View source for Halo: Reach

{{platform|xbox360}}
{{Infobox_Game
|title1=Halo: Reach
|image1=Halo- Reach box art-1-.png
|developer=[[Bungie]]
|publisher=[[Xbox Game Studios|Microsoft Game Studios]]
|engine=Blam!
|series=[[Halo (series)|Halo]]
|platform={{platforms|xbox360}}
|release_date=September 14, 2010
|genre=[[First-person shooter]]
|modes=[[Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
|input=Gamepad
|distribution={{Dist|disc}} {{Dist|360market}}
|bcplatforms={{platforms|xboxone}} {{platforms|xboxgen9}}
|ESRB=M
|PEGI=16
|USK=18
|ACB=MA
|CERO=D}}
'''''Halo: Reach''''' is a [[first-person shooter]] [[video game]], developed by [[Bungie]] and published by [[Microsoft Studios]] for the [[Xbox 360]] console. ''Reach'' was released in North America, Australia, and Europe on September 14, 2010. The game takes place in the year 2552, where humanity is locked in a war with the alien [[Covenant (Halo)|Covenant]]. Players control Noble Six, a member of an elite supersoldier squad, during the battle for the world of Reach. As the Covenant begin their assault on the planet, the [[Factions of Halo#United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] begin their heroic yet ultimately futile effort to repel the alien invaders.

''Reach'' was originally announced at the [[E3|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==
[[File:Halo reach-lnos.png|thumb|left|The player character fires their assault rifle at enemy Covenant forces, flanked by members of Noble Team.]]
''Halo: Reach'' is a [[First-person shooter|first person shooter]]. Players assume the role of Noble Six, a supersoldier engaged in combat with an alien collective known as the [[Covenant (Halo)|Covenant]]. Gameplay is more similar to the original ''[[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.




In ''Halo 3'', players could wield one-use equipment power-ups that offer temporary offensive or defensive advantages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/821/821911p2.html |title=Halo 3 Review |publisher=[[IGN]] |accessdate=2010-04-22 |date=2007-09-23 |first=Hilary |last=Goldstein|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1285791620375356|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1559460/20070514/index.jhtml |title='Halo 3' Sneak Peek: Three Things Every Beta Player Must Do |first=Stephen |last=Tolito |accessdate=2010-04-22 |publisher=[[MTV]] |date=2007-05-14|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1285791620375365|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref> This system of single-use equipment is replaced in ''Reach'' by reusable and persistent armor abilities which remain with a player until they are replaced.<ref name="gameinformer-developer commentary">{{Cite web|author=Ryckert, Dan|date=2010-01-25|url=http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/01/25/halo-reach-dev-commentary.aspx|title=Halo: Reach Developer Commentary|work=[[Game Informer]]|accessdate=2010-01-26}}</ref> 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.<ref name="bwu-04.02.10">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=25376 |title=Bungie Weekly Update: 04.02.10 |publisher=[[Bungie]] |date=2010-04-02 |accessdate=2010-04-22}}</ref> In addition to tweaks and changes to existing weapons from the ''Halo'' series, ''Reach'' features new weapons fulfilling various combat roles.<ref name="gameinformer-sandbox">{{Cite web|author=Miller, Matt|date=2010-03-31|url=http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/03/31/exclusive-interview-on-the-halo-reach-sandbox.aspx|title=Exclusive Interview On The Halo: Reach Sandbox|work=[[Game Informer]]|accessdate=2010-04-01}}</ref>


===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 King of the Hill, as well as gametypes new to the franchise. In "Headhunter", players 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 Spartans against three Elites (A type of Covenant soldier). 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.<ref name="1up-multiplayer preview">{{Cite web|author=Nguyen, Thierry|date=2010-04-14|url=http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=0&cId=3178811&p=|title=Halo Reach Preview for the Xbox 360|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|pages=1–2|accessdate=2010-04-14}}</ref> 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 from happening. As the game progresses, new vehicles and areas of the map become open.<ref name="ign-beta hands on">{{Cite web|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/108/1085085p2.html |title=Halo: Reach Beta Hands-On |first=Ryan |last=Geddes |date=2010-04-21 |accessdate=2010-04-22 |publisher=[[IGN]]|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1285791620375400|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref>


Alongside other multiplayer options is "Firefight", a version of which appeared in ''Halo 3: ODST''. In Firefight 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. It has also been announced that a firefight versus is playable in which there is an Elite team trying to keep the Spartan team from scoring points. Game modes like Generator Defense are playable in Firefight.<ref name="e3-firefight handson">{{Cite web|author=Ramsay, Randolph|date=2010-06-16|url=http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6265966/halo-reach-firefight-mode-hands-on|title=Halo: Reach Firefight Mode Hands-On|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=2010-06-19}}</ref><ref name="ign-e3firefight">{{Cite web|author=Geddes, Ryan|date=2010-06-15|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/109/1098584p1.html|title=E3 2010: Firefight in Halo: Reach – Bigger & Better|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=2010-06-19}}</ref> Although Firefight in ''ODST'' only supported matches among players that were on each others' friend lists, firefight in ''Reach'' supports online matchmaking between random players.


Forge, a level editor that first appeared with ''Halo 3'', was updated for ''Reach'', and can be used to edit the default multiplayer maps as well as a large blank map known as Forge World. Forge World itself is home to several Bungie-created Forge maps that shipped on-disc. Forge tools have been improved; objects can now be phased into other objects, and can also be snapped to specific orientations.<ref>{{cite web|author=Brudvig, Erik|date=2010-07-22|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/110/1107237p1.html|title=SDCC 10: Halo: Reach's Huge Forge World|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2010-10-01|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1285791620375391|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref>


==Synopsis==
===Setting and characters===
''Reach'' takes place in a futuristic science fiction setting during the year 2552, shortly before the events of the 2001 video game ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'',<ref name="gameinformer-feb2010">{{Cite journal|author=|year=2010|month=February|title=Halo: Reach; Bungie's Astonishing Prequel Revealed|journal=[[Game Informer]]|volume=1|issue=202|pages=54–61}}</ref> and during the events of the 2001 novel [[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]. Humans, under the auspices of the [[Factions of Halo#United Nations Space Command|United Nations Space Command]] (UNSC), have been waging a long war against a collective of alien races known as the [[Covenant (Halo)|Covenant]]. By the events of ''Reach'', almost all of humanity's interstellar colonies have fallen. Reach itself is an Earthlike colony that serves as the UNSC's main military hub. The colony is home to over 700&nbsp;million civilians in addition to the military presence.<ref name="reach_intel">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=intel|title=Halo: Reach background page|publisher=[[Bungie Studios]]|accessdate=2010-04-27}}</ref>


