* New details from Bungie.net official forum:
 

- Reach will NOT follow the book, Fall of Reach.
 

- We play as Spartan IIIs. Jorge is the only Spartan II on the team, and as a result is larger.

- Carter 259 and Kat 320 are the only members of their original squad.
 

- Jorge is a heavy weapons specialist.
 

- “Skully” now has a name, Emile 239. He’s the silent type of the game.
 

- The sniper is called Jun 266. He’s thoughtful and taciturn.
 

- We can customise the appearance of the Lone Wolf by a small degree.
 

- The game is apparently darker than any of the other Halo games, even more so than ODST.
 

- Human Insurrectionists are possibly in the game.
 

- Bungie have once again made the Covenant more dangerous and frightening, as they were in Halo 1.
 

- Covenant soldiers no longer speak English, they speak in their own languages.
 

- A new enemy like a Jackal has been introduced, named a “Skirmisher.” They are deadly and cunning enemies that attack in packs, and flank secure positions.
 

- Graphics have been improved drastically, as proven by in-magazine comparisons.
 

- Elites are back, and are more ferocious than ever.
 

- Larger scale combat will be in Reach. Where only 20 AI at a time could be on screen in Halo 3, now over 40 AI and 20 vehicles can be present at a time.
 

- Scenes are more cinematic.
 

- Noble Team splits up at a point in the story, but it seems they soon get back together.
 

- Health Bar is back along with energy shield.
 

- Single shot rifle like the Halo 2 E3 demo is in the game, named the Designated Marksman Rifle (DRM).
 

- Sniper, AR and Magnum make a return. Gun sounds are more realistic.
 

- Needler Rifle is in the game, a mid-range headshot capable weapon.
 

- Spike Grenades and Flame Grenades are out. Only frags and plasma remain.
 

- Helicopter Transport is called the Falcon.
 

- Civillian vehicles are now drivable.
 

- Fully stealthy gameplay is now possible.
 

- Assassinations are possible with a knife by holding down the melee button.
 

- Sprinting is now possible through an equipment like mechanic.
 

- Spirits, the Covenant drop ship in CE, return in Reach, alongside Phantoms.
 

- Grunts look a lot more menacing.
 

- Motion Tracker seems compressed, like an oval rather than the Halo 3 circle.
 

- Hud is yellow rather than blue.
 

- Marines look vaguely like Halo 1 marines.
 

- Phantoms now have a flashlight, like the one seen in the ODST announcement trailer.
 

- Elites seem taller, and are no longer hunched.
 

- All features from Halo 3 (Forge, Theatre, Co-op) make a comeback along with several new ones.
 

- We will be shown what Reach looks like before it is destroyed. We will see the levels of destruction progress as we get further through the game, implying the game takes place over a longish period of time.
 
 

Host Geoff keighley from Gametrailers, has tweeted that he wants to put these rumors to rest:
 

“Let me put the rumors to rest: The HALO: REACH piece at the VGAs will not be CG.”
 

So, you have it now. Gameplay footage for Halo: Reach is guaranteed. But will Bungie announce Halo: Reach Beta date? That’s why we have to wait until December, 12 to know the full details.
 

But to tell you the truth, the leaked screenshots has displayed some indications of what to expect from the game graphically. The weapons model looks detailed and astonishing. It seems that Bungie has been playing or watching Killzone 2 a lot, as you can see the huge amount of details that has been put in the weapons alone. Similar to what we have seen from Killzone 2.
 
 

The environments in Reach does look more detailed than what we have seen from Halo 3 and ODST. But we can’t tell which game has better (between Halo: Reach and Killzone 2) textures or better looking environment, as we need to see better screens for Halo: Reach to make an honest comparison.
 
 

While Halo: Reach is shaping up to be the best looking Halo game ever, yet we have to see a game on consoles that can render lighting and particle effects like those seen in Killzone 2. No matter what if the game is using the rumored X-Engine or not, we have to wait for better screens, an official trailer or maybe the upcoming beta could give us a better resolution.
 

