Halo: Reach review

 It's the best looking, most fluid and all-around solid Halo to date. Weapons are balanced, matchmaking has been improved, DLC is out and more on the way (which you can still enjoy matchmaking to the fullest extent WITHOUT having to buy the maps if you do not desire to) and no Halo title previously offered so much customization and various game modes.

Single player campaign is fantastic. It differs from the novel The Fall of Reach significantly, so if you haven't read it, you're fine. If so, you might rage a little, but overall I thought the game told a better version (and I read the novel long before the game was even hinted at). The musical score is jaw-dropping and tear-jerking at times (no, no one actually cries when they hear it) as you follow Noble Team down their path of inevitable defeat as the Covenant destroy the planet.

Multiplayer is very similar to Halo 3, but vastly improved, with a new voting system (pick one of three maps/gametypes or NOTA, which leads to a new round of voting). The biggest change in game play (which otherwise remains tried and true to the series) is the addition of equipment which aids you in various fashions. Furthermore, everything you do, whether in Campaign, Matchmaking, or Firefight, is tracked and rewarded with in-game credits which you spend to customize your Spartan's armor and firefight voice. Each day there are additional Challenges to be accomplished, such as "Kill X amount of enemies in Y mode today" which earns anywhere between 1000 and 2000 extra credits. There is also a (usually very difficult or time consuming) Weekly Challenge, which is always something that either takes a full week to complete (such as "Complete X amount of Daily Challenges this week") or something that is very difficult and requires additional players (like "Complete X Campaign Mission with 'LASO' (Legendary difficulty, All Skulls On)).

To summarize, Reach stands as one of 2010's biggest games and holds its value to this day as the best damn Halo game that Bungie has made. It took a long time, but they've perfected the Halo experience (with ironically no Master Chief to be seen. Coincedence? You decide). This is a must-have.