The game follows the actions of "Noble Team", a UNSC special operations unit composed of elite supersoldiers known as Spartans. Players assume the role of an unnamed new addition to the team, identified by the call sign Noble Six.<ref name="IGN trailer analysis">{{Cite web|title = Halo: Reach trailer analysis|url = http://ie.xbox360.ign.com/articles/105/1054795p1.html|year = 2009|author = Brudvig, Erik|accessdate = 2009-12-18}}</ref> Noble Team's leader is Carter-A259, a no-nonsense soldier. His second-in-command, Kat-B320, has a bionic arm; together, Carter and Kat are the only two remaining original members of Noble Team. The other members include heavy weapons specialist Jorge-052, assault specialist Emile-A239, and marksman Jun-A266.<ref name="gameinformer-developer commentary" /><ref name="gameinformer-feb2010" />


===Plot===
Noble Team, dispatched to discover why a communications relay has gone offline, discovers Covenant forces on Reach Rather. Soon after, Noble team is deployed to "Sword Base", an installation belonging to the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), to defend it from a Covenant vessel. The team meets the scientist [[Catherine Halsey]], mastermind behind the Spartan program and their MJOLNIR powered armor. Halsey informs Noble Team that the Covenant at the relay were searching for important information.


Jun and Six are dispatched on a covert mission to assess the Covenant's strength and discover an invasion force. Noble Team assaults a Covenant ground base and removes fortified Covenant defenses. When a massive Covenant super-carrier joins the fight, Jorge and Six take part in a plan to destroy the carrier using a makeshift bomb. Using starfighters to infiltrate a smaller Covenant ship, Jorge and Six dock with the carrier and place the bomb. Its timer malfunctions, so Jorge stays behind and sacrifices himself to destroy the carrier. More Covenant ships arrive at Reach.


After returning planet-side, Six travels to the city of New Alexandria and aids the local military in fighting the Covenant. Reuniting with Noble Team, Six assists with the evacuation of the city's civilians; Kat is killed by a sniper. Recalled to Sword Base, Halsey shows Noble Team an ancient [[Factions of Halo#Forerunner|Forerunner]] artifact she believes is key to winning the war. Six, Carter, and Emile are entrusted with transporting the artificial intelligence [[Cortana]], and the information she carries, to the UNSC ship ''Pillar of Autumn''. Jun escorts Halsey to another base.


En route to the ''Autumn''{{'}}s dry dock, Carter is critically wounded. He rams his ship into a Covenant mobile assault platform, allowing Six and Emile to reach the shipyard where the ''Autumn'' is located. Emile takes control of a coilgun emplacement to defend the ''Autumn'' while Six fights through Covenant forces to get Cortana to Captain [[Characters of Halo#Jacob Keyes|Jacob Keyes]]. When Emile is slain by Elites, Six remains behind to take Emile's place at the gun, ensuring the ''Autumn''{{'}}s escape.  The ''Autumn'' flees from Reach and discovers a [[Halo (megastructure)|Halo]] ringworld.


The post-credits scene puts the player in control of Six's last stand against overwhelming Covenant forces. After sustaining heavy damage, Six drops his or her shattered helmet and is overwhelmed. Years later, the helmet remains on the grassy plains of a now-rejuvenated Reach. A narration by Halsey eulogizes Noble Team, who ultimately enabled humanity's victory over the Covenant.


==Development==
===Design===
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After finishing development of ''[[Halo 3]]'' in 2007, development studio [[Bungie]] broke into two teams. One group began working on a standalone expansion project—''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''—while another group, headed by Creative Director Marcus Lehto and Design Lead Christian Allen,<ref>{{cite web|author=Nguyen, Thierry|date=2010-02-05|url=http://www.1up.com/previews/halo-reach|title=Halo Reach: What We Know So Far|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=2011-03-16}}</ref> began work on what would become ''Reach''.<ref name="kotaku-how and why">{{Cite web|author=Totilo, Stephen|date=2009-09-08|url=http://kotaku.com/5354944/how-and-why-halo-3-odst-was-made-in-14-months|title=How and why Halo 3: ODST was made in 14 months|publisher=Kotaku|accessdate=2009-09-09}}</ref> The team considered many different concepts and approaches to the game; among the rejected ideas was a sequel to ''Halo 3''.<ref>http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2010/06/25/bungie-considered-halo-4-starring-master-chief-instead-of-reach-prequel/</ref>



In brainstorming settings, the team kept returning to the idea of a prequel to the first ''Halo'' game. "And Reach, as a fictional planet, was just a great candidate [to] play around with. It's such a rich world, with such a great fiction surrounding it," said Lehto. "We were like: 'Okay, that's it. We've just got a lot of things we can do there so we can build an immense story with it.'"<ref name="cvg-halo reach interview p1">{{Cite web|author=Ingham, Tim |date=2010-02-23 |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=236131 |title=Interview; Halo Reach Pt. 1 |publisher=[[Computer and Video Games]]|accessdate=2010-02-24}}</ref> No longer burdened with continuing story threads as they were with the trilogy of ''Halo'' games that came before, Bungie viewed using Reach before the events of ''Combat Evolved'' as a way to introduce new characters and settings.<ref name="usatoday-q&a">{{cite news|author=Snider, Mike |date=2010-09-11 |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/09/halo-reach-qa-bungies-marcus-lehto-and-343s-frank-oconnor-/1 |title='Halo: Reach' Q&A: Bungie's Marcus Lehto and 343's Frank O'Connor |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=2010-10-02 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5tBfT2tZn|archivedate=2010-10-02}}</ref> As ''Reach'' ends with the destruction of the titular planet, Bungie focused on making sure players still felt a sense of accomplishment and success. "It is a challenge overall to ensure the player feels they’re doing the right thing all the way to the end," said Lehto.<ref name="edge-tales of the fall">{{Cite web |author=Staff |date=2010-01-21 |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/halo-reach-tales-of-the-fall |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edge-online.com%2Ffeatures%2Fhalo-reach-tales-of-the-fall&date=2010-01-22|title=Halo Reach - Tales of the Fall |work=''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' |accessdate=2010-01-22 |archivedate=2010-01-22}}</ref><ref name="bungie-jan10podcast">{{Cite web |author=Jarrard, Brian; Eric Osborne, Luke Smith |date=2010-01-27 |url=http://www.bungie.net/Inside/content.aspx?link=bungiepodcasttime |title=Bungie Podcast 01/27/10: With Joseph Tung and Sage Merrill |publisher=[[Bungie.net]] |accessdate=2010-01-30}}</ref> The final gameplay sequence at the end of the game was the subject of intense discussion, with some at Bungie wanting to cut it out. Ultimately, executive producer Joe Tung noted, "the 'survive' component ... felt great to us. We definitely talked about different versions of how that was happening and different versions of ending [the game] cinematically, but I think the way that it ultimately ended up is just a really well-paced, significant and emotionally impactful ending."<ref>http://www.1up.com/news/bungie-explains-halo-reach-ending</ref>



