The Spartan program was born there, and Master Chief John-117 grew up there. In some ways it had, in fact, become more important than Earth itself. In the Halo universe, Reach was humanity's most important colonial outpost. Actually, you can't ask them, because they're dead. Just ask the millions of people who died there when the Covenant attacked it in 2552. Pssst.+Behind+you.+ The world of Reach is brutal and unforgiving. Some of what you'll see will be instantly familiar, but make no mistake – a lot has changed. In addition to classic Halo multiplayer game types including Slayer and Free-for-all, Reach introduces a number of new modes, four of which will be playable in the beta. Through matchmaking, you'll have four multiplayer maps to explore when the beta launches. Download it, launch it through ODST, and you're in. When the magic date rolls around, you'll see the Halo: Reach beta option pop up in ODST's extras menu. The madness starts on May 3 for those with a copy of Halo 3: ODST, the standalone Halo 3 expansion that was released in September 2009. But first, a quick primer on what Reach is and what's involved in the beta. I recently dropped by Bungie Studios to take an early look at what's in store for Halo fans next month, and I'll fill you in on what I've seen in just a bit. I'm a big believer in public betas as the best way to create a stellar multiplayer experience, and Bungie is planning to go big when it opens Halo: Reach up for a public test next month. Part demo and part research project, a beta brings players and creators in closer contact than at any point in a project's development cycle. It's the point when a development studio blows the airlock on a multi-million-dollar years-long project and delivers it for testing to a fan base both ravenous and skeptical. A public videogame beta is a beautiful and powerful thing.

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