Halo 3

10 Review to this product

• 

  Michael Corona
  September 25th, 2007 on 3:43 am

  Rating

  Halo 3 – Circa 2007

  GOOD:
  
  - Four-player online (or offline) co-op Gameplay allows two; three, or four players play through the game from start to end. A co-op player can come into the game at any time and leave at any time (note only one of you will play as the Master Chief, while another will play as the Arbiter, and the other two players will be Elites that work with humans)
  
  - Great looking graphics and animation, that look even better then Halo 2, F.E.A.R. and just as good as Bioshock, while these graphics might not look as good as Gears of War do to some people these graphics still are some of the best seen to date.
  
  - Intense multiplayer action online through Xbox Live with matches as small as one on one and as big as 16 players (and offline with out using Xbox Live using either spilt screen, or system link). Halo 3 is set up similar to Halo 2 in the sense that you’re given a rank when you play multiplayer (this rank can go up or down at any time) this rank is representative of your skill and your matched with others of your skill type, that way new unskilled players and hardcore veterans will not often play against one another, unless they make a special match themselves that ignores rank.

  BAD:
  
  - Confusing plot to new players of this franchise – Playing Pervious games and read the Halo Novels will fill you in on the details, if you are incline to learn them.
  
  - No Clan Support (like in Halo 2) – This might get fixed in a future patch
  
  - Game is considered short to some (Campaign Story Mode).

  IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:
  
  - A Sci-Fi First Person Shooter with quick pacing and vehicle combat.
  
  - Co-op and online versus/team games is the big draw here.
  
  - NEW MODE: Forge is a mode that lets you edit all the maps in Halo 3, while you cannot rebuild the maps themselves you can in this mode, add and take away any and all of the objects from vehicles and guns to spawning points and flag zones. This is all done in real time and you can invite friends to this mode while your customizing the map(s), they can play a multiplayer game while your doing this (instead of just waiting for you) and if you want you can forgo editing the map and join the game at hand as either a player or the map editor (who looks like 343 Guilty Spark), while playing as the map editor you can still add and take away any and all objects from vehicles and guns to spawning points and flag zones any time you want.
  
  - NEW MODE: Theater Mode is a video editor that lets you record and play back any and all matches from Campaign, Multiplayer, and Forge modes from the point of view of any player either in first person or third person (even in a orbit-cam where the camera circles around the player) all in real time (you can also pause this at any time as well as fast forward and rewind), even use your camera to fly around the match and see the match from any angle you want, Don’t forget you must save your videos before you turn off the game or you will lose said videos. Also you can take a picture at any time and save it to your Xbox 360 then download your picture at Bungie.com.

  GAME ITS MOST ASSOCATED TOO:
  
  - Halo 2 (Xbox)
  
  - Halo (Xbox)
  
  - Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)
  
  - Bioshock (360)
  
  - Gears of War (360)

  ADDITIONAL NOTES:
  
  - There are bonus items scattered through the Campaign Story Mode called Skulls getting these “Skulls” will make the game harder (by doing things like turning off radar for the rest of the Campaign Mode your playing it) but will also greatly increase your meta game score for the Campaign Mode.
  
  - There are two different limited collectors editions of this game. One is called the limited edition, which comes in a metal tin and has a bonus disc (with behind the scene videos and such) and also comes with an art book. While the other limited edition (called Legendary edition) you will find an art book a mini poster two bonus DVDs (with behind the scene videos and such as well as a collection of all the cut scenes form Halo and Halo 2 and themes you can download to your 360) And the it comes with a plastic Master Chief Helmet to keep your DVDs in (Helmet as big a volley ball).
  
  - At Bungie.com you can sign up and pay a small fee to upgrade your Halo 3 account (default is free) to hold more space on their serves for your videos/pictures/clips that you made.
• 

  Richard Schoembs
  September 25th, 2007 on 11:23 am

  Rating

  Yes, it is finished, and what a ride it’s been! (< --- major cheese huh? =P) So as you've heard everyone else say, HALO 3 starts right where HALO 2 left off. Master Chief is embroiled in the conflict to end all conflicts aiming to be the savior of the universe.

  First off, the story is… just a continuation/conclusion of the HALO saga. Don’t really want to say anything here because this is a review, not a walk through.

  When you first start out, you might be a tad bit disappointed with the graphics as I was. After the first 15 to 20 minutes, however, you really begin to appreciate the visuals. There is SO MUCH STUFF that is rendered on the screen at any given time (eons more than GoW), and all of it is really very detailed. The only stuff that disappoints is the character models… very generic and last gen.

  The sound is… wow. It’s a huge part of the atmosphere of this fantastic finale. While you are playing through for the first time, my bet is that you won’t really notice it all that much, but take the time and listen. You have to appreciate the fact that you are not only getting a great game, but an entire orchestral musical score made specifically for it as well.