The ''Halo'' games consistently featured protagonists that were silent during gameplay sequences. Community manager Brian Jarrard pushed for greater customization of the player character, including the ability to choose a female Noble Six and have the cinematics and dialogue change accordingly.<ref name="dudley-halo reach q&a">{{cite web|author=Dudley, Brier|date=2010-08-04|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2012530872_halo_reach_qa_on_women_war_red.html|title='Halo: Reach' Q&A: On women, war & red shirts|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|accessdate=2010-12-28|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5vLDyxcA3|archivedate=2010-12-29}}</ref>



The prequel concept also gave the art team an opportunity to redesign key enemies, weapons, and elements of the series, though 3D Art Lead Scott Shepard stressed that they remained true to the spirit, if not the letter, of the original designs. Artists found inspiration in the original concept art for ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''; the shape for the redesigned Covenant Grunts came from a sketch by Shi Kai Wang done ten years earlier.<ref name="bungie-art evolved">{{Cite web|author=Jarrard, Brian|date=2010-01-26|url=http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=24541|title=Halo: Reach - 3D Art Evolved|publisher=[[Bungie.net]]|accessdate=2010-01-27}}</ref>

===Technology===
For ''Halo 3'', the first ''Halo'' game on the Xbox 360, Bungie had been forced to shrink parts of the game to fit the constraints of what the game engine was capable of delivering.<ref name="dudley-halo reach q&a" /> For ''Reach'', Bungie made it a goal to capitalize on the Xbox 360 hardware to make every part of the game look better than what came before.<ref name="edge-bending the xbox" /> Originally, the plan for ''Reach'' was to port existing ''Halo 3'' assets and update them, but as Shepard noted, "The more we started looking into this, the more we found that realistically we could rebuild each asset from scratch with a huge increase in quality without significantly investing more time."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bungie.net/news/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=24541 |title=Halo: Reach - 3D Art Evolved |first=Sketch |date=January 26, 2010 |accessdate=July 25, 2010 |work=[[Bungie]]}}</ref>  Texture resolution and polygon counts for models were increased; the ''Reach'' assault rifle is constructed of more polygons than an entire Marine character from ''[[Halo 3]]''.<ref name="bungie-art evolved" />


Much of the engine was redesigned.<ref name="reach-vidoc1">{{Cite web|author=|date=|url=http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=HaloReach_ViDoc|title=Halo: Reach ViDoc 1; Once More Unto The Breach|publisher=[[Bungie.net]]|accessdate=2010-02-12}}</ref> To increase replay value, the developers focused on improving the artificial intelligence.<ref name="edge-bending the xbox">{{Cite web|author=Ivan, Tom|date=2010-01-22|url=http://www.edge-online.com/news/halo-reach-“bending-the-xbox-as-far-as-itll-bend”|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edge-online.com%2Fnews%2Fhalo-reach-“bending-the-xbox-as-far-as-itll-bend”&date=2010-01-22|title=Halo: Reach; "Bending The Xbox As Far As It'll Bend"|work=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|accessdate=2010-01-23|archivedate=2010-01-22}}</ref> Rather than scripting enemy encounters, the developers focused on a more open world or sandbox approach to battles.<ref name="reach-vidoc1" /> ''Reach'' was completed in July and August 2010 before being shipped off for manufacturing.<ref name="usatoday-q&a" />
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===Audio===
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Composing team Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori returned to score ''Reach''. With the game's music, O'Donnell wrote "somber, more visceral" music since the plot is character-driven and focuses on a planet that is already known in the universe to have fallen.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Ellis, David|date=2009-12-14|url=http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/27382|title=Halo Reach VGA Interview|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=2009-12-15}}</ref>  The music piece shown in the world premiere of ''Halo: Reach'' was the first music he wrote for the game, which he hoped he could use as a starting point for developing further themes.<ref name="gameinformer-scoring reach">{{Cite web|author=Vore, Bryan|date=2010-01-22|url=http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/01/22/an-in-depth-q-and-a-with-marty-o-donnell.aspx|title=An In-Depth Q&A With Marty O'Donnell|work=[[Game Informer]] |accessdate=2010-01-22}}</ref>  O'Donnell began work on ''Reach'' while ''ODST'' was still in production, but did not begin writing music  until August 2009. O'Donnell was assisted by past ''Halo'' collaborators Salvatori, C. Paul Johnson, and Stan LePard, although with ''Reach'' he did not divide music chores between them. "I decided this time to come up with some themes, tempos, keys, and other basic starting points for musical ideas," explained O'Donnell. "I shared these with all the other composers and just asked them to take off if they felt inspired by any of that material." The works-in-progress they came up with were either touched up by O'Donnell or sent back to be finished by the respective composer.<ref name="1up-behind the music1">{{cite web|author=Zelfdan, Alex Van|date=2010-09-18|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3181347|title=Behind the Music of Halo: Reach|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|pages=1–2|accessdate=2010-10-02|archiveurl=|archivedate=}}</ref>

