Halo 3 Reviews

• No BS, just an opinion

  
  By A2EUVEQORWIPFT on 2007-09-25
  As a longtime fan of Bungie (going back to the original Marathon) it's very hard for me to say this, but like HALO2, HALO3 is a letdown. That said, it's a much better game overall than HALO2, so with that out of the way, let's get cracking.
  
  CAMPAIGN: In a word, crap. In a sentence: fight your way towards a mission objective, push the button, then fight your way right back out the way you came. Repeat for for 6 to 7 hours. That's it. To be fair, the story arc manages to wrap itself up nicely (not that there's anything in HALO3 story-wise that couldn't have been done in HALO2, which I guess just illustrates how useless the second game was). The Arbiter campaign is dropped completely; instead, he's either your buddy or an AI player who simply follows you around (a la Dom in GEARS OF WAR). The first couple missions, set in Africa, fighting the Brutes, are pretty intense and fun. After that, the game does it's obligatory "let's jump to a new Halo ring and rehash the original game's campaign." Seriously disappointing. That said, you can now kill Scarabs (the big walker things) and Phantoms (the Covenant dropships) if you've got the time and willpower, which can be entertaining.
  
  GRAPHICS & SOUND: It depends. If you're playing by yourself, in HD, then the game reveals some impressive texture work, awesome lighting, and slick particle effects. If you're playing in split-screen, the game tones back the effects for the sake of keeping the framerate up and the game looks like HALO2. Seriously. My roommate came in and thought it was HALO2. Not good. Granted, it's a lot cleaner than HALO2, without any of the awful draw-in and texturing nightmares, but the models are pretty much straight from the last chapter. Still, while the environmental textures and lighting are excellent, the game can't help but look dated next to GEARS OF WAR and the Unreal Engine. Sound is about what you'd expect. Marty O'Donnell returns and hammers out as many variations as he can on the HALO theme, from soft piano to rockin' guitars for the big battles.
  
  So the campaign sucks and the graphics don't impress. Does this game do anything right, you might ask? The answer is multiplayer. HALO3 is 100 percent multiplayer focused. Almost every change, from weapon tweaking to the new control scheme (which feels very weird for the first few hours, but makes sense after that), is geared towards the fast-release, twitch-kill nature of the multiplayer arena. And in this area, HALO3 absolutely rocks. To be honest, HALO2's multiplayer was pretty terrible in terms of balance and level design. It was simply the only HALO that went online, so people played it. Now that HALO3 is here, there isn't literally a single reason to play HALO2 (except maybe the map Lockout, which sadly wasn't included). From items that you can deploy, like Bubble Shields and Radar Jammers, to more balanced weapons (the battle rifle is no longer quite so dominating, and the classic assault rifle from the first game is much better suited for creating a nice balance between gun, grenade, and melee attacks), HALO3 is noticeably more even and polished. The maps, in particular, are a serious step up from the dredge offered last time around. Almost every single map is more interesting, more complex and more fun to play than anything has given us before. Coupled with the weapons tweaks and new deployable equipment, HALO3 rises up as the premier multiplayer console first-person shooter. Forget RESISTANCE, QUAKE4, or CALL OF DUTY. In multiplayer, this game owns.
  
  Ironically similar to MARATHON: INFINITY, HALO3 is a disappointment from a single-player standpoint, and wouldn't stand out at all were it not for the franchise name. Still, with the addition of the Forge Editor (which allows players to create custom game modes and make changes to the maps) and the replay theatre (which allows you to share and re-live your greatest game moments) atop of all the necessary, but subtle, improvements to the overal online mechanics, HALO3's lasting appeal is almost infinite. It really is a great game.
  So long as you have people to play it with.
  
  

• A Must-Own - But Not Perfection

  
  By A3V6Z4RCDGRC44 on 2007-09-30
  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!
  
  

• Halo has LIVED upto the HYPE! 1080P IS JUST CRAZY

  
  By A2G1YXID84J9T9 on 2007-09-25
  Since people are not reading the BOTTOM, I said Credit goes to X3F For this REVIEW, Just wanted to give people a review asap.
  
  
  It's not often that we here at X3F get a chance to review a high profile title like Halo 3 before it hits store shelves, and it's an opportunity I'm not taking lightly. I've spent the last 48 hours (give or take a few hours for the requisite food and sleep) embedded deep within Halo 3, doing my best to categorize the experience as I went along. In this endeavor I have more or less failed. That's not to say I didn't enjoy what I played, because I absolutely did. It's just that with as many features as there are in Halo 3, there's so much stuff to test that 48 hours really isn't enough time to glean enough information and condense it into a review. Still, review it we must. Read on for a (hopefully) defining glimpse into Microsoft's great green hope.
  
  
  
  
  First and foremost on any Halo fan's mind is the campaign. Even fans admit that Halo 2's campaign didn't quite get the attention it deserved. Even beyond the cliffhanger ending and the divisive inclusion of the Arbiter as a playable character -- which, for the record, I loved -- the campaign just didn't seem quite finished. So, Halo 3 has a lot to answer for. I won't spoil the story, but Halo 3 picks up exactly where Halo 2 left off: Cortana (the Master Chief's AI) is missing, the Prophet of Truth is leading an attack on earth, and the Master Chief is rocketing towards the planet on an ancient Forerunner ship. Again, we had to rush through it a bit to get it finished, but by the time the game draws to a close, all loose ends have been tied and questions answered. Old friends and enemies are reunited, alliances formed and broken, and plots are twisted. It's the stuff you'd expect in the closing chapter of a trilogy, with a few special tidbits thrown in for dedicated fans. Also, for those that are interested, locating the secret terminals throughout the game fleshes out the story of the Forerunners and the first firing of the Halo rings. The terminals are optional though, so if you're more interested in blasting baddies, feel free.
  
  But how does it play, you ask? I plowed through the campaign on Heroic (with a few snippets of 4-player co-op on Legendary), and I can assuredly tell you that enemy AI is much improved, and sometimes a little scary. Brutes, ape-like monstrosities introduced in Halo 2, are definitely not the bullet sponges they used to be. This time around they are smart, mean, and, appropriately enough, brutal. One of their most fascinating behaviors is how they use equipment to their advantage. More than once, I found myself launching ordinance towards a pack of Brutes only to see one of them deploy a bubble shield before my shot had landed, rendering it useless. Oh, and watch out for Brutes with gravity hammers. They tend to carry equipment that makes them invulnerable for a few seconds. An invulnerable Brute with a gravity hammer is the stuff of nightmares.
  
