Master Chief’s gleaming armor has always been feared even by the most veteran games. The aura of the ring in the world of gaming has transformed Spartan 117 into an icon raising his presence on the lines of Mario, Mickey Mouse and the lineage of Jedis. As Reach prepares to glass our minds with the prelude of the epic conflict, the theme remains in conjunction with what players have loved and enjoyed in the series yet the setting is completely alien. This is not only the chronicle of the Covenant’s first invasion plunging humanity onto the brink of destruction. It also acts out as a signifying step in meshing out the player in the gamut of events that are fleshed out in the successive games which the community has enjoyed over the years.
Most gamers have been quite happy with Sony’s strong first party line-up. It features a balanced mix of titles which no other machine in this generation is able of offer and the production values for each game are just pushed one step further. We don’t even have to glance at Halo: Reach to understand the fact that there already exists something on Sony’s machine which will be equally jaw dropping and heart wrenching to a core gamer, but the question is will Sony fight tooth and nail to overcome the odds that present. No offense to any Sony hardcore addict, but the company needs some serious restructuring to push their line-up beyond their competition. There are numerous indie games floating out there which are perhaps better than most well-budgeted titles. But at the end of the cycle it is the number of units that are sold keeps investors happy and ensures their machine in supply.
Of all the games that are being pushed by Microsoft, it is undeniable that Halo: Reach is placed at the helm of their title line-up and given how open Bungie is being for their last “Halo” game, there seems to be a lot at stake for both parties involved. Microsoft is going to make sure that they can push this game beyond the structure of Halo 3 and given the press attention the game seems to be receiving, this game is already on its way to become a mammoth. Even though Sony has numerous titles to boot its biggest contender against Noble 6 is Kratos who is helmed as one of their most powerful and successful franchise for the company may fall weak and helpless against the Fall of Reach. Though both games belong to different genres and are being released on different dates, God of War being able to surpass the might of Halo looks to be an arduous task. Killzone 2, Uncharted 2 all have tried to upscale Microsoft’s Spartan warrior but have yet been unsuccessful in achieving the oncoming barrage of games.
Reach, according to recent divulged information, is built on a new engine, has the ability to push 40 on screen enemies, customizable armor and a strong story that introduces a fresh perspective into the series. If Microsoft could push and over-achieve it proposed target with Halo 3, which was ultimately rehashed from the bowels of Halo 2, a fresh new beginning into the franchise holds immense promise to everyone both old and new. Halo, as a franchise, has always been a threat to Sony, they have tried to make numerous dents in its armor numerous times but have failed to push through the immense hype hoopla surrounding the game. Reach is sure to blast through all these shields and push for a brand new model of entertainment which the next iteration of Call of Duty may not able to match.
Sony’s has always rested on as a brand that will run by a system which is self propagating and hence their marketing efforts to push their latest brands has always lacked a certain sense of charm that is present in Microsoft’s exclusives. One of the major steps that Microsoft has taken to ensure their hype hoopla regarding a game is being in constant touch with the media which addresses both core and peripheral consumers. The result is that impressions and information regarding the game is perpetually in the minds of consumers. Sony on the other hand pushes its games at the end of their distribution cycle, say a month or a few weeks before a high profile game is actually hitting out in the market.
Uncharted 2 was a great game and our review proves it so but did it manage to grab the investors and propel the PlayStation 3 into the top position, sadly this feat was submerged within the mediocre game Modern Warfare 2 has been. Sony are yet to crack upon a formula to take on this mammoth franchise which seems to be growing with every passing year, with Bungie working hard on this game, Microsoft’s subsidiary is probably hard at working on the next Halo game. Killzone 2 was indeed a powerful game for 2009, but by the end of year everyone forgot about the existence of the game. This was the very same game which had numerous map packs being crafted for all the time, yet most forgot it when the influx of Modern Warfare 2 and ODST popped into consoles.
Even if Resistance 3 and Killzone 3 are released this year Sony has very little to actually offer as support to take on the magnum opus of Halo Reach. Kratos might just be able to break into one of the many defenses of Reach for a bit but by the time we see the sun set on the planet, Kratos and his exploits will be long forgotten. The only move that Sony can work upon is offering a better motion controller alternative at an extremely cheap price which will bring a massive influx of casual consumers from the Wii and continue to satisfy its competition.