Halo: Reach 2010
Log Status
Completed
Playing
Backlog
Wishlist
Rating
Time Played
--
Days in Journal
1 day
Last played
July 13, 2021
Platforms Played
TBH I was convinced I'd played this when it was first released on the 360, but having now gone through this excellent campaign, I definitely haven't because I would not have forgotten so many tremendously designed, fun to play levels and a very engaging story.
I guess this is the Rogue One to the original Halo's Star Wars Episode IV, in that it perfectly sets up the original with a story that's well worth telling. I much prefer the 'outside' Halo levels, rather than those stuck inside some ancient complex, so as the vast majority of Reach is set outside, this can only be a good thing. But each level has enough variety and cool set pieces that I never felt that the action became stagnant or samey. Added to all of this is the amazing soundtrack that hits perfect highs that match the action. It can be frantic, tense and almost always epic.
I suppose if I had to mark Reach down, it would be the visuals - but that's purely just time catching up with games released on the 360. Playing this right after the gorgeous Halo 5 probably isn't fair, it's much older hardware and whilst it's certainly not a bad looking game, some of the scenery, objects, character mapping etc is dated in 2021. This is more my fault than Bungie's because I really should have played this when it first came out, when I'm sure it was one of the best looking games the 360 could run.
But where it more than matches its sequel is the story, the feeling of being in a proper battle, the variety of levels, the sense of scale etc because it really is top notch. I would say in terms of the single player mode, this is the height of the whole series because the story and the gameplay match up perfectly.
A very pleasant surprise - I'm going back to Halo 5 for the multiplayer until the release of Infinite, but I massively enjoyed playing through this and it's an absolute must for anyone who enjoys an exciting FPS campaign. Just a shame it took me so long to get around to playing it - a bit pointless to recommend it because I'm sure most Halo fans will have already rinsed this more than a decade ago.
I guess this is the Rogue One to the original Halo's Star Wars Episode IV, in that it perfectly sets up the original with a story that's well worth telling. I much prefer the 'outside' Halo levels, rather than those stuck inside some ancient complex, so as the vast majority of Reach is set outside, this can only be a good thing. But each level has enough variety and cool set pieces that I never felt that the action became stagnant or samey. Added to all of this is the amazing soundtrack that hits perfect highs that match the action. It can be frantic, tense and almost always epic.
I suppose if I had to mark Reach down, it would be the visuals - but that's purely just time catching up with games released on the 360. Playing this right after the gorgeous Halo 5 probably isn't fair, it's much older hardware and whilst it's certainly not a bad looking game, some of the scenery, objects, character mapping etc is dated in 2021. This is more my fault than Bungie's because I really should have played this when it first came out, when I'm sure it was one of the best looking games the 360 could run.
But where it more than matches its sequel is the story, the feeling of being in a proper battle, the variety of levels, the sense of scale etc because it really is top notch. I would say in terms of the single player mode, this is the height of the whole series because the story and the gameplay match up perfectly.
A very pleasant surprise - I'm going back to Halo 5 for the multiplayer until the release of Infinite, but I massively enjoyed playing through this and it's an absolute must for anyone who enjoys an exciting FPS campaign. Just a shame it took me so long to get around to playing it - a bit pointless to recommend it because I'm sure most Halo fans will have already rinsed this more than a decade ago.