of fun and there are multiple spartan abilities added which add to the variety of the game-play. The game does have some minor flaws though, such as the lack of characterThis was the first Halo game I ever played and its a great game. The music is great, the visuals are great (holding up well even today on PC) there are a TON of game modes in the multiplayer, the combat itself is a lot of fun and there are multiple spartan abilities added which add to the variety of the game-play. The game does have some minor flaws though, such as the lack of character development in the campaign which results in certain moments (avoiding spoilers) feeling melodramatic. The maps are also a mixed bag, with some maps being a ton of fun to play on with the likes of Sword Base and Countdown, meanwhile others feel very uninspired or are badly designed such as Condemned, Boneyard and the forge maps.

    Overall, its a great game that is definitely worth checking out. Ignore the people that say the game is perfection and the others saying the game is complete trash, check it out and form your own opinion. Its definitely worth your time despite its flaws.    … Expand
  11. sgthombre
    Sep 23, 2016
    9
    I'm just writing at least 150 characters because I wanted to save this review in a more convenient way to look back at scores that I had given stuff as a user.
  12. Arthur123
    Mar 23, 2018
    10
    Um dos melhores Halo já lançados gráficos muito bem feitos boa história,personagens a customização do seu personagem na parte da armadura e cor os combates missões um ótimo FPS.
  13. GutairHeroGod
    Dec 6, 2016
    10
    This is coming from an individual who has never played the original 3 halo games. In a way I consider this a good thing, as I hear many die hard Halo fans heavily criticize this game on the basis that it doesn't feel like the other 3 and it does not include Master Chief. I can say without a doubt that this is the greatest game I have ever played. The next word pretty much sums up myThis is coming from an individual who has never played the original 3 halo games. In a way I consider this a good thing, as I hear many die hard Halo fans heavily criticize this game on the basis that it doesn't feel like the other 3 and it does not include Master Chief. I can say without a doubt that this is the greatest game I have ever played. The next word pretty much sums up my teenage years of video-gaming: FORGE!
    Unlimited possibility, user made downloadable maps, map sharing, game-type creating, 16 player party hosting, I could go on for hours. The incredibly vast amount of memories I have playing this game is touched by no other and the fun this title has given me and my friends will always be remembered. Thank you Bungie    … Expand
  14. frederik1478
    Mar 27, 2020
    9
    I like it it's a good Halo game but I do not like the features introduced to the series like weapon accuracy degrading by every shot.
    Armour abilities
  15. TopPopFop
    Jan 27, 2017
    9
    Right next to Halo 2, but not as good, is Reach, definitely my favourite when it comes to playing with friends in matchmaking and custom games, the amount of great times I've had with my friends, I just wish I could relive them. Halo 2 in my opinion was best with its campaign, soundtrack and gameplay, but Reach was best with its forge, custom games and matchmaking. Of course, Halo 5'sRight next to Halo 2, but not as good, is Reach, definitely my favourite when it comes to playing with friends in matchmaking and custom games, the amount of great times I've had with my friends, I just wish I could relive them. Halo 2 in my opinion was best with its campaign, soundtrack and gameplay, but Reach was best with its forge, custom games and matchmaking. Of course, Halo 5's forge is great, but before that was even out, Reach's was the best. But, it can't be a review without talking about its other major gamemodes, the campaign and firefight, the campaign in my opinion wasn't the best, not bad, but not good, firefight is pretty good, I enjoyed it, my friends did too. Overall, a great game, despite all the hate it got.… Expand
  16. ladygaga93
    Jul 3, 2017
    8
    It is very underestimated game. Why ? Because its not game like call of duty, or gears of war, god of war where popularity of these games based on that are a simple games that brings a lot of fun. This is quite different. It is like good movie, about life and about the cruelty of war, best music i have ever heard in games, dialogues between soldiers reminds from movies, very sad moments,It is very underestimated game. Why ? Because its not game like call of duty, or gears of war, god of war where popularity of these games based on that are a simple games that brings a lot of fun. This is quite different. It is like good movie, about life and about the cruelty of war, best music i have ever heard in games, dialogues between soldiers reminds from movies, very sad moments, and you dont surrounded by explosions and only good graphics but you are alone. You have to create your mind by your own. Just try this game, and you see what i would like to say but i cant . you have to watch it by your own. Masterpiece.… Expand
  17. DreamEaglr
    Mar 1, 2017
    8
    Завершающая часть шедевральной серии от Банджи. Идеальный баланс, графика и мультиплеер. Один из лучших шутеров на консолях и одна из лучших игр всех времен. Жаль, что после не пошел один трэш
  18. 14lalo
    Mar 21, 2017
    10
    Inmersivo, divertido de jugar, tiene una campaña buenisima y un multijugador muy bueno también, de lo mejor para jugar solo, acompañado o en linea!!!!
