Reaching Out

Releasing yesterday, Halo:Reach is finally available for everyone, and not just reviewers and pirates.

The game is another solid entry in the Halo universe, but don't expect something entirely new or different from the title. Reach is a definitive mix of Halo 3 and ODST. Like the first game, you will be playing a Spartan, except its not Master Chief, and keep an eye out for health packs, especially when things get too hairy. Reach also continues with the Firefight mode that began in ODST, and the storytelling and level design aspect that goes along with it.

Unlike ODST, reach's levels are fairly straight forward. There will be some times that you wish you had a waypoint indicator though (and sometimes that you get one), and some times where you just wish for high ground. Overall, though Reach does a fantastic job of acclamating you to the armor powers it also introduces. Each level will give you the appropriate armor setup to tackle the stage, and while your ally AI may not always be the smartest, the enemy AI is.

Just playing through on normal, I was entrigued by how smart the enemies actually played. They didn't just run away or dodge like cheap, but they tried to flank and run counter to surprise me. When sniping, they still haven't learned to rush the sniper yet, but the elites are definitely a tough group this time around, much moreso than before.

Expect to find yourself getting alot more points this time as well. It's worth it though since rank is no longer tied to skill or individual gametypes. You'll level up (and subsequently decorate your spartan) throughout the whole experience. Honestly this is the one aspect where I can see DLC being continual since some armor is already DLC based off which type of Reach you purchased.

The most important part though is that it's fun. Reach offers a large and varied multiplayer similar to Halo 3, with a huge amount of expansion. I haven't even messed around with forge planet yet considering how much actual fun I've been having playing the game that they gave me.