If you have played the original Halo: Combat Evolved game before or aren’t too keen on remakes in general then you can still enjoy some of the game’s new features with this map pack. It includes several competitive multilayer maps which are as follows; Firefight one Installation 04, Solitary, Ridgeline, Penance, High Noon, Breakneck and Battle Canyon. It will cost around £10.28 or $15, that’s 1200 Microsoft Points if you prefer.

Last month we brought you news that suggested the game will feature Kinect support, which would add to the appeal of the game and whether or not to invest in a remake. Some critics questioned whether the game should have necessarily been made, arguing that the original is still readily available and still played. The introduction of the Kinect support certainly worked against those arguments and in favor of the remake.

Last month also saw the release of the launch trailer which, as CVG explains, commemorated the fact that the game had gone gold ahead of its release. The trailer is reportedly very story orientated rather than action and gives viewers a recap on the whole Halo saga and ‘humanity’s struggle against the Covenant.’ Check it out for yourself by scrolling down below. Are you looking forward to the release next week? What do you think of the Reach compatibility?

Jason Andrews from thisisxbox.com is reporting in an article that to be able to register for the opportunity, you have to be an Xbox Live member and live in the US. Microsoft is conducting the testing in preparation for an updated Xbox 360 disc format.

They see the testing as a way to improve their products and like using the Xbox community to achieve their goal. To register your interest you will need to head over to the Microsoft Connect site and sign in using your Windows LIVE ID, which is connected to your Xbox LIVE Gamertag.

You will then have to fill in a survey, and the Connect site will give you program related updates. When the selection process is finished you will receive a mail. It is advised you read the survey slowly to make sure all the information you provide is correct.

Both Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold members can register their interest in the testing, but priority will go to Gold Members. Microsoft are said to be looking for thousands of testers for its System Update Preview program, so you will have some chance to be accepted.

Will you be signing up for the testing program?

According to Mark Fajardo over on the justpushstart.com website, Microsoft has recently confirmed that the new “Defiant Map Pack” will be arriving on March 15th. The upcoming DLC will feature three new maps: Unearthed, Highlands and Condemned.

As Mike Jackson at computerandvideogames.com recently noted, the “Defiant Map Pack” will be available to purchase for 800 Microsoft Points. As well as adding three new maps to the Halo: Reach game, the new DLC will also give players 150 new Achievement points to unlock.

The “Unearthed” map takes place at a Titanium mine and refinery that’s located in the Viery civilian sector of the planet. This map enables up to 4 players to launch a counter-assault against the Covenant in Firefight modes such as Generator Defense.

“Highlands” is set on the Military Wilderness Training Preserve. This map supports 8-16 players, in gametypes such as Big Team Battle, Team Objective and Team Slayer. “Condemned” takes place aboard the Orbital Station Gamma, and supports 6-12 players in gametypes such as Free for All and Team Slayer.

According to a recent JoyStiq article the French website HaloDestiny posted some images of the Defiant Map Pack on their site, from what we can tell the DLC will consist of three maps, which are called Condemned, Unearthed and Highlands.

It looks as if HaloDestiny got in trouble for hosting these images if you check out their site (at the time of this post) the site was down and there was only forum access, I translated the message on the home page and have embedded it below.

The fact that the site hosting the images has been taken down suggests that this information is accurate, you can see the pics on this Flickr account, however don’t surprised if Bungie order the images to be deleted, for this reason we will not be embedding any of the images on Product-Reviews.

To me it does sound like Bungie plan to release the Defiant Map Pack, however this has not been confirmed yet, therefore we will have to keep you posted as we find out more.

Do you still play Halo: Reach? If so, will you buy the Defiant Map Pack?

Unsurprisingly Call of Duty: Black Ops was the most successful game of 2010 despite launching in early November, in second place was EA Sport’s Madden NFL 11, as for third place this went to Bungie’s Halo: Reach, which is the highest ranking single-platform game on the list.

