Halo: Reach: The: Review

[Spoilers Likely]

I didn't ever play the first two Halo games, actually, but I don't think there is any way they could be as good as Halo: Reach. Where the game falters in plot, it makes up for it in almost every other aspect.

Plot

You're a Spartan. You're on a team of Spartans. They kick butt. Seriously. It's nice to be fighting with people on your side who can actually hit things. No offense, ODSTs. The missions that make up the campaign are a little vague. The Convenant are on Reach, sure, but you really have no idea why the objective that you're trying to accomplish is important. Perhaps this is reflective of real warfare, but I think they just couldn't come up with a cohesive set of plot points. And the trailer where the Covenant show up and simultaneously glass half the planet in an instant? If only the invaders were that good. The Spartans moved almost unhindered around the planet, including discovering their army? before the invasion and while the aliens were slowly decimating the planet. And despite my limited Halo knowledge, I know that (in the book) Master Chief was the only Spartan to survive by taking off with the Pillar of Autumn. So I was a little disappointed when I showed up in her dry dock at the end of the game and neither saw Master Chief nor flew off with the Autumn. Seriously, all the plot points were there for a great twist ending, including Cortana choosing you. It could have been done.

Story

While the actual plot points are a little weak, the story is fantastic. The sacrifice of the characters and their loss, one by one, both expected and surprising, makes the story dark and poignant. Couple that with a classic Halo score and the way the plot points fall out can be forgiven. The ambiance in almost every scene is dead on, especially the sections in space where gravity is reduced and sound is muffled. And while I'm not a fan of the ending scene, I'm know many who are.

Gameplay

If you don't spend almost the entire campaign relearning which button reloads and which button bashes, you finished it too slowly. Other than that, the changes Bungie made are very solid. The shield/armor system has been revamped, makes wonderful sense, and adds another level of challenge to the game. While I found the armor abilities a bit gimmicky, they serve their purpose and are more flexible than the shield/power drain/jammer items of Halo 3. Every weapon feels more powerful, especially the DMR, and the Renevant is my new favorite vehicle. The space sections were done beautifully and felt over too quickly as no other game has made flying combat so elegant. Having never played a game against the Elites, their presence was frightening and challenging, especially in the final stage of the campaign. No mission in particular stands out, excluding the space combat, but when we're told to "go quietly", and command air-drops a Scorpion tank, you know it's going to be Halo.

Audio and Video

I was playing on my new 46" HDTV and with surround sound. I've never even played a video game that way before, so that was awesome...
Even with a revamped engine, the game looked very similar to Halo 3. The new shield effects were well done, but it was only when looking out in a helicopter or walking along the coast did things really mesmerize. Of course, when they did, you forgot people were shooting at you...
The score was once again fantastic, instantly recognizable as Halo, yet distinct from the others and instantly recognizable as Reach.

Conclusion

While the space sequences were the only stand-out parts of the campaign, Bungie took all the right parts of the others and made them better (night vision that actually works), creating a fabulous way to end their helm at the franchise. A solid story with more meaning and personalities carries the weight of the slightly disappointing ending. Bungie does not go quiet into the night.