If it's really significantly more difficult we will notice. Halo 3 on legendary is a breeze with four players. I completed it the night I bought it.

Executive Producer, Joe Tung:

“ZBR is just one of the milestones we use to stabilize the game for ship. Post-ZBR we will do a series of Release Candidates leading up to RTX (aka release to certification), all the while fixing the most egregious bugs and adding that final layer of polish that can only happen when large areas of the game are stable. Upon passing the certification process, the game is effectively out of our hands and on its way to being manufactured and distributed all over the world to get into retail in time for our 9/14 launch. As of right now, the Environment Art, 3D Art and Animation departments are effectively done with the game. Engineering will continue to smash bugs that bounced past ZBR, while FX, Cinematics, Audio and Mission Design take advantage of a slightly extended timeline to sweeten their areas.”

We Got the Look

One of the biggest changes from build to build lately has been found in the cinematic moments between missions. Spartans have never looked better. Hell, Halo has never looked better. From camera direction to facial animation to character performances and environments, this beauty really is a sight to behold.

According to Lee Wilson, our Lead Cinematic Designer, the process of bringing our characters to life for Halo: Reach was made possible by some significant leaps in both technology and technique. To make sure Noble Team’s journey was as engaging as possible, allowing players to become immersed in our Spartan’s story, the Cinematics team focused early on making sure they nailed what Lee calls the “subtle, human details” like body language and facial expressions.

For facial animation, hired actors and the Bungie players performed on camera to ensure the close ups were believable and lifelike. For full body, motion capture was used to pace and time scenes early on in the production cycle, giving the team more complete performances to work from earlier than ever before. According to Wilson, the extra time and upgraded technology was “priceless.”

“The cinematics are always driven by the game’s script. They’re only as elaborate as they need to be, giving us the opportunity to tell a story outside of the gameplay inside the natural lulls that serve as a sort of reward for completion or a setup for the next part of the game. Getting the player invested into our characters was a big focus for Reach. Having motion capture up and running so early on – as far back as pre-visualization – allowed us to see exactly how our scenes were going to play out and get exactly what we wanted from the start.”

You already got a small taste of what you can expect from Reach’s cinematics during the E3 Sabre launch sequence, but wait until you see what’s going on under the helmet. Lee’s not lying. The new tools and techniques definitely paid dividends and the cinematics look astounding.

Inclement Weather

Well, lookee here. Seems the vehicle powered by a violent thunderstorm isn’t the only thing in Halo: Reach that’s discharging vibrant blue bolts of energy. I just had a look at something else Steve Scott has wrapped in a warm embrace of electricity. Something you won’t expect.

Thor would be pleased.

Man in the Mirror

And while we’re on the subject of getting glimpses, Ken Taya wants to know when we’re gonna reveal one of the multiplayer maps he’s been working on to our lovely at home audience. I keep telling him that Reflection just might be at the top of my Best Looking Halo Maps of All Time list, but he’s not happy with personal praise alone. He wants you to see it in its entire gob smacking glory. The warm wood floors, polished to a high gloss finish. The metal, the marble, and the mountains just outside the massive glass windows. The vibrant, turning hologram of planet Reach suspended above the central hall. The revelation that though this space has a spectacular new aesthetic – it’s all ensconced around a space you’re already intimately familiar with.

Did I tell you that when Marcus noted Reach’s multiplayer maps were taken straight from the campaign that we weren’t telling you the full story?

Ken tells me Reflection has the biggest cube map in the game. I have no idea what that means, but I’m not lying when I tell you that this sucker looks spectacular.

I keep watching the space launch cinematic just breathtaking!! if the rest are as good or better than that, I'll be very happy come Sept

This game will own ALL in every way!! :)

Reach will probably be the best shooter this year (though Bad Company 2 was pretty damn good, just got old fast sadly) but, for me, Bungie still has a lot to prove for me to think this is actually gonna be the true sequal to combat evolved. Halo 2 and 3 had amazing MP that was w/out peer on consoles in many ways, but the SP for those games was nothing special IMO outside of the fun co-op stuff.

but w/ all the talk about open level designs and such I'm really excited about the direction Reach is headed in. I just don't think it's needed to get too uber-hyped just yet, even though the beta was good and the SP videos all look great.

Tbh, my most hyped aspect of reach is the firefight mode and it's nearly infinite ways to change it up. I'm a huge co-op junkie and that mode seems like it was made for me and my buds personally haha.

I just really, really want a SP experience that feels as satisfying as CE did, I'm just not sure if that is possible considering how much CE raised the bar an insane amount for console shooters when it came out. It was jaw-dropping in so many ways. I doubt that is possible w/ reach, though I still expect it to be their best campaign to date besides CE.