There are no huge surprises in the list, New Super Mario Bros came fourth, Red Dead Redemption fifth, Wii Fit Plus sixth, Just Dance 2 seventh, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 eighth, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood ninth and NBA 2K11 10th. Some of these games benefited from game of the year editions and bundle deals, you can find out full details regarding this on JoyStiq.

For me there are two games which I expected to feature on this list which aren’t, these are Mass Effect 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, both of these games came out in early 2010 and seemed to do very well initially, also let’s not forget that huge releases such as Fabe III and Fallout: New Vegas also arrived in 2010.

2011 is undoubtedly going to be a huge year for video games therefore it is hard to predict which games are going to be successful and which games will flop, I would be surprised if Uncharted 3, Gears of War and Mass Effect 3 don’t feature in next years best sellers list.

What games do you think will be 2011′s best sellers?

For example, an article over at thegamersparadise.com lists Halo: Reach as one of the worst games of 2010. I can just see many disagreeing with that choice. Although the author of the article says the game looks good and packs a good story, the Halo: Reach game just wasn’t for them.

Another game that made it onto the list is of course Medal of Honor. There was a lot of hype before this game was released and when it did, many were disappointed. The game may have a good story behind it, but respawning, weapon damage and ranking has been described as total chaos.

Dark Energy Digital’s survival-adventure game Hydrophobia also made it onto the list (not that I’ve even heard of this game before), as did Artificial Mind and Movement’s Naughty Bear for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This game may be fun, but only for about 15 minutes.

Other games on the list include Limbo, Skate 3, Sniper: Ghost Warrior and Create. You can read the full list via thegamersparadise.com. What would you class as the worst games of 2010?

The Nobe map pack is the first release of downloadable content since Halo: Reach launched back in mid-September, it costs 800 Microsoft points and is 328.6 MB in size, therefore it shouldn’t take too long to download.

Once downloaded and installed you will have access to three new maps, these are Breakpoint, Tempest and Anchor 9, you can see a preview video here or check out Bungie’s official promotional videos for the maps here.

We would love to hear your first-impressions of the three new maps, therefore feel free to give them a try and come back and let us know what you think of them.

Will you purchase the Noble Map Pack today?

As reported from Joystiq, the video comes to you courtesy of IGN who have given gamers a 3-minute runthrough of the three new maps, Tempest, Breakpoint and Anchor 9.

Just to remind you, the map pack will be releasing on Tuesday November 30th, so not long to go at all. It will be priced at 800 Microsoft points, so it’s a good deal from Bungie.

Check out IGN’s video below, you can also watch the Noble Map Pack launch trailer here. Let us know if you plan to pick this up next week.

We’ve been informed about the new hack, and after studying the download link, it appears that the hack has surfaced from the guys over at Se7enSins – a well known team of hackers.

We are not going to post the download link here, but it is easy enough to find online anyway. Here is a portion of text from a tester who has been using the Aimbot for almost two weeks, undetected:

”Finally, a workin version of the Halo Reach Aimbot! I’ve been testing it for about 2 weeks now and have not been detected by Bungie. However, other players would get suspicious if you pull of something totally insane. I strongly suggest you do not be wreckless with this tool as you will ruin it for everyone!”

It is a shame that a small minority insist on ruining the experience for others, but hacks are becoming a common practice now, especially in console first person shooters. After having personal experience from seeing Aimbot users in Counterstrike, I can tell you that it is a very frustrating experience indeed.

What are your thoughts on this? Hopefully Bungie sees this report and takes action on it.

As reported from VG247, the Noble Map Pack will be available to download from the Xbox Live Marketplace on November 30th and at 800 Microsoft Points, it consists of three brand new maps.

The trailer below shows off some cut scenes from the game, as well as some brief gameplay segments from the new Tempest, Anchor 9 and Breakpoint levels.

Are the new maps worth $10 for you though? Check out the vid below and let us know if you intend to buy the Noble Map Pack on the 30th.