Halo : Reach

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IGN REVIEW OF HALO:REACH

One final mission before the inevitable end, and one last push for this gifted team who have redefined the art of war; at the climax of Halo: Reach's campaign it's not just the planet that faces its downfall. It marks the end of one of the most lucrative partnerships of this generation as Bungie bids farewell to the universe it so spectacularly introduced in 2001.

There are no half measures or compromises here for either Bungie or the team of Spartan soldiers that lead the charge of its single player campaign. This is a full-blooded final effort that brings together the very best elements of the series' past while pushing those basics further forward than ever before, and there's none of the anti-climactic theatrics of the second game or failed experimentation of ODST. It is combat not only evolved but refined and perfected too, and the result is what's possibly the best in the series and subsequently stands as one of this generation's best shooters too.


So what has changed? For a series that's often accused of taking baby steps there's a surprising amount, though so well worked in have the new elements been that it all still feels familiar. Armor abilities certainly have the biggest impact, with all seven of them shaking up Halo's combat in their own unique ways. Jetpacks are the headline addition, and quite rightly so - they make some satisfying cameos in the campaign and are a neat new tool for multiplayer too, though their effectiveness is sensibly kept in check. New players overindulging their temptation to soar the skies provide easy pickings online, and it's clearly a toy that's best used with reserve.

Other new tricks are equally spectacular and perhaps even more effective. The holographic decoy can prove indispensable on some of the tighter maps - and it's always a pleasure to lure someone in before flanking them to indulge in one of the new assassination kills – and the ability to sprint brings an edge of dynamism to the battlefield. They're smart, cool and most importantly each one feels more integral to the game's make-up than Halo 3's equipment.



The iconic arsenal has also had a lick of paint. In keeping with Halo: Reach's more grounded tone, weaponry is more raw and more coarse; the assault and plasma rifle, the game's bread and butter, are both now so violent in their depiction they feel like they're about to tear your hands off, and even the pistols feel more ferocious than ever before. It's all helped along by some wonderful sound design; Marty O'Donnell's score again nails the mix of sombre and stirring, but it's the ripple, roar and pulsing of gunfire that's the real star of Reach.

New additions are just as well realised, and they're an explosive set. The Spartan's M319 Grenade Launcher is fun if a little messy as it sends its ammunition bouncing around the scenery, but with a touch of finesse it can pull off some of the most pleasing kills. It's met on the Covenant side by the Plasma Launcher which can fire off up to four sticky grenades, and like the Needler it can track the enemy. Needless to say, attaching the full allotment to an enemy is a very special pleasure.