After entering Microsoft's shiny new presentation room complete with the largest projection screen this side of Mr Burns' mansion, I had the pleasure of experiencing the much anticipated multiplayer beta test of Halo Reach. Along with an overhauled graphics engine, Halo: Reach has been vastly improved to truly create a new gaming experience that will satiate all of the halo fanboys out there, and maybe even those who never really delved into the online world of the Halo franchise. Oh yeah, and if you've ever felt like using a jetpack, your dreams are now a reality.

What's changed here to differentiate it from the other Halo entries I hear you ask? Well, from the Lobby we can see a large amount of exciting new features that present us with a more pleasurable, well rounded experience we can cater to our personal preferences. An extremely simple to navigate lobby hides several in-depth features - the ability to easily locate online friends dropping in or out right in front of you and multiplayer preferences such as selecting spoken language, skill level, and connection speed. Halo: Reach even groups players depending on the amount of chatter they are emitting allowing you to filter out prospective combatants to your liking.



Exploring the lobby before dropping into the action, you will notice customisable options for your character and the opportunity to purchase new aesthetic elements such as helmets and body armor. There's more reason now for you to invest time with rankings, character customisations and challenges in place. Your character earns virtual credits each match by simply playing, or by completing challenges, and eventually levels-up, allowing access to previously locked items. Before you camp-up your character with a bright pink logo and armor, however, keep in mind you might just be a little more visible than your black counterpart.

Based on the old adage "if it ain't broke don't fix it", Halo's combat has remained relatively unchanged in each successive title. Halo: Reach Multiplayer mixes it up more than a smidgen with load-out screens each respawn, allowing you to select from a range of armor abilities, providing opportunities for different attack strategies. You can change your load-out as many times as you wish during each match and can adjust your necessary ability depending on your enemy's game plan. All abilities have a cool-down time so tactical use is necessary.

The jetpack by far brings the biggest variation to gameplay. With most players at our preview session, including myself, choosing to experiment with this particular armor ability the most. By the end of our session there were constant air battles and evades adding a new, very vertical dimension to battles. Used correctly, the jetpack offers chances to extend the lengths of your jumps and provides new opportunities to sit atop an otherwise unreachable structure and pick off your adversaries one by one, true camper styles.



Spartans and Elites can now initiate familiar techniques in multiplayer. If you're a Spartan you can now select the Sprint armor ability providing a constant sprint once initiated. Brilliant for reaching that coveted flaming skull first in Oddball mode. Elites can now utilise Evade armor ability providing a quick dodge in the form of a roll to the side just as they did in the single-player campaigns.

Spartans can also activate Armor Lock. Once initiated the Spartan crouches and creates a brief impenetrable shield, rendering you invincible. You cannot move and cannot shoot whilst active however, leaving you prone to attack the second it ends. It's great for avoiding a grenade at the last minute though.

Active Camo ability provides, as the name suggests, a sort of invisibility cloak. Stand still and you are completely invisible, as you move you become more visible relative to your movement speed. Master the use of Active Camo and you can easily sneak up on adversaries and perform a newly incorporated instant kill move. Instead of alerting the player with an ill-timed melee attack only to have him turn around and take you out, holding down B performs an instant kill.



The levels I played were designed well, promoting the use (if you are so inclined) of the newly implemented armor abilities. One level being a central room with three to four stories either side. With small rooms on each side and crossing platforms, the jetpack is a brilliant option here as you can quickly escape by jumping from the top floor and activating your jetpack to prevent your death at the last minute. The levels look quite lush and the game ran smoothly considering the amount of action that was on-screen.

All the weapons in Halo: Reach have been visually tweaked just slightly. They still retain the appearance and feel of the originals but just appear more 'real' than previously (Spartan weapons, anyway). They just feel like they have more weight behind them - kind of like if we had the technology, they could definitely be created as a functioning weapon. Don't fret hardcore fanboy though, it doesn't lose any of Halo's futuristic appeal, it's just that they're more believable.

Multiplayer game modes in many titles fall short. New ideas are often implemented and just don't succeed in creating something better than the straight forward FFA or Team Deathmatch experience. Thankfully Halo has a few varying modes besides the staple inclusions that work well in their own right. Oddball, Crazy King, Invasion, Headhunter, Stockpile, and FFA are some of the selectable modes. There's even an exciting Spartans Vs Elites online experience, in which characters retain their size and abilities from the single-player campaign. I spent most of my time though playing Oddball and Headhunter.



Oddball revolves around a flaming skull that can be wielded by one player at a time. Whoever holds the skull for the longest period is the victor. Expectedly once you have the skull, you become the prime target. Finding a hiding spot is made more difficult by the fact people can now fly in above you using their jetpacks and take you out. Whilst holding the skull you cannot shoot or use your armor abilities; doing so causes you to drop your skull, ready to be whisked up by an opportunistic Elite. The only defense you have is an up close smack with the skull which while kills almost instantly, getting this close to a player when there are another five on top of you proves difficult.

Headhunter is all about collecting the flaming skulls of your downed opponents. Frag an opponent and he'll graciously drop you a skull. Finish with the most skulls collected and be praised the victor. Each time you die you lose all your earnestly collect skulls, creating an intense and frantic race as every player constantly runs into the line of fire to pick them up. This game mode is like organised chaos, which is just fine.

With Halo's single-player campaigns always being their stronger suit, the inclusions of interesting online modes, armor abilities, a stronger focus on player investment and customizable connection settings, Halo: Reach Multiplayer looks like a winner. It seems a whole new influx may be joining the legion of Halo fanatics online. I'm certainly converted.