  
  
  Don't think that the Brutes are the star of the show though, every enemy, in one way or another, can be pretty terrifying. You see, not only are enemies smart, but they use sound tactical thinking. So, if you clear out a pack of Brutes and Grunts, don't celebrate right away, because there's a very good chance you're about to be sniped by a Jackal that you overlooked. Hell, even a pair of Jackals with carbines can be a pain, especially if you thought it would be a good idea to pack a short-range arsenal. And yes, believe it or not, even Grunts can put you away if you're not careful. Oh, and remember what I said about Brutes and nightmares? There is one Grunt behavior that's worse. I'll leave you to discover what exactly the behavior is, but rest assured you'll know it when you see it.
  
  And then there's the Flood, the body-snatching enemy that's threatening to devour all life in the galaxy, Covenant and human alike. Now, I'm not saying one thing about the Flood. Nothing. You play. You find out. I'll just say this ain't your Granddaddy's Flood and leave it at that.
  
  
  
  Honestly, my biggest complaint about the campaign is that it's over too quickly. It's not like the game has a bad ending, far from it, but I wanted more. Don't misunderstand, the game isn't too short, I just didn't want it to end.
  
  Fortunately, the campaign is far from the end. This time around Bungie has included plenty of incentive to go back through the campaign multiple times. Of course there is online co-op, but there are also skulls to be found, campaign scoring achievements to be earned, as well as finding terminals you may have missed. Campaign, to put it simply, has been done right. Now, let's look at everything else.
  
  
  
  Unfortunately, online matchmaking wasn't activated at the time of this review, but I did get to mess around with some local multiplayer. Those who participated in the beta have a good idea of what to expect. More or less, Halo 3's multiplayer is a refinement of the multiplayer in Halo 2. Certain things have been tweaked, most notably the re-invention of the assault rifle. Given a decent starting weapon, multiplayer is no longer about a mad dash for a better weapon the second you spawn. Sure, there are great weapons to find, but the assault rifle is a competent weapon in most situations. Another addition is the ability to edit all kinds of traits in the game. Traits can be given to all players or the team / player in the lead. How you use this is up to you. Want to boost everyone's shields, increase running speed, reduce gravity, and give everyone a gravity hammer and a Spartan laser? Go for it (it's pretty fun, actually). Multiplayer is now (literally) what you make of it, and it's a blast.
  
  
  Now, if you really want to control how a game plays out, there's the Forge. Succinctly, Forge is some of the stupidest fun you can have with a game. At least, that's what it is at first. Forge allows players to create map variants by placing, deleting, and editing objects. These objects include simple things like scenery, weapons, and vehicles, but you can also edit more complex things like spawn points and CTF capture points. Inevitably though, your first instinct will be to find a flat surface, pile it with fusion coils, and launch a Mongoose to the moon. Follow that instinct. Follow it hard. You won't be disappointed. In fact, why not cue up the film of my first attempt right now? No, really, you can click here, find the movie titled "Boomtastic-X3F", click "Download to Halo 3", and once you pop Halo 3 into your 360, it will begin downloading automatically.
  
  
  
  And that brings us to saved films. Basically, every game of Halo 3 you play, be it campaign, multiplayer, or Forge, is automatically saved as a film. Once you wrap up a game, simply head into the theater lobby and load it up. The game caches your recent sessions, but you'll have to manually save them if you want them permanently. During a saved film, players have complete control over the camera, allowing them to frame the best view of the action. If you see a particularly cool piece of action, you can record it as a smaller clip. Also, players can take static screenshots of the action on screen. In fact, every screenshot in this review was taken in game using the saved film feature.
  
  And that, as briefly as I can put it, is Halo 3. Honestly, as long as this review is, it's really not long enough. Regardless of how players receive the story's conclusion, the amount of content contained in the Halo 3 package is just staggering. With campaign co-op, multiplayer, Forge, and saved films, the game offers plenty of bang for your gaming buck. Many will claim that it's not as pretty as Gears of War, and arguably they'd be right, but it was never meant to be.
  
  I never intended to write a review filled with nothing but praise for Halo 3, but it's just damned hard to criticize. Sure, there are things I could point out that are disappointing. The graphics aren't perfect. You can't save clips in campaign. The story will be confusing to newcomers. Yeah, I can pick nits all day if I wanted to, and doubtless many Halo detractors will do just that, but the game is good. The conflicts are huge, the levels are vast, and the gameplay is solid. Not only that, but the extras ensure that players will still be playing Halo 3 for a long time to come. Love it or hate it, Halo is back on top, and it's probably there to stay.
  
  credit goes to x3f, but I have played it in 1080P, WOW
  
  

• One of the best FPS' to ever see the light of day

  
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2007-09-25
  To call Halo 3 eagerly anticipated is saying it quite lightly. Thanks to Bungie, the game has been more than worth the wait, and the end result is undoubtedly the best first person shooter to hit the Xbox 360 yet, and maybe ever. Picking up after the cliffhanger ending of Halo 2, Master Chief is in pursuit of the Covenant, who is hell bent and heading to Earth. You'll be happy to know first and foremost that Halo 3 improves on everything that has been seen in the previous two installments of the series, from the game's epic story to the overall gameplay mechanics. The story provides enough closure and answers many of the questions raised in Halo 2, and nicely ties things up while leaving enough room open if there ever are any more installments in the series. As for the gameplay, which is the reason enough to pick the game up even of the story were a disappointment, is everything you could hope for and more so besides. The single player campaign is lengthy enough to satisfy jaded gamers angry at the incredibly short length of Halo 2, but what even makes it more enjoyable is the four-player co-op mode, which can even be taken over Xbox Live. And yes, speaking of Xbox Live, the multiplayer options is where the real meat and potatoes of Halo 3 is to be had, but you already knew that. Besides the standard deathmatch modes, there are some new options, most notably Infection, which involves zombies trying to convert you. New map modes and options really let the player let loose with creativity as well, and result in an incredible amount of replay value that an FPS hasn't seen in quite some time. There are new weapons, brilliant graphics, solid voice acting, and the game isn't hard at all for new gamers to the series to pick up either. Yes, Halo 3 is finally here, and it's quite simply the best FPS to hit the Xbox 360 yet. Whether or not you'll prefer it over Gears of War is another story entirely, but needless to say, there is plenty here to keep you occupied for quite some time.
  
