Halo 3 Reviewed

The Halo Franchise is the single most anticipated game franchise ever. From the original Halo, which revolutionized the FPS genre, to Halo 2, which was only recently surpassed in Xbox Live gameplay (by Gears of War). On Tuesday millions of people will be waiting in line at midnight for their copy of Halo 3 to experience what the third and final installment in the series will bring to the table.

The controls are a bit different from those of Halo and Halo 2, although not drastically different they will take a little getting used to, but are an improvement after you are comfortable with them. Another minor change is HUD interface, although the shield system still works as it did in Halo 2, the ammo and weapons display is different.

The weapons from the first two games return, although not without a few additions. The Spartan Laser is a single shot weapon that requires a 3 second charge up period before destroying anything in a single shot. The Gravity Hammer is that massive ball on a stick that Tarturus had in Halo 2. The Brute Spiker is a covenant SMG type weapon and of course the Assault Rifle from Halo has made a return in Halo 3. There are now 4 types of grenades (you can carry 2 of each type); the incendiary grenade creates a wall of fire and the spiker grenade sticks to anything it touches (not just people). This installment includes equipment ranging from a flare (think flashbang) to a power drainer (shield and vehicle stopper) to a bubble shield (clear shield). Another welcome update is deployable turrets that can be ripped out of the ground, providing mobile firepower (although slowing movement and placing you in a 3rd person viewpoint).

All of the vehicles return with a few new additions such as the mongoose, hornet, and the Brute Chopper. The mongoose is a very fast, two person ATV. The Hornet is the USMC's answer to Banshees, with a machine gun, rockets, and the capability to transport two allies, the Brute Chopper is a one man vehicle that has a grinder for a front wheel and fires sonic blasts.

Now that the Elites have joined the USMC in an uneasy peace, the Grunts have gotten stronger, the Jackals return as the snipers and flankers, Drones return in much greater numbers than in Halo 2, and the Brutes are easier to kill but appear in much greater numbers. The AI has improved, enemies will try to flank you, outmaneuver you, rush you, use grenades liberally, call in reinforcements, and just make your life that much harder. The battles in Halo 3 are on a much greater scale than those in Halo 2, you may be fighting 30 enemies at a time where in Halo 2 at most you might be fighting 10-12. You will now start most missions with a squad of 8-15 marines, although they are lacking in... ummm intelligence.

The Flood also returns in Halo 3, with some AI improvements allowing them to take cover and zerg you (mass attack for non-star-craft players). the small octopus type creatures can now infect dead bodies within a few seconds, making it much more important to kill them quickly.

The campaign invokes a much broader sense of scale, you can see other battles going on as you fight in your small battle. Overall the campaign is great, better than the previous installments.

The multi-player is very fun and addictive, with tons of custom options and play lists you won't get tired of normal gameplay, and when you do you can go into the forge. The Forge is a map editor where you can change the weapons, vehicles, spawn points, and other options in the middle of a game. This allows you to never get tired of the maps and also allows you to fool around and try to build the biggest explosion and stuff like that.

The game records every game you play, whether its campaign, multi-player, or coop. This allows you to have a complete record of every amazing (or embarrassing) feat that you manage to perform. The best part is that these files only take a small amount of space while allowing you to move the camera anywhere in the level whenever you playback the replay.

Graphically this game performs well, although games such as Gears of War and Bioshock have much better graphics, Halo 3 has to render every bit of the environment because of the replay system, otherwise you would be stuck looking through first person view. The draw distance is very good, in open areas you can see for what look like miles.

Without the amazing sound Halo wouldn't be Halo, the sound effects are first rate and won't disappoint. The soundtrack is nearly perfect, with the music building up the suspense nicely. Without the soundtrack this game would not be near the same level its at now.

This game is incredible and is a must-buy for any 360 owner.