The single player is superior and more epic than anything that's been achieved on a console before, and its multiplayer cooperative and competitive will be enjoyed for thousands of gamers for months. Reach is the last Halo game from Bungie, and they just have raised the level of what to expect in the series for years to come.

Halo: Reach is undoubtedly one of the biggest games of this year, and although it's sad to know that there isn't going to be another one any time soon (well, not from Bungie anyway), it's also good to know that – over the eight years that Halo has been around – Bungie have managed to take every part of each game, and mix them together into one big recipe for success – for avid fans and newcomers alike, for years to come.

Halo: Reach is a well-designed and intricate shooter experience; one of the best on the gaming scene today.

Did I thoroughly enjoy Halo: Reach? Yes, very much so. Will I ever watch a cut scene from this game ever again? No. Will this game continue to remain in high play rotation on my Xbox? Very yes.

While the torch has been passed to fledgling studio 343 Productions for future Halo content and games, Bungie's final effort in this universe still stands as a fantastic final chapter to a gaming dynasty that's lasted most of a decade.

Halo: Reach is the closest thing I've seen to a perfect shooter.

A beautiful, astoundingly deep - yet very familiar - Halo package. Thanks for the memories, Bungie.

In closing, Halo Reach is a must have title for any fan of the series (which by now, you should know if you are or not) and even if you aren't a fan of the previous titles you may find that the lengths Bungie have gone to refine their formula will now win you over.

It's not the perfect shooter by any stretch, if indeed such a thing could exist, but as a multiplayer effort there's every reason to expect the game to reach far into the coming year and beyond.

Although Halo: Reach is not perfect, it does come pretty darn close to being one of the best first person shooters ever.

Halo: Reach is everything a Halo fan has ever dreamed for. All that was lacking from previous Halo games is here and then some. This is Bungie's love letter to their fans and they've definitely gone out with a bang.

Reach is a fine conclusion to Bungie's stewardship of the series, but that's what stops it from being anything more. Halo felt like the future. Reach is merely a brilliantly engineered present.

Reach captures what you love about Halo, refining it on the multiplayer side and preserving the fluid, dynamic, ever-surprising campaign action that makes most rivals look like clumsy shooting galleries.

Reach is the best Halo ever created by Bungie. Great graphics, excellent storyline and the usual perfect multiplayer, make this game a "must buy" not for every Halo fan, but also for everyone playing first person shooters. Unfortunately, a 5-hour single-player campaign prevents the game from gaining that perfect score that it would have otherwise deserved.

Reach is dramatic, emotional, engaging, cinematic and we are satisfied with the hardness thrown in heroic difficulty.

The Single Player is far away from perfection. It lacks drama, and the pace isn't that high. But, as usual, Bungie delivers a complete multiplayer experience. Thanks to FireFight and to the new game modes, Reach is one of the best online FPS, and it will last for years.

Almost everything about Halo: Reach is perfect. The campaign feels great other than a few slow spots and stupid AI - and the multiplayer and matchmaking set a standard that all FPS games should be following. On top of that, the customization that Bungie has given players access to is second to none.

Any disappointment series fans felt after ODST should be completely washed away thanks to Reach. Make no mistake about it - this is the true follow-up to Halo 3. It's also a perfect way for Bungie to part with the series it turned into a phenomenon. [Oct 2010, p.92]

The end result is the best Halo title since Combat Evolved. Halo: Reach isn't about to convert any of the Halo haters out there, but it will keep fans of the franchise busy for months if not years to come.

While no game will ever be perfect, Halo: Reach is as close as Bungie is going to get with the series, and I think they knew that going in. So they did their damndest to make sure it lived up to its namesake, probably even more so than Halo 3 did.

Few are the areas where Halo : Reach doesn't benefit from Bungie's obvious intention to deliver a definitive farewell episode. Aside from french voices and music that are simply good (but not as fantastic as one would hope every single aspect to be), and new covenant weapons slightly off when used in the solo campaign, Reach delivers a brilliant solo experience. The story may not be surprising, but it's a well told one. Reach remains awe-inspiring for its implementation, scope, diversity and richness. Those who will have to carry on the flame have a high bar set there for them to surpass.

It won't court the anti-Haloites back into the fold, but it will more than satisfy the fans and will create plenty of news ones in the process. For Bungie's final stab at the Halo universe (for the foreseeable future), Reach is the swan song legacy that every developer strives for.

The only thing missing from this impressive entry is a number "4" in the title, because for all intents and purposes, Reach feels like the next big thing in the Halo franchise.