In previous ''Halo'' games, sections of music overlap and change depending on player action. ''Reach''{{'}}s system of interactive audio was much more complex, featuring the ability to combine up to seven layers of instrumentation compared to  ''Combat Evolved''{{'}}s two.<ref name="popular mechanics-reach audio">{{cite web|author=Sofge, Erik|date=2010-09-03|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/digital/gaming/how-halo-reach-perfected-video-game-audio|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5yDW8oED0|archivedate=2011-04-25|title=How Halo: Reach Perfected Video Game Audio|work=[[Popular Mechanics]]|accessdate=2011-04-25}}</ref>

In ''Reach'', every interacting object produces two sounds for the respective objects; for instance, a Warthog vehicle that collides with an armored Covenant soldier produces a crunching metal noise.<ref>http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/107/1077125p1.html</ref><!-- game engine --> The interaction between objects and terrain was demoed in an in-game environment that O'Donnell called "the stripey room" due to the bands of colors differentiating materials.<ref name="popular mechanics-reach audio" />
===Announcements===
''Halo: Reach'' was announced on June 1, 2009 with a trailer at Microsoft's [[E3|Electronic Entertainment Expo]] (E3) press conference.<ref name="ignblog">{{Cite web|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/988/988356p1.html |title=IGN E3 2009: Microsoft Press Conference Live Blog |accessdate=2009-06-01}}</ref> An accompanying press release announced that an invitation to the open multiplayer beta of the game would appear in spring 2010, a date later refined to May 3, 2010.<ref name="usatoday-beta">{{Cite news|author=Molina, Brett|date=2010-02-10|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/02/halo-reach-multiplayer-beta-lands-in-may/1|title='Halo: Reach' multiplayer beta lands in May|work=[[USA Today]]|accessdate=2010-02-12}}</ref> ''Reach'' is the last ''Halo'' game developed by original ''Halo'' developer [[Bungie]]. Future ''Halo'' games will be overseen by Microsoft subsidiary [[Halo (series)#Development|343 Industries]].<ref name="343 Industries">{{Cite web|author=Reilly, Jim|date=2009-07-23|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/100/1006580p1.html |title=SDCC 09: 343 Industries To Oversee All Halo Products|accessdate=2009-07-24 |publisher=IGN}}</ref>
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At E3 2010, Bungie revealed parts of the game's campaign, as well as Firefight. On June 23, 2010, Bungie reached the "Zero Bug Release" milestone. This meant that, for the most part, the team was focused on "crushing" all of the game's bugs and no major content would be added from that point forward. This also meant that any "bugged" AI would be removed rather than fixed, as there was simply no time to repair the coding.<ref name="343 Industries">{{Cite web|author="Urk" |date=2010-06-11 |url=http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_061110 |title=Bungie Weekly Update |accessdate=2010-06-25 |publisher=Bungie}}</ref> On July 30, 2010, Bungie released the complete list of achievements for Halo: Reach, including the titles, symbols, and requirements.<ref>http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_073010</ref>
===Multiplayer beta===
''Reach''{{'}}s multiplayer beta was open to owners of ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''. Bungie's previous multiplayer beta for ''[[Halo 3]]'' had drawn 800,000 players. More than three&nbsp;million copies of ''ODST'' were sold by November 2009,<ref name="odst-3mil">{{Cite web|author=Reilly, Jim|date=2009-11-13|url=http://au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/104/1045085p1.html|title=Halo 3: ODST Continues Its Sales Dominance|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2009-11-14}}</ref> but Bungie did not know how many players might appear for ''Reach'' and estimated between two and three million.<ref name="seattletimes-beta" /> Due to development schedules, the beta code offered to players was six weeks old, and several bugs and issues in the beta had already been addressed internally. While there were concerns that these sorts of issues might tarnish players' perception of the game, Jarrard noted that they had little choice but to ship it with the issues and attempt to communicate with players concerning the fixes.<ref name="gamepro-lessons from the beta" />

More than 2.7&nbsp;million players participated in the beta, which lasted from May 3 to May 20.<ref name="pcworld-release date">{{Cite web|author=Peckham, Matt|date=2010-05-24|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/197016/halo_reach_locks_in_september_launch.html|title=Halo: Reach Locks In September Launch|work=[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]|accessdate=2010-05-26}}</ref> The game was rolled out from an internal group of Bungie or Microsoft employees, with the total number of players in the thousands. When the beta went public, more than a million played the first day, causing back-end servers to struggle to handle the traffic. While the engineering team overestimated server load, bugs in server clusters caused game uploads to become backed up, slowing matchmaking to a crawl until the underlying issues could be fixed. Jarrard noted that the 16&nbsp;million total hours of play time and large-scale rollout of the game was vital to seeing how ''Reach'' would perform.<ref name="gamepro-lessons from the beta">{{Cite web|author=Chiang, Oliver|date=2010-06-27|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/215665/halo-reach-lessons-from-the-beta/|title=Halo Reach - Lessons from the Beta|work=[[GamePro]]|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref><ref name="ign-beta post">{{Cite web|author=Brudvig, Erik|date=2010-05-25|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/109/1092622p1.html|title=Halo: Reach Post-beta Interview|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref>

