Third time’s the charm - Halo 3 best in series

Halo 3 is the most important video game of all time.

Note that is “most important” - not best. Halo 3 is doing something for the video game industry that is far more important and impacting than how good or bad the game is.

The marketing blitz for Halo 3 has bordered on surreal. Mountain Dew cans, NASCAR cars, 7/11 slushies and Burger King french fry wrappers all bear Master Chief’s (the games hero) likeness. Even Radio Shack, which doesn’t sell video games, is going to carry the title.

One would think that Halo 3 was Hollywood’s next big blockbuster – not a mere video game. The game has already gone gold prior to release, selling one million copies (via pre-order) in North America alone. Many Halo fans lined up before midnight on Monday just to get the game as early as possible

Halo 3 is - without doubt or hyperbole – the single most hyped video game ever. It is probably one of the most hyped media releases ever.

That being said, there is no way a game this built up could live up to the massive expectations put upon it. Anything less than immaculate and it will be seen as a failure to many.

For those unfamiliar to the series, Halo is a sci-fi action story that takes place in the year 2552. The story revolves around a faceless, futuristic armor-clad hero named Master Chief. The Chief has to save the world from a hive-minded alien race (the Flood) from infesting the universe.

The plot isn’t anything thought-provoking, but it does the job of keeping the game interesting and the action flowing. But most people don’t play Halo for the compelling plot - they play it for the frenzied action.

Halo 3 delivers this action through a variety of futuristic, over-the-top gunplay and vehicular mayhem that all span across gorgeous landscapes. Players will take on a myriad of alien races ranging from the hulking, simian-esque Brutes to the disgusting reanimated corpses that are the Flood.

On a purely aesthetic level, Halo 3 is a stunning game. Pools of water reflect sunlight and respond to steps through them. Tress and grass wave in the wind - while enemies and allies alike have detailed facial expressions. It is one of the best looking Xbox 360 games available, probably trailing only Gears of War and Bioshock.

The musical score and voice acting is also spot-on, especially for an action title. The orchestral music swells up at appropriately tense moments and takes a back seat when necessary. The voice over work is particularly well done. Whether it’s a nameless Marine or Master Chief’s sidekick, Cortana, the voice work is consistently solid throughout.

Halo 3 has a copious amount of weaponry at the player’s disposal. Stand-bys such as the sub-machine gun, grenades and shotgun are back - with a few tweaks in appearance and clip size. New additions such as the Spartan laser (capable of cutting vehicles in half) and the gravity hammer (capable of sending opponents flying) are a blast to play with and will keep Halo 2 veterans on their toes learning new tactics.

New to Halo 3 is the equipment. These items won’t dish out punishment, but can be invaluable in combat situations. Their effects range from forming a shield around the player that is immune to gunfire (Bubble Shield) to slowly draining enemies’ health (Power Drainer). The equipment adds another wrinkle to the game without feeling unfamiliar or forced.

Vehicles in Halo 3 have gotten a lot of the attention from the developers. The newly added Mongoose (a two-man, four wheeled ATV perfect for capture-the-flag) and Hornet (basically the human version of the Covenant Banshee) are a joy to drive in solo and multiplayer games alike.

Speaking of multiplayer, it has always been the crux of the Halo series. Sure the campaign mode is enjoyable - but the game’s value truly surfaces when multiple players are involved.

Like its predecessor, Halo 3 supports Xbox Live as well as system link multiplayer - with the ladder allowing up to 16 players in a single game. The game comes with a number of brand new maps that have been meticulously thought out to stand up to hundreds of thousands of games.

One of the new features of multiplayer is the Theatre. In it you can watch replays of your last two dozen or so games - pausing, fast forwarding and slow-motioning the action. You can then save screenshots or record miniature clips of something awesome you did and share them with your friends - or better yet - enemies.

There is also a map editor called the Forge in which players can change locations of weapons, vehicles or almost anything else on any of the games multiplayer maps. Although not a true map creator featured in other titles, the Forge is deep enough to keep ambitious players tweaking maps for hours and hours - adding new twists on familiar maps. The Forge also supports Xbox Live, allowing players to share their maps with players around the globe.

