Halo Reach DMR Versus The Battle Rifle

Halo Reach has a new weapon called the DMR. Technically this is an old version of the battle rifle since Halo Reach takes place before the other Halos. This weapon is somewhat similar, but also quite different. Was the replacement of the battle rifle a good idea for matchmaking and single player, or was it a mistake?

Many players in Halo 3 would use the battle rifle and "spam it". This refers to spraying bullets quickly in hopes of killing the opposing player. Some may refer to it as spamming. Its not an actual term of course. The battle rifle in other Halo games was a 3 round burst. Call it a m16 to some extent. Many players would just go trigger happy when they got in close range. It also has a scope on it for longer ranger. It could be fairly easy to eliminate other players regardless if they take carefully aimed shots. Theres some debate about this, but many say the DMR takes more "skill" than the battle rifle (BR) did.

Now the DMR is basically a version of the Battle Rifle, but was made before the Battle Rifle. This is a standard issue gun to Spartans in Halo Reach. It looks similar to the battle rifle to some extent. It still is equipped with a scope to zoom in longer range targets,however, it is only a single shot. This single shot makes the weapon much different. A player can no longer shoot 3 round bursts in quick fashion anymore. The DMR is of course semi auto, but you may need to take more careful aim to attain accuracy.

Many Halo players have different opinions about the DMR. Some say its not as good and others say its more balanced for the game. When you play SWAT in Halo Reach you need to make your single shots more accurate. A player can not longer rely on the 3 round burst like he or she previously did in other games.

Technically, this rifle is not really that different. The rifle may be single shot, but should still be used in the same fashion except with more precision. The scope is still on it, so it allows for good accuracy at medium to long range. In my experience, I like this rifle better and still find it relatively easy to pull off shots with it. Close range is where many players may fall into trouble. Those single shots will not be as useful as the 3 round burst was. No scoping may be a better option in close range and may require good precision.

The DMRis still very reliable especially since the assault rifle is horrible for farther range. If a player sees a group of opposing players it can be easy to put some significant damage to them with this. I think the creators made more balance with this weapon when it comes to close range. Its just not quite as good at close range than the battle rifle was. The DMR should primarily be used for medium range and long range.(except game modes like SWAT or team DMRs where you have to use it)