  The game play is classic HALO style run and gun. Nothing really all too new or fancy except the new “deployables.” These X button wonders are really a lot of fun to play around with and there are found in a good variety. During my play through on heroic (PLEASE DON’T START THE GAME ANY LOWER THAN THAT!!!), I need to use them quite often. They were pretty much essential for me.

  *BUT* Who buys HALO just for the campaign? The proof is in the pudding… oh, excuse me, I mean the proof is in the multi-player! That’s where the gold is. It’s a (much) bigger, better, and shinier version of HALO 2′s amazing frag fest, and it certainly is no slouch. Lotsss of maps, weapons, vehicles, and death! Did I mention the “Forge?” Well, I wouldn’t want to write another 5 paragraphs (and you wouldn’t want me to either I bet).

  So stop reading my (fantastic) review, and go out, or in, really, and PLAY!
• 

  M. Allen
  September 26th, 2007 on 12:15 am

  Rating

  The original HALO is what caused me to trade in my Sony for an XBOX, HALO was that good. HALO 2 on the other hand was traded in on the same day it was released, the graphics were simply old and no good. However, I played HALO 3 yesterday for 3 hours on co-op, and the game is truly great. Are there better graphics in other games, yes, but overall they improved the graphics on this game to keep me happy. The action as always is intense and so far the game has not let me down. I’ll be finished with the story by this evening, but this game is a keeper.
• 

  L. Oliver
  September 26th, 2007 on 12:50 pm

  Rating

  I am sad to see so much useless halo bashing on this page. A lot of these reviews do not specifically target anything and seem to only bring the rating down. My review however will be short and sweet as well and will cover only one thing. And that is how much fun I had playing the game. It was a blast, Bungie gave me the ability to finish the story of halo with three other friends, as well as switch over to multiplayer for an almost neverending online experience. The main thing was that I had fun and am glad I purchased a 360. So five stars it gets. I also recommend Bioshock for people who enjoy FPS as I recently got it and was shocked by its quality of gameplay. If you like Halo get this game, if you did not then dont worry about it.

  P.S. Will someone please silence the PC fans who bash every console and console game, it is very annoying.
• 

  )>-T-O-O-L-<(
  September 26th, 2007 on 12:50 pm

  Rating

  Those people that are rating Halo 3 with one star are being little Playstation 3 hOr-babies. I mean, come on… are you really telling me that you are willing to lump Halo 3 in with the likes of Yie Ar Kung-Fu, Cyberball 2072, Bomberman Act Zero, Hour of Victory, Pimp My Ride or Fusion Frenzy 2? Your arguments would have some substance at maybe three stars, but one?? That’s just DOOPID! I would call you mentally retarded, but someone who is mentally retarded cant help themselves. I know you are smarter than that.

  Halo 3 is the best game that I have played, period! Halo 3 has more packed into it than any game that I have played on Xbox 360 or PC. You definitely will get your money’s worth out of this game.

  Even if Halo 3 is not your most favorite game, you have to admit it sure is a good one. For instance, I am not much of a PC gamer and I hate World of Warcraft and those types of games, but I can understand that it is a decent game that deserves a good rating.

  If you are concerned about going through the campaign in Halo 3 so quickly, then step it up to Heroic. Once I am done with the Campaign, I will spend endless hours on Multiplayer, Forge Map Editor, Four Player Co-Op, Theater, and hopefully getting all of the Achievements.

  So, if you want to cry and complain, go do it all on the Sony Playstation 3 forums. Because, when Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out, the LAST thing I would be doing is putting out bad reviews of a game that I don’t want to waste my time on. Think about it and don’t get back to me, ’cause I don’t care.
  
• 

  Greeper
  September 27th, 2007 on 4:51 pm

  Rating

  I’m not a gamer, just a regular 30something who wants an easy way to take out my frustrations. This review is probably most helpful to middle aged men like me, not hardcore gamers.

  I have tried many other games but Halo is the only one that doesn’t tax me too much with choices and complicated controller requirements. I give the Halo franchise 5 stars because it is so simple, one mission, kill everything in sight. You don’t need to investigate, open your pouch, choose between a million weapons, read maps, or think for even a second. It’s the only game I’ve found which I can stand for more than 5 minutes and which is completely uncomplicated. And you can skip the story and all that nonsense by just hitting the main button.