  

• I don't get all the halo hysteria... it's a very average game.

  
  By ACAS81Q3LB5NC on 2007-09-25
  I'm not sure if diehard Halo fans were created near the time of the first release, when the genre was young, and when Halo was really something of an innovation. But be that as it may, I am not one of those folks.
  
  I first played Halo 2 (never played the first) after playing a lot of contemporary first- and third- person shooters (Gears of War, Rainbow Six, etc), and I never really could understand the appeal of the game. It seemed cartoonish, with lackluster graphics, so-so weapons, and a floaty, sluggish feel to game play. Somehow this combination of elements fostered an unimaginable allegiance and love for this game that I just don't understand and probably never will.
  
  I picked up this version because the hype has been otherworldly, and I didn't want to be left out of what I thought was going to be a groundbreaking, genre-redefining release. But I was wrong. Halo 3 feels very much like its predecessors, offering little if anything in the realm of advancement in any of the aforementioned areas. I deeply regret buying before renting it.
  
  And to those of you who popped in Halo 1 and 2 and didn't "get it," I assure you, you won't feel any different about Halo 3, however, you will be $65 lighter than you were before. Save your time and your money. Halo 3 profits from the momentum of previous releases and preposterous amounts of fanboy loyalty -- nothing else.
  
  
• This game is just flat out not fun.
  By A1P3VFXBE0ISPW on 2007-10-03
  My title says it all. I've loved my Xbox 360 since I got it two Christmas's ago. I waited in line with my girlfriend at midnight for this mediocre shooter. We got home and she watched me play and asked what the big deal was. She was asleep after the 4th match of Team Slayer because she realized I just cycled through every map already. I went to sleep after the 6th match and went back to playing Gears the next day. If the name Halo wasn't tagged on this, that's all it would be, a mediocre shooter. The campaign is a chore to play through, even 4 player co-op, you can't search for games, you have to put together your own party which can be rather hard sometimes. Gears of War did EVERYTHING better, and raised the bar in gaming, and it didn't even have it's own Moutain Dew flavor. lol I've never written a review for Amazon before but I feel this game really intrigued me enough to do it. I also hope people stop writing 5 star reviews soon, because this game is so undeserving of everything it's recieved in the last 6 months. Have a good one.
  
  
• TIME TO SELL
  By A28QV6KGME3VN7 on 2007-09-26
  If you are a victim of too much hype ... just like me who mistakenly bought this game cause Microsoft spend millions on too mush fake hype then sell it before it's worth pennies.
  
  --------------------
  Previously I wrote:
  --------------------
  
  First to let you know about myself so you don't think I am biased .... I am XBOX and Microsoft fan. I've been playing games for last 22 years so you can imagine I have gone through many generations of video gaming. I myself is IT Systems Architect.
  
  I played this game for hours yesterday before coming to conclusion. Honestly I bought this game because of too much Hype ... but all my expectations were broken yesterday.
  
  The Halo3 gameplay is average nothing special. No special fighting moves or movements just simple FPS. The Graphics are below average when you compare them with the graphics of Gears of War, BioShock, MassEffect, or Timeshift. There was a hype about no frame drop ... that is completely false ... there are frame drops and any body can notice it.
  
  It is completely unbelievable that all the editorial critics said that they have never played such a fantastic game. Either Microsoft filled their mouth with a lot of money or they are also nothing more than hyped critics.
  
  Lets see how much of $10 million fake hype can take this game to.
  
  
• Where do I begin???
  By AOP4SYO5XL89P on 2007-09-26
  All I can say is.....microsoft failed me for the last time. With all the hype surounding this game I felt like I was going to be part of history, playing halo 3. I was part of history the history of a crappy halo 2.5. The graphics are the same as halo 2 even worse at some times because the humans look like drugged out mutants. The gameplay is no different from halo 2 except for the equipment, and de-powering of nearly every human weopon. The pistol shoots as slow as the shotgun. Way to go bungie make the good weopons crappy and the crappy weopons better. What in the world is a mongoose???? The vehicles are just plain ridiculous and unpractical. I guess I'll drive my mangoose around hoping no one shoots me because I can't retaliate at all. True hardcore gamers will complete the campaign mode in less than 5 hours even on legendary mode. What a joke@!!! Lets make halo 3 shorter than halo and halo 2 smart huh???? The multiplayer is a joke. The maps are worse than the previous halos. Maps are uninspired and a chore to be in. So let's evaluate here shall we: the halo 3 graphics are even worse than halo 2 graphics, the gameplay is the same, the new weopons stink, pointless vehicles, and terrible multiplayer. Whom.....that gives halo 2.5 a 1 out of 5. I guess charging 60 dollars for a rehashed worse halo2 is a good proposition for some. But, I'm not a microsoft tool like them. I am a real gamer(one of the last few) who buy quality games. All in all I will throw my 360 at a bus so I can finally get entertainment watching it fall apart. Better than playing halo 3 atleast.
  
  
• Halo 3 is a Shallow Experience
  By A3VVSZWRRTZZWS on 2007-09-26
  It never ceases to amaze me the amount of fanaticism surrounding the Halo series. I remember playing the first Halo and wondering how anyone could possibly say this was a defining FPS experience. The textures were dry and repetitive. The enemies looked like Sesame Street characters and were too cartoonish for the storyline. Not that the storyline was anything compelling. I'm getting a little tired of these alien invasion stories that have been done a zillion times over. The A.I. was clumsy, goofy, and non-dynamic plus acted like numbskulls. What about the multiplayer experience? Get real. It's like you never touched a PC FPS before.
  
  Halo 3 is here and what does it offer? Halo fans admit it's more and more of the same. It is indeed as I've tried it. I own it. I've played it for hours on end. It's a little bit of a tuned up Halo 1 & 2. Hurray for slightly updating everything sequels! But for some reason Halo fans are enthralled by it. It's like a whole gaming world (PC) has been sealed off from most of the Xbox 360 crowd. It's as if Halo fanatics never took a glimpse at Counterstrike, Battlefield or dozens upon dozens of other PC FPS games that offer more gameplay options, refined gameplay, immersive graphics and A.I. that acts human. I couldn't imagine their faces if they ever touched the PC version of Far Cry.
  
