Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)

I've played all Halo FPS games and have enjoyed all but ODST in one way or another, but i kept saying that the Campaign mode on whichever title i had just purchased wouldnt match up to Halo Combat Evolved's (aka. Halo 1) and its Multiplayer would either be around the same level or better than Halo 2's. Well for Reach i think that even though technically it is a prequal to Halo 1 as what happens on reach takes place months before Halo 1, this in fact Halo 4 in all but its name. Campaign mode - Yes i still feel that it does not best Halo 1's campaign mode and i doubt they will be able to top it, but this games campaign mode is far more superior to Halo 2 / 3 / Odst, and it is written quite well to fit into the halo storyline. I only had 1 complaint against hundreds of praises for Halo Reach's campaign mode, the complaint is that Brutes seem to be a somewhat pointless enemy now, even though they become the main and one of the most powerful enemies in the Future (past titles), as it only takes 2 shots to the head, which beleive me isnt dificult with a pistol / DMR (BR) / Needle Rifle which are all common weapons... but otherwise Bungie have made all other races far supperior to previous titles and in doing so made them more interesting / entertaining to fight. Grunts (which are my fav enemies as they are so out of control) now seem to be more tactical and lethal with their massive differences in weapon use (from the Plasma Pistol all the way to Fuel Rod Cannons and Plasma Launchers) as well as suicidal with their grenade Martyring. Jackals finnaly have purpose other than Sniping like in previous titles, behind their shields some like to hold Plasma Rifles and Needlers, and other excellently made use of the Needle Rifle or the new Covenant Sniper rifle... They also have a Cousin species called the Skirmishers which look relatively the same but are so fast and atheletic its interesting to try and catch the little things, and skirmishers are just as deadly as Jackals. Drones are minimal in this title which is a shame for such hard to hit flying bugs, but when they do pop out of nowhere they prove to be quite formiddable. Elites are far better and its great to see the REAL main enemy make a return as an enemy instead of an ally, theres nothing i like more on a halo game as to fight the elites and grunts. Brutes as stated before seem quite useless unless they are armoured to the bone with shields on, which then again are still an easy kill. Hunters dont seem to have changed much in anything but tactics, as now they try to cover any exposed part of them which is shot and are far more effective when wacking you flying for taunting their inability to hit you with their massive guns. ---Campaing mode i give an 8/10, not because it was lacking in fun or anything but becuase it still isnt as good as Halo1's--- Multiplayer has suprised me as it seems far more interesting than Halo 2 / 3 / ODST, its Firefight mode is awesome and the many modes offered are all great and appealing to any type of First Person Shooter / Halo fan. Its forge mode is even better than what previous titles offered and the forge mode level offers a gigantic canvas to build either and very big level or block certain areas off and make a smaller but equally brilliant level, the Bungie team use this forge level to create great levels from previous titles like Coagualation / Ascention and others (cant remember their names) but also a new level using a fairly large island in the centre of the forge level. ---Multiplayer Mode i give a 9/10, it maybe could be better and its map packs could be cheaper, but has proven itself above all previous Halo titles--- This is a great game for any FPS / Halo fan and is worth every penny you spend on the disk (just maybe not the map packs.

