An Epic post about Epic Epicness

So this is slightly over due, but I am hear to tell you about Halo: Reach. Finally.

First of all, let me say, if you have an X Box 360 and you like first person shooters, and you're not brain dead, go get this game. Now.

If you have a ps3, like a loser, well, guess it sucks to be you, but you can continue to read this and wish you had picked a better gaming system.

(I'm mostly kidding, ps3's are pretty good systems but the lack of Halo is a deal breaker for me)

If you feel like making fun of me for playing "Galo" right now, just get out of my blog. We don't like your kind here...

But moving on.

Halo: Reach was...
AWESOME.

Actually, to be fair, I'm still playing it. So today, I will tell you about the matchmaking multiplayer and gameplay.

The main thing that will jump out to you about the new multiplayer experience is the mere multitude of OPTIONS. You of course have your basic team slayer, your rumble pit, your team objective, etc. You'll also find the popular Firefight from ODST in matchmaking now, which can either be a team of 4 against the covenant waves, or score attack, where you fend them off yourself for a high score. There are also tournament like games, though I haven't gotten a chance to check those out.

After you pick your game play, you can edit other options, such as clean language only, people of similar skill level, and only players who speak your language. Now press A and let's go!

Once you've finally been matched up, you will be presented with three, read it, THREE game options. The first will be the default if no one votes or there is a tie. Then two game/map variations, or you can choose none of the above. No more vetoing and hoping for the best, you finally have a little control.

You've chosen your style, your game, your map, what more could you possibly need? How about you choose what your armour abilities are?

Depending on your game choice, you will be able to choose from a variety of armour abilities and different weapons to compliment them. For me, this is great. It means I don't have to search the map for the only shotgun and then lament the fact that someone beat me to it- I just start with one.

Though, since it almost never fails that I will die stupidly within about 5 seconds of acquiring said beauty, this can prove slightly problematic. But I digress.

After that, it's time to take part in some AWESOME multiplayer. Gameplay, however, is a little bit different than you'll remember. Whether taking on online opponents in multiplayer or AI Covenant in Firefight, you will find your enemies are a bit harder to kill. Elites can be a bit of a nightmare, and the Jackals and their cousins, the Skirmishers, are a tad harder to take down that remembered. No longer does the melee take down a grunt with ease, and it will only take a Spartan's shield's down on the first hit. BUT if you do manage to melee an enemy from behind, you'll be treated to a completely badass assassination that, quite frankly, is so cool you won't even mind when it happens to you.

There are also a couple of new weapons. The new Designated Marksmen Rifle (DMR) replaced the old Battle Rifles. Opinions on this differ...I personally love the DMR, but I know plenty of players who miss the BRs. It's not much different except for the fact that it only fires single shots and I found the scope much more effective. The pistol has been restored to the former glory of the original Halo, no longer a useless sidearm, it now can be used to make easy headshots on Grunts, with a very handy 2x zoom. There's also a needler rifler, a grenade launcher I can't seem to get the hang of, and a sometimes overly powerful plasma cannon, among others.

Victories, commendations, daily challenges and pure luck will gain you credits at the end of pretty much any game played, which can be put towards cool looking new armour, firefight voices, visor colors, and armour effects. I myself am saving up so I can explode into confetti upon my death. My only complaint is that the cool armour you buy doesn't actually effect your character's abilities, which I was kind of expecting. But no matter, it still looks pretty cool.

Overall, Halo: Reach has been a complete win in my book. Of course there are a few flaws, but they are so few that they are nothing to make me regret the purchase of the game. It has excellent replay value, a strong campaign (so far), and plenty of options that will keep you interested for a while. Check it out!