A beta is a wonderful thing. So much anticipation, so much hype. It’s almost as big as a game launch. But ultimately the point of the beta is to work out the balance of the combat and nerf any annoying glitches. We can still have fun doing it though, right? And with Halo: Reach, there’s a lot of fun to be had.

Armour upgrades are the most notable change to Halo’s multiplayer experience and they hold much of the fun. Flying around the maps with a jet-pack is one of the most satisfying things I have done in a long time. It also opens up the level design and gives the designers the chance to really try something new. The two levels featured (at the moment) are perfect, with ledges and walkways all over the place, just begging to be abused.

But there are other armour upgrades, three in fact, and they too work well within the levels, but they are more suited to tactical games. Sprint gives you the ability to dash over open areas for a limited time, great for rushing a sniper or getting that early flag grab. Cloak gives you a short timed invisibility which is great for sneaking time in the hill, or just being a sneaky little bugger in general. Armour lock is the most useful of the four, and when used right, can be the difference between winning and losing – thunk your fist down on top of the flag, letting you return it and stopping the enemies frags – but I still don’t like it.

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