Gaming Halo: Reach

[Magus]

[center][img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/Halo-_Reach_box_art.png[/img][/center]

[quote=estarland]Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)
In â??Halo: Reach,â? players experience the fateful moments that forged the â??Haloâ? legend. Itâ??s the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanityâ??s last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth. This darker story is echoed by grittier visuals amid a backdrop of massive, awe-inspiring environments. Characters, enemies and environments are rendered in amazing detail by an all-new engine designed to deliver epic-scale encounters against the cunning and ruthless Covenant.

Once the campaign is over, the battle continues online with an unparalleled multiplayer experience that expands on the award-winning suite of features that helped define the Xbox LIVE experience.


[b]Product Features[/b]

Meet Noble Team
For the first time, players will fight alongside a squad of iconic Spartan soldiers, each with deadly talents as unique as their individual personalities and customized gear

An Intense Campaign
Live the events that set the stage for the Halo trilogy as the UNSC and Covenant clash at the height of their military power

Stunning Technical Advancements
Halo: Reach takes a massive leap forward through all-new engine technology designed to take full advantage of next-generation graphics, audio, special effects, AI and animation

The Definitive Multiplayer Experience
Halo: Reach builds on the success of its predecessors, setting a new standard for competitive gameplay, customization, variety and community integration

Unparalleled Feature Suite
Halo: Reach expands on the industry-leading suite of features found in Halo 3, including four-player cooperative play[/quote]

1UP - A+
Gametrailers - 9.3/10
IGN - 9.5/10
Xplay - 5/5

Like previous Halo games (and FPS in general) I only want to play this game for the campaign mode. While I've never really paid attention to its story, Halo has always felt epic when going through the mode on solo, especially the last parts of the game(s). In any case, the release date is this Tuesday. While I won't be getting it, I know my brother-in-law will. (I don't have a Xbox anyway) Anyone excited for the last Halo game? Edited September 13, 2010 by Phenom

[James]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I haven't read very much about Reach, in part because my Xbox 360 is dead and I haven't yet bothered to buy a new one. At some stage, when I do buy a new Xbox, I think I'll be picking this one up.

I never really thought that Halo was as revolutionary as some of its fans suggested, but I also think that the series got a lot better as it progressed. I liked Halo 2 a lot more than the original and I thought that Halo 3 on the Xbox 360 was a really beautifully polished game. It didn't really grab me with innovative ideas in the same way that, say, Half-Life 2 did, but it was still a very solid and fun shooter.

So if Reach is at least as good as Halo 3, then I'm definitely interested.

I actually never finished Halo 3 though, because my Xbox died when I was just over halfway through. Argh! [/font]

[wahd2005]

I am pretty excited about Halo Reach. To be honest I was getting bored with the last one and halo wars disappointed me. I too am mainly looking forward to the campaign mode of playing.

Ok well I played it this past weekend and it was pretty cool. Not sure how I feel about the flying though.

[CaNz]

i just bought it today...
if anyone wants to play my gamertag is CaNz111
i am not that great... but if you guys wanna mess around im all for it.

[oxic_berry]

i don't have an xbox, but i got to play the campaign mode with my friend the other day and it was really awesome! the graphics are incredible, and the storyline (as far as i got in the game *cough* third chapter) wasn't bad either! and they don't always reffer to you as a male anymore XD muahahaa! so, i really really wanna go out now and buy an xbox360 >.> my last one had to go cause it got a RRoD no fun.

[CaNz]

So I finally got to Lt. Colonel the other day, it felt good being at the top....... for about two seconds!
the new ranks have been out for a couple days now. and it seems that I am at grade 1 so I have about 480,000cr from the two months I have spent with the game. the top rank of Inheritor is 20,000,000cr.... so at this rate i have about... well... two years give or take a few months.

halo fans have their work cut out for 'em.

[James]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]So, Halo: Reach is my latest obsession. Yesterday I finished the campaign mode on standard difficulty and I've started again on Heroic (I'm not yet game to try Legendary, especially considering how tough I found the game on regular at certain points).

I know I've said this before, but I was never really a huge Halo fan. At least, I wasn't a huge fan of the original game, but I've found that the series has improved with age. Halo 3 was a blast and I'm finding Reach to be significantly better again.

At this point I'm not very well-versed in the Halo plot, in part because I've kind of haphazardly played through the series and in part because I've never really found the story to be terribly interesting in general. What I like about Reach, though, is the broad concept that you're fighting a losing battle - that you keep falling back again and again, only to come up against increasingly staggering odds and more and more desperate situations. I like the idea that a lone space marine can't just mow down an entire alien invasion.

It also helps that the gameplay is really sublime. You can tell that Bungie perfected the Halo formula with Reach. Control is about as tight as it can get on a console controller (and it helps that the Xbox 360 controller is, in my view, the best "traditional" controller available). The ebb and flow of charge and retreat is beautifully handled and the addition of armor items is a really cool idea (not to mention the fact that the items included in the game are all really useful and each can play a vital role in combat).