I'll be honest with you, I have enjoyed the campaign of every Halo game (except Wars, I don't do RTSs) including this one, but I was never blown away by any of the campaigns. I get why people love Halo, it is a huge Sci-Fi Space Opera after all. In fact, I think I am more interested in the story than the game, which kind of brings about my point. I will definitely play this game's campaign again, but mainly to get my money's worth. Like others have said, it is short. I played it on Heroic and found myself burning through the levels very quickly. I have heard Edge thought it was one of the harder games in the series, but I disagree. I thought it was too easy, but maybe years of Halo and FPSs have hardened me up. I'll play through on Legendary to get my money's worth. What is here is a very solidly, though forgetably, built level structure, still faux-sandboxed, populated by frustrating AI and traditional Halo shoot and cover mechanics. No more, no less. It certainly will test you, often to the point of throw-controller-through-TV frustration, but that is the attraction for me, and at times the game seems to keep piling it on, spreading the difficulty on incredibly thickly. These are the moments where I actually love Halo. The point of this campaign is fighting a losing battle. In fact, the game makes you morbidly curious as to how badly the planet suffers from the attack. All we know about it is what NPCs have said about it in other Halo games and in novels. Getting to see it first hand is almost voyeuristic in a way and quite harrowing in others. The Covenant have always lacked that ferocity of a planet-killing collective, almost verging on cutesy and comic in other Halo games. Especially the comic relief Grunts, having let one live out of sheer pity after a firefight in Halo 3. But not in this game. They all seem very nasty, and is a welcome to change to how you go about your day. The same can't be said for your team, all of which I just couldn't care less about. Unlike ODST where you actually get to carry out missions as various members of the team, most of which you get to like by the end, you are always the same guy. The ads make a big deal about Noble team, but there is nothing to interest you in them. They are just there. But after a while, I just found myself not caring anymore, especially near the end. My mind kept skipping back to the first time you set foot on Halo in Halo CE, and how this game doesn't come close to that sense of wonder, especially back in 2005 (although it was trumped by HL2 IMO), the game evoked. These rose tinted glasses don't come off easily at times. And, really, how essential is this story for it to be made into a game? It is yet another game where you don't get to play as the main man. At least he gets some decent lines. And the finale was a bit of a let down. I was expecting something bigger, more mental, but there was nothing. There is a great opportunity at the end where you could formulate an escape a la Halo's of yore, instead of yet more Firefight mode, but no. Disappointing. Now, the multiplayer. I'll be honest and say I don't dig it, but then my roots are in Counter-Strike, Unreal Tournament, Team Fortress 2 and Battlefield. Again, I get why people love it, I have nothing bad to say about it, It just didn't click with me. But I will say if you loved Halo 3 multiplayer, you will love this. It is pratically the same, but better. Which can't be bad. On the subject of multiplayer, this brings around the subject of my review. Surely we have to be getting close to offering seperate products for campaign and multiplayer. Multiplayer is, quite frankly, the reason why people buy this game, save a small minority, me included, who buy it for the campaign. You can't help get the feeling the multiplayer was deemed more important to get right than the campaign. I found there to be some quite serious slowdown and graphic stuttering at times during the campaign, along with this distracting blurring effect. I found myself in a lift with a trooper, and they just blurred out until the elevator stopped! How some of this escaped quality control I will never know. Aside from that, the graphics, although quite aliased, are very pretty, especially some of the textures and models when you look close up. ODST had it right offering the Halo 3 multiplayer with all the DLC as a seperate disk. It showed Bungie and MS knew their market. I wish I could have bought this game without the multiplayer and buy into it at a later date should the need arise. The importance of multiplayer has changed the business model of many games companies, yet we are still buying one product for all of it. This really ought to change. Charging, say, £20-25 for the game with the option of buying a code to unlock the multiplayer seems like the way to go for me. Or alternatively having the option of just downloading a multiplayer client without the game could also work. Should you buy it? Yes, if you like single player or multiplayer Halo. I really like Halo. But there is too much to stop me from loving it. 4 stars, 8 out of 10.

Halo: Reach is the last Halo game to be made by Bungie before their departure from Microsoft and their deal with Activision (Oh dear...the less said about that the better!). Reach covers the lead up to what essentially kicks off the main Halo storyline and acts as a prequel to the events experienced by the Master Chief of regular Halo fame. The campaign is very well written and has lots of really great moments throughout that showcase different environments and lightboxes that keep the campaign from feeling samey. The addition of new Armor Abilities such as Jet Packs and Sprint are derided by some but for me they work well in the Campaign. The multiplayer side of things is perhaps not as good as Halo 3 but I do find myself playing more and more Reach as the years have gone by. The addition of Firefight mode is an excellent option for those that still wish to play the game where the online community has dwindled as the years have passed. A truly excellent feature of Halo: Reach that has been absent from many games is the inclusion of 4 player split screen for Custom games and the ability to link up to 4 Xbox's together to make a hefty 16 player game. A lot of other games either limited you to one player per console over system link (in which case you might as well just go online to Xbox Live!) or did away with split screen entirely! So the fact that Halo: Reach kept this amazing feature for couch-gameplay with friends is a real selling point. Highly recommended for those already familiar with the Halo universe and to those who are new to the game and want to play Bungie's swansong to this beloved franchise.

After all the hype, it's here. Was it worth it? Well, probably. Don't get me wrong, it is classic Halo with a shiny new location to explore, and great fun it is too. Up to a point. That point is when you have to interact with your new, muchly hyped team mates. One of the USPs of Halo was the backup your team provides and that you would care about them. Unfortunately, they have an annoying habit of wandering in front of you when trying to take a shot and standing around waiting for you to hit set checkpoint locations for them to remember to follow you again. It gets even worse in vehicles. If you drive, they fire randomly at nothing particularly, and if you ride shotgun, it's like letting your blind, deaf granny drive! They (especially team mate Kat) tend to drive up banks and get the vehicle stuck or roll it over. If they ground the car and you jump in the driving seat, it's fine, but if you swap back, they sit revving the engine and it doesn't go. It's not too surprising that one of the achievements is to do one mission without using the vehicles! Fortunately most of the time you can do the mission and ignore the team mates - strangely, the non Spartan NPCs fight more efficiently. The game will no doubt stand on it's multi-player game, and deserves to do so as it builds on the previous games improvements. Another good addition is the armour upgrades/powers which add a tactical element to the game play. The enemy AI is conversely, extremely very impressive. Elites will patrol the areas, seek cover, and really provide a challenge, and grunts and jackals show new patterns for attack as well. Some of the new weapons are good fun too, especially the covenant sniper rifle, very like the old needler. In single player, you CAN sit back and let your team mates eventually clear most of the enemy, but nothing beats a run and gun charge through the enemy and then coming back through them from the rear. When it works, it really, really works and when it doesn't you still enjoy it. Overall, I think most people will enjoy it, but there are so many major niggles, it's more than a bit disappointing.

