Halo 3 vs Halo Reach

[Helix Amell]

So this topic is very controversial to many of the Halo gaming community and has arguably been mentioned through YouTube and various other forums on which stands the title of which is the best game- Halo 3 or Halo Reach? Now when you give me your reasons, it doesn't have to be your opinions singularly, try to  include facts, marketing, and other useful info to back up your points maybe also compare the campaign and the multiplayer experiences. I encourage you to do so.

 

So tell me which game will stand victorious? Will it be Halo 3, or will Reach win? Post your comments below.

[Ranger Intel]

To me it looks like you are talking about the game only, not the story. Here's what I think.

 

Halo 3 was a bigger, more loved game overall by Halo fans. It had an unforgettable campaign and a new multiplayer experience. It was definitely something to remember. Halo: Reach on the other hand, was a completely new experience for Halo in general. AAs, many more forge options, older storyline, newer characters. It was also Bungie's final Halo game, meaning it held a high place for sentimental value. It was what Bungie had always wanted to make and was their final effort on Halo.

 

Now gameplay-wise, Halo: Reach was more advanced and had a smoother multiplayer experience. It had a wider variety of weapons, abilities, and vehicles to use than Halo 3. Halo 3's multiplayer had a nostalgic effect on me, first time playing it I was so hyped. Halo 3 without a doubt had a better ranking system. The Armour in halo 3 also felt more valuable compared to Halo: Reach for me, most likely because there weren't as many sets and earning each piece was a satisfying and sometimes challenging accomplishment. Halo 3's campaign had an amazing storyline that continued the Master Chief's story and left us with a stunning cliff-hanger. Halo: Reach's campaign was definitely interesting and backed us up on Reach's story, which is always great for our lore knowledge.

 

I don't think either game is really 'better' than the other. I can't make a final decision because they both balance each other out with better factors than the other. If I had to make a choice between the two, I may end up saying Halo 3 because of my enjoyment whilst playing it, although I had ended up playing Reach more.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Blake Belladonna

[Helix Amell]

I briefly mentioned the word 'campaign' (another word for story) btw. Oh and very good points

[Guts]

Personally, I have to say Halo 3 over Halo Reach. Halo Reach was a good game but the Campaign didn't grasp my attention or interest. It seemed too "Go here!" and "Do that!" for me. Halo 3 was like "Chief! Detonate Halo! Save the universe!". It grabbed my attention and really delivered a great story. Reach just dragged on with the death of each member of Noble Team. The multiplayer in Reach was also not as good. The armour abilities just got on my nerves after a while.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Dexter Grif

[Composite Armour]

Halo 3.

 

Don't even know what the question is, just Halo 3.

woah, deja vu.

HELP IT'S AGENT SM-

Edited November 3, 2014 by Ledgend1221

[BerriesBoo]

I think Halo 3 and Halo reach are different, Halo 3 doesn't have sprint or other kind of stuff like jetpack. but Halo reach is kinda better than Halo 3. but I like both, too.

[Jack Of Harts]

Halo 3.

 

Halo: Reach just left me feeling empty... The story was dull and depressing, the music didn't help either. The characters were very bland and mediocre, the only one I really cared for was Jorge because he actually had some badass dialogue and emotion. Emile was just your stereotypical tough guy trying too hard to be cool, Carter was a bland commander, etc. I don't mind a down-beat storyline but Halo: Reach just didn't do it well because of little-no character development. Halo 3 was just much more memorable. I mean, who could forget Johnson's death scene, which actually HAD some emotion unlike the death scenes in Reach. That awesome legendary ending, too. DAT WARTHOG RUN! Halo 3 had better soundtrack as well. Halo 3's sounded legendary and adrenaline-filled, whereas Reach's sounded dull and depressing (at least it fits with the story... but is that really a good thing?)

 

Gameplay.

Halo Reach had much better Custom Games and Forge, but that's the only thing it did better than Halo 3 if you ask me. Halo 3 actually used original maps for the multiplayer. Okay, there were some remakes but at least there were actual maps made for multiplayer. Halo: Reach's maps were either recycled from the campaign or forged, except for the DLC maps.

 

Halo 3 had better weapons. Give me the Battle Rifle and Carbine over the DMR and Needle Rifle any day. It had dual-wielding which was awesome, it had the SMG, the Mauler, the Flamethrower, the Sentinel Beam, etc.

Better Melee system as well, you don't have to take their shields down fully in order to kill them with a Melee attack.