So far I've played some multiplayer (mostly Team Slayer) and I'm loving it, except that it takes me forever to find players initially via matchmaking. I suspect this is due to a dodgy Internet connection though. Having said that, once I've found players...things move along very smoothly. The matchmaking and custom game features almost deserve their own topic, such is their awesomeness.

Since I've played through the campaign solo already, would anyone be interested in forming a party and playing the campaign cooperatively? I'm thinking Heroic difficulty and higher. That would make it worth re-playing for me.[/font]

[CaNz]

So I got back into this game pretty hardcore... The reason: Grifball!
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmOzAE-CbLY[/media]
for those of you who haven't played it, the helpful and humorous RvB guys have a video.

I was waiting for this to come out on reach and it looks like it is taking off really well. Connection issues are a bit of a problem here... but It hurts them as much as you. Other than that one quirk this game is fun and exciting. this game has easy teamwork mechanics and an aesthetically pleasing theme of brutality. I really can't say enough good things. I have alaready made two custom game courts and have become a master of the bomb punch... but it is never enough for me! now I am running off thrill alone.

[Endymion]

It took my brother and I a good couple of days to beat Reach on Legendary difficulty. I have really enjoyed the firefight mode. If you want to try something hard, turn gruntacolypse into elite/hunteracolypse...10 sets.

[Dovahkiin]

halo reach is a pretty damn good game if you ask me, just like all the other halo games apart from halo wars, which should be for the PC and not the Xbox 360. If anyone wants to vs me or whatever my gamertag is Rose Blade94.

[James]

[quote name='Midget Ninja' timestamp='1296085324' post='704391']
halo reach is a pretty damn good game if you ask me, just like all the other halo games apart from halo wars, which should be for the PC and not the Xbox 360. If anyone wants to vs me or whatever my gamertag is Rose Blade94.
[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]I'll definitely add you - I almost can't believe we have a Canberrian here! Welcome. :)

My GamerTag is [b]Morphic Monkey[/b]. Add me if you like![/font]

[Dovahkiin]

haha, :O a victorian! wow, i never meet many aussies on theO, so kind of a shock there, and thanks!

awesomeness, always happy to add others :)

[CaNz]

[quote name='Midget Ninja' timestamp='1296085324' post='704391'] If anyone wants to vs me or whatever my gamertag is Rose Blade94.
[/quote]
well I would add you, but I have to know if 1, you play Grifball... and 2, If you like winning.
if you answer both of these questions yes than we can play anytime, and when you are with a Grif-pro like me, you can't lose....ever....not even once.....

[Dovahkiin]

haha, sure thing...i'll start practicing griffball! and i play to win >)

[CaNz]

Thats what I like to hear! True team spirit!
well... my gamertag is CaNz111... so expect recruitment.

also... has anyone bought the new maps? I can't justify spending more money on a game I would already enjoy anyway... but I am kinda curious about whether other people think its worth it or not.

[Dovahkiin]

sweet.

you mean noble map pack? i got it and the maps are ok but i don't like the choices for game play, they kinda suck.

[CaNz]

Yeah... Noble....l
I didn't think it would be worth it right now... maybe if there is a price cut... It takes a lot for me to buy DLC.
I am sure it adds some variety but I don't play it soooo much that I get burned out.

[Dovahkiin]

if they had more then three maps it would be better i think, but that is bungie for you

[CaNz]

I figure they were just planning to do it right from the start... luckily they have a decent system for people without the maps so we can still play all of the different playlists. Halo 3 was the worst when it came to that... being forced to pay more for something just so you can play the game you originally paid for was messed up.

[Dovahkiin]

agreed, halo 3 was crap when it came to maps and matchmaking. And i hate my net sometimes because i always get that message saying that my NAT isn't open and i don't know how to fix it >(

[CaNz]

I really need to fix mine too... NAT is something yo uhave to change through your modems web-page controls. I still havent done this yet because I have shared internet. soon though.... especially with Grifball a millisecond of lag proves problematic.

[Dovahkiin]

i can't figure out my modem page, damn belikin.....any lag for me on reach matchmaking is doom

[CaNz]

Certain things like melee battles really become unfair if you have a slow connection, plus Its just more difficult on all fronts. Edited January 28, 2011 by CaNz

[Dovahkiin]

yeah

[Yamcha]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1296093883' post='704397']
[font=palatino linotype]I'll definitely add you - I almost can't believe we have a Canberrian here! Welcome. :)

My GamerTag is [b]Morphic Monkey[/b]. Add me if you like![/font]
[/quote]


Ive been playing Halo Reach a bit lately myself, and id be interested in playing through co-op on any difficulty :) My gamertag is STARCHILD8883

HOPE TO CHAT SOMETIME SOON :)