Reach was originally announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 in Los Angeles, California, with the first in-engine trailer shown at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards. Players who purchased Halo 3: ODST were eligible to participate in a Reach multiplayer beta in May 2010; the beta allowed Bungie to gain player feedback for fixing bugs and making gameplay tweaks before shipping the final version. The developers focused on creating a compelling world, more difficult enemies, and updated graphics and audio.
Halo: Reach grossed US$200 million on its launch day, setting a new record for the franchise. The game sold well in most territories, moving more than three million units its first month in North America. Critical reception was positive; reviewers from publications such as IGN, GamePro, and Official Xbox Magazine called it the best Halo title yet. Reach was Bungie's final Halo game, with future games overseen by the Microsoft subsidiary 343 Industries.
Gameplay
Halo: Reach is a shooter game in which players experience gameplay predominantly from a first-person perspective. Players assume the role of Noble Six, a supersoldier engaged in combat with an alien collective known as the Covenant. Gameplay is more similar to Halo: Combat Evolved than later games in the series. The player character is equipped with a recharging energy shield that absorbs damage from weapons fire and impacts. When the energy shield is depleted, the player character loses health; when the character's health reaches zero, the game reloads from a saved checkpoint. Health is replenished using health packs scattered throughout Reach's levels.[2]
In Halo 3, player characters could carry single-use equipment power-ups that offer temporary offensive or defensive advantages.[3][4] This system of single-use equipment is replaced in Reach by reusable and persistent "armor abilities" that remain with a character until they are replaced.[5] Among the abilities are a jetpack, active camouflage, sprint, and "armor lock", which immobilizes the player but grants invincibility for a brief period of time.[6] Reach features updated versions of old weapons, plus new weapons fulfilling various combat roles.[7]Multiplayer
Reach supports player-versus-player multiplayer through splitscreen on a single Xbox 360, local networks (System Link), and the Xbox Live service. Reach includes standard multiplayer modes such as Slayer and Capture the Flag, as well as gametypes new to the franchise. In "Headhunter", player characters drop skulls upon death, which other players can pick up and deposit at special zones for points. When a player dies, all their accumulated skulls are dropped. "Stockpile" has teams race to collect neutral flags, holding them at capture points every minute for points. "Generator Defense" pits three human supersoldiers, or Spartans, against three Covenant soldiers called Elites. The Elites' objective is to destroy three generators, while Spartans defend the installation. After every round the players switch roles. "Invasion" is a six versus six mode with three squads of two on each team.[8] The gametype pits Spartans against Elites; Elites vie for control of territories to disable a shield guarding a navigation core. Once the shield is disabled, they must transfer the core to a dropship; the Spartans must prevent this. As the game progresses, new vehicles and areas of the map become open.[2]Alongside other multiplayer options is "Firefight", where players take on increasingly difficult waves of foes in a game of survival. Players can customize Firefight options, including the number and types of enemies. Firefight versus allows a player-controlled Elite team to try and stop the Spartan team from scoring points. Game modes like Generator Defense are also playable in Firefight.[9][10][11]
Also included with Reach is Forge, a level editor. Players can edit the default multiplayer maps and a large empty map known as Forge World, adding or modifying spawn points, weapons and items. Objects may be phased into other objects, and can also be snapped to specific orientations.[12]
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