Bungie used the beta to fix mistakes, glitches, and change the balance of gameplay elements.<ref name="koxm212">{{Cite web|author=McCaffrey, Ryan|date=2010-05-14|url=http://oxmpodcast.podbean.com/2010/05/14/koxm-episode-212/|title=KOXM Ep. 212|work=[[Official Xbox Magazine]]|accessdate=2010-05-14}}</ref> "We needed our fans to provide feedback," said Lehto, adding that having a large audience to "hammer" on the game allowed them to gather useful feedback to mold the finished product.<ref name="ap-millions reach for halo">{{Cite web|author=Associated Press|date=2010-05-25|url=http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/millions-reach-for-halo-20100525-w8jy.html|title=Millions reach for 'Halo'|work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|accessdate=2010-06-09}}</ref> The game automatically collected statistics such as upload speeds, the time it took players to find matches, and game preferences, but sorting out what Jarrard called "the more subjective anecdotal feedback" from emails, notes, and forums was more difficult. On Bungie's community site, Bungie.net, the ''Reach'' beta generated over 360,000 forum posts alone. In order to manage the high volume of feedback, Bungie created official threads for groups of issues; "We tried to give people a little bit more of a direct avenue to give that feedback and to make our lives easier. It was definitely a lot to assess and digest," said Jarrard.<ref name="gamepro-lessons from the beta" /> Some player responses did not align with datasets from the game—multiplayer design lead Chris Carney recalled that early in the beta there was vocal dissatisfaction with the pistol, but by the end of the beta it was the weapon that generated the most kills in all games. On noticing trends and possible imbalances in the game, Bungie deployed special test matches to eliminate lurking variables and make informed changes.<ref name="gamasutra-beta story">{{cite web|author=Nutt, Christian|date=2010-06-25|archiveurl=http://replay.web.archive.org/20100708153507/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/5875/halo_reach__the_beta_story.php|archivedate=2010-07-08|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/5875/halo_reach__the_beta_story.php?page=3|title=Halo: Reach - The Beta Story|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=2011-04-30}}</ref>
==Release==
''Reach'' was released in three retail editions. The standard edition contains the game and the manual. The limited edition features an artifact bag with story information, different packaging, and an exclusive set of in-game Elite armor. The Legendary Edition contains all the materials from the limited edition, a different packaging, two hours of developer commentary on the in game cutscenes, in-game Spartan armor effect, and a statue created by McFarlane Toys.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/04/collectors-editions-of-halo-reach-unveiled/1 |title=Collector's editions of 'Halo: Reach' unveiled |date=2010-04-22 |accessdate=2010-04-22 |first=Brett |last=Molina |publisher=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> North American players who purchased a first run copy of the game (buying in-store close to launch day or pre-ordering) received an in-game Spartan "Recon" helmet customization; the same incentive was offered to other regions, but only if it was pre-ordered.<ref name="pcmag-preorder">{{Cite web|author=Albanesius, Chloe|date=2010-05-24|url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2364136,00.asp|title='Halo: Reach' Hits Stores Sept. 14|work=[[PC Magazine]]|accessdate=2010-05-27}}</ref> In addition to the retail editions, ''Reach'' came bundled with a limited edition Xbox 360 Slim that sports ''Halo''-themed sounds and finish and two controllers.<ref>http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/07/halo-reach-xbox-360/</ref>

Microsoft listed ''Reach'' as an [[Xbox Games Store|Xbox Live Marketplace]] download on August 12, 2010, at a price of 99999 [[Microsoft Points]] (~US$1250).<ref name="Joystiq99999">{{Cite web|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/halo-reach-listed-at-1250-on-xbox-live-marketplace-and-why-you/|title=Halo Reach listed at $1250 on Xbox Live Marketplace (and why you can't buy it)|author=Andrew Yoon|publisher=[[Joystiq]]|date=2010-08-16|accessdate=2010-08-24}}</ref> A spokesperson confirmed the download was for media review purposes, and that there were no plans to distribute the game to the public through Games on Demand.<ref name="Joystiq99999" /> Four days later, hackers managed to access, download, and distribute the game online;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=261200|title=Halo: Reach - full game leaked online|author=Tim Ingham|work=[[Computer and Video Games|CVG]]|date=2010-08-21|accessdate=2010-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/technology/hale-reach-ending-posted-on-youtube-after-review-version-hacked-shared/story-e6frfro0-1225909213041|title=Halo: Reach ending posted on YouTube after review version hacked, shared|publisher=[[news.com.au]]|date=2010-08-24|accessdate=2010-08-24}}</ref> Microsoft claimed to be actively investigating the matter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/111/1114826p1.html|title=Microsoft Investigating Halo: Reach Leak|author=Jim Reilly|work=[[IGN]]|date=2010-08-20|accessdate=2010-08-24}}</ref> ''Halo 2'', ''Halo 3'', and ''ODST'' were similarly leaked ahead of release.<ref>{{cite web|author=Reilly, Jim|date=2010-08-23|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/111/1115272p1.html|title=The History of Halo Leaks|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2011-04-30}}</ref>
===Marketing ===
Jarrard told ''The Seattle Times'' that the developers were planning a much more "grandiose" marketing effort than ''ODST''.<ref name="seattletimes-beta">{{Cite web|author=Dudley, Brier|date=2010-04-19|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011649386_brier20.html|title=Big beta world for Bungie game|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|accessdate=2010-05-03}}</ref> Microsoft gave ''Reach'' its largest marketing budget, surpassing the scale and $6.5&nbsp;million cost of the award-winning ''[[Halo 3#Marketing and release|Halo 3]]''[[Halo 3#Marketing and release| marketing]]. The focus of marketing efforts was not to outdo the efforts for ''Halo 3'', but to connect with consumers via universal themes.<ref name="advertising age-reach out">{{Cite web|author=Patel, Kunur|date=2010-08-23|url=http://adage.com/article?article_id=145496|title='Halo' Reaches Out With Biggest Campaign Yet|work=[[Advertising Age]]|accessdate=2010-08-24|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5tBo6q0DC|archivedate=2010-10-02}}</ref> Interpublic Group of Companies' AgencyTwoFifteen handled strategy and video development for the marketing push, while AKQA developed interactive components. The agencies were previously involved with ''Halo 3''{{'}}s marketing. The advertisers' brief was simple: "Remember Reach. Focus on the heroes, not the victims. Expand our audience beyond ''Halo'' fanboys."<ref name="creativity-remember reach">{{cite web|author=Diaz, Ann-Christine|date=2010-08-24|url=http://creativity-online.com/news/behind-the-work-remember-reach/145535|title=Behind the Work: Remember Reach|work=[[Creativity (magazine)|Creativity]]|accessdate=2010-10-02}}</ref>

The advertising campaign began April 2010 with the live-action short "Birth of a Spartan".<ref name="creativity-remember reach" /> 

Marketing for ''Reach'' also took the form of merchandise. McFarlane, who had produced toys for ''Halo 3'', created a line of 5-inch action figures,<ref>{{Cite web|author=Eckstein, Eric|date=2010-07-06|url=http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/706051/A-First-Look-at-the-Halo-Reach-Action-Figures-Coming-this-September.html|title=A First Look at the Halo: Reach Action Figures Coming this September|publisher=[[G4tv]]|accessdate=2010-07-07}}</ref> while Square Enix's Play Arts toy label created additional figures.<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff|date=2010-07-22|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/110/1107815p1.html|title=Square Enix Products Announces Halo: Reach Action Figures|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2011-04-30}}</ref> 