 

It had more vehicles; the Elephant, the Hornet, the Chopper (Spyro and I know about that one, we had a huge collection of them a while back on Lost Platoon) and the Prowler.

 

I love the equipment on Halo 3 much more than armour abilities, as you actually have to find them on the battlefield, instead of just spawning with them. You have the Bubble Shield, Power Drain, Regenerator, Trip mine, etc. They add far more variety than armour abilities do, and let's not forget the annoying-as-hell Armour lock.

 

So yeah, Halo 3 over Halo: Reach any day, unless I am playing Custom Games.

[depressant]

Hmm....

 

Halo 3: Better campaign, characters, and story line. It was practically a single player co-op between Chief and Arby, and there's a bigger variety of enemies and vehicles. Before Halo 4. More connected to other games. BIG cliffhanger.

 

Halo Reach: Customizable Character (Noble 6) which is shown throughout the story. A more emotional story, with more characters/friends. People die (Yes, in my opinion that's a good thing, more believable and human). Noble 6 (Player) dies.

 

I think overall Halo 3 is better because it's more related to the whole Halo trilogy, considering it's in the middle of the games.         

[rrhuntington]

To me it looks like you are talking about the game only, not the story. Here's what think.

 

Halo 3 was a bigger, more loved game overall by Halo fans. It had an unforgettable campaign and a new multiplayer experience. It was definitely something to remember. Halo: Reach on the other hand, was a completely new experience for Halo in general. AAs, many more forge options, older storyline, newer characters. It was also Bungie's final Halo game, meaning it held a high place for sentimental value. It was what Bungie had always wanted to make and was their final effort on Halo.

 

Now gameplay-wise, Halo: Reach was more advanced and had a smoother multiplayer experience. It had a wider variety of weapons, abilities, and vehicles to use than Halo 3. Halo 3's multiplayer had a nostalgic effect on me, first time playing it I was so hyped. Halo 3 without a doubt had a better ranking system. The Armour in halo 3 also felt more valuable compared to Halo: Reach for me, most likely because there weren't as many sets and earning each piece was a satisfying and sometimes challenging accomplishment. Halo 3's campaign had an amazing storyline that continued the Master Chief's story and left us with a stunning cliff-hanger. Halo: Reach's campaign was definitely interesting and backed us up on Reach's story, which is always great for our lore knowledge.

 

I don't think either game is really 'better' than the other. I can't make a final decision because they both balance each other out with better factors than the other. If I had to make a choice between the two, I may end up saying Halo 3 because of my enjoyment whilst playing it, although I had ended up playing Reach more.

^ This. All of this. Halo 3 wins in my book however, because my times on the game were much more enjoyable than Reach. Halo 3 was the ULTIMATE for me when I got it. I wanted to see how the fight was finished, and at the time it blew me away. I remember feeling empty after I thought chief died, and then felt good again after seeing the Legendary ending. The introduction to Forge was incredible, and so far IMO, Halo 3 had the best custom games out of every game in the series so far. This game is nostalgia incarnate for me.

 

I will still always hold a place in my heart for Reach though. When it came out I adored it, and it is still my most played Halo to this day. Over 40 days spent on Reach. It shows how addicting Halo can truly get to me if I'm in the right mood. The challenges were one of the most fun parts of the game, especially the LASO ones. Still will never get to inheritor though. Just too much XP between Forerunner and Inheritor.

 

FINAL VERDICT: Reach was good, but Halo 3 was 5X better.

[Twinreaper]

Halo 3.

 

Halo: Reach just left me feeling empty... The story was dull and depressing, the music didn't help either. The characters were very bland and mediocre, the only one I really cared for was Jorge because he actually had some badass dialogue and emotion. Emile was just your stereotypical tough guy trying too hard to be cool, Carter was a bland commander, etc. I don't mind a down-beat storyline but Halo: Reach just didn't do it well because of little-no character development. Halo 3 was just much more memorable. I mean, who could forget Johnson's death scene, which actually HAD some emotion unlike the death scenes in Reach. That awesome legendary ending, too. DAT WARTHOG RUN! Halo 3 had better soundtrack as well. Halo 3's sounded legendary and adrenaline-filled, whereas Reach's sounded dull and depressing (at least it fits with the story... but is that really a good thing?)

 

Gameplay.

Halo Reach had much better Custom Games and Forge, but that's the only thing it did better than Halo 3 if you ask me. Halo 3 actually used original maps for the multiplayer. Okay, there were some remakes but at least there were actual maps made for multiplayer. Halo: Reach's maps were either recycled from the campaign or forged, except for the DLC maps.