  An important aspect for any game is the controls. Why do you want to aim with an analog stick? Why not use the precision of a mouse and keyboard? Let me tell you something, the price for Halo 3 at $60 bucks a pop is actually ten dollars higher or is equivalent in price to brand new FPS games for the PC. Why would you shoot for lower standards? Installation of a game in a PC isn't hard. You put in the disk, input the CD-key, click "next" a few times, wait for it to install (five mins for one time, big whoop) then you're playing.
  
  Are PCs expensive? Yes. But for what you're paying when you get the console, the online service, the controllers and all that junk you're likely to find a PC of comparable price that can play better games. Not to mention all the other services that PCs can do that are essential in today's world. After a few years of owning a PC you can buy a brand new video card for about a $100 instead of a new PC. You don't have to buy a new PC every year or even every few years. Just as long as you're smart enough not to waste an untold sum of money buying hardware updates to only see a bit more eye candy (remember, gameplay is the fun factor). Plus with adequate hardware you'll still be playing better games and seeing better eye candy than Halo 3 could offer.
  
  I hate to break it to the Halo fanboys but the Halo series aren't the only games that allow a lot of people to shoot each other at the same time. It's already been done hundreds of times in the PC world. With all the past history for PC the latest PC FPS games are enormously more redefined than shallow bore fests like Halo 3. If multiplayer with friends inside the house is your thing, do a LAN party or pick up a Wii. You know, the Wii. The only console system available right now that offers innovative controls? Yeah that system. The system that even your girlfriend has a blast playing.
  
  Taking a look at the positive reviews, I've noticed a few major logical fallacies appearing. You know, despite the reviews that are awfully vague (a few of the negative reviews are guilty of this as well). One is the unsupported assumption that if you don't like Halo 3, you just suck at the game. Anyone could apply that to any game. I could say you don't like "Barbie's Playhouse" because you suck at the game. This is absurd and shows the lack of critical thinking skills by the reviewers who make this claim.
  
  What's funny is that these same people think they have such uber skill. I play FPS games when I don't feel like thinking, because they're so dang easy. You run and shoot. You use "advanced" techniques like "ducking for cover." You have to be a complete dunce to not be good at an FPS. Halo 3's campaign was a breeze. My opponents online gawked around as lame brains. I'm not a genius either. I'm not the best gamer around town. I'm a little above average. I can say that anyone who put a little bit of effort into FPS shooting could do exceptionally well. Have you seen how other players behave though? They're warped out of their minds with some ADHD condition.
  
  Another logical fallacy is that because "professional" reviewers have given Halo 3 good ratings, it therefore must be good. These professional reviewers are not independent. They depend on the consumer for their paycheck. Just imagine if they gave Halo 3 a bad review. Can you imagine the fanatical outcries? If I was a paid reviewer who depended on other people who loved the Halo series for my paycheck; I would be literally insane to then diss the game. The professional reviewers are part of a business that wants people to grab their magazine or visit their site. They're about cash or trying to get more members. You don't get good publicity by angering a huge segment of the video game crowd.
  
  I'm giving this game a 1 star. No, it's not the worst game ever made or even close. But Halo 3 is a game that would've been made on PC about 5-10 years ago. And it charged me $60 for the privilege. Reflecting upon my purchase I wouldn't accept the game as free. Now you might call me insane for not taking a free game. But what's the point of taking a free game that pales in comparison to other games you already own? It's like a free offer to waste a significant portion of your life on something that simply isn't worth it. Halo 3 is a redundant monstrosity. Go play a PC FPS.
  
  
• Not delivering on promises and hype
  By A2FAIY3TWTE333 on 2007-09-26
  1) Hype: Banshee - I saw video of Halo 3 maps where Banshee's could fly out of the atmosphere - no fish bowl/glass ceilings. Reality: The Banshee runs into the old low glass ceiling AND you can't even fire at things directly below you, you can't fly straight down anymore.
  
  2) Hype: Multiplayer maps would be greatly expanded - more than 30 people playing online at the same time. Reality: Big team battle? 12 players max. Halo 2 allowed 16 players...how is this better?
  
  3) Hype: Grenades! A few new types of grenades, and a few new things called something or other, but they're just grenades too. Reality: Difficult to use "new things," hard to cycle through all the grenade types, difficult to seperate them in your mind for deployment during game play using different buttons.
  
  4) Hype: Unhinged turrets! Reality: They suck and slow you down.
  
  5) Hype: New vehicles! Reality: I drove a human motorcycle with no guns and a covenant motorcyle thing with one big wheel that was impossible to control well.
  
  I hope they release a bunch of fixes to un-suck this game they gave us.
  
  
• Ho Hum Game in an Average Franchise
  By A3J961T12S0DLE on 2007-10-04
  Hype is about all that this game has going for it. I consider this game on par with the Zune player. It works and does what you think it does but is it worth the money or fantastic? No. Not at all.
  
  I would pass on this and consider that the whole proposition is a scam. You overpay for a game with crappy graphics (I mean, have you seen the character models) and then you have to pay $5 dollars to play with these rude clowns who will personally attack you if you don't swear by it.
  
  It just makes the whole thing that much more useless. Everyone knows that the Xbox360 will be abandoned like Xbox in a year or so and personally, I'm mad too that I drank the Kool-Aid but then again, I also bought a first generation iPod and a new one this year. So goes the expendable income story.
  
  Don't believe hype. You can buy people's attention spans in the same way that MS bought market share in the gaming industry. Seriously, there's nothing to see here. Move along.
  
  
• The future of gaming - mass marketed, overhyped garbage...
  By A15MX8YJMBNDB0 on 2007-10-13
  Halo 3 is one of the worst games I've ever played in my life. These are gamecube graphics at best. The controls are painfully stiff and unresponsive. The levels are bland and empty. The "story" is nonexistent. The voice acting is pitiful, considering how much money was put into the game. I really believe about five or six times as much money was put into advertising than the game itself. Did I mention the nonmusic music? As a FPS, Halo 3 has NOTHING to offer. Turok: Evolution is superior in every way, even the ancient-by-today's-standards Goldeneye 007 is vastly superior. Even the hype is fake - Microsoft bought the hype for this piece of garbage. Notice that my review doesn't even mention why 99% of the people that bought it did, the multiplayer. MP is an aftertought and not something to take into account when rating a video game.
  
