'Finish the Fight ... at last !'
 Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Microsoft
Category: : FPS
Multiplayer: 1 - 16 Xbox Live
Official Site
Platform: X-Box 360
Might look like: Halo 2 but then enhanced
Date posted: 7 December 2007
Written By: Ian
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Finish The Fight
"Halo 3" has finally arrived, but does it live up to the three years of anticipation, buzz, and hype that have surrounded the game, touted as the most anticipated game of all time?
The culmination of 7 years of work, story-writing and action has landed, and Halo 3 aims to do everything that Halo 2 succeeded in, but improve upon the formula.
Is it possible that the game could ever live up to this hype?
Gameplay
The single player experience carries straight on from the ending of 'Halo 2', with the master chief returning to earth.
Most of the game takes place on earth, with the Chief repelling the invading covenant forces.
The story, whilst it does leave open the possibility of future games with the Spartan, does conclude in a satisfying way, but don't skip the credits! The game has been tweaked over previous games, and you can no longer really run past hordes of enemies to reach the next checkpoint in order to progress anymore, which is a great thing.
The new weapons keep the game fresh, although, as ever, the Flood are very annoying, and the main Flood level is frustrating to say the least.
However, the pacing of the game, layout of the levels, and level of action is pretty much perfectly pitched, resulting in a superb campaign that is difficult to break away from.
  
Graphically, Halo 3 is no 'Gears Of War'. It looks beautiful, but not stunning, and it just doesn't have that 'wow' factor that certain games do.
However, it all runs at a great framerate, and features probably the best lighting ever featured in a game. Equally, the game never disappoints in any respect, featuring some jaw-dropping sequences and special effects, and there is always a wealth of action on the screen.
Sound-wise, Halo has never been a disappointment, and this is again true.
The weapon sound-effects, whilst not as meaty as some games, are still excellent, and anyone who fails to be stirred by the Halo theme when it kicks in during certain sequences cannot fail to be roused by it.
Even so, once you are done with the main single player, unlike most games, there are a wealth of other options.
You can re-do the campaign in a variety of ways, including 4-player co-op over Xbox Live, and also search for terminals and skulls, and finally score points based upon your performance.
You can conceivably keep playing these options for years, making the campaign one of the most replayable games of recent years.
  
Multiplayer
The multiplayer in Halo 3 will feel instantly familiar to anyone who has ever played Halo 2 before.
The gameplay has barely even been fine-tuned, and the graphics have taken a hit compared to the single player.
However, if you liked Halo multiplayer before, then you can't fail but like Halo 3. There really isn't much of a difference except for the HD graphics, the new vehicles and weapons, and the same fast-paced play.
Up to 16 can battle it out through matchmaking, and the sheer variety of options make it one of the best options on Xbox live.
Finally, you can also make custom games in the Forge, to create endless game types. When combined with the sheer popularity of the franchise, you'll be guaranteed a game of Halo 3 for years.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Halo 3" has played it very safe.
The multiplayer remains largely unchanged, in pretty much every sense, with even the maps feeling a little recycled. And this is Halo's biggest flaw, a lack of originality, and a lack of innovation.
The game plays incredibly well, is incredibly deep, and is content rich. However, it feels a little old, like you've already played it before.
Don't let this put you off, though, because the single-player experience is awesome, reasonably lengthy, and finishes one of the best sci-fi plots of the last years.
The multiplayer may feel tired if you put a huge number of hours into Halo 2, but then again, if you loved Halo 2, this is just a bigger, better, HD version.
Don't expect new tricks, but just the most polished old ones you will ever see in a video game for the next few years.
-Ian
Ratings
Manual:
87 % |
Graphics:
90% |
Music & Sfx:
94% |
GamePlay:
92% |
|
This game scores
 
on our 5-point Rating System
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