It’s creative and forward-thinking content like the Forge and Theatre that separates Halo 3 from other console titles.

Underneath all the hype and marketing lies a truly wonderful action video game. Anyone who bought and played either the original Halo or Halo 2 will thoroughly enjoy Halo 3 for quite some time. Those new to the party – this is the reason you’ve been looking for to buy an Xbox 360.

Although Halo 3 isn’t immaculate, it is extremely enjoyable and anyone who calls it a failure would be remiss. The campaign is better than Halo 2’s and wraps up the trilogy in a definitive and satisfying manner. The multiplayer is superb, as is expected from a Halo title. New additions - the Forge, Theatre and graphical and weapon upgrades - solidify this already spectacular franchise as one of gaming’s all-time greatest.

Halo 3

Xbox 360, $59.99
Bungie Studios, Microsoft Game Studios

September 25, 2007

Halo 3 Beta impressions

After reading everything there is online about the much anticipated multiplayer Beta for Halo 3, I finally got to play it yesterday. The three level Beta was an absolute blast to play and should rejuvenate even the most grizzled of Halo 2 veterans.

The folks over at Bungie seemed to have thought about every angle, tweaking and changing things enough to keep the game fresh, but not too much as to alienate hardcore Halo 2 fans. There are new weapons, maps grenades and vehicles. There are modified old guns, the new equipment system, adjusted controls and shiner graphics.

I could easily see myself wasting tons of time playing this slice of the game, thankfully, I don't have a 360. Yet.

For those who don't relentlessly hound the Internet for info on Halo 3, the biggest change in the game if the equipment. Reloads (and all subsequent commands for X) have been mapped to the left and right bumpers on the 360 controller. The X button now uses any equipment you have, to a variety of satisfying results.

The bubble shield was by far the most enjoyable and interesting equipment available in the Beta. Upon use, the bubble shield expands around your character in, well a big bubble. This bubble is impervious to bullets and grenades, but can be passed through freely by allies and enemies alike. This causes some very entertaining situations. The first time I used the shield, I tried to walk out of it and throw a grenade, only to not run far out enough, dropping the frag into the shield and killing myself.

From protecting teammates who are holding the Oddball to getting those precious seconds while your health recharges, the bubble shield will be a welcome addition to the Halo arsenal.

The other equips weren't as exciting as the bubble shield, but should prove to be useful once the full game is released. The portable grav lift has some deep strategic uses, particularly in CTF and Assault variants. You can drop it anywhere, either to find some place high to snipe or to avoid using doors or other easily defending positions.

I had very limited experience with the trip mine, mostly killing myself the few times I acquired it. It seems like a nice lat ditch effort weapon and should be adept at racking up that new medal for getting a kill after you've died. The power drainer seemed the worst of the equipments, acting as a sort of inverted bubble shield. Instead of protecting you, the power drainer lowers the shields of anyone within its radius, eventually killing them. It also disables vehicles, which is a nice option for those without rockets/Spartan lasers.

As cool as the equipment are, weapons are the lifeblood of the Halo franchise. It is clear that some weapons needed nerfing (sword, sniper auto-aim, plasma pistol, battle rifle) and others needed a shot in the arm (brute shot, needler, pistol, SMG) from the previous game. Thus far Bungie seems to have done a good job addressing these needs.

The needler is now more powerful, reloads faster and seems overall a better gun. It cannot be dual wielded anymore for "purple rain," but it's for the better. New kids on the block, the Spartan laser, brute pistols and assault rifle (of Halo 1 fame) seem balanced and are fun to use. The laser is the only gun I am worried about as it is essentially a sniper that eats vehicles for breakfast, but time will tell.

There is just so much to talk about this relatively small sample of Halo 3. The maps are good, the guns are fun to use and balanced, the equipment adds a layer of strategy, the vehicles are a blast and seem like they may actually be useful and best of all - it still feels like Halo.

1UP has a great strategy guide on all things Halo 3 Beta which anyone who's interested should check out.

One thing I know for sure, I am probably going to be about $458.99 dollars poorer come November.

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Since there was very little video game news this past week, I just wanted to comment on how amazing the Halo 3 leaked video is. Just watch it. Terribly annoying song aside, it is truly a great watch.