But there are some questions for you folks: Will Bungie finally back its amazing gameplay with powerful visuals? Will Halo: Reach replace Gears of War franchise as the best looking exclusive on Xbox 360? Will it match the graphical quality of Killzone 2? Let us know by leaving a comment.
 

Microsoft had stated in numerous times that the Halo franchise is what they will be focusing on and that shows in their attempts in expanding the Halo franchise by bringing the franchise to different genres like what we had seen in Halo Wars.
 

Now with the release of Halo 3: ODST is approaching, a lot of gamers are asking themselves if the game is worth the money or the wait, the answer to this question depends on what you expect from the game, that’s why I’m writing this review to give you a better resolution about the game.
 
 

The game starts with a group of ODSTs preparing to drop onto the dark streets of New Mombasa using one-man Human Entry Vehicles (HEVs). But things don’t go as expected; a mysterious shockwave will be triggered while the ODSTs are dropping in mid air, which will result in scattering all of the ODSTs from each other.
 
 

From here, you will take the role of The Rookie who had been unconscious and been stuck in his HEV for six hours. After a brief tutorial, you will be able to get him out and your journey in the streets of New Mombasa will begin. The first thing you will notice is how dark and scary the streets of New Mombasa is. It’s clear that Bungie wanted to create a dark Halo game this time around.
 

The hub design of the city is a departure from the previous games in the series, as you wander the streets of New Mombasa while playing as The Rookie you will be traveling within the city in search for his fellows ODSTs. You will follow a signal on your map which will lead you to the beacon. When you find a beacon, you will trigger a playable flashback that will explain what had happened to the other playable heroes in the game. That’s when the game will show you the true action as those flashbacks plays exactly like what we have experienced before in the series. I found this method in telling the story to be very clever, as it made the progression of the story more interesting. I think that Halo fans will like how the story is presented in Halo 3: ODST.
 
 

Bungie haven’t reinvented the gameplay formula this time around, instead of this, they have created a tighter levels to play in and they had kept all of the things that made the Halo games fun to play. All of your favorite weapons and vehicles are still there in Halo 3: ODST plus some new weapons.
 

The multiplayer in ODST plays exactly like what we have seen in Halo 3, which isn’t a bad thing as the multiplayer is still a blast to play. The second disc of the game contains 24 maps consist of the original eleven Halo 3 maps (Construct, Epitaph, Guardian, High Ground, Isolation, Last Resort, Narrows, Sandtrap, Snowbound, The Pit, Valhalla), the Heroic map pack (Foundry, Rat’s Nest, Standoff), the Legendary map pack (Avalanche, Blackout, Ghost Town), the Cold Storage map, and the Mythic map pack (Assembly, Orbital, and Sandbox) as well as three new maps (Citadel, Heretic, Longshore). Which is a good value for your money if you hadn’t already acquired all of those maps.
 

ODST also contains a new cooperative game mode called Firefight. Firefight is Halo’s version of a survival mode, wherein players take on increasingly difficult waves of varied enemies and see how long they can last, this mode plays exactly like Gears of War 2 Horde’s mode, but in first person view. It’s a good addition to the whole package and it could be the reason you will come back for Halo 3: ODST.
 
 

The game uses the same engine that powered Halo 3, which is starting to show its age. But you can notice some improvement in the game visuals; the character models looks a tad better than what we had seen in Halo 3. Also, the lightning effects has more depth. What the game lacks in graphical prowess, it make up for in its fantastic artistic design and great soundtrack. I have to give special credits for the game soundtrack, as the soundtrack really fit the mood of the atmosphere and the action in the game. When you play as The Rookie, you will hear a set of piano musical scores which will give the feel of loneliness and the danger of what yet to come at the next corner. In other heroes segments where the focus is on pure action, the game will play some epic music that will set the mood of the battles you are participating in.
 