 

Halo 3 had better weapons. Give me the Battle Rifle and Carbine over the DMR and Needle Rifle any day. It had dual-wielding which was awesome, it had the SMG, the Mauler, the Flamethrower, the Sentinel Beam, etc.

Better Melee system as well, you don't have to take their shields down fully in order to kill them with a Melee attack.

 

It had more vehicles; the Elephant, the Hornet, the Chopper (Spyro and I know about that one, we had a huge collection of them a while back on Lost Platoon) and the Prowler.

 

I love the equipment on Halo 3 much more than armour abilities, as you actually have to find them on the battlefield, instead of just spawning with them. You have the Bubble Shield, Power Drain, Regenerator, Trip mine, etc. They add far more variety than armour abilities do, and let's not forget the annoying-as-hell Armour lock.

 

So yeah, Halo 3 over Halo: Reach any day, unless I am playing Custom Games.

 

 

Are you kidding me?  I saw more emotion from a Moa on Reach, than Master Chief throughout the entire series!  Talk about bland, even the ending to halo 4 had little to no emotion.  it was all one sided with Cortana.

 

Halo 3 at the time did play great, but it wasn't until going back to earlier Halo's and halo Reach that we actually saw how slow and sluggish the gameplay really was.  Halo 3 suffered from a lot of the same issues Halo 2 did in terms of geometry and repetitive feelings in the levels.  Halo Reach beats it hands down.  The environment were more varied and more open ended.  AA's are just equipment, with more than one singular use.  Reach also allowed players to choose the weapon they were most comfortable with in multiplayer, rather than always being at a disadvantage cause your not one of those OMFGIMSUCHAHARCOREPROCAUSEIOWNWITHABATTLERIFLEORDMRANDTHATSALLICANDO person.  For the first time, players had to out think their opponent cause players were put on a more even battle field due to being able to choose their starting most skilled with weapon.  You can argue that all you want, but if your really so pro, why do you need your opponent to start with the same weapon as you, if you clearly have the advantage cause your better with it?

 

Also Halo Reach's campaign felt a lot longer than Halo 3's.  It had a much better story telling aspect.  I don't see why people cannot appreciate the story.  Sure it was dark and fated, but that's the point.  To show how Reach fell.  What were you expecting?

 

And Johnson's death being emotional?  Please.... Watching Kat get shot in the head and showing her fall as they grab her in slow motion, was much more emotional.  Guess your too young to appreciate the subtle things like that.  I guess screaming is what you call emotional. 

 

Oh and about vehicles?  More?  Please, don't try to count the Elephant.  You couldn't drive it.  Reach had 1 less vehicle...Hardly able to boast it having much more.  1 does not make or break.

 

Halo 3:

 

Warthog, Wraith, Mongoose, Ghost, Scorpion, Prowler, Chopper, Hornet, Banshee

 

Halo Reach:

 

Warthog, Wraith, Mongoose, Ghost, Scorpion, Revenant, Falcon. Banshee

 

Overall halo Reach for me was a better game and a much better story telling experience.

[Gusto]

Halo 3. 

 

3 is just an experience I'll never forget. It lived up to the hype. I didn't feel that way about Reach (as amazing as it still was).

 

 

Halo 4 made me miss Reach like hell tho. 

[The Director]

Are you kidding me?  I saw more emotion from a Moa on Reach, than Master Chief throughout the entire series!  Talk about bland, even the ending to halo 4 had little to no emotion.  it was all one sided with Cortana.

 

Also Halo Reach's campaign felt a lot longer than Halo 3's.  It had a much better story telling aspect.  I don't see why people cannot appreciate the story.  Sure it was dark and fated, but that's the point.  To show how Reach fell.  What were you expecting?

 

And Johnson's death being emotional?  Please.... Watching Kat get shot in the head and showing her fall as they grab her in slow motion, was much more emotional.  Guess your too young to appreciate the subtle things like that.  I guess screaming is what you call emotional. 

 

You must be joking. The whole point of Master Chief was to create a near blank slate experience so that the player could step into his shoes. It was the same with Noble Six.

 

Discounting the primary 'blank slate' characters of the game, Halo 3's secondary characters were brimming with emotion. SGT. Johnson, Miranda Keyes, Lord Hood, 343 Guilty Spark, and even to some extent the Arbiter. Compared to the action movie cliches from Halo Reach these characters were far more adept at showing emotion. The most emotional character in Halo Reach was Jorge, and even that's not saying much.