  
• Overdone hype but awsome game.
  By A38T1JFRUIG19W on 2007-09-25
  Personally all this hype was blown out of proportion. All done for more marketing sales to make Microsoft very happy of course and to squeeze every last dime out of Halo fans by creating three types of editions. I was there for the midnight release and played Halo3 for a good two and half hours until I crashed out on my couch. I'll break this review down into a few cat orgies.
  
  Gameplay: The game to me has improved on many levels. With new enemies with better AI, they don't just stand there waiting to get killed. Along with the same layout has Halo 1&2, 3 is pretty much the same (point, shoot, cover), but you have more areas to get creative with new content. Halo3 gameplay was given a polished look and finish and even though it can feel old at times, it's really all about finishing the fight and finding out the storyline.
  
  Graphics: I was quit surprised to see how clean and detailed the graphics were on my regular TV. Bungie really went to attention to detail and left nothing out. I have a 24' HDTV but with no speakers so I have to resort to my older TV, but if Halo3 looks as good as it does on regular, I can only image what it would look like HD.
  
  New Content: Who doesn't like new content? Halo3 has more to offer then ever. There is new equipment to help you defeat your foes when it gets rough. New guns, new fighting tactics, its awesome.
  
  Overall: I gave this 4 stars out of 5 because the gameplay feels the same in certain parts of the game, but with the graphics and new content I can easily get over it. Only reason why I got an Xbox 360 was for Halo3, since I found out there was no plans to start working on a PC version of Halo and I didn't want to wait long to play.
  
  Advice: Don't play Halo 3 until you played Halo 1&2, get familar with the storyline and controls, otherwise this game won't be "the hype" you expected. Remember, when Halo first came out, there was mixed reviews, playing Halo 3 first is no exception.
  
  
  
• WTF???
  By A2D2OHVXVR38MC on 2007-09-25
  This is perhaps the most over hyped game ever. Same old stuff as Halo and Halo 2. I don't know why people fall into the traps laid by microsoft to increase their hardware sales. I played this game the same day I got it and I must say that it is very short. 8 hours the most. The graphics are decent, but not as good as other games on the 360. Multiplayer sucks.........So if you want to save 60 bucks, stick to your old Halos......
  
  
  
  --ALL YOU HALO FANBOYS OUT THERE PLEASE DO NOT HATE ON THE PS3 FANS COZ YOU GUYS ARE THE SAME--
  
  
• this game is terrible
  By A25LN8D1JSTJQ1 on 2007-09-25
  I didn't like anything about this game. Looks exactly like halo on old xbox. Nothing compared to the new games on 360.
  
  
• Terrible, Boring, Lame, Don't Waste Your Time
  By A3H5C6ND9WFT6X on 2007-10-25
  Haven't we done this before? The maps look the same, the weapons are boring, and the characters are, once again silly. This game reminds me of the disappointment I felt while watching the new Star Wars movies. Characters or childish, and the plot is entirely un-inventive. Save $60 and play Halo 2 again.
  
  
• Nice to see microsoft cutting loose the people who bought the first console
  By A2G9L93KLG45RO on 2007-09-25
  I bought the first Halo and the second Halo. Now if I want the third Halo, I have to throw away the entire console and buy the 360 for $400+tax, then new controllers, etc. Thanks Microsoft for making the game exclusive for the 360 and cutting loose all the people who bought your products in the past.
  
  
• Not surprised!
  By A14T8L577G3AKM on 2007-09-25
  I will never understand why there is so much hype for Halo.. the first one was a sub-average game, the second one was garbage, and surprise surprise the third one sucks as well... The game is boring and slow paced, the graphics are nothing to write home about, and there seems to be very little change in the gameplay from the first two in the series. If people are so desperate for a decent FPS, either get Bioshock, or wait for Unreal Tournament 3.. Buyers beware, this game is trash!
  
  
• Finished the Fight too Fast
  By A11A8GWG0IXBZH on 2007-10-20
  
  I want to first point out that it is possible to objectively criticize something and still like it. With that in mind, I still waited before writing my review of Halo 3 until I had played through it a few times so I could get a better feel and grasp of the important elements of the game. Having done that I can see now that the game itself is deeply flawed in several ways- story, dialog, and game features and functions. That said I still enjoyed it, it was still a lot of fun to me. What startled me the most was just how short it was, I completed the main campaign in less than six hours, which is roughly 10-12 hours less than time spent playing the first two games. That strikes me as being unreasonable given what I paid for the it and three years Bungie supposedly spent developing the game- there simply is not enough to do.
  
  What I noticed immediately was the dialog was very weak in several areas. I don't mean just the main thrust of the stories told in cut scenes, but everywhere- ancillary dialog of human soldiers who follow the Master Chief around on missions has most all of humor, the flowery dialog of the Sangeili Elites and the Prophets are gone, replaced instead with cliched lines we've all heard a dozen times before from other sources, as well they changed two of the voices who added so much to Halo 2, that of the Prophet of Truth and the Gravemind without changing the actors- Terrance Stamp still does Truth and Dee Bradley Barker is back as the Gravemind, yet they sound completely different. The way Halo told its story reminded me greatly of Soul Reaver 2 game- long cut scenes with tons of elocution that flows like poetry and a lot of that has been stripped out of Halo 3 leaving it almost lifeless. I thought for sure they had changed writers, but Joseph Staten is credited for Halo 3.
  
  The inconsistencies that struck me were the weapons- yes, they added a ton of new toys to play with, but also changed some of the main stays. The M-41 assault rifle from Halo, missing from Halo 2, is back for Three, but somehow holds 28 less rounds in its magazine than before. The needler, probably one of my favorite weapons from the previous two games can no longer be dual-wielded, and they cut its ammo capacity back, the same goes for the shotgun. The original Magnum is also back, but appearances are deceiving- damage and ammo capacity have been reduced. If these are the same weapons, why have they been changed so drastically and no justification given? I can understand it being done for game balance, but it's just done with no explanation at all. I'll ignore the most overriding gripe of there is no possible way the UNSC could have fought the Covenant for 10 years given their vastly disparate technology levels. It is simply unrealistic that the human race, given how primitive their weapons, ships, and everything else is could have survived that long against the Covenant.
  
