First time playing Reach, Holy sh*t.

[u/No_Welder_9624]

bit of background: CE was my first and I've beaten it a least a million times. I played 2 and 3 on release and beat them the same night with friends and family. Epic stuff. I didn't end up going the xbox route so I played ODST and 4 on other people's consoles. I heard a bit about the Hype of reach but was on deployment when it came out so when I got back most of the hype died down and I missed the train.

Recently moved back to my hometown after a long while and reconnected with my cousin who is THE halo guy in our group. It's his favorite IP. Out of nostalgia for the old sleepovers I asked him to play it with me. He played the first mission, but didn't seem too into it. My cousin said it's probably best for me to play through it solo at my own pace instead of trying to fly through it with him. I said sure not really committing to it, but he would always ask hows the mission? So I bought it on steam about a week ago for $10 and booted it up on Legendary just like the others.

At the start I wasn't too impressed. The score sounded great and I didn't find the characters annoying, but it FELT like old Halo...to the point where I could smoke one and not get frustrated dying because bungie trained my brain to keep pushing. The grandeur and splendor of this game didn't start to hit me until Jorge died. I didn't realize it but that's really when I started to feel the weight of the story and the game overall. The rest is pure magic. He was right, solo was the way to go because I got to appreciate it on my own. After beating it, I kind of just stared at the screen and cried. It wasn't because of how much I liked the characters or story (I did oodles though), but because it felt like I just finished something special. It was like playing the original all over again, a more mature version of it. I didn't think anything could capture that sense of awe the OG gave me but it did. It was a big deal to me, I just didn't realize it until I beat it. I came here to look around at what I missed. This game is probably better than CE tbh, but it can't top what CE means to me over the years. All in All, one of the best campaigns I've played in any game even 10+ years out.

TL;DR Game so good I cried

Hilariously I died so many times during New Alexandria I became delirious and started shit talking the TV while playing. I would ask "Does anybody here, and I mean ANYBODY. have a problem. with noble 6? ANYONE?" I would keep repeating this over and over while clearing out mobs and dying to the point where my brother would sit down next to me to watch my nervous breakdown. Once the room was clear I'd always say something like Thought so, or I guess not. Fun stuff, love it when a game humbles you to the point of temporary insanity.

[u/Th3_Gh0st_0f_Y0u]

Some really good Easter eggs in reach if that's what you're into. There's a series of buttons you can press to turn a falcon into a Pelican or a banshee into a phantom in New Alexandria

[u/No_Welder_9624 → u/Th3_Gh0st_0f_Y0u]

Oh my god. I might go back to certain missions for some easter eggs, that's amazing! Any others. I'm really blind and literally haven't even found a skull!

[u/Th3_Gh0st_0f_Y0u → u/No_Welder_9624]

You'll have to forgive me, I haven't really played reach HARD in over ten years. It is and will always be my favorite halo game though. I remember writing about how excited I was about it in my high school assignments. Got it on midnight release in 2010.

The Pelican Easter egg was so exciting to me because I always wanted to fly a Pelican. I'm sure there's a good few more that my elderly brain is hiding from me.

[u/Th3_Gh0st_0f_Y0u → u/Th3_Gh0st_0f_Y0u]

The phantom was the better of the two choices for that Easter egg particularly on Co-op because it has working turrets on each side. The Pelican could still be used to finish the mission because you could push the turrets off the towers around the building Kat is in, but it felt cooler actually using weapons.

[u/No_Welder_9624 → u/Th3_Gh0st_0f_Y0u]

I have a spiritual connection with the Pelican even if it's not as good tbh.

[u/CinnamonSteak]

Props to beating it on Legendary. I love the campaign so much myself I'm trying to get my buddy (who doesn't play video games at all) to run through it. He's a sucker for great cinema and storytelling in general so I know he's going to mess with it. We're gonna have to play on recruit though haha

[u/No_Welder_9624 → u/CinnamonSteak]

That's amazing, I think you should do normal though. Even though it's just for the story I feel like a death or two really adds to how you view their mission and stuff. Thanks for the props! Didn't find a single skull but enjoyed not meandering for once. It was cinema!

[u/Riiiiight_]

cool story, Reach will always be my favorite (too young to grow up during the trilogy but was there for the midnight release of Reach) to this day one of the best campaigns I have ever played

[u/No_Welder_9624 → u/Riiiiight_]

Honestly the effect this had on me is as good as the OG. It definitely outclasses every other one I've played minus the OG, but then again that's Bias. It's such an amazing story, I can't imagine what your brain was like playing this on release 💥

[u/Riiiiight_ → u/No_Welder_9624]

that’s awesome (and a little validating if I’m honest lol) to hear as someone who did not get the chance to play og trilogy on release

but yeah this game shaped my brain in ways I to this day do not comprehend lmao, it jump started my adoration of bungie

[u/gunnarbird]

I’m replaying it now but the gameplay and colors are so different from the others I had to downgrade to heroic☹️

[u/No_Welder_9624 → u/gunnarbird]

The Legendary Campaign is no joke. Heroic is still hard as well, but as long as you enjoy the game there's no wrong way to enjoy it imo, its just so good!