Halo: Reach – The Battle Begins trailer

A new trailer was launched today for Halo: Reach, and this time around, it’s focusing more on the dramatic elements than the multiplayer gameplay.  Although thoroughly impressed with the multiplayer beta that came out in the spring, it’s good to see some more focus on the single player story.  Gamers have logged millions of hours of game time on the Xbox Live servers, but for me, the Halo series has always been about the epic space opera.  There are few game franchises that manage to capture that sense of scale so well.

To coincide with the trailer, a bevy of to be expected Halo: Reach branded Xbox hardware has been announced, including a limited edition Halo: Reach console to launch at the same time as a game, and a number of accessories including a wireless controller and wireless headset.  Halo: Reach is also available for preorder in Standard ($59.99), Limited ($79.99) and Legendary ($149.99) editions ahead of it’s launch on Sept 14th (Sept 15th in Japan).

You can catch all the Halo: Reach merch info after the break…

New “Halo: Reach” Trailer Offers a Stunning Preview of the Biggest Blockbuster Game of the Year

In less than seven weeks, the epic battle for humanity’s survival will begin with the launch of the most anticipated game of 2010, “Halo: Reach.” To prepare the millions of fans worldwide awaiting the prequel to the blockbuster “Halo” trilogy, Bungie and Microsoft today released a stunning new trailer that offers a glimpse of the heroic themes and non-stop action in the most ambitious campaign in “Halo’s” history. Featuring a stirring sample of the original score by famed “Halo” composer Marty O’Donnell, the breathtaking trailer showcases several dramatic sequences from the game, including the Covenant invasion of the planet Reach and Noble Team’s effort to take the fight from the planet’s surface to space.

The debut of the new campaign trailer follows a slew of exciting “Halo: Reach” announcements at Comic-Con last week, including the world premiere of two brand new multiplayer experiences in “Halo: Reach”: Forge World and Firefight Versus. Forge World is a vast new environment in “Halo: Reach” with unlimited creative potential that will allow players to create and share their unique map designs over Xbox LIVE. Firefight Versus is a brand new multiplayer mode that pits a team of player-controlled Elites with Covenant AI support against a team of player-controlled Spartans. With an epic campaign, diverse competitive and cooperative multiplayer experiences, robust user-creation tools, player rewards, and more, “Halo: Reach” is the most ambitious “Halo” game ever and promises to set a new standard for action-packed entertainment, replayability and customization.

Additionally, Microsoft and Bungie announced a stunning lineup of custom-designed “Halo: Reach” hardware products at Comic-Con, including the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle, “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Controller and “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Headset. The Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle has a suggested retail price of $399.99 (CDN), and will be available on Sept. 14. The “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Controller and Wireless Headset will be available in late August for the estimated retail prices of $69.99 (CDN) and $59.99 (CDN), respectively. All three products are available for preorder today while supplies last.

“Halo: Reach” is currently available for preorder in Standard, Limited and Legendary editions at participating retailers worldwide. The Standard Edition has an estimated retail price of $59.99 (CDN), and the Limited and Legendary editions of the game will retail for $79.99 and $149.99 (CDN), respectively, and are packed with extras fans won’t want to miss. As a special bonus, fans can receive a token to unlock an exclusive in-game Spartan Recon Helmet, by picking up a copy of the game on launch day at North American retail stores, and outside of North America by making a pre-order reservation at participating retailers.

Developed by award-winning studio Bungie exclusively for Xbox 360, “Halo: Reach” launches worldwide on Sept. 14, 2010, and in Japan on Sept. 15.