Alright, so last week, X-Box 360 owners saw the release of what is supposed to be the final Halo game of the series (made by Bungie, the creators, anyway). So instead of buying new comics for the week on Wednesday, I played “Halo: Reach” for the majority of my free time off. So… I’m gonna talk about that.
First off, when Reach was first announced, I swore that I wasn’t going to play it. I thought that the previous entry in the series (Halo: ODST) was awful and a waste of time. I recall renting that one and playing through the Legendary (Hardest) mode in the game during the course of one evening. I remember playing the game, but there’s not much else I can tell you about it, besides the game being dark most of the time. When that night was over, I took the game back and forgot about it. Then the hype-machine started for Halo: Reach. I wasn’t having it. At least, not until Netflix delivered a certain little DVD called Halo: Legends. Created in the same vein as the Animatrix or Batman: Gotham Knight, Halo: Legends is a collection of animations that help expand the Halo universe. My favorite of the shorts deals with Spartan 1337 and his adventure he has on a planet that is home to dinosaurs and what seems like just 5 people. During the course of the short, he fights what I can only describe as an electric space-ape. But he doesn’t do it alone. No. He gets help from some of the locals who look and act like rejects from Dragon Ball. It was pretty jokey, but it was fun. From there, it was all over. I was trapped, once again, in the world of Halo.
So, last Monday night, I went out to a midnight release to pick up the game. I had a choice between two lines to stand in. Gamestop’s or Walmart’s. Now, I kinda have issues with both stores, for various reasons, but I knew that if I didn’t get the game then, I’d have to waste time on my days off looking for it. So, I picked Walmart, because at least I could stand in line on the inside of the store. Turns out, I made the correct choice. I got all the pre-order gifts that Walmart was offering, without having pre-ordered the game. I got a poster (that I have yet to unroll), a cool beanie, a $20 gift certificate, and best of all, an awesome Halo cupcake.
When I got home, I immediately went to sleep. I had to be at work in about 6 hours, so, you know how that goes. It wasn’t until late Tuesday night that I got a chance to play that game. And fun was had. My skills were slowly coming back to me. And all was well with the world. As for the game itself? It’s a prequel to the first game, and it there’s no Master Chief in it. You can customize your Spartan’s looks for use in the single payer modes as well as multiplayer modes. There are some new tricks that you can do while in battle, and I don’t know. There really isn’t a lot of Halo. But it’s fun. And, since there are so many people playing online right now, it took me 5 days before I heard someone drop a racial slur online. That’s a new record for me. Anyway, I had a lot of fun, and I intend on having a whole lot more. Also, there’s a Halo comic out right now that deals with the origins of Master Chief, before he was a Spartan… Halo: Fall of Reach – Boot Camp. Look for it on our shelves. That’s it. See ya next time.
-Fleet
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One of my favorite bookstores in St. Louis. Star Clipper offers not only the best selection of comic books and graphic novels in the city, but also a cornucopia of art, design and pop-culture related books and magazines. 
Even if I had a 360 I’d avoid this game like the plague for one reason alone. I had to watch the stupid Gamestop pre-order ad every time I wanted to watch a Nostalgia Critic (www.thatguywiththeglasses.com) episode for like two weeks straight. Drove me friggin’ nuts. Glad you enjoyed it though. You should try ordering on Amazon sometime. They’re often giving away gift cards for pre-orders as well, and delivery to your house! No cupcakes though, at least not yet.