Halo Reach acts as a prequel to the first Halo game, giving fans a look at the events that lead to the fall of Reach, and their link to the events of the first game.
This also marks the final time Bungie would work an Halo game.
It's kinda sad to see them go, but the seeds were already planted since Halo 2, and both Microsoft and Bungie had very different ideologies, so I'm surprised they stuck around for this long.
I'll start off by saying that even though the premise is very interesting... I think the story was pretty weak. It was hard for me to care about many of the main cast, since I don't think their characteristics got explored too much. I think Jorge was the character I enjoyed the most, but only by a small bit compared to the others.
Like I said previously, it does connect to Halo 1, and seeing that connection was really cool, but it was cool because it connected to another game, and not because it stood on its own merits, if you catch my drift.
However, the gameplay of Halo Reach is really good! It plays pretty similarly to before, but now you access to one extra ability. It can either be a drop shield, active camouflage or a jet-pack! But by default, the one you'll always get at the start of each mission is... sprinting! They finally gave the Halo series a run button, and it feels good!
It's very comparable to the Stamina meters of recent Zelda games, but without the drawback of you becoming tired after you waste your run meter, which I appreciate.
The missions themselves were also pretty good! I really liked seeing the diverse environments of Planet Reach, many of them being locations we hadn't seen before in the series, like bars inside of buildings, for example.
Although some of the missions got a bit long, but they were still fun.
The graphics haven't that big of an update since last time, but the backgrounds really pop in this one, and facial animations are really good!
The soundtrack... I'll be honest, I only caught a bit of it. It was generally well composed, with it also being the last time Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori composed for a Halo game, but I couldn't remember much of it. That is with the exception of a theme that gets referenced towards the end of the game.
Overall, Halo Reach feels like it ends Bungie's run with the series on a high note. Its gameplay is probably the most fun in the series so far, but its story felt a bit lacking. While it didn't end on a note as high as Halo 3, at least it was high enough to make it satisfactory in my eyes.
This also marks the final time Bungie would work an Halo game.
It's kinda sad to see them go, but the seeds were already planted since Halo 2, and both Microsoft and Bungie had very different ideologies, so I'm surprised they stuck around for this long.
I'll start off by saying that even though the premise is very interesting... I think the story was pretty weak. It was hard for me to care about many of the main cast, since I don't think their characteristics got explored too much. I think Jorge was the character I enjoyed the most, but only by a small bit compared to the others.
Like I said previously, it does connect to Halo 1, and seeing that connection was really cool, but it was cool because it connected to another game, and not because it stood on its own merits, if you catch my drift.
However, the gameplay of Halo Reach is really good! It plays pretty similarly to before, but now you access to one extra ability. It can either be a drop shield, active camouflage or a jet-pack! But by default, the one you'll always get at the start of each mission is... sprinting! They finally gave the Halo series a run button, and it feels good!
It's very comparable to the Stamina meters of recent Zelda games, but without the drawback of you becoming tired after you waste your run meter, which I appreciate.
The missions themselves were also pretty good! I really liked seeing the diverse environments of Planet Reach, many of them being locations we hadn't seen before in the series, like bars inside of buildings, for example.
Although some of the missions got a bit long, but they were still fun.
The graphics haven't that big of an update since last time, but the backgrounds really pop in this one, and facial animations are really good!
The soundtrack... I'll be honest, I only caught a bit of it. It was generally well composed, with it also being the last time Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori composed for a Halo game, but I couldn't remember much of it. That is with the exception of a theme that gets referenced towards the end of the game.
Overall, Halo Reach feels like it ends Bungie's run with the series on a high note. Its gameplay is probably the most fun in the series so far, but its story felt a bit lacking. While it didn't end on a note as high as Halo 3, at least it was high enough to make it satisfactory in my eyes.
7 Comments
@RedBackLoggd
That's an interesting question, because when you get The Master Chief Collection on PC, it comes with Halo: Reach, and the other games you have to install, so Microsoft is pushing you to play Reach... but I would recommend starting with Halo 1, because you won't feel a "whiplash" in terms of gameplay differences.
By the time we reach Halo Reach, the gameplay and graphics have evolved so much, that going from that to Halo 1 would feel weird.
So, personally, start with Halo 1, and then go from there, in release order.
That's an interesting question, because when you get The Master Chief Collection on PC, it comes with Halo: Reach, and the other games you have to install, so Microsoft is pushing you to play Reach... but I would recommend starting with Halo 1, because you won't feel a "whiplash" in terms of gameplay differences.
By the time we reach Halo Reach, the gameplay and graphics have evolved so much, that going from that to Halo 1 would feel weird.
So, personally, start with Halo 1, and then go from there, in release order.
But Halo 1 got that sweet remaster that still looks good - is Reach THAT much better looking? Or are your concerns purely gameplay related.
@RedBackLoggd
My concerns are more gameplay related. I mentioned graphics as well because I know some people are sticklers for that.
My concerns are more gameplay related. I mentioned graphics as well because I know some people are sticklers for that.
Copy, thanks Dino.
Pretty good review, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think it's fair to say Reach does have the best gameplay out of Bungies original run on Halo. I'm not so sure if I agree with your assessment that the story is weak. I think it's very strong, and I love that it's mostly told through its visuals, as you see Reach just deteriorate more and more under the covenant invasion. And of course I totally get how you can just end up not caring about the characters, they aren't super well characterized. The approach Bungie took ended up still working for me. You are just kinda thrust into this veteran group of Spartans and there are a lot of subtle details that still give a sense of who these people are, without even drawing much attention to it. Like how Kat is the only one of the group that has a prosthetic arm and clearly has some kind of deeper history with Carter. Or the fact that Jorge speaks Hungarian, because he grew up on Reach and therefore very visibly cares about the civilian lives on his home planet. I just love how paying attention to small details like that can make you see a character in a totally different light.
@NovaNiles
I did spot a lot of those smaller details, but for me, that's what they were, small details.
I wish we got to see more of those characters and the game's story could've given them more screen-time. That's why I found the story weak, because without the characters, there's not much else in the story that really compelled me.
Although I do agree that it's a really cool detail seeing Reach deteriorate more the more you go through the game.
I did spot a lot of those smaller details, but for me, that's what they were, small details.
I wish we got to see more of those characters and the game's story could've given them more screen-time. That's why I found the story weak, because without the characters, there's not much else in the story that really compelled me.
Although I do agree that it's a really cool detail seeing Reach deteriorate more the more you go through the game.
RedBackLoggd
27 days ago