I can not help but think the end fight scene in Halo: Reach is a metaphor of how Bungie feels about the end of the Halo series.  Arguably one of the gaming industries most pivotal, literally game-changing franchises, Bungie just pumped out one hell of a capstone game.

Glitchoris BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)

Reach is a fitting end to an extraordinary line of games.  Whether campaign or multiplayer, solo or team-based, the action and fun is non-stop.  Buy it; this game is not going away anytime soon.  Nor should it.

Hardcore Ending

In today’s society of sequels and trilogies, lots of games always leave some opening for a next installment.  Here, Bungie pulled out all the stops.  Especially the ending which will have you asking the air in front of you if Bungie really did pull this on you.  Sure, there is death.  And yes, of course you save humanity.  We knew those things were coming.  But Bungie can’t be blamed for that; it’s the nature of the beast.

However, the final fight scene is so ethereally desolate and sporadic that you don’t know how to consciously play the level.  And while I am not on Bungie’s dev team, this had to be their intention for this level.  Such attention to detail is unheard of in our industry.  Not only did they try this maneuver; they fucking pulled it off.  Sorry, I won’t spoil it for you.  Just know that you truly are missing a piece of our industry if you don’t play it.  And I mean play it.  No Youtube video, cubicle conversation, or Glitchoris.com article can recreate this neuron-firing end sequence.

Shoot To Thrill

If you haven’t read the mid-game thoughts yet, you haven’t read how much I loathe how many bullets are needed to take down a shield.  Then, after another couple hours of emptying bullets into alien skulls, I realized how much pure, sadistic fun I get out of shooting an alien in the head.  Maybe Bungie did not want to rob me of that fun.  Sure, they could increase the mob counts by say 100%, or they could increase the capacity to take concentrated metallic projectiles by 100%.  Either way, the goal is the same: have fun shooting alien baddies in the head.

Another added element in Reach is your environment.  Wait for an alien to circle around an enlarged gas tank, then ignite one to ignite the other.  Want to outflank a hunter?  With the larger playable maps, you can do this.  There is more than one direct path to get to many of the games next playable areas; this was something the previous games lacked (severely).

Upgrade Downloading…

It is simply a matter of time before the next map pack releases, the newest armor upgrades are available, and MLG hosts a massive Halo: Reach tournament.  Hours may be spent increasing your rank and/or increasing  your tolerance for seeking out those hard to get and elusive achievements.

While you may not get all the fun weapons to start, and I did spend a solid five minutes one Saturday night over Live bitching about the back-to-back times I picked up a sword only to end the mission in the next three seconds, they are out there waiting for you to pick them up and put someone down.

Just ask a friend who is playing Reach at the moment what rank they are.  They can tell you without even thinking about it.  Ask them what visor they wear; they will tell you with a smirk while telling you which one they are saving up to purchase.  Ask them what voice they attributed to their character for multiplayer.  They’ll know…they’ll know.

Final Thoughts…

With online gaming what it is today, Reach brings out the best in its gamers.  It brings out our enthusiasm to work together as a team and simultaneously bestowing us with enthusiasm for the achievements.  Buy it.  If not for the ending, for everything you will gain in the process.

Playing a video game should not only be something fun to do, but something you should look forward to doing.  Daydreaming aside, a lot of the fun involving gaming stems from the anticipation of holding the controller or waiting to pull the trigger and complete another headshot.  But every now and then, even in the wake of many new releases, we struggle to find a game that really charges us.  Try one or more of the games below to get yourself out of that rut.

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If you are anything like me, you tend to walk away after booting up your Xbox.  I may pour myself a drink, hit the bathroom, or charge my phone.  I definitely do not sit through the loading screens.  Which is why I am so very glad that I did not stay long enough to mute my television upon leaving.

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In the words of the illustrious speaker (and protagonist) John Marston, “If this is the future, then God help us all.”  It’s ironic that this game takes place in the past, yet playable character Marston isn’t looking forward in time with hope or security.  But Red Dead Redemption gives us just that.  The game itself though is more than good enough to ride into the sunset.

Red Dead Redemption has been one of a few recent games that has lived up to its hype.  Hailed as the next big Rockstar production, this title includes all of the randomness and side-questing game play as the Grand Theft Auto series with the option of having a moral and ethical variant to the decision making process.  Oh, it’s easy to slip into the mantra of “I’m going to kill that guy for no reason other than my right finger is sentimentally missing the RT button,” but this game aims to make you feel socially responsible for your actions.

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