The Halo saga reached a dramatic climax with Halo 3, but the franchise did not end there -- not by a long shot...

Halo: Reach, developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by acclaimed developer Bungie, is the blockbuster prequel to the best-selling Xbox franchise of all time. It represents the culmination of Bungie’s 10 years of experience crafting groundbreaking Halo games that have raised expectations for what can be achieved in a video game.

Experience the fateful moments that forged the Halo legend. This is the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanity’s last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth. This darker story is echoed by grittier visuals amid a backdrop of massive, awe-inspiring environments. Characters, enemies, and environments are rendered in amazing detail by an all-new engine designed to deliver epic-scale encounters against the cunning and ruthless Covenant.

Once the campaign is over, the battle continues online with an unparalleled multiplayer experience expanding on the award-winning suite of features that helped define the Xbox LIVE experience.

The Halo: Reach multiplayer beta, on track to be the largest beta program of its kind on any console, is expected to see millions of participants when it begins May 3. Players can access the multiplayer beta on Xbox LIVE through the Halo 3: ODST disc.

Features

• Meet Noble Team: For the first time, players fight alongside a squad of iconic Spartan soldiers, each with deadly talents as unique as their individual personalities and customized gear.
  
  
• An intense campaign: Live the events that set the stage for the Halo trilogy as the UNSC and Covenant clash at the height of their military power. New weapons and abilities complement the familiar Halo arsenal for the largest-scale battles ever witnessed in the Halo universe. Fiercely cunning artificial intelligence adds depth and complexity to each encounter, helping make every playthrough a unique and epic experience.
  
  
• Stunning technical advancements: Halo: Reach takes a massive leap forward through all-new engine technology designed to take full advantage of next-generation graphics, audio, special effects, A.I., and animation while continuing to expand on the campaign, cooperative, and multiplayer sandbox in a way that only Halo can.
  
  
• The definitive multiplayer experience: Halo: Reach builds on the success of its predecessors, setting a new standard for competitive gameplay, customization, variety and community integration.
  
  
• Unparalleled feature suite: Halo: Reach expands on the industry-leading suite of features found in Halo 3, including four-player cooperative campaign play, splitscreen support, saved films, screenshots, and exciting new surprises that have yet to be revealed.