“Halo Reach” is a prequel to the famed “Halo: Combat Evolved” and takes place mere days before the events in the first Halo. While players won’t get to jump into the shoes of Master Chief, they will get strapped into the armor of “Noble 6,” a member of a small team of elite Spartans stationed on the colony world of “Reach.” It’s up to you and your team to investigate and defend the colony from the inevitable Covenant invasion. This brings the player through high action battles, stealth infiltration and the use of vehicles ranging from the small but agile Mongoose to use of the new Saber space craft.

Campaign mode feels fresh and challenging thanks to the improved enemy A.I. and the emphasis on team combat. Enemies make full use of vehicles, turrets and grenades and are smart enough that even the lowliest of grunts will have no qualms about flanking and filling your face with plasma. Ally A.I., however, doesn’t have the same gusto. While the marines and ODST’s are about the same fare they have been since the original Halo, fellow Noble squad mates aren’t always up to snuff. They can’t die, but they often get lost in combat and will even stop driving vehicles in critical moments, such as when enemy tanks are firing. This can be resolved by players driving their own vehicles, but it is not quite the same as having fully functional teammates. The fighting mechanics, however, are nearly perfect.

While there is no cover mechanic to the game, there is semi-regenerating health and regenerating shields. Players will wish they had one only when grievously outnumbered or fighting tanks on foot. Duel wielding has been replaced with substantially stronger one-handed weapons, and with add-on’s and secondary effects, such as the magnum’s 2x zoom or the plasma pistol’s ability to disable vehicles, players will hardly miss holding the extra weapon. The guns also control very well and sport a surprisingly realistic feel coming from a sci-fi shooter. The only real grievance with the mechanics is the vehicle controls. Air vehicles control surprisingly well, but new players should be prepared to crash their land vehicles rather frequently since most of them slide around a bit during turns and stops.

As fun as single player is, the co-op and multiplayer sections of the game are where “Halo: Reach” truly shines. Co-op campaign is a blast since players don’t need to rely on A.I. teammates and re-spawning will stop some of the sticky grenade rage that you will slowly start to hate grunts for. Players can also jump into their favorite chapter at any time with any arrangement of skulls (multiplayer modifications) from the very beginning, no unlocking needed. Multiplayer modes include the standard verses, capture the flag, base defense and oddball with a unique Halo twist. Firefight also makes a reappearance and pits the player against more Covenants than one will ever feel comfortable with.

“Halo: Reach” is a strong member of the Halo franchise and easily one of the better games to come out so far this year. If you’re a fan of the Halo series or are in a dire need of some FPS action I whole-heartedly recommend giving “Halo: Reach” a try.