  As compared to other Halos: I’m not crazy about the weaponry. The needlers run out of ammo and the other guns don’t do much. You also need to press a button to reload some weapons, it seems, whereas before they would reload if you walked over the same kind of weapon. THere are 3 kinds of grenades, which is unnecessary and just harder to switch between. You can also only carry 2 of each instead of 4. Since the new grenades stick like the plasmas, they don’t add much and just add another layer of choice and button-pushing. Too complicated. Also, the little bonus things like flares and landmines are gimmicky and add too much comlpication. Again, advanced gamers probably love it, but I’m too old to learn all this new stuff. Just give me a gun and some grenades.

  In previous games you’d come across more types of things to do, like a lot of sniper rifles so you could sit on a hilltop picking off aliens or use other strategy. In this game you don’t find a lot of useful weapons, so there’s a lot more direct hand to hand, on the ground type combat. I’ve also found that it’s easier to kill things and easier in general to solve the levels. Also, it uses the “follow me” arrow and the voice gives you suggestions if you seem to be missing the point, which I like, since in previous Halos I’ve spent hours wandering around wondering what I’m supposed to be doing. No such problems here. They’ve sufficiently dumbed it down.

  I’ve had a few graphic glitches in this one, which has never happened before. I’ve also gotten stuck and unable to get out of things twice. THe sound and graphics are great, of course. I’ve never paid any attention to the story, unless it required me to, so I can’t comment on that. Kusdos to Bungie for making it easy to skip over.

  Overall, this is the same experience as the others, though it seems easier than Halo2. As little thought as that required, this one requires less. I’ve not had to think at all about weapon choice, strategy, or anything, Just pull the trigger and kill! I wish there were more FPS games like this — fast-paced, completely intuitive hand controls, easy storyline, simple mission, and FUN.
• 

  Lisa Shea
  September 30th, 2007 on 12:00 pm

  Rating

  Halo 3 was, in a way, doomed before it was released. No matter how well it did, people are going to judge its “wow factor” against how amazing the original Halo felt to play back when it first came out. Now that we are used to the weapons, races, environments and plotline, nothing is as cool as it was that first time. It’s the same issue that plagues any series, be it Dune, the Matrix, Star Wars, etc.

  Halo 3 does get a boost in that it is released for the 360, so you get an automatic upgrade in abilities there. We’re playing on a high end HD TV, and yes, it looks really nice. The backgrounds look like a painting in motion, with swirling clouds and dancing dust storms. From the light glinting off the metal surfaces to the detailed shadows in the rocks, it can be really gorgeous. Is every detail as beautiful as every detail in, say Gears of War? Maybe not. Different developers focus on different items. There are always trade-offs for speed and visual appeal reasons. For a Halo world, I think they did a good job.

  The sound and dialogue are really great. I like the background music, and I find much of the dialogue hilarious. There are some conversations that have me laughing out loud. This is a good game to play with your surround sound stereo system hooked up, and of course the subwoofers.

  I hated the ending of Halo 2. I dislike it when a story finishes with a “and now wait a few years to find out what happened.” They can at least have you feel like you achieved something, and ended a chapter. For that reason alone it’s good to have Halo 3 here to wrap everything up.

  Unfortunately, with all the time they spent in development, this third outing is a bit predictable. I really enjoyed the multi character play in Halo 2. I thought that was a great touch. They completely removed it for Halo 3, setting you back into a Master Chief only mode. To be honest, I really thought we’d get THREE races this time around, and get to play as the Flood too. Why reduce ourselves to just one?

  Also, while there are a lot of “missions”, some of them are maybe 5 minutes long. That’s a bit on the short side. I realize you can go back and replay on harder and harder levels to challenge yourself – but they could have put more depth into the basic story line.

  Now, all of those things being said, the key to any game in modern times is its multiplayer ability. No matter what single player game you play, it’s pretty much a limited time game. Multiplayer is completely unlimited – and you’re not stuck with the formulas built into the AI brains. Halo 3 is definitely the best multiplayer experience of the three games – the most balanced, the most fun, the best graphics. You could literally play this for years and not get bored of it.

  So to summarize – if you don’t have XBox Live, you could rent this game for a week, get through it and have a lot of fun. You’ll be able to see how the story ends, get your Halo fix in and be happy. But if you do have XBox Live, you’ll want to own this. Between replaying the base game on harder levels to improve your skills, and playing multi-player in a variety of maps and set-ups, you’ll be happy for a long, long while.

  There are many games we write a walkthrough for that we have to push ourselves to get through, but when we did our walkthrough for Halo 3, we really did have fun So that’s always a good sign!
• 

  Evin Ershock
  October 8th, 2007 on 8:01 pm

  Rating

  I must admit when I first heard about Halo: Combat Evolved back in 2001, I didn’t know what they were talking about. Throughout two years I have heard just hype after hype after hype, forcing me to think “overrated”. When I finally got my Xbox and Halo along with it, I strapped into FPS mode and began going through the story of Halo I saw what they meant. It was a beautiful game and wonderful storyline that bound together perfectly…though it didn’t hook me. It took me a solid two-three months to beat it, not because I didn’t like it, but because I didn’t see what was absolutely great about it.