  19. Phoenix123
    Nov 6, 2017
    10
    This game was amazing. It had no Master Chief, but that didn't matter one bit. This game's campaign revolves so heavily about sacrifice. The story is amazing, and sad as well. It was my first Halo game, and made me fall in love with the franchise. The multiplayer was also pretty amazing as well. Bungie went out with a bang. If only they could make Destiny as good as a game like this.....
  20. CamyVero
    Jun 3, 2021
    8
    I have never played a Halo franchise game before this. Even i have played the first Destiny before this because i never had a XBOX until now. What can I say about Halo:Reach? This is an excelent old school, fast paced and with espectacular moments FPS maybe it's lack of some exploration mechanics, but the shooting ones are very satisfactory. Good game.
  21. DKurac
    Jul 18, 2019
    10
    Comparing to Halo 5 and MCC this game is still the best in series. Everything there is so great. Story in Reach is only one I am really interested about and I love how dark and emotional it is. Another amazing thing is how you can customize your spartan and play a campaign with that nice armour and feeling that it is you. And when you need more PvE combat then there is firefight with lotsComparing to Halo 5 and MCC this game is still the best in series. Everything there is so great. Story in Reach is only one I am really interested about and I love how dark and emotional it is. Another amazing thing is how you can customize your spartan and play a campaign with that nice armour and feeling that it is you. And when you need more PvE combat then there is firefight with lots of great modes, After playing multiplayer in 5 and MCC this one is still most enjoyable. Gameplay is there just so smooth and intuitive This game is Masterpiece.… Expand
  22. Alex_Pilgrim008
    May 13, 2023
    9
    Bungie's final "Halo" game is arguably the best one ever made. It may be a prequel to the original trilogy, but this installment also marked the beginning of the modern era. Series fans will easily see the influence it had on the entries made by 343 Industries. The story campaign, multiplayer, Firefight and Forge are all excellent. "Reach" ranks up with "Halo 2" as the franchise's highBungie's final "Halo" game is arguably the best one ever made. It may be a prequel to the original trilogy, but this installment also marked the beginning of the modern era. Series fans will easily see the influence it had on the entries made by 343 Industries. The story campaign, multiplayer, Firefight and Forge are all excellent. "Reach" ranks up with "Halo 2" as the franchise's high point. I would rate it with a 9.4 out of 10.… Expand
  23. NathanKallis
    Aug 17, 2017
    9
    8.5/10 (Keep it, Replay it)

    The big finisher from Bungie, Halo Reach is a interesting step away from the adventures of Master chief, as the game takes place on the planet Reach, in events before the adventures of Master Chief. The game is packed with variety, from the interesting maps and worldspaces, to the improved gamemodes returning from past games such as Forge. The campaign    8.5/10 (Keep it, Replay it)

    The big finisher from Bungie, Halo Reach is a interesting step away from the adventures of Master chief, as the game takes place on the planet Reach, in events before the adventures of Master Chief. The game is packed with variety, from the interesting maps and worldspaces, to the improved gamemodes returning from past games such as Forge. The campaign introduces brand new characters, each with their own quirks and noticeable personalities, with enough variety in the campaign missions to satisfy ever type of shooter fan. The new abilities mechanic added is well done, offering the player with useful tools to help with mobility or approach a situation in a new manner. Firefight gives players a survival challenge to fight against increasingly difficult hordes of Covenant forces, and multiplayer is fairly similar to past games, with much needed improvements where it matters most.
    Some of the games biggest strengths would have to be its forge gamemode, armory, and campaign. forge in Reach is vastly improves then the clunky and temperamental system in Halo 3, with much more tools and assests provided to the player, allowing for more creativity as well as the ability to fine-tune and adjust each piece of the map you create. The armory now allows players to better customize their spartan, with a wide variety of armor pieces that the user can unlock as they rank up.
    There are however some flaws that are not forgivable to me though, which do harm the rating of a near perfect game. Friendly AI in the campaign can be insufferable, with higher difficulties usually resulting in invincible walking and talking bricks as the rest of Noble team, compared to the player who can be easily taken out by a grunt if they are not careful. Noble Team AI frequently would appear to bug out, as they would freeze up in place and not even attack enemies, to the point where i would have to melee them to get them to move up to the next objective at least twice a mission.
