Halo Reach

My review of this game will be very different from the majority here since I am totally new to the Halo franchise and fairly new to the shooter genre for that matter, whether it's TPS or FPS. Therefore my opinion isn't influenced by all the other games similar to Halo Reach that may have come before.

First thing: Wow... just... wow...

I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much but now I truly understand what the hype is about. And being a big sci-fi fan, I think the Halo games are the ones I had always wanted to play, but didn't know it until now. After going through the first mission, I had to literally tear myself away from the game once the cut scene that introduces the second mission ended because I was afraid I might not stop until that mission was over too. :)

One thing which pleasantly surprised me in retrospect is how newbie-friendly Bungie made this game. Even if you've never played a Halo game or any kind of FPS before, you won't feel lost. They completely ease you into it and even though there is no real tutorial to speak of, I never felt overwhelmed during the first few objectives - unlike in a game such as Killzone 2 where you get fed to the wolves right after a very short and lame tutorial. And there are enough checkpoints in Reach not to make dying a very frustrating affair. And again to my own surprise, I only died about 3 times during the first mission.

So even tough I'm really not a great shooter at all, at no point during the game did I feel like my skills were completely inadequate and I think that gave me enough confidence to plough through the battles without constantly searching for cover... and stay there (except when my shield was depleted of course). I have to admit though that I did feel a bit overwhelmed later during the mission but that's because the team was being invaded by a load of Covenant soldiers, including quite a few that were protected by shields. Just remember to always pick up a plasma pistol when that happens... *sigh* Also, this is totally random but I love the Grunts (aliens), they make me laugh. Too bad I have to kill them! :D

Another aspect I loved from this game is the music: it is simply epic and it sets the mood beautifully and perfectly for this action-packed saga. Truly a fantastic scifi game.

I've owned an Xbox 360 since about a year after it came out. Halo has always been known as the ultimate FPS and online masterpiece...but I never really liked it that much. I had hardly played it, but wasn't blown away when I did.

But my wife picked up a copy of Halo Reach from a store closing sale, so I gave it a chance.

HOLY CRAP!

I LOVE this game! I totally get all the hype now. I pretty much own an Xbox for the Call of Duty series...which I absolutely love. But I've found myself playing Halo Reach more lately than Black Ops!

I haven't made it all the way through the single player as I am in love with the online play, which usually happens with me. Multiplayer is the way to go.

If you don't own this game yet, you are missing out. Halo fan or not, this game RULES!

Where to start? This is the best Halo game on soooooo many levels. It is beautiful to look at with far more detailed graphics than the others. The campaign story mode is exciting and next only to the original story. It lets you drive pretty much every vehicle you find. Another nice feature is the customization that you can do. If you customize your character and the armor (and there are a LOT of armor customizations) you keep your customizations in the campaign mode.

Speaking of customization, Halo Reach features the most amazing editable base map yet called Forge World. A brilliant and beautiful ocean side landscape which is absolutely massive in scope. There are high sheer cliffs, islands, cave systems, amazing waterfalls and a valley reminiscent of something from Jurassic Park. All of this for your imagination to go nuts on and build to your hearts content.

Weapons and vehicles have been upgraded and in some instances replaced. The handgun is now a weapon worth using and not dropping right away. There are new armor features including jet pack, armor lock, sprint, evade, active camo and drop shield.

Online multi-player is super fun allowing you to take advantage of all of these new features and use them against friend and foe alike from all over the world.

Halo fan or not this is one of the best shooters out there right now and I highly recommend you get it. Trust me, I know what I am talking about, I have three kids who have helped me write this review and they all love it.