The closer you get to the end, the more "nostalgic" it gets, if you want to call it that. There's really no question about this one. Just get it.

All the experience Bungie earned with the Halo-series are used here to pull Reach to a higher plan. This game will never have the same impact as the original Halo, but that doesn't take away the fact that Reach is the best Halo-game. Ever.

A beautiful magnum opus. A modern shooter with polish and a sense of detail that makes Halo: Reach the new reference title for first person shooters. An engaging single player experience and a brilliant multiplayer game. One of the best shooters ever.

Halo: Reach is the final and definitive Halo game with more content and entertainment than any Halo fan ever could ask for.

Almost achieves the impossible and fulfills the hype. Among the best shooters ever created. [Issue#231, p.82]

Reach couldn't be expected to replicate the impact of Combat Evolved, but it's superior in just about every other way. Mission accomplished.

Though its deep roots may not win over those who haven't enjoyed previous games in the series, Halo: Reach is a towering achievement that delivers an enormous amount of engaging content that players will no doubt be enjoying for years to come.

Suffice it to say that while it's not a perfect game, it's definitely the best Halo game yet and a fittingly epic goodbye to fans from Bungie, the developer that helped to launch a million Xboxes.

Now four games into the series there's no denying that the campaign is starting to lose some of its moxie, yet there's just enough revelation here for fans to cling to. But let's be honest. You're going to decide to buy based on its multiplayer component and this is where it delivers in spades.

I think it's more akin to the original Halo CE than any of the previous games, and while I totally enjoyed both Halo 3 and ODST a great deal, it's hard to deny that this is the best of Xbox 360 entries into the series.

As much as Bungie wanted to sell Halo: Reach as a story-driven first person shooter rife with the familiar golden gameplay methods fans have come to expect from a Halo title, Halo: Reach doesn't answer to this standard. The game ultimately shines in its ridiculously fun and addictive gameplay that sees its mastery in the various multiplayer modes available.

Halo: Reach is the ultimate Halo game.

It maybe not be the perfect ending for the franchise because of its prequel flair, but in the gameplay and story-telling aspects it easily earns the crown of the series.

Halo: Reach, simply, is Bungie's masterwork, and if you own an Xbox 360, you'd be an idiot not to buy a copy – even if you're not a fan of first-person shooters, it will still make you marvel at just how good a game can look and feel.

If you felt you have moved on from Halo and that it is no longer relevant, than you are truly mistaken. Yes, Reach is another Halo, but Bungie refined and tweaked the formula to make it stand its ground and make it as addicting as it was in 2001.

Even if you've grown tired of the Halo formula through the years, I'd still recommend this game to you. It's just that good.

I do have some complaints; namely a short campaign (seven hours), cowardly AI Spartans, an undercooked plot, and it's obviously disappointing that Bungie is no longer at the bleeding edge of graphics technology (as it was with Halo and Halo 2) but at the end of the day we've got an absolute treasure trove of gameplay for shooter die-hards.

Nine years in and on its fifth and final pass Bungie has created the definitive Halo experience, in which refinement is matched by the gentle revolutions of its new features.

If you're a fan of the Halo series and were a little disappointed with ODST and a little apprehensive in purchasing this title, don't be. Bungie have redeemed themselves by not only creating an engaging and coercive story but have brought the game back to its roots and tweaked the gameplay, both offline and online to make this the definitive game of the series.

A worthy sign off from Bungie who create another masterpiece to end its tenure with the Halo series.

ODST could have been a clever little shimmy, but it came out a misstep. Reach brings us right back into the dance that hooked us nine years ago, introduces some cool new steps, and leaves us twirling in enchantment as Bungie graciously bows out. Just keep twirling, Spartan.

Halo: Reach, more than any other game in the series, truly belongs in this generation; It's everything fans want it to be and more.

This is Halo at its best. You might miss Master Chief, but all the other multiplayer modes will keep your mind on track.

Halo Reach has the best campaign appearing in consoles for Elites, the upgraded coop mode, the excellent enemy IA , the new skills ... and has an infinite multiplayer. Reach is the definitive Halo and one of the most important games in recent years.

Halo: Reach finds its strength in a varied and balanced gameplay, a deep and dramatic story and gorgeous environments, aside from the many multiplayer modes with virtually infinite customization possibilities. We're only left with a little bit of delusion for the lack of really surprising and memorable moments during the story, like the ones the series accustomed us to. Notwithstanding, Bungie closes its run on Halo with a great game that both fans and newcomers will find highly satisfying.