  The story line is very simple, stop the Flood and stop the Prophet of Truth of activating the remaining Halo rings- a lot of work for basically one guy, but Spartan 117 is far from average. The game opens with the Master Chief crash landing on Earth after leaping from Truth's captured Forerunner ship and then hooking up with Sergent Major Johnson and the Arbiter in the jungles outside of what's left of New Mombassa. Your ultimate goal in the first half of the game is stop Truth from reaching the Ark- what the humans suspect is being dug out of a massive crater where New Mombassa used to be by the Covenant. It is instead a massive hyperspace gateway that takes Covenant forces to the true Ark- an enormous space station located outside of our galaxy and out of range of pulse radius of all the Halos. After failing to stop Truth and dealing with the Flood who crash a Covenant ship on Earth, the UNSC and their new allies, the Sangeili Elites, relocate to the Ark and go after Truth. All the while the Master Chief is plagued by visions of Cortana, held captive by the Gravemind.
  
  On the Ark the mission break down is roughly the same as on Earth- take out Covenant anti-air defenses so UNSC forces can move in. Here you get to fly the new UNSC fighter, the Hornet and continues the UNSC fascination with hanging soldiers on the outsides of things. It makes me wonder if the Pillar of Autumn or In Amber Clad had hundreds of soldiers on the outside shooting at Covenant fighters with their rifles. In any event, it was fun to finally fly some human aircraft, yet absent from the entire game is the flyable Banshees. Bungie also changed which Wraith tanks you can take over, making it impossible to steal certain tanks on certain levels using melee attacks instead of grenades. This to me smacks of bad design because it makes things seem forced and artificial. Rumor has it that it is possible to take over the coppery anti-air Wraiths, but I have yet to do it.
  
  Graphically, I'm torn. The game is very pretty, but it's not a quantum leap from Halo 2, certainly not `next generation' in my opinion, something the Xbox 360 has suffered from since day one with Perfect Dark Zero and other titles. One Bungie's curses is a lot of their textures look muddy, and they can't do metallic surfaces unless it's the Elite's armor, everything else looks like shiny lacquered concrete- the Forerunner structures especially suffer from this effect, and it was especially noticeable in Halo 2 and on human space stations which looked as though they were made form cement. Character models have been improved in some areas, but faces and uniforms on UNSC personnel look pretty much the same as they did in Halo 2. Lighting effects, weapons, and vehicles are first rate, the Flood infested levels are also quite excellent, especially the last one and everything has a nice creepy Cronenberg-esque look to it. They also updated the overall look of my favorite character, Cortana. I love how she appeared in Halo 2, but in Three she looks more human, with a different face and hair, she looks a little gothic with darker eyes.
  
  Overall, Halo 3 gets a pass, because it is fun to play, it just doesn't last that long. I have no interest in player vs player matches, because they lack the precision offered by a mouse and keyboard. The story is weak, but passable- the preview videos of developers talking so much about they were doing so much with the Brutes and integrating them into the story turned out to be so much smoke and mirrors. If anything, they have a less a role in Halo 3 than they did in Two. The Brutes are barely anymore important than Grunts or Jackals, just thugs with big guns that you get to shoot at because the Elites are your allies now. So, I finished the fight- a little too quickly, and I will be very interested to see where they take it now, because nothing is every truly over. So maybe in two years we'll be asked again to `Continue the fight!' or `Finish the Fight, Again!'.
  
  
• I don't get it.
  By A2JH82L2TIIHZL on 2007-09-27
  To me, Halo 3 is a classic example of a game that is past its prime. The examples are glaring throughout the game. However I also understand that this is a third installment to an already insanely successful franchise, so Bungie and Microsoft would be ill advised to make too many changes and upset their already established fan base. So when I bought Halo 3, I expected a game with some upgrades, but not a completely new game separate from the previous two. I think the real problem with this game is that it is just plain out-dated when its competition is games like Gears of War, Bioshock, and The Darkness. I'm not making a pitch for game of the year here, nor am I trying to talk about PS3, XB360, PCs, or anyting else. I am just going to try to be objective in my review:
  
  Sound. Holy crap. The sound on this game is actually terrible, and for a game this 'next gen' that is just unacceptable. I have a 5.1 surround sound system, and every other FPS I play has good to great sound, to the point where you can actually react to directional sounds in your room. Halo 3 does not. The guns barely even make ANY sound! The vaunted assault rifle that every one is so excited about sounds like the wimpiest gun I've ever heard. Does that thing have a silencer on it that I just don't know about? And to compound that problem... there are NO SOUND OPTIONS!!! Who does that? You can't change the music, sound effects, or voice volumes at all (but you can change the multiplayer voice options for some reason)... so when Bungie decides that you are gonna hear their trademark music, that's all you hear. Dialogue and battle sounds are completely drowned out.
  
  Campaign length. This is, without a doubt, the shortest FPS I have ever played. I understand they tried to expand it by making it super replayable with all the cooperative modes and unlockables, but come on guys. This game is 5-7 hours, tops. That's 10 bucks an hour. Wow. I could do better than that at an arcade. And beyond the time aspect, there is very little depth to the campaign. In Halo 2, you got to play two completely different paths that eventually crossed, so you essentially played two stories simultaneously... an awesome idea that was well executed! Halo 3 did away with that, I wish I knew why.
  
  Graphics. The graphics are gorgeous, colorful, and it runs pretty smoothly. There are a few hiccups here and there with framerate, but nothing bad at all. On an HD TV it is everything its advertised to be and more.
  
  Story. I think this is my biggest beef. No spoilers here, but I will say I did not like the story at all. With all the directions they had things going after the second installment, they had all kinds of options to pursue in this one, but for some reason they kept the story extremely narrow this time around. And the whole flashback thing that Master Chief keeps having about Cortana... lame and played out. Disappointing.
  
  Multiplayer. This is obviously where the Halo games shine, and I think Halo 3 is no exception. There is no single game mode that you can't play some aspect of multiplayer on, which is impressive. And 4 player co-op is huge. They have lots of game modes, a method to match you up with similar skill levels so you don't have to get killed by 'professional' gamers who have nothing else to do with their lives, and an easy to use system to make sure you can always play with your buddies, either in house or across the globe. It's extremely customizable too.
  
  Overall, Halo 3 was a disappointment to me, even though my hopes weren't that high to begin with. It's a decent game for 4-5 years ago, but by today's standards it's average. There are some awesome aspects to it though, and I really think Bungie catered to the multiplayer crowd well, giving them endless possibilities to use for the coming years. If you're a die hard Halo fan, well you already have it by now. If not, I suggest renting it before taking the $60 plunge. Just my two cents.
  
