Right off the bat let me just say that the game is stunning. Halo: Reach multiplayer looks better than most games single player campaigns. Textures are crisp and colors are vibrant. There is a ton of detail in this game. Bungie re-tooled Reach from the ground up and it's evident in every frame. The particle effects are vivid and there is no texture pop in to speak of. This is what Halo 3 should have looked like. I can't wait to see what's in store for the single player campaign.
After you get accustomed to the new visuals, you'll start to notice the various and subtle changes in gameplay. The first thing that becomes apparent is the option of choosing load-outs. Players will be able to choose roles to build strategies. You can take on the role of a hulking juggernaut and use temporary invincibility to draw the attention of your enemies. Meanwhile, your team mate can use their invisible cloaking ability to flank the ability with a well placed grenade or assassination. The assassinations themselves are totally new to the series and as far as I'm concerned are a welcome addition. There's something so satisfying about sneaking up behind your opponent and bring them down with a stealthy knife kill or swift neck snap. Be forewarned, you are completely vulnerable during the animation and can fall victim to the same fate you've just dealt out.
Combat techniques from Halo 3 aren't going to work this time around. Health packs are back in a big way and if you plan on staying alive they quickly become a necessity. Grenades now have physics and are no longer lobbed in a perfect arch. They also feel heavier than in past incarnations and as a result, Hail Mary throws down map aren't really possible. In addition, battle rifles are much weaker then in the past. Emptying a clip and then following it up a well placed melee bash won't take your enemy down. It's going to require team work to take the other team down. There are other more deadly weapons scattered about the map and controlling them will be the key to victory. That being said, the playing field is initially level as load-outs don't allow for weapon customization in most game modes. The special abilities are what makes each class unique. The only time this changes is in the just released "Invasion" mode where various weapon load-outs become available as the match progresses.
Customization in Halo: Reach doesn't end there. You'll be able to earn credits from fragging successfully which can be used to unlock armor variants. You'll be able to customize your warrior to your liking complete with color and symbol selection. Expect to see a few pink Spartans dealing death from time to time. It is unknown if customization will be deeper in the final release, but as it stands it's fairly basic and isn't much of a progression over Halo 3.
I highly recommend taking the Halo: Reach beta for a spin. It is currently slated to run until May 18th, but Bungie may decide to extend the duration as needed. Bungie still has the best match making to date and lag is far less an issue in Reach than in other contemporary shooters. Enjoy it while it lasts as we won't get another taste until Halo: Reach is released this September.
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