It’s easy for people to say that they’re a big fan of something or someone and then fail to shoot for the moon when presented with an opportunity to do so. Well, you know how it goes, so it’s always best to go big or go home – and no other time seems so apropos as when I was presented with the chance to get my hands on a Halo: Reach Legendary edition. Now, anyone who has read my columns here long enough will have a deep-seated understanding that I’m a bit of a Halo-fanatic. Yes, I went to the Halo launch party back when Bungie was based in Chicago before hitting it huge with Halo and being moved closer to the Microsoft mothership. Even before then, I’ve had a heartfelt love for the gameplay and overarching universe simply because it appeals to me in a way only raw science-fiction can. So, it came as no surprise when I sprung for the Legendary edition and looking back, I couldn’t have been happier having done so.
10. Nice Package: I’m a sucker for good, creative design that shows a lot of thought went into how a product is packaged so it’s like a miniature Christmas when someone finally opens it. That, as far as I’m concerned, is what has always set apart just buying something that will end up collecting dust on your shelf from the things that you will truly appreciate as long as you own it. The Reach Legendary box is, in no simple terms, one of the sexiest game boxes I’ve ever opened. Seeking to break the fourth wall, whoever was responsible for designing the box for this game really went all out and truly put their heart into making it something exceptionally special. Complete with UNSC stickers on either side to keep the slip cover from sliding off and a note inside from a fictitious character giving you some back story on the smuggled contents inside the box, it’s like a cargo container from the Halo universe got lost in transit and fell into your bedroom. While that may seem like small gaffs to some, it never hurts to appreciate the little details and without a doubt, Bungie overlooked none for their coup de grace – packing as much special as possible into the box.
9. Realistically Breaks the Fourth Wall: Elementarily speaking, the fourth wall is what separates those watching a film, playing a video game or reading a book and allows us to look upon the events as they occur within the construct of the paradigm that exists within the universe created by the artists showing off their creative works. Occasionally, a medium will seek to break the fourth wall and draw their audience in deeper, such as when a novel directly addresses the reader (See: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), actors look at the camera and address the viewer (See: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) or a game reaches out to a player that supersedes that of gameplay (See: Metal Gear Solid). That is what the overall package of Legendary edition for reach succeeds in doing – summarily shattering the fourth wall by making it seem like a living, breathing piece of history from a future that hasn’t occurred yet has somehow managed to end up in the hands of the gamer holding it. Clever as it is impressive, the contents further pull the faithful fans in deeper and stand to intrigue uninterested parties into indulging their curiosity to learn a bit more about a universe that may seem strange and enigmatic to them - a bit like pushing someone down the rabbit hole.
8. Sexy Armor: While it was generous enough on the part of Bungie to finally endow upon faithful gamers the iconic Recon helmet in the form of a day-one purchase code that was enclosed in each first-run box of Halo: Reach, tossing in a bit more merely allows players to wear their loyalty on their sleeve, so to speak. Complete with unique Elite armor for when you want to get your Covenant on in multiplayer, it only served to sweeten the overall deal for potential purchasers. But perhaps the most notable of rewards would be the flaming helmet for Spartan avatars in multiplayer and firefight. Long since reserved only for Bungie employees, it seems the decision to open it up to the most zealous of fans has served to be a double-edged sword for the more competitive of the bunch. Certainly, the truly fanatic want to be set apart from their more nominal fellow games, but this comes at a price. Suffice to say, it’s very hard to miss noticing a flaming helmet in an open area, or the headshot that usually follows it. Therefore, I can only say that if you really want to equip the flaming helmet, that’s all well and cool, but you better have the skills to back it up – or you’re probably going to be going down in flames more often than not.
This feature top 10 list continues on the next page, please click below to see our next couple reasons that we purchased the Halo: Reach Legendary Edition.