''Reach'' was released Tuesday, September 14 in 25&nbsp;countries. Tens of thousands of stores signed up for midnight launch events, with sponsored events taking place in London, Oslo, Stockholm, and New York.<ref name="smh-launch">{{cite news|author=Agence France-Presse|date=2010-09-14|url=http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/halo-reach-video-game-invasion-begins-20100914-159pc.html|title='Halo: Reach' video game invasion begins|work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|accessdate=2010-10-02|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5tBimoPPe|archivedate=2010-10-02}}</ref>
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''Reach''{{'}}s marketing won several industry awards. It took home thirteen medals at the MI6 Game Marketing Conference Awards.<ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/34007/Halo_Reach_Assassins_Creed_Brotherhood_Advertising_Wins_Big_At_MI6_Awards.php</ref>

===Sales===
''Reach'' made $200 million in first-day sales, a record for the franchise. Its strong sales suggested to analysts that despite the lagging game market of 2010 the trend might reverse for core titles in the holiday season.<ref name="gamasutra-core games">{{cite web|author=Graft, Kris|date=2010-09-16|url=http://gamasutra.com/view/news/30466/Analyst_Halo_Reach__Sales_Bode_Well_For_Core_Gamer_Market.php|title=Analyst: Halo Reach Sales Bode Well For Core Gamer Market|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=2010-09-29|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5t74JippH|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref> In its first sixteen days the game sold $350 million worth of merchandise.<ref name="venturebeat-350m">http://venturebeat.com/2010/10/28/halo-reach-sold-350m-in-16-days/</ref> ''Reach'' premiered at the top of Xbox 360 and multi-platform charts in most territories.<ref name="gamasutra-saling1">{{cite web|author=Cowan, Danny|date=2010-09-17|url=http://gamasutra.com/view/news/30477/Saling_The_World_Halo_Reach_Professor_Layton_Debut_as_Top_Sellers.php|title=Saling The World: Halo: Reach, Professor Layton Debut as Top Sellers|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=2010-09-29|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5t74CwEWn|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref> In North America, ''Reach'' sold 3.3 million units according to NPD Group figures, making it the third title in the console generation to sell more than three million units its first month, the other two being ''Halo 3'' and ''[[Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2|Modern Warfare 2]]''.<ref name="cvg-3.3mil">{{cite web|author=Ivan, Tom|date=2010-10-14|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=269845|title=NPD: Halo: Reach sells 3.3 million in September|work=[[Computer and Video Games]]|accessdate=2010-11-05}}</ref>