Great game for the Xbox 360, my son really loves it. I orginally ordered this game in November 2013 from Funfair Games through Amazon as a Christmas present for my son. A couple of weeks after Christmas Day when he got the chance to play it we couldn't get it to work. I applied for a refund and sent the game back as instructed by Funfair Games. A few weeks went by and still no refund. I contacted the seller and they claim they havent received it. I contacted the Post Office and they are investigating it and have sent a letter to Funfair Games but have not had any response from them. Until Funfair Games respond to the Post Office they can't investigate any further and I still haven't got my refund so really not happy. Funfair Games haven't been very helpful and I wish I never bought from them. My wife also bought the same game by mistake also from Funfair Games. She sent it back for a refund but didn't get it after a few weeks. It wasn't until she contacted them that they sent her a refund. She got the impression that she wouldn't have got it until she questioned them about it. In my opinion they are a dodgy company, not to be trusted!!

I have recently completed the reach campaign and have to say it was excellent, the graphics and scenery were beautiful the gameplay was smooth and the story was dark and unassuming (even though you kinda know how it ends). my only concern with the game was frame rate stutters during cut scenes which kind of took the emotion out of the moment. The gameplay is identical to halo 3 except for armour abilities which are great and really add a tactical edge to the multiplayer which fails to get boring. also if your internet connection is as bad as mine and its a battle against time to get a match finished before you get disconected and loose your exp' as you apparantly quit. bungie has fixed this problem so you still get the exp' if disconnected which pleases me massively. forge world is incredible there have been only a few improvements from H3 forge however, the changes it makes to this game mode and the map making capabilities it offers to you is matched only by far cry2's map editor. overall, I have no idea what the minority of idiots are complaining about the game deserved and definately lived up to the hype I wouldnt give it a 10/10 but a 9.8 is far from generous. the fact is there is no other shooter with multiplayer as good as reach and there wont be for a long time. im not a fan boy but black ops doesnt stand a chance this is once again raising the bar for shooters and the term "halo killer" will no doubt appear tagged along side other shooters.

I've played the game before, so I know it's good. A bit different to the other 3, but still good. This review is really to complain about Amazon, and its go-between seller, as the option to complain elsewhere is unavailable. Newsflash, Amazon, don't GUARANTEE next day delivery when, as Amazon's proxy's reviews clearly demonstrate, you cannot make good on it. I'll be having my £6 back! And an apology wouldn't go amiss, either. The blame could well be placed at the Royal Mail's door, but if that is the case, a tracking number REALLY should have been provided, so at least the customer could follow it up with them. To reiterate, DO NOT next-day this game from Amazon, it will only be a waste of your time and money.

Halo Reach, happens to be Bungie's latest Halo and "last" title. Can the latest version hold up in the modern day landscape or will it falter into distant memory. It goes without saying in that this is no ordinary Halo title not least because the Master Chief himself is absent. The Campaign is set in the past so before the events of the first Halo, with you playing as part of the UNSC's Noble Team. From the get-go there are customisation options abound and different armor pieces to buy as you earn credits. This can be done through the campaign or through the extensive multiplayer. So, to the campaign how does it hold up? It's good not great but good enough considering the story element within shooters taking a "back seat" most of the time. Within the campaign you will encounter new weapons within the universe as well as a generally more difficult game. As has always been the case the A.I within Halo, is smart, in fact smarter than ever. So, you will be kept on your toes throughout the campaign. The multiplayer is truly where Halo Reach shines though. Offering a wealth of options featuring new game types such as Invasion, consisting of 6 on 6, Spartans Vs. Elites. All the old favourites return too such as Team Slayer and Team SWAT. An added component when it comes to strategy within the campaign and the multiplayer would be the appearance of "abilities." These would be the jetpack, hologram, sprint and many more. One of my favourites would be the hologram abilty something yet to be seen in other shooters, essentialy creating a clone. It's a great feeling throwing enemies off with a fake and using this to your advantage. ---Summary--- Graphics 8 Good, not Modern Wafare 2 quality but good nontheless. Sound 10 Atmospheric music throughout more importanly kicking in at the right time backed up by soild voice acting. Gameplay 10 Classic Halo, not much changes aside from a few button changes a tried and tested formula that definitely works. Lifespan 9 Multiplayer will last you a long time constant customisation also help extend the game. Halo Reach, is another solid Halo title from the people back at Bungie. With improved A.I and increased options this is a Halo title that does not dissapoint. The campaign is becoming stale at this point but if you buy Halo, purely for multiplayer you can't go far wrong. 9/10. John Mitchell