a lot of the 80s action movie dialogue

of Halo is a coalition of extremist religious races called the Covenant, which are motivated to destroy humanity because they believe it is an affront to their gods. In the past, you played the Master Chief, who is the ultimate warrior, with the most advanced military might that Earth has to offer. It's an alien War on Terror.


Despite the unfortunate allegory, Halo: Reach is attempting to be a bit more complex, grown-up and darker than its predecessors.


It's part of a trend seen in many of today's video games, from to , which aim to connect with us on a more emotional level via complex storylines and difficult player choices - at least where possible amid the intensity of a first-person shooter game.


Halo: Reach doesn't quite achieve the emotional tug and moral ambiguities of some of the other recent blockbusters in this ilk, but the makers did try.


Gone is the Master Chief, a lot of the 80s action movie dialogue, and the likelihood that your super-warrior will save humanity. You play a more vulnerable soldier sent to a distant planet far from home in 2552, and now you're part of a team. Civilians have more of a role in the game than in the past, and you get to know more about the personalities of your fellow soldiers. People die, and they don't get extra lives.


Crucially, it looks like your team won't come out as winners. We know from the outset that the planet Reach is doomed.

All the best bits of the gameplay from the prior incarnations have been preserved, and largely improved upon. The game feels