In “Halo: Reach,” players experience the fateful moments that forged the “Halo” legend. It’s the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanity’s last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth. This darker story is echoed by grittier visuals amid a backdrop of massive, awe-inspiring environments. Characters, enemies and environments are rendered in amazing detail by an all-new engine designed to deliver epic-scale encounters against the cunning and ruthless Covenant.

Once the campaign is over, the battle continues online with an unparalleled multiplayer experience that expands on the award-winning suite of features that helped define the Xbox LIVE experience.

Best Buy announced that more than 400 stores across the country will open their doors at 12:01 am on Tuesday, September 14, to celebrate the launch of “Halo: Reach.” In addition to the extended store hours, Best Buy is also offering fans a $20 Best Buy gift card with any in-store, online or pre-order purchase of ”Halo: Reach” through September 18.

“‘Halo: Reach’ is without a doubt one of the most anticipated games of the year, and we felt there’s no better way to celebrate the launch than to offer fans a special gift card incentive when they visit us in store or online to purchase their game,” said Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager of the home entertainment group at Best Buy. “Every ‘Halo’ game release has been a major entertainment event, and based on the level of excitement we’ve seen so far, ‘Halo: Reach’ could be the biggest of them all.”

To mark the biggest installment yet in the momentous “Halo” video game franchise, Best Buy is celebrating with:

• FREE $20 Best Buy gift card with purchase of the “Halo: Reach” game, one of the limited editions, or with the Xbox 360 console bundle through September 18.
• While supplies last, participating stores will also be hosting “Halo”-themed giveaways and trivia contests as part of the midnight open events for fans in line. They could receive the Collector’s Edition Marvel Comics “Halo: Fall of Reach” with exclusive cover art from world-renowned graphic artist, Phil Noto.

To kick off the midnight store openings happening across the country, the marquee “Halo: Reach” launch event will take place at the new Best Buy Theater in Times Square, New York the evening of Monday, September 13. Leading up to the midnight release, fans will be able to start lining up at 8 am for the opportunity to be among the first to play “Halo: Reach,” win exclusive “Halo” prizes, meet the creators of the “Halo” universe and match up with other fans – many in “Halo” cosplay from the iconic sci-fi universe – in the first “Halo: Reach” tournament.

Key Features:

• Meet Noble Team. For the first time, players will fight alongside a squad of iconic Spartan soldiers, each with deadly talents as unique as their individual personalities and customized gear.
• An intense campaign. Live the events that set the stage for the “Halo” trilogy as the UNSC and Covenant clash at the height of their military power. New weapons and abilities complement the familiar “Halo” arsenal for the largest-scale battles ever witnessed in the “Halo” universe. Fiercely cunning artificial intelligence (AI) adds depth and complexity to each encounter, helping make every play-through a unique and epic experience.
• Stunning technical advancements. “Halo: Reach” takes a massive leap forward through all-new engine technology designed to take full advantage of next-generation graphics, audio, special effects, AI and animation while continuing to expand on the campaign, cooperative and multiplayer sandbox in a way that only “Halo” can.
• The definitive multiplayer experience. “Halo: Reach” builds on the success of its predecessors, setting a new standard for competitive gameplay, customization, variety and community integration.
• Unparalleled feature suite. “Halo: Reach” expands on the industry-leading suite of features found in “Halo 3,” including four-player cooperative campaign play, split-screen support, saved films, screenshots and exciting new surprises that have yet to be revealed.