The war between humanity and The Covenant has raged on for far longer than anyone can remember. Even before our adventures with the Master Chief, the two forces had at each other’s throats for reasons that yet remain unclear, perhaps even to the soldiers involved.
It is during this time that our tale takes place. On the human colonial world, Reach, an elite squad of Spartans known as Noble Team has just recruited their enigmatic sixth member. Tension exists between the military and civilian settlers, but an uneasy peace born from common interests keeps that in check. Such was the case until The Covenant arrived, and their attack began.
Thus begins our counterattack. No matter what happens, Reach must not fall.
I’ve talked about this with my friend Sam Callahan (who you’ll recognize as the guy I turn to for thumbnails), but there’s something compelling about prequels and the sense of inevitability that comes with them. Thanks to the other Halo games, we already know that the UNSC loses and Reach gets annihilated, even before we start the campaign. That knowledge tinges every aspect of what we see and take part in. No matter how successful Noble Six and the rest of Noble Team are, or how much damage they inflict, they cannot and will not stop the inevitable.
Additionally, something has to be said for the noticeable leap in production values we’re seeing at the start of Halo: Reach. Particularly, the first thing I noticed playing again after Halo 3/ODST is how much better the face models look compared to those games, merely two years later. This goes hand in hand with the writing, because the additional detail allows our cast to be more expressive. The scene with Jorge and the refugee is powerful because he removes his helmet and shows her a very human face to better relate to.
I also can’t help but appreciate the new subtitles, with bright yellow colors to contrast the darker, moodier palette (fitting for the tone). Combined with their font choice, it makes them very easy to read and keep track of on screen. If they could start bringing subtitles into the dialogue spoken during gameplay, and not just in cutscenes, then this would be a great example of good subtitling.
There’s a lot to like here, and hopefully that will only grow as we progress through the campaign.
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