The destination for everyday artisan reviews.

Halo Reach on 360 OST

Halo Reach Screen Shots

Halo Reach is a Shooting game available on the 360 OST. It can be played in Firstperson Singleplayer Cooperative Competitive modes.

Halo Reach is a Shooting game. Shooting games present a world in which the character must shoot their way out of dangerous situations. They provide the player with an array of weapons tailored to specific tasks. This unavoidably involves a combination of fisticuffs and gun based fighting that dictates the violent nature of these experiences. Beneath this harsh exterior though is often an intricate tactile game - and this is usually what drives the player.

Halo Reach can be played in a Firstperson mode. First Person games view the world from the eyes of the in-game character. You don't see the character themselves apart from their hands, gun or possibly feet as in Mirror's Edge. Because of the imediacy of the experience and sheer volume of visual information the player is offered First Person games lend themselves to the shooting genre. The FPS view enables players to immerse themselves in the experience and react quicker to events in the game. Other games have used a first person view to deliver an unusual perspective on an old genre - Mirror's Edge for example delivers a Platforming genre through a First Person view.

Halo Reach can be played in a Singleplayer mode. Single Player Campaign games focus on one player's experience. Rather than collaborate with other players either locally or online, players progress alone. The campaign style of gameplay offers a connected series of challenges to play through. These chapters work together to tell a story through which players progress. Single player games are able to focus on one experience of a scenario, so that it is usually a richer, more visceral game.

Halo Reach can be played in a Cooperative mode. Cooperative Multiplayer games provide an experience that is played symaltaneously by multiple players. Unlike the simple arena competitive multiplayer style games where players try to kill the most enemies, true co-operative games are designed to take a group of players through a campaign experience together. This will involve sections where players have to work together to proceed - either from the sheer difficulty as in Halo 3 on 360 or by the design of levels such as LittleBigPlanet on PS3.

Halo Reach can be played in a Competitive mode. Competitive Multiplayer games provide experiences where players compete against each other and the computer. Obviously lending itself to sports and team games, these competitive engagements have also dominated the shooting and fighting genres because of the direct combat and expertise involved in each. Although these games were originally played in a split screen style, more recently they are played online via services such as PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and the Nintendo Wireless Connection.

News

Halo Reach

Halo Reach offers us a chance to 'remember' Noble Team and create a real world monument. Over the next three weeks, visitors can contribute a point of light to form the statue.

As well as the player's contribution to the Team Noble remeberence statue, there are also a collection of three live-action short films from director Noam Murro to bring to life what it was like living on Reach just prior to the Covenant invasion.
read on...

Previous news:
Bungie's Swansong Halo Reach

Reviews

Scared Gamer review Sun, 28 Nov 2010

Halo Reach 360 proves to be an emotionally effecting journey despite the certainty of the ending - something that I found much more unsettling than an unknown future.

After ten years, Bungie's time with one of the biggest franchises in gaming draws to an close. Offering an accomplished story and refined gameplay, Halo Reach is the best instalment the series has seen to date, but it is the emotions it evokes that really set it apart from the earlier titles.
read on...

Teen Gamer review Sat, 06 Nov 2010

Halo Reach stirs in new abilities, improved visuals and AI into its steaming pot. But in the end the best thing is that this still tastes like Halo.

Halo Reach is quite something, I hardly know when to start. Although my friends seem to have talked about nothing else for the last few weeks, there is so much to it that it's a little overwhelming to talk about.
read on...

Perpetual Gamer review Wed, 03 Nov 2010

Halo Reach 360 is full of poignant moments that tell a story that will stay with me long after Bungie start their next project. Whether playing with friends or on my own this is one of the greatest shooters of this generation.

The Xbox 360's flagship title is well worthy of the magnitude of hype surrounding its release. The game play is as slick, fluid, and as tight as we have come to expect from the Halo franchise. Combat seamlessly progresses from one excellent shooting gallery to another, revealing more Covenant destruction, and an increasing air of human desperation. Simply put, the campaign is exceedingly immersive, providing the best single player experience not only in a Halo game, but in any first-person shooter across the current generation of consoles.
read on...

Soundtrack Gamer review Thu, 28 Oct 2010

Halo Reach's soundtrack finds a human voice in the defeat and fragility of Team Noble's plight. While still not lingering long enough to discover just how deep it runs, there is enough substance here to warrant repeat listens.

Halo Reach extends the musical range of the series considerably. But it's the Soundtrack's licence to rework the material on its own terms - rather than sticking religiously to the game's pacing - that makes it a more enjoyable, listener focused experience.
read on...

Dressup Gamer review Sun, 24 Oct 2010

Halo Reach is a triumphant final chapter, letting me play an integral part in the fight against the Covenant. With so much content and variety this might be the only shooter I'll be playing for next few months, especially as it has such extensive wardrobe options.

This might be controversial, but despite conquering the multiplayer arena I don't think Bungie have made a fully satisfying Halo single player campaign since Combat Evolved. Certainly after the disappointment of Halo ODST, I had begun to lose faith in the skill of the development team that saved the Xbox launch. With the release of Halo Reach though they make a spectacular return to form that finally marries quality visuals to their great game play.
read on...

Tech Gamer review Wed, 13 Oct 2010

Halo Reach calls the faithful and unbelievers to repent and enjoy. Technically, emotionally and aesthetically this is the best Halo game so far - which probably makes it the best Halo game there will ever be.

Halo Reach is the first big game of the year for me. It brings together expectations of technical proficiency and attention to detail. Halo is a game built around the 30 second encounter of two enemies - a technical masterpiece of gaming creation. The campaign and the multiplayer have succeeded by creating a context, or excuse, for players to enjoy this moment over and over again.
read on...

Family Gamer review Sun, 12 Sep 2010

Halo Reach dances round the perfect formula without stepping on too many toes. Halo remains Halo - which for me is a string of knife edge encounters with enemies that seem as alive as me. For family gamers short on time, Halo Reach's quality makes it all worthwhile.

I didn't realise how much fun Halo Reach was until after I had finished my first play session. Bouncing through the campaign from one 30 second encounter to the next didn't give me time to breath. It wasn't until I had run out of play time for the evening, and I reflected on the way I'd spent the last few hours, I could rehearse the classic Halo moments that Reach had thrown up.
read on...