Man, I'm just happy I hit the max rank and moved on to Black Ops. Reach brang a lot to the table, and in paper it was the Halo game that I always dreamed of. In execution, it left a sour taste in my mouth.
Yes, it closed the cycle by ending where Halo CE started. Yes, it let me play Firefight with anyone. And yes, it gave me countless hours of entertainment I wouldn't give back (most of which were from DLC maps that were removed. But I'll always think of Reach as something that could have been much more.
They were fun times, but looking back, I'm ashamed to admit I played the game too much, more than it deserved to be played. Maybe it's just because I switched my social life in exchange of playing Reach. Maybe it's just that the game arrived at a harsh point in my life. Or maybe it's just because I put so much hours into it.
I will remember Reach. I will remember it as my escape from real life in a time of need. An escape that was good while it lasted.