Halo: Reach Critic Reviews

The only thing missing from this impressive entry is a number "4" in the title, because for all intents and purposes, Reach feels like the next big thing in the Halo franchise.

But after seeing the perfect last shot of the campaign (in fact, it's so spot-on, that Bungie community director Brian Jarrard confirms that, unlike previous titles, there's no additional cinematic or end-scene for finishing on Legendary difficulty -- everyone sees the same last scene), and playing round after round of multiplayer, I can say that while I admire and respect every previous Halo title, Reach is the Halo that I absolutely love.

Halo: Reach is bar none the most developed, robust, and title in the franchise.

Nine years in and on its fifth and final pass Bungie has created the definitive Halo experience, in which refinement is matched by the gentle revolutions of its new features.

ODST could have been a clever little shimmy, but it came out a misstep. Reach brings us right back into the dance that hooked us nine years ago, introduces some cool new steps, and leaves us twirling in enchantment as Bungie graciously bows out. Just keep twirling, Spartan.

Halo is their story, and with Reach you feel they have just closed the book. It may not have the lasting impact of Combat Evolved, but as a refinement of the idea --the essence-- of Halo, it is their finest work yet.

While no game will ever be perfect, Halo: Reach is as close as Bungie is going to get with the series, and I think they knew that going in. So they did their damndest to make sure it lived up to its namesake, probably even more so than Halo 3 did.

Halo: Reach is everything a Halo fan has ever dreamed for. All that was lacking from previous Halo games is here and then some. This is Bungie's love letter to their fans and they've definitely gone out with a bang.

Halo: Reach is the final and definitive Halo game with more content and entertainment than any Halo fan ever could ask for.

A beautiful magnum opus. A modern shooter with polish and a sense of detail that makes Halo: Reach the new reference title for first person shooters. An engaging single player experience and a brilliant multiplayer game. One of the best shooters ever.

The FPS epic comes full circle. Pure quality.

Few are the areas where Halo : Reach doesn't benefit from Bungie's obvious intention to deliver a definitive farewell episode. Aside from french voices and music that are simply good (but not as fantastic as one would hope every single aspect to be), and new covenant weapons slightly off when used in the solo campaign, Reach delivers a brilliant solo experience. The story may not be surprising, but it's a well told one. Reach remains awe-inspiring for its implementation, scope, diversity and richness. Those who will have to carry on the flame have a high bar set there for them to surpass.

Halo: Reach is without doubt Bungie's finest Halo game, and best of all it has the story and structure to the campaign to finally deliver the Halo experience that some of us have been waiting for since the original Halo: Combat Evolved launched on Xbox back in 2002.

Suffice it to say that while it's not a perfect game, it's definitely the best Halo game yet and a fittingly epic goodbye to fans from Bungie, the developer that helped to launch a million Xboxes.

Halo Reach has the best campaign appearing in consoles for Elites, the upgraded coop mode, the excellent enemy IA , the new skills ... and has an infinite multiplayer. Reach is the definitive Halo and one of the most important games in recent years.

Aside from some minor technical hurdles like occasional slowdown, it looks great, and plays like the best parts of all four Halo games up until now. If you were worrying that Bungie would phone it in for their swan song, worry no more. And that's not even getting into the multiplayer

It's a fitting swansong for Bungie, setting a beautiful end that takes you right back to the very beginning.

I think it's more akin to the original Halo CE than any of the previous games, and while I totally enjoyed both Halo 3 and ODST a great deal, it's hard to deny that this is the best of Xbox 360 entries into the series.

There is simply not a better, more complete shooter on the market, and with all this content, there isn't any way you can find something that you cannot sink your teeth into.

Halo: Reach, simply, is Bungie's masterwork, and if you own an Xbox 360, you'd be an idiot not to buy a copy – even if you're not a fan of first-person shooters, it will still make you marvel at just how good a game can look and feel.