In the United Kingdom, ''Reach''{{'}}s opening week was the fifth-best launch in the territory, beating ''Halo 3''{{'}}s debut by 20,000 units and ''ODST'' by 200,000 units.<ref>{{cite web|author=Curtis, Tom|date=2010-09-20|url=http://gamasutra.com/view/news/30506/Halo_Reach_Sports_Champions_Top_UK_Sales_Charts.php|title=Halo: Reach, Sports Champions Top UK Sales Charts|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=2010-09-29|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5t74U3qc0|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref> In its second week on the UK charts ''Reach'' was the second bestselling title, being displaced by racing game ''[[F1 2010]]''.<ref name="gamasutra-reach uk sales decline">{{cite web|author=Curtis, Tom|date=2010-09-27|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/30627/Codemasters_F1_2010_Tops_Uk_Charts_Halo_Reach_Sales_Decline.php|title=Codemasters' F1 2010 Tops UK Charts, Halo: Reach Sales Decline|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=2010-09-29|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5t74edV0Y|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref> ''Reach'' continued to hold the top place in North America.<ref name="gamasutra-saling2">{{cite web|author=Cowan, Danny|date=2010-09-24|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/30597/Saling_The_World_Halo_Reach_Civilization_V_Top_US_Charts.php|title=Saling The World: Halo: Reach, Civilization V Top U.S. Charts|publisher=[[Gamasutra]] |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5t74kQ6OO|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref><ref name="pcworld-second on live">{{cite web|author=Peckham, Matt|date=2010-09-24|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/206139/if_halo_reach_was_second_whats_first_on_xbox_live.html?tk=hp_new|title=If Halo: Reach Was Second, What's First on Xbox LIVE?|work=[[PC World]]|publisher=[[IDG|International Data Group]]|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5t74pTcdv|archivedate=2010-09-29}}</ref>  In contrast to its performance elsewhere, ''Reach'' fared poorly in Japan, as have other ''Halo'' games, selling 44,413 units its first week, coming in first place. This showing was above ''ODST''{{'}}s sales of  29,734 in the comparable timeframe, but below ''Halo 3''{{'}}s 61,143.<ref name="1up-japansales">{{cite web|author=Feit, Daniel|date=2010-09-23|url=http://www.1up.com/news/halo-reach-short-japan|title=Halo Reach Comes Up Short in Japan|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=2010-10-02|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5tBepwYRG|archivedate=2010-10-02}}</ref> ''Reach'' dropped out of the top 20 best selling titles entirely its second week.<ref>{{cite web|author=Robinson, Andy|date=2010-10-01|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=267449|title=Halo Reach nosedives in Japan chart|work=[[Computer and Video Games]]|accessdate=2010-10-01|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5tBevuei2|archivedate=2010-10-02}}</ref><ref name="ign-3.3mil">{{cite web|author= Reilly, Jim|date=2010-10-14|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/112/1128131p1.html|title= 
Halo: Reach Tops 3 Million in Sales|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2010-10-14}}</ref>
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''Halo Reach'' was the third bestselling game of 2010 in North America, behind ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops]]'' and ''[[Madden NFL 11]]''.<ref>{{cite news|author=Graser, Mark|date=2011-01-14|title=Vidgames Lame '10|work=[[Daily Variety]]|page=5}}</ref>
===Downloadable content===
''Reach'' supports additional [[downloadable content]] (DLC). The first additional content, dubbed the ''Noble Map Pack'', was made available on November 30, 2010.<ref name="gamespot-noble">{{cite web|author=Coby, Alex|date=2010-10-14|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6281906.html?tag=result%3Btitle%3B3|title=Halo Reaching for Noble map pack|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2010-11-20}}</ref> The Noble Map Pack contains three maps that, unlike many of the maps that shipped with the game, are not based on campaign levels.<ref name="ign-noblemappack">{{cite web|author=Gies, Arthur|date=2010-11-22|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/113/1135975p1.html|title=Halo: Reach Noble Map Pack Preview|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2010-11-23}}</ref> Microsoft partnered with Certain Affinity, who had previously worked on ''Halo 2'' maps,<ref>{{cite web|author=O'Connor, Frank|date=2007-03-30|url=http://www.bungie.net/news/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=certainaffinitymaps|title=New Halo 2 Maps Revealed!|publisher=[[Bungie.net]]|accessdate=2011-02-15}}</ref> to produce the second "Defiant Map Pack",<ref>{{cite web|author=Robinson, Andy|date=2011-02-14|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/288768/news/halo-reach-defiant-map-dlc-announced/|title=Halo Reach Defiant map DLC announced|work=[[Computer and Video Games]]|accessdate=2011-02-15}}</ref> which was made available for download on March 15, 2011.
==Reception==
{{VG Reviews
|GR = 91.73%<br /><small>(64 reviews)<br /></small>
|MC = 91/100<br /><small>(95 reviews)<br /></small>
|MG =
|-
|CVG = 9.2/10<ref name="CVG">{{Cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=264125|title=Halo Reach Review|last=Robinson|first=Andy|publisher=[[Computer and Video Games]]|date=2010-09-12|accessdate=2010-09-12}}</ref>
|EuroG = 9/10<ref name="eurogamer">{{Cite web|url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-09-12-halo-reach-review?page=1|title = Halo: Reach|publisher = EuroGamer|last = Welsh|first = Oli|accessdate = 2010-09-12}}</ref>
|1UP = A+<ref name="1up-review"/>
|Edge = 9/10<ref name="edge-review">{{Cite web|author=Staff|date=2010-08-17|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/halo-reach-review|title=Halo Reach Review|work=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|pages=1–2|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5sqGIBAwz|archivedate=2010-09-18}}</ref>
|GI = 9.5/10<ref name="gameinformer-review">{{Cite web|accessdate=2010-09-12|url=http://gameinformer.com/games/halo_reach/b/xbox360/archive/2010/09/12/bungie-leaves-us-with-the-spartans-finest-hour.aspx|first=Dan |last= Ryckert|date=September 12, 2010|title=Halo Reach|publisher=[[Game Informer]] }}</ref>
|GamePro = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="gamepro-review"/>
|GRadar = 8/10<ref name="gamesradar-review">{{Cite web|url = http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/halo-reach/review/halo-reach-super-review/a-2010091011301903044/g-2009060110582402047|title = Halo: Reach|publisher = [[GamesRadar]]|last= Baratt|first= Charlie|accessdate = 2010-09-12}}</ref>
|GameRev = A<ref name="gamerevolution-review">{{Cite web|url = http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/xbox360/halo-reach|title = Halo: Reach - Xbox360 |publisher = [[Game Revolution]]|last= Morse|first= Blake|accessdate = 2010-09-12|date=2010-09-11}}</ref>
|GSpot =
|GSpy =
|GT = 9.3/10<ref name="gametrailers-review">{{Cite web|accessdate=2010-09-12|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=11394|title=Halo: Reach - Review |publisher=[[Spike (TV channel)|Spike]]|date=}}</ref>
|IGN = 9.5/10 (US)<ref name="ign-brudvig review"/>
10.0/10 (UK)<ref name="ign-robinson review">{{Cite web|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/111/1119630p1.html |title=Halo: Reach UK Review |date=2010-09-11 |accessdate=2010-09-12 |first=Martin |last=Robinson |publisher=[[IGN]]}}</ref>
|OXMUK = 10.0/10<ref name="OXboxMagUK">{{Cite web|accessdate=2010-09-13|url=http://www.oxm.co.uk/article.php?id=22214|title=Halo: Reach - |work=[[Official Xbox Magazine]]|date=2010-09-12}}</ref>
|XPlay = {{Rating|5|5}} <ref name="xplay">{{Cite web|accessdate=2010-09-12|url=http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61984/halo-reach/review/|title= Halo: Reach - Xbox 360 |publisher=[[G4 (TV channel)|G4]] }}</ref>
|OXM =
<!-- Custom reviewers -->
| rev1 = [[The Guardian]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="guardian-boxer review">{{Cite news|author=Boxer, Steve|date=2010-09-12|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/12/halo-reach-xbox-360-game-review|title=Halo: Reach for Xbox 360 {{!}} Game Review|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=2010-09-12}}</ref>
| rev2 = [[The Daily Telegraph]]
| rev2Score = 10/10<ref name="telegraph-hoggins review">{{Cite news|author=Hoggins, Tom|date=2010-09-12|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/7994988/Halo-Reach-video-game-review.html|title=Halo Reach video game review|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|accessdate=2010-09-12}}</ref>
|compilation=yes
}}
''Halo: Reach'' was received well upon its release. On the critic aggregate reviews [[GameRankings]] and [[Metacritic]], the game has a normalized score of 91.74% and 91/100, respectively, based on samples of 15 and 26 reviews.<ref name="gamerankings-reach">{{Cite web|accessdate=2010-10-15|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/960512-halo-reach/index.html|title= Halo: Reach |publisher=[[GameRankings]] }}</ref><ref name="metacritic-reach">{{Cite web|accessdate=2010-10-15|url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/halo-reach|title= Halo: Reach&mdash; Xbox 360|publisher=[[Metacritic]] }}</ref> Critics such as [[1UP.com]]'s Thierry Nguyen, the staff of ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'', and ''[[GamePro]]''{{'}} Matt Cabral considered ''Reach'' the best ''Halo'' title yet.<ref name="1up-review">{{Cite web|url = http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?pager.offset=0&cId=3181331&p=4|title = Halo: Reach Review|publisher = [[1up.com]]|last =Nguyen|first = Thierry|accessdate = 2010-09-12|date= 2010-09-11}}</ref><ref name="edge-review" /><ref name="gamepro-review">{{Cite web|accessdate=2010-09-12|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/216483/halo-reach/|title= Halo: Reach |publisher=[[GamePro]] }}</ref> Many noted that there were few major changes to the ''Halo'' formula,<ref name="gamespot-review" /> although IGN's Erik Brudvig wrote that while ''Halo'' veterans would instantly feel at home playing the game ''Reach'' was not "another rehash".<ref name="ign-brudvig review">{{Cite web|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/111/1117228p1.html |title=Halo: Reach Review |date=2010-09-11 |accessdate=2010-09-12 |first=Erik |last=Brudvig|publisher=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Tom Hoggins of ''The Daily Telegraph'' commented that the game was unlikely to convert non-''Halo'' fans, as the game took the best elements from previous games and created ''Reach'' as "a blistering, breathless crescendo to a decade's worth of work".<ref name="telegraph-hoggins review" />


