Halo: Reach for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

Of all the Halo games in the franchise, I anticipate this one will trump them all. With the addition of new game play modes, multiplayer character upgrades and customizations, new abilities, and a stunning campaign, this game is just epic in every way. Bungie ends with a huge bang.

Taking hints from the ridiculous success of Modern Warfare 2, there are tons of new additional features to online multiplayer. The ability to upgrade and customize your character’s looks and abilities are finally here. You can change colors, add pieces of armor, create your own emblem, and a ton more---Covenant or Spartan. You can change if you want to sprint faster, have jet-packs, camouflage, etc. You earn credits while playing to purchase these in the armory. The better you do the more credits you earn. It’s a little tough at first, but just like any game---play more and get better.

Online play has been flawless for me so far. No glitches plaguing the game like MW2. Firefight mode is seriously beefed up and is amazingly DEEP. There is so much to see and so many ways to play the mode. If you aren’t familiar, you and 3 friends try to survive maps while defeating waves of relentless Covenant enemies. It’s like opening a box of Cheeze-Its (or ketchup chips if you’re from Canada…), once you start you seriously can’t stop. There is also the addition of Forge mode, where you can EDIT maps and save them as data to send to friends or upload. It is the largest Halo online multiplayer map in existence.

I was also blown away by another glorious single player/co-op campaign. The graphics are some of the best I’ve seen on the 360 to date. The landscape and environmental surroundings are crisp and clean. The sounds and music were also epic. It picks up at the right moment to add to the suspense and had me totally engulfed at parts. It’s long enough and difficult enough to keep you playing over and over. It is more than worth its cost at $60.

Milt Drucker- gamertag

Reach has you teamed up with a squad of five Spartans in addition to yourself. You play as Noble 6 part of the UNSC's Noble Team of Spartans based on the planet Reach in a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved. Those familiar with the story of Halo will notice how well the story unfolds as Reach's fate looms over everything. The moments of hope and triumph are thrilling though they are kept in check as Noble Team begins to realize just what they and the planet is in for. The cut-scenes are wonderfully done and a sense of urgency prevails the entire time.

Combat is familiar yet enhanced enough to remain enjoyable after four Halo FPS games. New weapons are thrown into the mix in addition to armor abilities such as the multiplayer beta favorite jet-pack. The graphics are enhanced and the planet Reach is portrayed beautifully as are enemies and guns. In addition to the graphics the game sounds amazing. The gunfire sound effects are nothing short of awesome and the music throughout the game will keep you on the edge of your seat blood pumping, palms perspiring. The environments in Reach are expansive and lively which is incredibly refreshing after ODST's cramped, dark and lonely levels. Noble Team is often by your side and you can also often recruit lesser soldiers whose names will appear next to your radar as they fight beside you.

Firefight returns alongside all of your favorite Halo multiplayer modes. Even some classic maps make their return, slightly updated but still recognizable (i.e. Blood Gulch returns as Hemorrhage which can be found in the Forge maps). Firefight now has more options and customizability and Forge has been entirely reworked and expanded to unleash your creativity. Yet another new feature allows for a ton of character customization. You earn credits while playing across all modes (and through weekly challenges over LIVE) which can be used to purchase different styles of armor and armor add-ons. There is so much to do and I can't wait to keep playing.