 

I felt, while playing Halo Reach, that the script writers were having trouble making the dialogue match the emotions that the player should be experiencing. I had no feelings like that during Halo 3. It also felt like most of the cutscenes that were trying to add emotion to the gameplay were added on as an after thought. Random fights being picked between the members of Noble team seemed to be added for just this reason. Emile picking a fight with Jorge over the chick who lost her dad, for no reason. Emile being offended that Kat reaches for his knife, only to give it to her with no huss or fuss a second later. Kat and Carter arguing over the best course of action, even though the rest of the team apparently knows Kat's going to win out.

 

Not to mention the death scenes. They felt like something out of Final Destination 2. I first played Halo Reach with about 4 of my friends watching, and here's some examples of the conversations that took place.

 

 

Jorge dying: "Wait, weren't there Marines on that ship?" "Yeah" "Well, I mean it's not like they are going anywhere, why didn't he just.." "Yeah, I know. I guess the cutscene is supposing that all the Marines are dead somehow." "Well sure, but how did the timer get.." "He just said it was shot." "Right, but how's he planning on setting the thing off?" "Idk dude. Maybe he has a doctorate in physics and engineering."

 

Kat dying: "WHAT?!?!" x3 "Dude, where were her shields?" "I have no idea. Maybe they got fri.." "No way. That covenant ship would be able to be flying with an EMP that could have taken out her shields that long." "Well maybe they were down for some other reason." "Sure, whatever. We're supposed to think that the random covenant ship saw them for a split second and a jackal took an amazing shot and instead of using superior fire power to fry the other spartans whose shields should also be down they run away instead?"

 

Carter dying: "How is he so beat up but you and Emile are fine?" "Idk, maybe we're good at dodging." *when Carter crashes* "Yeah, fair enough." "Yeah." x3

 

Emile dying: "You're joking right?" "Just shut up." "Yeah but he.." "We know already." "So it's almost over then?" "Nah, we still have to die in some BS way."

 

Lone Wolf: "So it's over then?" "Yep." "Okay." "Let's play multiplayer."

 

 

I mean seriously. The only death scene in Halo 3 I can think of where there was any sort of 'how did that happen' was when Miranda died.

 

Fun wise I'd give it to Halo Reach's Multiplayer, but overall I'd have to go with Halo 3.

[Ash]

Halo 3 had a more diverse gameplay experience in terms of campaign, multiplayer and other modes. 

 

Reasons:

 

~ Halo 3's Campaign took you places and didn't keep you in the same area for a long period of time. While Reach's ended up revisiting previous missions.

 

~ Halo 3's Multiplayer had both social and ranked playlists, whereas Reach was all social and only had a few unpopular MLG playlist from time to time.

 

~ Reach's forge was far superior to 3's in terms of content and tools, that being said 3's forge was much to begin with. To clunky and frustrating.

 

~ Reach having Firefight gives it a good advantage considering the fact it wasn't invented until after 3 came out.

 

But all in all I must concur that Halo 3 does surpass Halo Reach in terms of quality gameplay experience. Reach is prettier, but graphics alone can't carry a game like Reach by itself.

[Twinreaper]

I disagree Director.  Halo 3's emotions or lack their of, were forced.  The problem with a "blank slate" character as you put it, is that even though the character is supposed to be us by proxy, the cutscenes and dialog negate that.  No matter what you actually felt when playing as Chief or Six, the dialog and scenes you were in negate a lot of or any emotion you felt stepping into that character.  It's not as if you were actually able to interact with the characters with your own emotion.

 

As for Johnson, he yelled a lot.  He's no different than an Elite.  Johnson had 2 gears....yell and depressed.  That's it.  Miranda, same thing.  She was monotone a lot of the time when the action dictated a more vibrant approach.  think the pelican scene at the end where she holds off the brutes and the prophet.  She talked cool calmly and monotone.  No gasping, no sense of fear or apprehension.  Even the emotional range of getting spiked in the back was equal to a fart for christ sake!

 

At least in Reach, the characters conveyed the actual emotions and tense pauses you would expect on an actual battlefield in the cutscenes.  Sometimes it isn't even the dialog that portrays emotion.  The ending with Six fighting off the Zealots....it says more than any added dialog could.  Just watching him fight them and the way the character is animated, you can feel the struggle to stay alive.

 

Halo 3 had the luxury of keeping a lot of the cast and having a large disposable army of marines.  Chief we all knew had to survive, as well as the Arbiter.  Reach, we all knew it was doomed planet and what would become of our character.  I think it was harder to write for Reach than 3 based upon the events and moving forward.

