As soon as you log into Reach, you immediately notice that the graphics are very fresh and the opening scene is pretty awesome. You will also notice that thankfully we are finally rid of the ridiculous Halo 3 theme song! Reach’s theme song is epic sounding and definitely not whiny at all.
Immediately is it evident that Halo: Reach is very customizable. At default, there are three different styles of helms you can choose from and one type of body armor. More options come available as you gain “cR” from participating in matchmaking. “cR” is Reach’s form of currency that you will use to purchase upgrades for your Spartan.
The new emblem system is very interesting as well. Your options form a plus (+) pattern, with selectable backgrounds arranged vertically and the emblem foreground running horizontally. The two options meet in the center of your screen, where you can see what the combination looks like before even selecting anything. This makes customizing your emblem easier and faster.
Selecting your colors is also much different than Halo 3, while still being slightly similar at the same time. Your primary color will cover most of your Spartan. This color will cover your chest, helm, thighs, bicep area and back. The secondary color will cover your shoulders, forearms, calves, and boots.
The Halo: Reach HUD is very simple and neat. The top left corner holds your grenade display. You’ll see what type of grenades and how many of each you are carrying. At the very top center of your screen, there is a compass, which obviously shows you which direction you are headed. Your shield and health bars sit underneath of the compass. The shield bar is the long solid bar on top. The health bar is broken up into nine different bars and as you lose health, it works its way towards the middle bar, which is a triangle shape. At the top right of your screen, you will see the weapons you are carrying plus the ammo you have at your disposal. The bottom right corner of your screen is home to the time left in the game, the game type and the score of the game. Finally, your radar sits at the bottom left of your screen. Slightly above the radar is your special ability icon. This icon displays what special ability you have equipped. If you are currently using the ability, the outside ring will show you how much time left to use the ability. While not using the ability, the bar will charge up to full. The icon will also let you know if your ability is on cool down.
In addition to a plethora of cosmetic settings, there are also social settings as well. You can adjust your options in Chattiness, choosing from no preference (default), to quiet or chatty. Your motivation is also set as no preference which is default, but you can choose from motivation to win or to just play around and have a good time. There are also settings for Teamwork. Of course, default is set to no preference, but you have the option of team player or lone wolf. Finally, you can choose your Tone. These range from no preference, to rowdy or polite. So, Bungie really delivers in this aspect of picking a better team. This will hopefully have a huge impact on team selection, causing matchmaking to be a much more pleasant system.
Overall, at first glance Halo: Reach seems to be a vast improvement from Halo 3. The environment detail is awesome, along with epic customization options. Though it is still in Beta and needs work, it is definitely a must play.
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