Halo: Reach is without doubt Bungie's finest Halo game, and best of all it has the story and structure to the campaign to finally deliver the Halo experience that some of us have been waiting for since the original Halo: Combat Evolved launched on Xbox back in 2002.

Halo: Reach is the Bungie's last goodbye to a saga that mostly made what Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are right now. And it's a lot of the things every Halo fan could have hoped for. It won't be easy for the new team to pick up Master Chief from where Bungie left him.

So should you buy it? If you like Halo, it's a resounding yes - this is the best Halo ever (even if it is - by far - the hardest). If you like multiplayer first-person shooters, it's an "almost definitely" (fans of realistic shooters need not apply). If you want the world's most polished single player experience? A less enthusiastic response is appropriate.

Unfathomably deep, customizable, user-friendly, and straight-up engrossing multiplayer modes.

The FPS epic comes full circle. Pure quality.

Halo: Reach is bar none the most developed, robust, and title in the franchise.

Halo: Reach manages to out-deliver Halo 3 - which was itself one of the most over-delivered game's in history. The updated visuals and AI engine combine with the ever more nuanced and varied gameplay, not to mention online modes and other new gadgets, to make this a game not to be missed.

Halo: Reach will inevitably become one of the biggest games of the year, if not in gaming history and as Bungie's last Halo it is something of a fitting tribute to what has gone before. It may not deliver the same emotional attachment as playing as the chief, but it does provide an epic if somewhat somber experience that ends where it all began and becomes a must for any Halo fan.

A good finale, maybe not the epic one everyone was waiting for. Halo Reach will make the fans rejoice, especially with its incredible multiplayer side. On the other hand, the single player experience is somehow flawed by a fragmentary plot, a short lifespan, some small bugs and the missing "team feeling". It's a great shooter, but it won't be remembered as the best of this generation as some believed.

Everything has been enhanced and improved so much, that Bungie at least deserve kudos for all the effort they put in. This is definitely the most complete Halo game to date, and well worth the money. Hell, It may even live up to its own hype.

In conclusion Halo: Reach is one of the most feature rich packages available on the Xbox 360 to date. Bungie has taken the time to ensure that every included mode, option and feature has been polished to perfection.

Halo is their story, and with Reach you feel they have just closed the book. It may not have the lasting impact of Combat Evolved, but as a refinement of the idea --the essence-- of Halo, it is their finest work yet.

Aside from some minor technical hurdles like occasional slowdown, it looks great, and plays like the best parts of all four Halo games up until now. If you were worrying that Bungie would phone it in for their swan song, worry no more. And that's not even getting into the multiplayer

Reach is the most spectacularly euphoric hello and goodbye in gaming history.

It's a fitting swansong for Bungie, setting a beautiful end that takes you right back to the very beginning.

Overall, Halo: Reach is an amazing title.

Halo: Reach again sets the benchmark of how to make a combat game, be it first or third person. Its freedom to be played and approach any situation makes it a unique game. Its only flaw is the duration of the story, a bit shot, although many will feel compensated by its overwhelming multiplayer mode.

The robust and extensive suite of features make for a compelling overall package. It's an incredible campaign, and its less bombastic plot and clear-cut story stop it from getting bogged down in the sense of being overworked.

Bungie's last Halo game is a great prequel to the Xbox 360's most important franchise. However the game is not as excellent as we had hoped it would be. While playing through the campaign we were missing those special moments we experienced during the first three games of the series. The multiplayer part of the game is - once again - awesome.

Epic beyond what we'd expect from a Halo game, typically well-polished and boasting impeccable shooter design. [Issue#64, p.80]

A so-so campaign isn't the send-off that Halo deserved. Incredible online options are. [Dec 2010, p.71]

As the multiplayer king that it is, it is safe to say that the machine has, again, risen. All I can say, in the end, is kudos Bungie and thanks for the memories; I have loved Halo.

Bungie wanted to go out with a bang, but instead, they've gone out with a nuclear explosion that not even a Spartan could survive. It's the end of an era, that's for sure, but the beginning of a new one. Step up 343, you have some big boots to fill.

Halo Reach feels like their goodbye love letter to Halo fans and it's apparent that they've put a lot of heart and soul into making this a memorable Halo title even without the Chief

Bungie has listened to the fans and brings them the good old Halo formula with a brand new twist. Halo: Reach will keep gamers locked in their rooms for months to come thanks to a ton of new game modes and options.