At 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday (September 14), gamers streamed into the Best Buy Theater in Times Square to be among the first to purchase "Halo:

Reach," the next installment in Microsoft's popular franchise.

Thunderstorms earlier in the evening didn't seem to dissuade the crowd, which wrapped around 44th Street and down Broadway at least a block.

"Halo: Reach" is developed by Bungie, the studio that created the "Halo" franchise back in 2001. "Reach" actually acts as a prequel to the original game, retelling the events which lead to humans being chased down by the Covenant and first discovering the mysterious halo-shaped artifact. Players take on the role of Noble 6, one member of team of super soldiers known as Spartans. Their objective? Defend the planet of Reach against a surprise Covenant assault. Unfortunately things quickly go south, turning the mission into a last-ditch effort for survival.

In addition to the game's campaign, which can be played with up to three other people, "Halo: Reach" also includes multiplayer modes where up to 16 players can battle one another. These modes can be fully customized, allowing players to create new styles of play like the zombie-themed Infection game mode.

Brand new to the "Halo" franchise is the Armory. Players can now customize their character's in-game armor, unlocking new helmets, chest pieces and effects like flaming heads and lightning bolts.

Playing any of the game's modes will earn credits for use in the Armory, so even if you manage to get crushed by a squeaky 12-year-old in Topeka, at least you've got some cash to show for it. Bungie cleverly uses this customized armor throughout the campaign, giving players much more of a personal attachment to the game's protagonist.

The last major addition is an upgrade to the "Halo" map creator, known as Forge. Users can now design multiplayer maps from scratch, and there are few limitations on what can be created. Within five minutes, I had managed to build a 50-foot-tall rock monster by simply using MS Paint. Map creators can easily share their designs online; hundreds of creations were available for download by the time the game launched.

"Halo: Reach" is the final "Halo" game Bungie will create, as they're moving on to a brand new, multi-platform franchise to be published by Activision. It seems the team at Bungie was well aware that this was to be a curtain call, because "Halo: Reach" is an astoundingly robust title that is sure to please fans of the series for the next few years.

For more on "Halo: Reach," check out Multiplayer.MTV.com.