I was thinking of going for a review, but as one Gamespot user noted in a comment, "No one will know if this is the best game ever till Spring 08'". He's probably right. Not till the sales come in, the Xbox live games are played, and the dust clears, will Halo 3 be regarded as pure awesome. But as another program that aired on the Sci-Fi channel noted... who the frizz cares about anything about the game, if it isn't fun? Spot on, Homey. Good thing it's fun. Really fun. As in it's never been so enjoyable to clip a plasma grenade to a giant smack talking monkey and laugh manically as it burns and explodes into sprites and excess residue. Hey, it's for the defense of earth! Halo 3 has two sections, no denying it. Multi and Camp. We all know Multi owns, I mean new weapons, two new grenade types (Spike, think WWII German stick grenades, but with more "oofm!" to them, and Flame grenades, think... flameyness!) and new ordinance to which to wage combat, Spartan 117 style. And of course Elite style. I'll cover Multi later, and you'd do well to tune in then because I have as yet to see a review that *actually* states what is new in Multi. Heck, not until I got the game did I finally known that Brutes were not playable in Multi. Oh well... Story though, that's what most people will care about when they get home at 12:30 AM and want to smack some Covenant haunch. Does it live up?
Mixed bag. Hate to say it... but let me explain. There are two camps, Gamespot goes with "Awesome" and another more remote review site went with "Dismal." I believe the truth lies between. You know the CG clip we all saw on Monday night football, with the Master Chief as a kid (I still say it was him) then he awakens on the field of battle, grabs his Assault Rifle, and jumps off a ledge to kick some marsupial hide? That's not in the game. You know Halo 2's pretty lack luster camp mode? That ain't here either. It's right smack in the middle. And it's a 9/10 for'sho.
First, Graphics are good. Not insane, but good. Lighting, water, shadows, and textures are *miles* ahead of Halo 2. It's a big leap. But save for the ol' Master Chief, same can't be said for the models of NPC's. Yeah they look great, but look at the faces, and cringe. Not exactly cringe, but it's pretty Halo 2 there. Armor and weapons, and effects are wonderful, amazing even. Physics are awesome rag doll delicious. So if the faces are a but off-putting, the rest is good, and generally lives to the hype. Water is great though, and in the majority of spots, you get this wonderful sheen and transparency that makes you ask yourself "Where does the water meet the shore?" It's great.
Second, Level design: Awesome. Miles ahead of anything I've played. No more running in the same corridors, are trying to figure out where you are, cause every level is different. There are however, only 9 full levels, with a tenth level that is about a fourth the size of a normal. It's so hard though on Legendary, even in two-player Co-op, that it will seem to be big as any other. The game also ends with a familiar scenario, this time even better then before. But yeah, forest/jungles, complexes (not that much), Burning Cities, Corrupted Covenant Flagships, Snow tundra, Africa, it's all here. And yeah, you play in Africa. In fact they didn't mention it, but New Mombassa, is in Africa. Good stuff.
Third, Story: I just wanted more. Arbiter, after playing is story alongside the Master Chief in Halo 2, is thrown to the wayside. Player two in Co-op plays him though instead of another Spartan (nice touch) for Cut Scene continuity, but sadly, he doesn't even appear in the background of most of the cut scenes. His thread of the story is wrapped up by the end though, quite nicely. Besides, Mister-Mandibles is second awesome only to the Master Chief, himself. Some nice events spice it up, but you do really wish there was more plot, some betrayal, some plot twists, but it's pretty void of any Halo 1 "Flood Come" moments. There is a nice part *KINDA SPOILER* where you gain some unexpected allies against the local Monkey brigade. But it unfolds text-book Halo style, with conclusions to all threads of the style, expect a very strange ending, (Unlocked only if you bane the last map on Legendary) that makes you ask... "And Bungie says there isn't going to be a Halo 4?" But actually more aptly, Bungie said, they were tying up the story arch, and this was the definite end. Watch the clip though and wonder yourself. The generally ending is pretty good though. The story-telling overall is O.K, but can be a bit confusing, but no where near as bad as Halo 2. There are some nice moments in missions, where you get a horde of marines, are you attack installations with the aid of your new Elite allies. And the boss of the game is so unexpected in nature, that it's fairly comical, in a good way. In a related thread, Guilty Spark is back, and is more comprehensible this time. Unlike in Halo 2.
So in conclusion, Halo 3 owns. With a new Meta-game feature where you can compete in gaining points, or team up to get them to unlock achievements, and four-player Online Co-op, it's a nice tying up and a good play. You can also unlock skulls, that add different challenges or give you bonuses once you find them scattered around the various levels. One of these skulls makes confetti pop out from your enemies head's upon death, along with a nice "Viva Pinta" cheer. Golden. Also enemy and ally dialog is top notch, with 65,000 sound clips this time round'. Did I mention at one part of the story arch you get four USNC Tanks on your side against a dreaded scarab? Well you do. One not enough? Third to last mission you gotta take two at once. Good times. The Flood parasite also receives a boost with "True Flood", and more species. They are a pain to fight for sure. Sadly, since the Elites shifted to the light side this time around, you won't fight against even one of them, so it's all you vs. the monkey boys. I.e Brutes.
A must have for an Xbox 360 owner, I highly recommend it, even if that doesn't count for much. Don't even get me started on the addictive and freshened Multi-player, or Saved Films, or Forge, cause that's for next time.
Later Folks, and Happy Hunting!
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