    In conclusion, I do highly recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of Halo or scifi FPS games, though I do recommend a pass on difficulties such as legendary due to the insufferable AI making the game more difficult then needed and borderline insufferable. Besides the flaws with the campaign, it is a solid conclusion to Bungie's work on such a beloved series. With the mostly free DLC on the XBox 360, It is definitely worth the current price.    … Expand
  24. Refreshment
    Jun 29, 2020
    8
    Halo: Reach is a good example of how a First person shooter should be made. The gunplay is solid, fun and gripping; what is the most important part of a FPS. In addition, the game is challenging due to different kinds of enemies that we'll have to face in different ways and the difficulty of the game in general, so strategy will be something that we'll hve to take into account.
    About the    Halo: Reach is a good example of how a First person shooter should be made. The gunplay is solid, fun and gripping; what is the most important part of a FPS. In addition, the game is challenging due to different kinds of enemies that we'll have to face in different ways and the difficulty of the game in general, so strategy will be something that we'll hve to take into account.
    About the story, this time we've a prequel of the franchise, so it is a good way to introduce ourselves to this saga if we had not given a try before. Plot and characters do not disappoint, so we have a very enjoyable campaign mode. However, It's quite short, so we'll not end satisfied enough in the end. The variety of weapons is not big at all neither. So, that might feel a bit repetitive.
    Online mode is a good way to keep playing this game. It's a gamemode that stands out in the Halo franchise and It's competitive and gripping.
    To sum up, Halo is still a great FPS and one of the best Xbox franchises. However, I really miss more content.    … Expand
  25. TMind
    Oct 31, 2017
    10
    The campaign was brilliant, the story telling and the voice acting was spot on. Now this is how Halo CE began. I noticed some slowdowns in the cut-scenes but the story overshadow that small issue. Amazing game.
  26. Darkison
    Jan 26, 2018
    9
    Simplesmente uma obra de arte. Halo te dará uma história bem contruída, com personagens sensacionais e ótima qualidade gráfica.
  27. halo124
    Aug 1, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The campaign is the best in the halo series because of its camera work not perfect characters, but the best they could have done, great game play and sandbox tools and a (mostly) silent character who you actually get to care about when they end the game and his life. Nova team might not be the best characters but everybody can admit they felt sad when they are killed off. The multi player will not be liked by all (armor lock) but can be enjoyed even if you are not a halo fan. The weapons are all fun and unique but the first time i used the DMR i was surprised it was in a halo game. the art style was slightly altered but it was a prequel so you can forgive them for that. This game has armor customization but praise Bunjie for you had to do well to progress to get theses items instead of having to use loot boxes (the definition of EA right now) like in halo 5.… Expand
  28. Poupipomme
    Mar 9, 2018
    10
    Truly the best Halo Bungie ever made w/ Halo 3 ODST, in my opinion the feels this game delivered to me will ever stay in my mind, this should have been the turn Halo saga should've taken instead of The reclaimer trilogy
  29. Skaamit
    Sep 5, 2020
    9
    The good game. I like it. A cool shooter and an epic adventure upon battle military standoff with space setting.
  30. Co-Odyssey
    Jul 8, 2018
    7
    To me Halo Reach was always "that Halo game". Reach is a game that made a lot of advances that can be seen as innovations or seen as steps back for the series. Reach tries to fix the weapon sandbox, but ultimately a lot of the new weapons fail to fix anything nor are they that memorable. Like the weapons in game mechanics feel forgettable, yet they set a dark precedent for where theTo me Halo Reach was always "that Halo game". Reach is a game that made a lot of advances that can be seen as innovations or seen as steps back for the series. Reach tries to fix the weapon sandbox, but ultimately a lot of the new weapons fail to fix anything nor are they that memorable. Like the weapons in game mechanics feel forgettable, yet they set a dark precedent for where the series was heading with enhanced mobility. Like Reach's mechanics the art style also set a new path for the series that is unquestionably divisive. All of the improvements to the games engine allow for neat things like animals and rain to be rendered, and reach is certainly prettier than Halo 3. However the game runs so sluggishly whether you play it on XBOX ONE or XBOX 360, Reach is well-known as the least smooth Halo game. The story of Reach interesting but maybe not as newcomer friendly as Halo: CE. The greater character focus and gritty look create a surreal atmosphere, but ultimately the game feels like the wrong direction for Halo.… Expand
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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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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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