 

Oh and before anyone comments on Chief again, how he's so emotional and loving and all....where was he when Reach fell?  Oh that's right, he got his ass handed to him on a recon mission and trying to destroy one lone cruiser.  He may have killed one cruiser, but he nearly bit it but was saved by Brett or Fred...can't remember which one it was.  He had to retreat due to injuries and the fact that Reach was pretty much a no win.  He ran away.  Where was his emotion then?  Nowhere that's where.  It came down to Noble.  Noble handed the Covenant their asses pretty much.  If it weren't for the Capital Ships or the Corvette, Noble probably would have cleaned the planet of the invasion, all without Chief.  Of coarse that is all theory and non-cannon timeline conjecture, but the logic fits based on the game.

[Helix Amell]

Reach took place way before Chief was around  to be big,  as you mentioned Twin, as Master chiefs reveals his history of how he came to be and defeated that ship in the written novel, 'Halo the fall of Reach'.

But at the end there is a special cut scene in Halo Reach that involves moving the analogue stick to the side and you can see what appears to possibly be the chief in a  cryo-tube, during the landing of Captain Keyes Pelican in Hangar Bay at the Pillar of Autumn. But Hands down, I would go for Reach on more of it's dialogue, it's very emotive and compelling, especially the menu for Halo Reach brings a sense of emotion through the gamer, seems surreal to some but poetic. Whereas with Halo 3, it was all MLG and multiplayer and the fact that the Chief is in it seems very popular, I think between you and me one of the main reasons that people may not have picked Reach because you don't get to play as the chief. And for many of us it seems understandable for many of fans have waited from the release of Halo 3 (2007) for exactly 4 years until they get to finally have a return for the chief. I believe it's those kind of fans who just don't like change and having to play of somebody else who may not be great as the chief isn't their cup of tea for them..unfortunately but then again to some, it may be.

 

 

But not to mention, there's other reasons towards it as well, not just that reason singularly.

[lilsilmarillion]

Halo 3.., no question

[DIABLO 0166]

 

I predict that halo reach will win.

[Caboose The Ace]

^

 

Heh out of all the posts...

 

Roughly counted

 

Halo reach has one member supporting it and Halo 3 has 11.

 

You could be wrong there.

[Awoken Epidemic]

Halo 3 I played for 6 years, I only played Halo Reach for 3 years because of lack of interest. They are both great games but I prefer Halo 3, Which I think is the best Halo

[Scorch]

Wow tough one but i'm gonna have to go with Halo 3 on this one for the sole fact that Halo reach felt like a little kind of rushed to me. Now here me out I love Reach's customization but in mulltiplayer a lot of the maps were straight from campaign (Swordbase,Spire,Boneyard,Boardwalk,etc..) and for me I like when they make the maps straight for multiplayer in mind. On I side note I also miss the clueless English speaking grunts over the Jabba the hutt speaking grunts.

[AnimeAddict]

In my opinion Halo 3 had a better story characters and basically everything except for a few points

 

A.The Forge

B. Custom Games

C. Firefight 

[BG3 Gaming]

My favorite part of Halo has been the forge since it was introduced, so I'll have to say Reach. Much better forge experience there.

[Ailean]

Although Halo: Reach wasn't made exactly like the book says,yet it has better gaming,character and level graphics than Halo 3,but Halo 3 has alot way better story.So my answer is Halo 3.Plot always wins.

[Ranger Intel]

Although Halo: Reach wasn't made exactly like the book says,yet it has better gaming,character and level graphics than Halo 3,but Halo 3 has alot way better story.So my answer is Halo 3.Plot always wins.

 

Halo: Reach (the game) and Halo: The Fall of Reach (the book) are in the perspectives of different people, so they won't be following the same characters. Halo: Reach's plot doesn't break canon.

[Caboose The Ace]

^

 

It does. or at the very least makes Halo cannon, silly.... let me explain.

 

Chief and the heavily injured Linda return to Autumn. Chief puts himself and Linda in cryosleep. ( in the books the Pillar of Autuum then flees into Slipspace as Reach falls )

 

With Halo reach involved....

 

Chief puts himself and Linda into cryosleep. Keyes then receives a call from Doctor Halsey to go to Reach and pick up a fragment of Cortana.

Keyes makes it though the Covanant blockage and lands the Autumn in a shipyard. Soon enough Noble six arrives and Cortanas fragment is inside the Autumn. The ship takes off and somehow manages to get though the blockade of Covenant ships.

 

That is one of the many ways but its a big one.