10 Things That Are Great About Halo: Reach

Halo: Reach is so close we can feel its god-like presence in the air, but if you’re still unsure what all the hype is about, we’ve got just what you need: ten reasons why Reach is great.

There are loads of SPARTANS

Planet Reach is the training facility for all SPARTAN-II models – those are the big, really powerful ones, for the record. Yes, Master Chief is a SPARTAN-II. Your character, the enigmatic Noble Six, is also part of a rugged band of (mostly) SPARTAN-III mercenaries, the slightly smaller (and cheaper) lot they made afterwards.

It fills in the backstory

The original Halo: Combat Evolved started by throwing you in at the deep end, and it was hard to know exactly what was going on. Reach covers the events that lead directly into the original Halo.

The planet is beautiful

Bungie’s art team have outdone themselves. The journey across Reach takes you around plenty of scenic vistas, including some breathtaking shots of mountains, coasts and – at one point – outer space.

The campaign is huge

Games have an uncanny knack of getting shorter and shorter, but Reach’s campaign manages to keep plugging away for a lengthy 10 hours. It also doesn’t excessively repeat itself, so there’s no awkward Library sequence to be had.

The weapons are balanced

After four successful games, you might expect Bungie to have a good handle on how to make the weapons feel right. You’d be right. Subtle tweaks have ensured the classic pistol/assault rifle/battle rifle (now called the DMR) combo is better than ever.

You get loads for your money

Inside the box you’ve got a lengthy single-player campaign, copious amounts of adversarial multiplayer modes and an extensive suite of user-customisable features. There’s a huge amount of content pressed onto this DVD.

It’s got jetpacks

Actual jetpacks. Jetpacks! And holograms, shields, camouflage plus the ability to sprint. Tiny features, perhaps, but they change the way you play: you realise this when you’ve just run off to get a cheeky kill, before realising it’s a hologram, for the fiftieth time.

Firefight and Forge have been completely overhauled

Firefight, the co-op multiplayer mode introduced in Halo: ODST, and Forge, a user-customisable level from Halo 3, have both been remade. Firefight now supports all kinds of settings and Xbox LIVE Matchmaking, whereas Forge is absolutely massive and now has a snap-to option for objects.

Your mates will have it

Its success is guaranteed, but there’s comfort in that: you know that, whenever you fancy a bit of co-op or multiplayer, somebody you know will have a copy. Which means you won’t have to wait around in lobbies for ages.

You can drive a forklift

It’s one thing mowing down a pack of Grunts in a Warthog or a Ghost – that’s easy. Anyone can do it. Doing it in a forklift truck is what separates the men from the boys.

For more on Halo: Reach, check out our review.