(Note: I played the remastered version of Halo: Reach released in 2019)
343 has done a lot of work with the textures, and it shows—the environments have been spruced up a bit, but the character models especially have been retooled to near-modern standards. While it runs exceptionally on my system on paper—I'm managing 200+ fps nearly constantly (depending on how much Michael Bay is going on on my screen)—there is a persistent stutter which makes things look rather jagged. Normally this would be excusable, but it's rather bothersome in a shooter. Some of the settings are welcome in a remaster such as this; the field of view slider is particularly nice. It shows the team remastering this were listening to the demands of their potential PC customers. I'm sure adding that took some extra work on the part of the devs, and it's much appreciated. TotalBiscuit would have been so happy to see it.
Additionally, mouse and keyboard controls are fantastic. I'm somebody who played all of the original Halo: Reach when it released in 2010 and it plays exactly as I remember it—which is odd because I played it with a controller back then, and I'm playing with a mouse and keyboard now. That goes to show the hard work the development team has put into making mouse and keyboard controls feel so good they come naturally in a game that was never originally meant to have them. There is mouth smoothing and acceleration available, but thankfully they are set to 'off' by default. Another little thing I appreciated as a PC gamer.
In addition to the odd framerate stutter, another complaint regarding the port would be that the sound is relatively poor. Guns are far too quiet and their sound design lacks pop, which makes them feel like little more than plastic toys, and there is no dynamic range here whatsoever which hampers the realistic feel of gunfire and explosions most shooters feature these days. Additionally, the mix in general sounds a bit muddy to my ear—the bass of the music often blares too loudly and drowns out the dialogue that is occurring. It shows how far shooters have come, as I recall Halo: Reach being completely competent in the sound department back in 2010. Sadly, it shows Reach's age, whereas the updated textures make you feel like you're playing a modern game.
As far as stability is concerned, the port has been wonderful. I haven't experienced a single bug thus far.
Maybe you're new to Halo? Perhaps you're a younger gamer, or you've been a old-school PC gamer who never picked up Halo: Combat Evolved or Halo 2 back when they released on PC in the early 2000s. If that's the case, the Halo series represents a sprawling, thrilling adventure that's ambitious and action-packed, and it's a completely competent shooter even in the modern day. My opinion is that you owe it to yourself to check it out, and if you like Halo: Reach, then you'll probably dig the rest of the series, too.
Time to manage expectations, though. Don't expect a fully modern shooter with Halo: Reach! Even with the fresh coat of paint, Halo still feels like Halo—and this is not necessarily a good thing to some people as it's a very particular taste.
Movement and jumping has always felt a bit floaty in Halo games. The campaign difficulty might be a bit higher than folks might be used to, and stronger enemies such as the elites can feel a bit bullet spongey. It will take some time to get used to not being able to aim down iron sights for every weapon, and for sprint to not be readily available.
Additionally, mouse and keyboard controls are fantastic. I'm somebody who played all of the original Halo: Reach when it released in 2010 and it plays exactly as I remember it—which is odd because I played it with a controller back then, and I'm playing with a mouse and keyboard now. That goes to show the hard work the development team has put into making mouse and keyboard controls feel so good they come naturally in a game that was never originally meant to have them. There is mouth smoothing and acceleration available, but thankfully they are set to 'off' by default. Another little thing I appreciated as a PC gamer.
In addition to the odd framerate stutter, another complaint regarding the port would be that the sound is relatively poor. Guns are far too quiet and their sound design lacks pop, which makes them feel like little more than plastic toys, and there is no dynamic range here whatsoever which hampers the realistic feel of gunfire and explosions most shooters feature these days. Additionally, the mix in general sounds a bit muddy to my ear—the bass of the music often blares too loudly and drowns out the dialogue that is occurring. It shows how far shooters have come, as I recall Halo: Reach being completely competent in the sound department back in 2010. Sadly, it shows Reach's age, whereas the updated textures make you feel like you're playing a modern game.
As far as stability is concerned, the port has been wonderful. I haven't experienced a single bug thus far.
Time to manage expectations, though. Don't expect a fully modern shooter with Halo: Reach! Even with the fresh coat of paint, Halo still feels like Halo—and this is not necessarily a good thing to some people as it's a very particular taste.
Movement and jumping has always felt a bit floaty in Halo games. The campaign difficulty might be a bit higher than folks might be used to, and stronger enemies such as the elites can feel a bit bullet spongey. It will take some time to get used to not being able to aim down iron sights for every weapon, and for sprint to not be readily available.
If you're looking for a great campaign, you will find it here. Halo: Reach features a poignant, phenomenally written and designed campaign with absolutely perfect pacing. It will leave you reeling from its emotional impact despite its minimalist storytelling. One of the highlights of Reach's campaign is that you're finally not the only Spartan around. As Noble Six, you have five other team members around you at all times. Certain members accompany you on certain missions, and sometimes the whole team gets together. It's tough to avoid growing attached to your squadmates as you play through the campaign. Whereas in other games they might remain faceless, helmeted supersoldiers, in Reach they are given a coloring of humanity and they feel like real people as a result. Carter is a stoic leader, always attempting to put his feelings to the side, which makes it all the more noticeable when they bleed through. Kat is a grouchy, technical genius—her disability does little to hamper her. Jun's quiet competence suits him as the sniper of the group. Jorge is gregarious and seems consciously at odds with his nature as a killing machine, and perhaps the most dangerous of the bunch. Emile is a clear A-type personality, and his actions later in the story are perhaps the most memorable bit of Halo: Reach. And Catherine Halsey, the intelligence spook, is perhaps the best of the bunch—her cold calculus renders her little more than a psychopath, but we see the humanity poke through a bit here and there. I particularly loved her scenes with Jorge. Throw these characters into a catastrophic, desperate battle to defend their homeland in a losing war, and you have the makings of a gripping, shattering story of sacrifice and perseverance. This is the best campaign of the series in my opinion, and one of the best single player shooter campaigns ever crafted.
To top it off, all of this game has a soundtrack of nearly unheard of quality despite the lower than usual mix from the muddy sound of the port. The Halo series has great music in general, but Reach's score in particular is so poignant and moody and it suits the campaign narrative perfectly. You'll be humming some of these songs in the shower after a night of playing. Others will bring a tear to your eye for years to come, whenever you hear them.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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