First Impressions: Halo: Reach

Unless you've been living under a soundproof boulder, you should know that Halo: Reach, Bungie's final foray into the Halo universe, is released tomorrow. Luckily for me, I've got my hands on a (legitimate, we despise piracy) copy and have played through the first three missions on normal difficulty. Needless to say, I am coloured impressed. Starting off as new Noble team member "Noble 6", you are quickly introduced to the rest of the team, each with their own unique traits and stereotypical accents. Your squad leader informs you that the "gung ho" stuff you did back in your training is over and that you now work as a team. These words are unbelievably true, as running off alone is akin to signing your death certificate. Your squad's A.I. is incredibly adept, as each will use their own skill set to their advantage when under the right circumstances. While under heavy fire from an enemy ship, my comrade deployed the Armour Lock ability to distract the ship while the heavy gun man laid down suppressing fire for the rest of the squad to pick off the ground Covenant forces. It was an awesome moment and one that made sure I was never too far from anyone on my team. Unfortunately I've only had the opportunity to play with the Sprint ability and the Armour Lock so far, but both work well when used properly. I often chose to use Sprint to get away from fire once my shields were down, while I activated Armor Lock to distract enemies and generally absorb heavy attacks. They're also great fun to use, and help break up the gameplay from the usual fire, melee, grenade, grenade, reload routine that is common in previous Halos. In a rather poor way of describing it, the weapons of Halo: Reach feel different but have a sense of familiarity to them. The DMR feels exactly like a combination of the Magnum and the Battle Rifle from Halo 3. The Magnum in itself now has an ability to scope in, making it a much more viable weapon and a handy secondary to have. Despite the minor changes, the weapons are still balanced and work well. Grenades explode with a satisfying bang and cause a disorientating ringing in your ears should you get too close.The sticky grenades still make that satisfying noise as they land on their target, just as they scream at their inevitable doom. The enemy A.I. is fully aware of these new improvements and is vastly more intelligent to counter it. I don't think I've managed to land a grenade close to one of the Elites just because they're so damn agile. Not only that, but they're tough too and quick to be a pain in the butt by hiding in cover at the first sense of danger. This really gives you a welcome challenge because you need to aim and be precise with your shots. They will use this agility offensively too. If you see one with an energy sword, you best hope you've weakened it a little before it gets to you. The Grunts are their usual cowardly selves, running at the first chance to get away from danger, but are just as satisfying to headshot as previous Halo games. The final element I haven't touched on is the credit and Armory system. From the start you're asked to make your own Spartan and the level of customisation is immense. You're given a basic amount of credits to start him (or her) off with a new helmet, knee pad or whatever you like. There's the usual plethora of colour and emblem choices to choose from and you can even customise their aura or voice. However, if you want a few of the more spectacular ones you best start saving those credits from the start. Halo: Reach has me hooked so far. The world you're playing in is distinctly gritty and guns have a real kick to them, with the squad mechanics and abilities adding extra depth unseen in previous Halo games. These combine into a solid start that I hope will continue and improve throughout the remainder of the campaign and my time in the other modes.