Brudvig praised the Campaign for not suffering from the "repetitive landscapes and circuitous, difficult to follow plots" that past ''Halo'' titles had,<ref name="ign-brudvig review" /> while [[Game Revolution]]'s Blake Morse wrote that the campaign "succeeded triumphantly" as Bungie's last title, thanks to no religious subtext or "[[Gravemind|telepathic plant that looks like something out of the ''Little Shop of Horrors'']]" to detract from the story.<ref name="gamerevolution-review" /> [[GameSpot]]'s Chris Watters and others noted that the friendly non-player character artificial intelligence was less advanced than that of enemies, especially while driving.<ref name="gamespot-review">{{cite web|author=Watters, Chris|date=2010-09-13|url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/haloreach/review.html|title=Halo: Reach Review|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2010-12-10}}</ref> Steve Boxer wrote for ''The Guardian'' that ''Reach''{{'}}s story made previous entries feel "amateurish",<ref name="guardian-boxer review" /> while Nguyen felt the story was more accessible, although it suffered from overly-generic archetypal characters and occasional lapses in exposition.<ref name="1up-review" /> In contrast, [[Games Radar]]'s Charlie Baratt opined that ''Reach''{{'}}s campaign was better than ''ODST'', but it lacked the "franchise-changing potential" it promised.<ref name="gamesradar-review" />


Writing for Ars Technica, Ben Kuchera praised the multiplayer component of ''Reach'' for its scope—"no matter how you play, you will find something to like", he wrote.<ref name="ars technica-review">{{cite web|author=Kuchera, Ben|date=2010-09-12|url=http://arstechnica.com/gaming/reviews/2010/09/halo-reach-review.ars|title=The Few, The Proud, The Fallen: Halo Reach Review|publisher=[[Ars Technica]]|pages=1–3|accessdate=2010-12-10}}</ref> Morse, Baratt, and others lauded the large amount of new and old customization and game options available to players.<ref name="gamesradar-review" /><ref name="gamerevolution-review" /> Watters and Kuchera praised the concept of psych profiles to hone more agreeable teammate selections, but were not sure how effective it was in practice.<ref name="gamespot-review" /><ref name="ars technica-review" /> G4 considered ''Reach''{{'}}s Forge World alone more expansive and impressive than ''Halo 3''{{'}}s Forge.<ref name="xplay" />


The audio-visual components were noted as a marked advance over ''Halo 3'' and ''ODST''{{'}}s. ''New Zealand Herald''{{'}}s Troy Rawhiti-Forbes wrote that with the improved graphics, animation, and voice acting, "Reach looks just like a big-budget Hollywood project."<ref name="nzherald-review">{{cite news|author=Rawhiti-Forbes, Troy|date=2010-09-12|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10672910|title=Halo: Reach - first among prequels|work=[[New Zealand Herald]]|accessdate=2010-12-10}}</ref> While ''[[Official Xbox Magazine]]'' said that there were other games with better graphics, "''Reach'' has its own eye-catching beauty and breathless scope", and the inclusion of wildlife and civilians heightened the impression of a planet under siege.<ref name="OXboxMagUK" /> Nguyen noted that large amounts of action on-screen occasionally resulted in frame rate slowdowns.<ref name="1up-review" /> Martin Robinson of IGN UK appreciated O'Donnell's moody score and the redone sound effects, and wrote that the new weapons "feel like they're about to tear your hands off".<ref name="ign-robinson review" />
<!--http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology/2010/09/12/review-halo-reach-115875-22556169/  -->
{{-}}
===Awards===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:90%;"
|-
! Honor
! Awards
! Presented by
! Date
|-
| Best Sound<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s3085964.htm|title=GG Awards 2010 - Best Sound|publisher=Good Game|accessdate=2010-12-24}}</ref>
| GG Awards 2010
| [[Good Game]]
| {{dts|format=mdy|2010|dec|06}}
|-
| Best Xbox 360 Game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/manifesto/2010-gr-awards-best-xbox-360-exclusive-3593|title=2010 GR Awards - Best XBOX 360 Game|publisher=Game Revolution|accessdate=2010-12-24}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" | 2010 GR Awards 
| rowspan="2" | [[Game Revolution]]
| rowspan="2" | {{dts|format=mdy|2010|dec|21}}
|-
| Best Shooter<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/manifesto/2010-gr-awards-best-shooter-game-3561|title=2010 GR Awards - Best Shooter|publisher=Game Revolution|accessdate=2010-12-24}}</ref> 
|-
| Shooter Game of the Year<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamespy.com/articles/114/1141516p4.html|title=Game of the Year 2010 - Shooter Game of the Year|publisher=GameSpy|accessdate=2010-12-24}}</ref>
| Game of the Year 2010
| [[GameSpy]]
| {{dts|format=mdy|2010|dec|22}}
|-
| Game of the Year<ref>{{cite web|url=http://roosterteeth.com/podcast/episode.php?id=95|title=Drunk Tank Podcast #95|publisher=RoosterTeeth Productions / Drunk Tank Podcast|accessdate=2011-01-05}}</ref>
| Drunk Tank Awards 2010
| [[Drunk Tank Podcast]]
| {{dts|format=mdy|2011|jan|05}}
|-
| Best Multiplayer
| Spike Video Game Awards
| [[Spike TV]]
| {{dts|format=mdy|2010|dec|11}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

==External links==
*{{Halopedia Link|Halo: Reach}}
*{{Halo Alpha link|Halo: Reach}}

[[Category:Halo games]]
[[Category:Xbox 360 games]]
[[Category:2010 video games]]
[[Category:Video Games]]
[[Category:Only on Xbox 360]]
[[Category:Xbox One Backwards Compatible]]
[[Category:Xbox Game Studios games]]
[[Category:Exclusives]]
[[Category:Halo]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Windows 10 games]]
[[Category:Science fiction video games]]