While the campaign mode in ODST will take you from 6-8 hours to complete (which isn’t very long), ODST’s campaign mode could be the best one you will ever play in the series. But what will make you come back for more is the multiplayer and the amazing firefight mode.
 

This isn’t a full-blown sequel, which might disappoint some people. But you’d do well to take it for what it is: another great Halo game from Bungie. While it’s a hard decision for the gamers who already got all of the Halo 3 DLC maps (which lessen the value of the package), Halo 3: ODST is a must have title for Halo and FPS fans.
 

Score: (9.0/10)
 

So far 2009 wasn’t the best year for gamers, but in the coming few months many EPIC titles will be released, and here are our most anticipated 5 games yet to come in 2009:

 
 
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 
The direct sequel of COD 4, one of the best selling shooters of all time, here comes the most anticipated game in 2009. Even though the game will feature a brief single player campaign, multiplayer is what Call of Duty is all about.
 
 
The game will have a new co-op mode “Special Ops” that supports up to two players online or locally in split-screen. The competitive online multiplayer will have the same rank up system of COD 4, with few more features, new weapons, upgradable perks, 15 kill streak rewards and THANK GOD an “in game host migration” which means that even if the damn host leaves the game, players will remain.
 
 
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

 
One more reason to buy a PS3,as if we need one, Uncharted 2 takes off a couple of years after the events of Uncharted: Drake’s fortune, the game will show a “darker” side of Nathan.
 
With Naughty Dog’s new game engine players will experience a whole new level of gameplay mechanics, and stunning graphical technology (the game will use between 90-100% of the PS3 cell processor).
 
Also the game will feature a co-op mode that will allow up to three players to play as Nathan, Sully and Chloe and a competitive multiplayer mode that allows a maximum of ten players to play through different modes.
 
 
Halo 3: ODST

 
I know we had it with Microsoft “milking” the Halo franchise, but so far this game looks amazing. This time around the player will take control of an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) soldier “The Rookie”, a few years before the events of Halo 3.

For the first time in an open world Halo game, the player can approach missions anyway he wants. You can choose to be patient and use stealth, or you can just start shooting everyone, but be careful, because you’re not “Master Chief” which means no health regeneration, no advanced armor and less strength.
 
The game will also have the same Halo 3 multiplayer with 24 maps (all map packs + 3 new maps), and will include a new Firefight mode *cough*horde mode*cough* which will allow up to 4 players to team against waves of enemies.

I think gamers will fall in love with the multiplayer mode, but there is a big question here: will the campaign mode meet the expectations of the fans of the series?
 
 
Assassin’s Creed II

 
The first AC was a real great game that felt short in a few aspects, such as the lack of variety, weapons and yeah “the best assassin in the world” couldn’t swim!

So far AC 2 seems too good to be true!! Impressive graphics and physics, gameplay seems flawless and varied, lots of upgradable weapons and this time you will play as Ezio, who is way more badass than Altair. Ubisoft Montreal has done a great job listening to fans, know you can swim, fly, buy a lot of different upgradable weapons, use enemy weapons and no cover is safe anymore.
 
 
Left 4 Dead 2

 
Left 4 Dead is one of those games that you can’t really like and understand the gameplay until you try it, seriously when the game first came out, I couldn’t care less about it, I just didn’t think it was that good! But after playing the game with a few friends, I discovered I was missing a lot.

L4D 2 will use the same engine (source engine) used in L4d. Four new survivors will shoot their way through hordes of different zombie types in 5 new larger maps that will be playable in co-op, versus, survival and an all new multiplayer mode.

The first game was one of the best co-op experiences of all time, and with the addition of over 20 new weapons (such as the chainsaw, axe and frying pan!!), new ammo types, new infected zombie types and a new A.I director. Even though the L4D was just released less than a year ago I think Valve’s additions will double the fun.
 
 
 

Honorable Mention:
Dragon Age: Origins, Borderlands, Brutal Legend, Demon’s Souls, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Forza Motorsport 3, FIFA Soccer 10, Tekken 6