  Years past and same things happen with Halo 2, I beat it in a two-three month span. But then, like the gamer I am, I couldn’t wait to play Halo 3, for closure on what was going to happen. I got Halo last Friday and after a weekend away from the console, I beat it within a week of buying it. Halo 3 is a thrilling conclusion to an amazing series that continues to push the limits on what we call “Perfection”. Halo 3 in my opinion, is the pinnacle of the series, a shining beacon atop the pyramid of the series. Wonderfully orchestrated score, loving every second of the piano bits and the overture.

  I can say without a doubt that this game, is a must buy. This series is a must buy. I can say though that it will be years for another great FPS to come out for Halo will shine on for many years to come. From the very beginning to the very end it will keep you on the edge.

  The ending, however, robbed me of emotion, for words cannot describe it. You must see it. There is no more a fitting end than the one Bungie gave it. Yes as I have stated before it robs of emotion, for you are speechless when you watch it. But any other ending, would have seemed cheesy, or just been terrible. It is the yin to BioShock’s Good Ending Yang; what giveth you emotion, it must be taken away.

  I have never been a Halo fanboy. I’ve never been a big fan of the series (More of an Final Fantasy guy), but this ending game was just what I needed. You are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t buy it.
• 

  John M. Murray
  October 27th, 2007 on 1:43 am

  Rating

  Halo 3 was an awesome purchase and totally worth every penny. The story line is great and it wraps everything up from the two previous games. The campaign is fun, but the mulitplayer is really where it’s at. The enviroments are intruiging and exciting with every twist and turn. The newly introduced items give the game an entirely new demension that I believe everyone will come to love and enjoy. The game is fun for LAN parties and is a great game for online play.
• 

  Anonymous
  November 9th, 2007 on 10:32 pm

  Rating

  To start off I’d like to say that I’m a Halo nerd, in every sense of the word. I got posters, got the soundtracks that i listen to pretty much everyday, I’ve read the books (fall of reach, the flood, first strike, ghost of onyx) excluding Contact Harvest, which I cant wait to read I got some action figures of halo 2, plan on getting all the ones of Halo 3 >_< I played the games Halo and halo 2 literally hundreds of times! I JUST LOVE THIS GAME!!! Soo, then halo 3 comes out and blows me away! I love the story, although it seems really short, but I'll get to that in a minute. I love the new weapons especially the assault rifle, I've always loved that gun, just sucks it only holds a measely 32 rds. but not a big deal, the new vehicles are awesome oh and lets not forget the new equipment, such as the infamous bubble shield seen in the best halo 3 trailer "starry night" and a bunch of other nifty toys each with their own tactical purpose/advantage that balance out the overwhelming odds you have to deal with at times. Now, if you've not read the books then what i'm about to say wont matter to you but to me, having read all the ones listed above it's very disappointing to not get to play as/with the other spartans that are "supposedly" in the story line. b4 halo 2 came out i thought to myself, damn theres gonna be all these big battles and such, it might just be "TOO" big of a fight even for the MC but nope he handles them all, no questions asked soo ok maybe not in halo 2 but in halo 3 you've gotta show them at one point seeing how big of a threat the prophet of truth presents aswell as the flood. but again I'm disappointed in that aspect...sooo what the hell.....will we ever see the other spartans? I would name them but it escapes me right now to name them unless I look it up in the book, but unfortunately cant find it right now, sorry The graphics i thought were top notch, expecially the cutscenes they definately cleaned up theyr act from h2 where when a cut scene appeared it seemed to fill in some object here and there, that was really annoying and gave the game and unfinished feel. but not h3 very nice!!! I love the cg scenes, very much like a painting in motion, just awesomeness

  all in all the story wraps up nicely…also if you want to know the true ending you have got to watch past the credits…nuff said on that
  
  In the end I give it 5 stars because I freaking love halo and everything about it, even though the story lacks a certain closure if you will and leaves unfinished business every where, but HEY maybe there will be another sequel to tie up its loose ends. Maybe its just wishfull thinking but I’m hoping for the best.

  I played this game on heroic on the first run through, took me about 12hrs. playing it on legendary right now, and have to admit, its really hard. :):) I dont know if most ppl know this but you can turn on a “Point system” for campaign mode that keep track of your number of kill total and also of the number of say grunts, brute chieftains and the like you’ve killed and your total amount of points scored. thats pretty nifty….especially to quell any arguments of who is the baddest spartan on the block, lol. Well, I hope this review helped if not enlightened you a bit on h3 and it’s predecessors have a good day!