  
• The game is static.
  By A30NLXI7WDY9MY on 2007-10-30
  Microsoft has done it again -- they've packaged hot air and sold it to the public for an outrageous price. The graphics aren't up to snuff, and the story line might as well be too. I don't know which is more dumb -- the game or me for buying into the hype.
  
  
• A bit disappointing...
  By A10AW7H143CP9M on 2007-09-25
  I must say that I am rather let down by the look of Halo 3. I have been playing both Call Of Duty 4 Demo and Bioshock for a while now, and expected the same crisp lines and detail level from this title. It's just not there. This game looks like Quake to me, very cartoonish and rough. The animations of the non-player characters are very, very stiff. I should state that I have never played the previous Halo titles before, and purchased this game on the wave of pre-release chatter, so might not understand the established look and feel of the game environments.
  
  All in all a bit of a let down, I am sad to say.
  
  For the record, I have a Panasonic 52" HDTV with superb detail, and other 360 games look great.
  
  
  
• This is the most over rated game I have ever bought!
  By A2Y1WNETD9AYHO on 2007-09-29
  
  I played this game before..... its called Unreal Tournament 2004.... and the graphics were better back then !
  
  This game is all hype ! it brings NOTHING NEW to the xbox 360 ! I mean nothing. Graphics a weak - not even hd... they are upscaled. the multiplayer sucks big time... its so hard to find a match that you want to play.. horrible over all game... if this game was not called Halo it would get no love at all. Bungie sat on their hands and brought nothing to the table... Gears of war raised the bar so high that they cannot even compete ...
  
  At least Unreal 3 is coming which will be what Halo should have been.....
  
  Buy it in the used bin because a lot of people will be trading this ' dog ' in because it has fleas.
  
  
• The Fight is Over, but the War Will Last Forever.
  By A33A18ZPG0S6QZ on 2007-09-28
  Halo. Not much as to be said when it comes to the most populer and best selling game of all time. The first game sold the Xbox and the second game was a huge seller for Xbox Live service and was still played through today. Now Halo 3, the last game that follows now ledgedary Spartan Master Cheif. And its a great game while being a little disapointing at the same time.
  
  The STORY. The story starts off where Halo 2 badly left off. Cheif returns to Earth in hopes to stop Truth from finding a activating the Arc to kill the Flood along with everything else. Joining Cheif is the shuned Elite, the Abriter. But don't worry this is the Cheif's story and the Abirter is left to tag along.
  
  Here you'll finish what Halo 2 started and left you off. The campain mode is easy and if you played the other two games you need to up the level. The game is action packed and doesn't slow down too often the score helps set the mood for the action on screen and really gets you pumped up. The game will take roughly 8-15 hours depending on the level you play and/or if you play Co-Op.
  
  The GRAPHICS. I have to point out the graphics of Halo 3. They are not the best but not the worst. We've seen better looking games in the past and future games look to trump this tenfold. The lighting and most enviroments look good but like I said its not the best or what you might be expecting, but Halo wasn't never about graphics but its gameplay.
  
  The GAMEPLAY. The gameplay has always been Halo's bread and butter. Halo made the FPS cross over from the Keyboard and Mouse set up to the console controller and includes great vehicle control and combat and this game plays the same way. Why fix it if it isn't broken? And Bungie didn't change a thing. They added a few new weapons and a few new vehicles and called it a day.
  
  The MULTIPLAYER. This is where game shines. Just like in Halo 2 the MP mode will be played 3 years from now. All 11 maps have a great feel to them and are all diffrent. The matchmaking system returns to put you in games with players of your skill type. New modes like The Forge allows you to completly edit (not terrian) the layout of weapons, spawn points, etc. to create anything you want on the battle feild. Here you can save it and upload it to Bungie. The only downfall is the lack of options to search for custom and Forge games. You must Invite friends only. The same goes for the co-op mode. The same was said about Halo 2 and Bungie did nothing to help this.
  
  Then you have the sweet Theatre mode. Here the game saves all your progress and you can move the camera around, take pictures, and make small movies to share with your friends. The only complaint is you can not rewind campian mode nor can you record any of it. But that's just a small complaint.
  
  The END. In the end Halo 3 is a must have for anyone who enjoys a good Multiplayer game along with anyone who enjoyed the other Halo offerings...I'm sure they already got their copies of the game. Halo 3 will still be played years down the road and Master Chief will be looked upon now as a legendary video game personality.
  
  
• Review for Non-Gamers
  By AKOJHBBKEWKVU on 2007-09-27
  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.
  
  
• Hey look! It's more... Halo.
  By ALJ3JM7ALJZJK on 2007-10-07
  I'll make this quick and to the point. Halo 1 was an amazing game. Halo 2 was average at best. Halo 3 is simply more of the same thing. It's somewhat fun, but you feel as though you've played this all before.
  
  Bad:
  -Started first campain run-through on heroic. Took me around seven hours to complete. Second run-through on legendary took me eight hours. Co-op with my bro took me five hours on heroic. Not a very long game. Feels like "Gears of War" all over again.
  -Small variety of enemies. You will be fighting Brute after Brute. Then some flood (how original) No bosses either. Basically, you get no sense of accomplishment for anything you do. (Achievements don't really count, they're useless IMO)
  -Same weapons as the previous games. There's a Brute Hammer, and Slicers to add to the bunch. But they're nothing ground breaking. They're just... More weapons that all feel the same.
  -Very outdated A.I. Enemies will stand there if they can't see you. They never search for you, or flank you out. If you have a long range weapon, you can fire at them from a distance and they will never move. Even after being hit numerous times. They simply act like robots.
  -Fellow officers drive like a drunk on Xmas day. They crash into rocks, trees, and any other type of terrain that can easily be maneuvered around. So terrible A.I for those boys too.
  -Plenty of driving. While the vehicles are the best parts of the Halo trilogy. I was expecting something else in Halo 3. Halo 1 already had plenty of all this. Were seeing stuff we played five years ago. Can they not think of anything original?
  -Last level involves shooting a small, floating, metal Orb. Thats the big finale to the Halo trilogy!? You shoot a small silver ball, that shoots lazers at you! You'll also drive the Jeep (Warthog) as things explode. Thats actually the very last thing you do (shortly after the orb battle) You drive a jeep while broken bits of building conveniently make passage for you. Some ending indeed.
  
