Love it or hate it (most PS3 owners do!), Bungie’s epic franchise, Halo, will no doubt go down in gaming folklore as one of the very few franchises that has reached inter-stellar fame.

Originally, the game that put Microsoft’s Xbox hardware on the map, Halo has made some bold statements over the years with beautifully designed levels, narrative and pacing that can match some of the greatest films and with Halo 2, a multiplayer system that catapulted players of console games online seriously for the first time in a seamless flow of high octane assault with a matchmaking system that put other games to shame.

The problem was that the main two games which stamped Halo’s legendary status were on the original Xbox and as great as Halo 3 was it felt that Halo had lost its way a little.  Halo 3 and ODST had some great ideas and with the power of the 360 wanted to deliver them all.  In the chaos of trying to milk the 360′s power for all of it’s worth Halo, well, just didn’t play like Halo as I knew it and I found myself wanting.

Bungie’s last hoorah though to the Halo universe is now upon us with the developer promising to make this the greatest Halo game ever and even stating that it will take the best element’s from all the games and bring them into Halo Reach.  That was a bold statement indeed and something I was very wary about after being let down by the last two outings.

I shouldn’t have worried though as Bungie has lived up to their promise and Halo Reach has gone well beyond my expectations.  The campaign tells a story that prequels the original game as you, Noble 6, help to take on the might of one of the biggest Covenant attacks in history, an attack that has to be stopped in a bid to save humankind.  In a different tact to other Halo outings, Bungie have written a story of sacrifice for the greater good which has taken a more adult and darker turn than the previous pulp that was written.  The pacing and narrative of the story is spot on and although character development is lacking in parts, there will be cuts scenes that will grab your heart and give it a little twist.

The level design and graphics are absolutely astounding with multiple path choices that allow for a more sandbox feel rather than being driven down one path.  This really becomes apparent when you are in co-operative modes and players are shooting off in different directions but all coming back for the common goal.  Firefights are plenty and huge in scale to emphasise the plight of struggle and what you are trying to achieve.  Some of the old school weapons are back which fits perfectly with the story arc being before the original Halo game and the re-introduction of health packs makes you work for every inch of the game rather than the easier task of hiding and letting your shield re-charge.

Halo Reach has also had an engine re-design that has made the A.I. a lot more intelligent as well as providing the stunning scenery that just makes your jaw drop.  In battles, you feel as though you are working as a team for once and can now rely on your squad to provide the necessary cover fire for you to complete the task at hand.  On a side note, enemy A.I. do not feel on rails and as predictable as they did.  Very handy at flanking, finding cover and leaping away from grenades the covenant will keep you in battle for a lot longer than you expected.

The most controversial inclusion to Halo Reach is the loadout system and how it would work in campaign and mutiplayer.  Halo 3 opted for having equipment to collect and use which, I felt, was bad for the dynamic of Halo as a game.  The armour attributes on the other hand add a balanced and strategic element to Halo Reach which feels perfect.  In the campaign, being able to pick up hologram, jetpack, sprint or other armour attributes is essential on heroic or legendary to be able to complete the game.  In multiplayer each skill comes with its pluses and minuses and there is a lot of fun to be had trying to figure out the right loadout for you.  Trust me, there is nothing better than reigning death from above as an enemy wonders where the hell it is coming from.  It is equally as satisfying shooting down a player that has not got a clue how to use the jetpack properly.  The introduction of armour attributes feels perfect, balanced and fun.

When all is said and done the campaign can be played out to around 8 – 10 hours but the quality of the campaign, which can be played on your own or as a group of up to four people will keep you coming back for more and legendary means you may get frustrated a few times but it is worth putting the effort in to complete.  Also, the way the maps work mean that you will probably play through it again slightly different to your last which keeps the campaign fresh.  The locations to the story are varied and you will visit cities, space, spaceships etc and although some scenes did not need to be there, the hook of the game stops it from detracting from the main storyline too much to give much varied gameplay.

When your campaign is over then the wealth of multiplayer modes available is astounding.  ODST delivered the co-op classic, Firefight and this has be re-introduced into Halo Reach and them some.  Up to four players holding off waves of covenant on various maps will keep you going for ever and is an absolute blast and something to use as a break from the main multiplayer gametypes.  In the multiplayer section all the classic matchmaking options are there like slayer, CTF, king of the hill and with the addition of headhunter amongst others will give your online action variety and depth.  Each map is balanced, creative and demands to be played.   Some might find a weak link and have their favourites which can be put to the vote in the lobby.

Fully customisable games can also be introduced and Bungie have nailed in Reach what they came close to in Halo 3.  A workable tool set for Forge that let’s players create and define maps that can be shared and downloaded through their portal.  Games can be recorded to show their friends and gametypes can be shared also making this the most complete online experience to date.

Opting not to engage in a perks system that has done so well for the MW series, Bungie have implemented a loadouts system instead which as I have explained earlier works really well in the online environment.  Pros and cons for each loadout add variety to the gameplay without knocking the balance.  Each weapon set comes with its own armour attribute which can be used on the battlefield.  Although weapons can be collected and changed when people die, the attribute will stay the same until you die when you may prefer to change the loadout and attribute that you may feel will be more beneficial in that particular game.

The biggest draw for me though, after all the praise I have given the other areas, is that it feels like Halo 2 again.  Halo 3, I felt, seemed slow and sloppy.  Straffing did not feel right and Master Chief felt like he was walking through treacle.  The plastic feel of your character and the gameplay didn’t feel like the Halo I knew and loved and was put aside pretty quickly.  Halo Reach, on the other hand, feels right.  The weapons feel weighty, the shots accurate and you feel part of the character again.  Absolutely beautiful and I cannot fault it at all.  The other big draw is the exclusion of the ranking system that was in Halo 2, opting for credits to allow you to level up.  I know that Bungie have their own system behind the scenes to determine your skills and match you with the right players for a fair fight but with the credit and level up system there is no need to worry about it.  This will stop the boosters, cheaps, bridgers and with Bungie’s beady eye bearing down on you at all times and the tools to punish negative play in a variety of ways will bring the enjoyment back to slaying a 14 year old screamer that smacktalks you because you killed him so many times and because of that you MUST be gay.

Your credits can be spent on asthetic and cosmetic armour changes and extras that add a little more fun to proceedings.  The options in store are vast and the ability to purchase something that when you die throws birthday celebration is genius.

I really could go on forever about how this game is but at some point I must come to an end because I have probably bored you to death by now.  Bungie may have dropped the ball a couple of times in the past but I feel they have more than made up for it in Halo Reach.  One of the most important titles and franchises to date has been saved and when everybody thought that it was a one horse race in the FPS genre with the COD franchise, Bungie have come up trumps with Halo Reach.  Back to its former glory in feel and gameplay mechanic, a story that is bursting with character and sumptuous graphics and a multiplayer system that is fully customisable in every way, Bungie has delivered one of the most inspirational games in history.  Due to the power of the 360 and the mechanics that defined the early versions, Halo Reach is the most definitive, comprehensive, customisable and arguably the greatest Halo title ever.

Bungie may be signing off on the Halo franchise but the sheer quality of this game will have Halo Reach imprinted on many a gamers minds for years to come.