Halo: Reach Forum
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  • Subject: Reach thoughts here!
Subject: Reach thoughts here!

*ALL CREDIT GOES TO echo 1 sniper

First thing to take note of is the text that reads "From the beginning, you know the end" hinting at the fact that we know what happens to Reach, and we know how the storyline plays out in the Halo universe. Now why would you make a new game where the storyline is already something we know? Whats the point in a story that you already know the ending of? Could this possibly be a hint that we think we just think we know the end. Maybe the game takes place (or part of the game) after the Covenant glass the planet. We always thought the planet was glassed and that was the end of Reach, but maybe there is much more that happened that we don't know about.

Second thing I took note of is the quote "Multiple pings below the Orbital Defense grid." probably doesn't mean much but I thought the Covenant jumped well outside of the Defense grid not below it.

Third is the quote "Winter contingency has been declared, all units mobilized and ready." Now I could be missing something from the books since I don't remember them perfectly but what exactly is the Winter contingency? I would guess it is a emergency plan enacted during an invasion but what does this plan include? Possibly self destruction of key buildings and personnel? It would explain the unusual explosions that you see on the surface of the planet.

What exactly is that burning object that you see briefly? Is at a Mac platform? An UNSC ship? Possibly the platform John, Linda, and James assault in the book Halo: Fall of Reach?

Next you hear someone named Sierra 320 (I think) say "Prepped for combat insertion". Obviously the title of Sierra 320 meaning she is a Spartan but is she on the planet? Or is she orbiting above in a ship? Which series of Spartan is she? And why is she alone?

This is where things get a bit more interesting. Massive explosions start to appear on the planets surface as you hear someone yell "What the *insert blam here* was that?". Now why would someone be wondering what it was? Obviously they weren't filled in and what was about to go down before the giant explosions started. These explosions don't appear to be Covenant weaponry since they use Plasma to glass planets, but as Halo 2 shows they do have access to "bomb" type weaponry. Possibly explosions of the power/control stations to the Orbital Defense Mac guns? Or maybe the UNSC is starting their purge of vital information on the planets surface.

After the explosions begin chaos obviously takes over. I cant figure out most of the jumble of talking but you can pick a few things out. First you hear "Were coming in hot, Hold on!" followed by "We just lost our bird". Now who exactly is coming in hot and where are they going? Does the follow up quote mean whoever or whatever it was crashed and was killed/destroyed? Again could this be John, Linda, and James assaulting the station in the book when they crash land into the station?

"Theres still people down here!" is one of the other things I could pick out of the jumble of talking. This again makes you wonder if the UNSC are destroying certain things and places so the Covenant couldn't get their hands on important information (such as the location of earth). Or maybe this is just showing that the UNSC was in a massive evacuation and had to leave some soldiers behind due to lack of room on evac ships.

The last little bit you can hear in the panic is "...is over-run, were holding position as long as we can". Now I cant make out exactly what the guy is saying is over run but obviously its important if they are still trying to hold their position. And who exactly is holding the position? Spartans? Marines? ODST's? Possibly evacuation position since its the last thing we hear before things start going silent.

You then hear someone calling for "Nova-1" (debate if its Nova, or Noble, or whatever) who they need them in the fight. Could this be a UNSC ship? Maybe a Spartan? Secret weapon? Whatever or whoever it is the man cannot get a hold of Nova-1. Maybe they bugged out seeing that Reach was lost or maybe they or it was destroyed. Who is the man calling for this Nova-1?

After the call for Nova-1 there is no response which I take it means that this is when Reach has been pretty much destroyed. But then you hear Sierra 259 answer the call claiming there is multiple Spartans on the ground and that they are not going anywhere. Could this be where the game picks up? Are these Spartans the lone survivors left on the planet? Is the planet destroyed at this point in the trailer? Who are these Spartans and why are they still on the planet? Which series of Spartans are they?

This is where my speculation of the game taking place (or at least part of the game) sometime after the seemingly complete destruction of Reach. The UNSC bugged out of Reach so fast its entirely possible that they just assumed the Covenant glassed the entire planet when in reality they left certain areas intact for unknown reasons and one of these areas is where Sierra 259 and his Spartans could be surviving.

If this is true and the Covenant did not glass the entire planet it brings up the question of why didn't they glass the entire surface? Is there Forerunner artifacts on the planet? Did they try and gain information about the UNSC? What information? (excluding the obvious locations of Earth and other colonies)

Discuss your own speculations and theories and feel free to add any information to the trailer analysis if you find something that you feel is important.

[Edited on 06.07.2009 5:01 PM PDT]

  • 06.07.2009 4:51 PM PDT

It doesn't seem like you've read the book.

  • 06.07.2009 4:53 PM PDT

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Is it just me or does this look familiar?

  • 06.07.2009 4:54 PM PDT

LOL someone's looking for attention.

  • 06.07.2009 4:54 PM PDT

Actually know. Halo: Fall of Reach was sold out when I went to buy it, so I bought Halo: Flood and Halo: First Strike. But maybe you can help me out a little?

  • 06.07.2009 4:55 PM PDT

Reach was a good book. Just think about this, reach is the research planet for the UNSC. we might see weapons they were test that never made it off the planet before it was destoryed.

  • 06.07.2009 4:58 PM PDT
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Wow, you just copy and pasted someone else's thread.

  • 06.07.2009 4:59 PM PDT

Wow, you just copy and pasted someone else's thread.

Because it was getting far done with no attention and I thought I could help out by posting it again...sorry.

[Edited on 06.07.2009 5:02 PM PDT]

  • 06.07.2009 5:00 PM PDT

Before I get started, I am pretty sure that the "burning object" you mentioned earlier was a UNSC frigate or destroyer.

Basically, the Fall of Reach goes like this: right as the Pillar of Autumn is about to embark on its mission- to aid the Spartan IIs in hijacking a Covenant vessel to find the Covenant homeworld and take its leadersip hostage- the UNSC high command orders all nearby ships to Reach to defend it from an impending attack. A massive armada of Covenant warships show up and the battle begins. Twenty (if I remember correctly) super MACs like the one in Halo 2 aid in the defense until Covenant destroyers start using pinpoint jumps to get close to the cannons to take them out. Meanwhile, all but three of the spartans are sent to Reach to defend the MACs reactors, and are overrun. The other three take out a nav computer with Earth's coordinates to keep it out of Covenant hands. Only two Spartans make it back to the Autumn, but one is so near death they immediately put her into cryo.

You've already read first strike, so I won't get into any of those details. If that story alone was what Bungie decided to make Reach about, I think it would be very entertaining to play through. Sure, you know the ending, but look at all those World War 2 games. You still know what happens, yet you play. Knowing Bungie though, I expect the story for Reach will be from a different perspective we haven't yet heard from.

  • 06.07.2009 5:05 PM PDT

I have to admit, i dont know anything about Halo books or anything besides the video games, but these are amazing observations made by echo sniper, I could have never guessed anything like this.

  • 06.07.2009 5:08 PM PDT