  The good:
  -Smooth controls. The controls have yet to change since five years ago. But thats for a reason. It's no Metroid Prime 3, but they are some of the best.
  -Good looking graphics. Nothing to brag about by any means, but curtainly nothing to complain about. Plenty of bright colors here and there. And decent physics to top it off.
  -Lots of driving. This is also a complaint because it's nowhere near being original, but it IS fun. And thats what counts. You will be driving atleast half the game. They give you plenty of choices too. I prefer the Warthog to all others.
  -Good multiplayer. I don't really like playing online. I play games for the story. But If you're a fan of online. This is a game for you. There's plenty to play around with. Halo allows console gamers a taste of what PC gamers have been getting for years. (I'm talking about Forge) Plenty of freedom to do what you want. So I have to give it props for that. Even if I'm not a fan of that stuff.
  
  There ya go! I may be a bit harsh on it. But I play a lot of games. After playing Halo 3, I really don't see a reason to revisit it. It doesn't bring a single thing new to the FPS genre. It's not a bad game, but it just doesn't have what it take to be a such a highly rated game. I still love Halo 1, but Halo 3 feels like an updated version of a five year old game. Even a game like Metroid Prime 3 (Wii) has more going for it then Halo 3. So buy that instead because the single player campain is much more engaging, and took me 25 hours to beat. Or better yet, wait for the Orange Box edition of Half Life 2 (PS3, 360, PC) and pick that up. Even by todays standards, you will find a much more unique experience in both those games.
  
  Just have fun playing, thats what counts.
  
  
  
  
• Biggest rip off ever
  By A3DKNG1ZXZ64BU on 2008-01-14
  If you liked halo 1 and halo 2 you might like this game because all it is is repeat of those games. Better graphics, but the same game. I would congratulate Microsoft in convincing all the teen fanboys to buy this garbage. So how bad is the game? Well let's put it this way, all the people who were so hot on buying the game a couple of months ago, no longer play it. Yes, those same fanatics who pre-ordered the game don't play it anymore. I played the game on the easist setting just to get through it but even then it was too boring. And online play? Horrible. Menu system? Worse ever.
  
  I would suggest that colleges teach about Halo 3 in their marketing classes. To sell this dog turd at 60 bucks a pop is truly a great marketing accomplishment.
  
  
• Halo series; it was good but could have been so much better
  By A2D3EIMH46WS1V on 2007-09-27
  I would just like to say, I am a big halo fan. I do and still consider it one of the best console gaming series, neck and neck with Half Life (or maybe a little better). But Halo 3, the end of the series is "good" but could have been so much better. My short review really could be summed by saying that Halo 3 is Halo 2.1 for XBOX360. I think Bungie and Microsoft played it safe by just recreating Halo 2 with better graphics and sound. From a business perspective, it was probably a smart move. Literally, there were the same weapons, same ships, same friendly characters just super-sized for the Xbox. The enemy characters acted in the same way, going through the same movements. The sad part is that they didn't recreate those famous battles there were tough as h*ll. There were a couple of tough battles with the flood and that was about it, everything else was a cake walk. After about 2 checkpoints, I knew I had to go from Normal to Heroic.
  
  I don't know, maybe I played Halo 1 and 2 too much, but Halo 3 just felt like a lackluster experience. The AI, to me, seemed a little weaker; there were times where I was actually waiting before the enemy would shoot at me and he never did. And my favorite enemy character, the Elites weren't present (I guess they are on our side now). That Halo 2 character was awesome and would act like a predator and hunt you down. Most of the characters in three were just dummy targets waiting to get shot. I remember playing Halo 1 - 2 over and over and over again trying find a better strategy. It is Sep 27 (2 days after the release) and I have already beaten Halo on the Heroic; it would probably take me 5 hours to beat it on legendary.
  
  On the multiplayer, so far it seems pretty good. Good maps, same Halo 2 like system.
  
  In Summary:
  
  +1. Great music, really set the tone
  +2. Great continuation of story
  +3. Great 360 graphics; you could see the bullets, blood, metallic shininess
  +3b. So far, great multiplayer
  -4. Horrible maps that were too linear and too easy
  -5. AI lacked, I literally could stand there for a minute before some enemies would shoot me. Where were the Elites?
  -6. New weapons and ships were cool but I was just fine using the older weapons like the assault rifle.
  (-76b, pistol reaaaaaallly sucked this time)
  
  In terms of the Xbox 360 games out now. I am not really a fan of Bioshock and think Halo 3 is way better. I might have to give Gears of War a better rating than Halo 3. Gears of War left you proud to have beat the game, especially on the hardest game setting.
  
  I think Halo 3 will get a bunch of rave reviews and hold people's attention for a couple of months or a year, especially to new fans but I don't think it will satisfy the serious Halo junkie.
  
  
• Beware...unplayable for some
  By ANEP0QYMPBT7Q on 2007-10-03
  I continue to get "clean disk" popup at end of the first stage transition no matter how many different new disk I use, or how cleared my cache is, or how formatted my hard drive is...while playing campaign.
  
  
• no keyboard and mouse no play
  By A1FZYGS1FHD1MG on 2007-09-25
  ill first start off with my history with halo back in november 2001 i was first in line at the local walmart awaiting the xbox launch i froze my panties off that night only to get home with numb fingers to play halo and after 10 minutes i turned off my new xbox and felt cheated the game sucked. then some years latter halo 2 came out i decided ill give it another shot no waiting this time the game was available and i had my xbox which had seen little play other than for max payne and d&d heroes it was relatively unused and again 10 minutes and again i felt cheated the game once again sucked. now the 360 came along i got to camp indoors for its launch for my local walmart had become a supercenter and was open 24 hours so i waited warmly inside this time no halo it was call of duty 2 a much better game but far from great and now almost two years latter comes halo 3 and i refuse to waste my $ on this one there is no keyboard and mouse compatability the game just sux ill stick with real games like bioshock and rather than use the mediocre 360 ill play it on my pc where games look far superior. bioshock yay halo 3 nay
  
  

• Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide (Prima Official Game Guides)
• The Halo Graphic Novel
• Halo 3 Series 3 - Jackal Major
• Halo 3 Series 3 - Spartan Soldier Hayabusa
• Halo 3 Series 3 - Spartan Soldier Rogue

• Xbox 360 Wireless Controller
• Xbox 360 Pro Value Bundle
• Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Black
• Assassin's Creed
• BioShock