Halo: Reach

Pros:

A good story that isn't difficult to follow.

Fun Gameplay

Good multiplayer with great modes.

You can create and play a variety of games within the forge mode I think; and probably have a good time with friends.

Cons:

Friendly fire. I know, Halo is about precision, but some team mates get too trigger happy, and that could be bad for the team and drive the unit apart. Instead of playing a game of Halo, depending on who you or your team members are, your group will be playing a game of revenge seeking until someone is kicked from the match.

Short Summary:

This is probably one of the best games I've played with a strong campaign, enjoyable gameplay, fun multiplayer and a variety of modes I believe you can play. The only thing about it is friendly fire; but I think you can disable that in the single player section of Reach, or you can play with friends who are serious about the game; and won't kill you unless it was by accident.

I just beat the game after 4 hours so granted, game play is not long but what Bungie did was condense over a dozen hours of tedious "busy work" missions and BS into just several hours of pure excellence--which is what I'd rather have than an empty but long game. The plot was genius and incorporated everything from previous Halo games in a sophisticated, implicit manner that felt like it merged perfectly with this game. Online multi-player is also fantastic with new add-ons like active cameo, sprint, jet pack, bubble shield, etc. (I love jet pack). Also the graphics and physics engine are impeccable and bring both multi-player and campaign alive with realistic, open environments. I bought the game today (9/18) after an extensive debate between preordering CoD Black Ops or buying Reach as I was on a budget. I am so happy that I chose Reach and do not regret it for a second. I know I won't get bored with this game for months to come.

"Halo Reach" takes place about a month before the events of "Halo Combat Evolved" where the planet Reach is under attack by the Covenant Empire.

I've played other Halo games before (Halo CE, Halo 2, and Halo 3), but this is the only Halo game I own. And it's awesome. The campaign is good. I like how it shows what happened before the first game and shows you how those events led to the defeat of the Covenant (as we see in Halo 3).

The graphics are great, the A.I. is actually really good, and the voice actors are pretty good. Also, multiplayer and Firefight are awesome, especially with being able to drive warthogs, ghosts, etc.

Also, no Halo game is complete without its amazing music. The theme music delivers that "war tone" feeling you would want in a game like this and the other games in the series. I also liked playing co-op campaign with either other people or just with a buddy.

Overall, "Halo Reach" is a great game, one of my favorites, and I give it an "A+". By the way, I also play "Call of Duty". I'm saying this, because I know there are a lot of people who play Halo and don't like COD, or vice versa.

This is probably one of the most addictive first person shooters out there... My buddies and I spent countless nights up in the midst of firefights. In my opinion, this is the best in the franchise. Still holds up incredibly well!

Halo Reach is a prequel to the original Halo trilogy, taking place on the planet Reach, which is destroyed before the events of Halo 1. The story follows Nobel Team an elite group of super soldiers who attempt to fend off the vicious Covenant, a group of genocidal aliens. You play as Nobel Six the teams most recant edition. Most games have your character as the star and your teammates as the supporting characters. Reach is the opposite. Your character is quiet, never removes his/her helmet and is completely customizable. You never even get a name, your just referred to as "Six". Your character is more of an observer to the story as apposed to a character. Nobel Team is the real star and you will get to know your teammates as you go through various missions with them. The team is likable and you will find yourself growing attached to them. The game succeeds in presenting a very bleak story. As much as you do, no matter how hard you try, deep down you know Reach will fall.

Gameplay is what you expect from Halo. Weapons are varied, enemies are tough and smart, and your teammates are indestructible but fail to shift the tide of battle. The new editions come in armor abilities and space battles. Armor abilities are special abilities that you can pick up and reuse as much as you like so long as they remain charged. They are as simple as sprint or roll to as complex as cloaking or hologram. Having the right one in the right situation can literally be the difference between life and death. Space battles are the other new edition and work well even though they are a very small part of the game.

The multi-player is the real draw to Reach and you will not be disappointed. You're offered up a bevy of new maps including Powerhouse, Sword base and Boneyard as well as a re-imagined blood gulch. You're also given new game types such as Invasion, head hunter and various forms of racing. If there is one draw back to the multi-player it is that there is no longer any form of ramification for leaving matches early, making deserters very common, but this could easily be fixed with an update.

All in all this is the same Halo you've come to love, with a few improvements. If you weren't a fan before this probably won't change your mind, but if you're craving more Halo don't wait, suit up and prepare for Reaches final stand.