Halo 3 Limited Edition Reviews

• Hype there is NO HYPE ITS THE REAL DEAL, and 1080P OMG!

  
  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 3xf, but In 1080P from my own personal exp ITS JUST INSANE!
  
  

• Now I feel comfortable to review this game...

  
  By AV9SRGPNOD73Z on 2007-10-05
  I purchased the Limited Edition version of Halo 3 that comes with a bonus disc of video, metal case with slip cover and small hard cover book with additional information on the game and its elements.
  
  I would like to clarify that I did not have the original Xbox or get into Halo: Combat Evolved or Halo 2. I purchased an Xbox 360 as I believe to be the best choice for me for a gaming console, and I jumped right into the excitement over Halo 3. I rented Halos 1 and 2 to see if I would like them. I enjoyed both games, despite not finishing them completely prior to Halo 3's release. I even purchased both of those games. I completed about 75% of the first game and about 20% of the second. I just couldn't wait to solve both of them before playing the "next-gen" version. That being said, I am not as familiar with the Halo story or universe. I don't think this made too much of a difference in getting into Halo 3. I think one could get Halo 3 having never played the other games...granted you would wonder a little about the back story, but the game play would suck you in and forget about that until you finished the game. Now I am going back to play the first two games to completion. I know it's a little late, but now I am into the Halo thing...
  
  I have played the game completely through on Normal. I did not think it was too short. I thought that I had solved the game twice, when in fact there were more levels and more story. I felt satisfied with the campaign aspect of the game (even compared to BioShock, Lost Planet, Prey and Gears of War). Now, I am going back through the game to collect the skulls for extra features and achievement points. The campaign was a little challenge for me on the normal difficulty...it wasn't too easy and not too hard. I was stuck in about 3 places that took a day to move on through by myself versus co-op play. Now if I try to play on Heroic or Legendary difficulty, I will have to call in a friend for support via co-op such as I did with Gears of War on Insane.
  
  Graphically, this game is impressive. While the screen layout and the weapons are similar to the previous versions and seem very familiar, they are better graphically. The designers didn't completely overhaul the Halo gaming experience...just gave it a renovation similar to what one might see on a TV show about flipping a house...excuse the analogy, but I think it is a good way to describe the difference. The Halo universe is prettier and even more colorful with sharper lines and details. This game has wonderful scenery like the jungles in the beginning to the futuristic interior of bases and spaceships, or later in the game from the desert with sand dunes to snow covered mountains.
  
  The online play is where this game really shines. The online matchmaking system is wonderful. You aren't thrown into a game with a group of die hard Halo fans where you get completely slaughtered...you are matched by your abilities in the game with players of similar attributes for a fun and even handed match. There are a number of game modes where you can play death match type free for alls or team based games such as capturing the enemy's territory. With the Forge aspect of the game the online play is editable and customizable to give this game a great deal of replay value for the online players out there.
  
  I gave this Limited Edition 5 stars for fun, and I do believe it lives up to the hype. This is a solid game that one can play over and over and enjoy it as much if not more as time goes on. However, I gave it 4 stars for the game overall as the extra stuff that comes with this version is not high quality or quantity. The bonus disc really only features one making of documentary if you play all of the segments as one movie. It is fun to see all the time and effort that went into making this game, but after watching it I thought that's it? There should be some added features like maybe including some features from making the older two games, or some more footage as to where they are thinking they will go in the future with other games or characters. I was also hoping for some exclusive content like gamer pics, themes, etc. The metal case is very nice, but as with many others who have reported...my second bonus disc was scratched! The disc comes loose inside the case very easily. The plastic center holder does not fit snug enough on the disc to anchor it in a way that eliminates damage during shipment. Be careful when buying it...gently shake the box before checking out to see if there are loose discs. Make sure you grab one that does not sound like a box of Legos! I didn't have an option as I preordered mine. The disc was loose and it was scratched, but it played just fine.
  
  Buy with confidence...this is a good solid first person shooter game that lives up to the hype of the "next-gen" console war. I would add that if you don't always watch the extra making of features or documentaries, you may want to just buy the regular version with the game disc only. If you are a huge Halo fan, then you probably already have the Legendary Edition with the helmet...or if you are still debating on which one to buy get the one with the helmet and all the goodies...they are in a better box that anchors the discs better...plus Master Chief's helmet sitting in your game room just looks impressive!
  
  

• Add me to the list ...

  
  By A3S71WW0FEU9DR on 2007-10-05
  .. of people who pre-ordered Halo 3 Limited Edition and received it a week and a half late only to discover that the discs had fallen off the mount and got severely scratched up in transit.
  
  I got the game last night and sent the discs in for replacement today. I didn't bother to even try to use the discs, the scratches were deep enough to look almost like the disc got dropped on rocky pavement and run over by a truck.
  
  

• I BELIEVE!

  
  By A22CT4ZGGD2FJF on 2007-09-26
  Since the days of Halo 1 & 2 on the original Xbox, I have found the Halo series slightly over hyped and somewhat boring. Especially when compared to other online FPS's such as Counter-Strike / Quake / Unreal. So you can rest assured, this review was not written by a Halo "fanboy" or fanatic.
  
  Now in 2007, Halo 3 is finally upon us and all I can say is I now do "believe" this is the best in the Halo series and will live up to its hype.
  
  Pros:
  I think the absolute number one feature for Halo 3 is the online play A SOLID 10/10. It is incredibly stable, easy to use and it just plain works! Within 10 minutes of inserting the game disc, my buddy and I were squaring off in battle over XBOX live along with nearly half a million other players! Voice over IP is loud and clear with an occasional echo, no lagging or stalling even on release day! The interface is absolutely beautiful. I'm sure things will be even further improved over time by online patches and updates.
  
  The graphics are a 9/10. I have seen better effects & textures (BioShock, BF 2142, etc.) but all in all, I am very pleased. (Note: I am running an Xbox 360 elite w/ HDMI on a LG 32" 1080i display)
  
  I give the sounds effects and music a 8/10, nothing really mindblowing.
  
  Fun factor is a perfect 10/10! It really is addicting.
  
  Single player story mode works great too. Although it is not the true "focus" of the game, single player mode will provide great entertainment when you're seeking a change of pace. It's somewhat short, but has excellent replay value. And YES you can play to story mode online with friends!
  
  Cons:
  
  I honestly haven't yet found many flaws in the GAME itself. If I were to be picky, I would say the graphics and sound effects "could" be improved further. Also, due to numerous reports of scratched discs in the Limited Editions, Microsoft was careless in its packaging method. I would say 95% of all the LE versions have loose discs and are scratched. (my copy was perfect though because I purchased it locally at Be$t buy and gently shook all the cases to listen for loose discs.)
  
  Halo 3 is a true winner for noobies and veterans of the Halo series period. I think this game will offer endless entertainment for quite some time and the Limited Edition is $70 well spent. You get quite a few extra goodies with the LE, such as a metal case, mini-hard cover book, and lots of extras on the bonus disc. For a mere $10 additional dollars, it is well worth it.
  
  Just remember, you may want to purchase the Limited Edition in a retail store so you can listen for loose discs. With some careful searching, you can find one that does Not contain scratched discs.
  
  Goodluck everyone and game on!
  5 stars!
  
  

• Halo 3: A+

  
  By A2X8KN82L07RSK on 2007-10-03
  After loving the original Halo, and being somewhat disappointed with Halo 2, I did not know what to expect with Halo 3. I still, being a fan of the series decided that this game would be on my must have list regardless. I wasn't "dying" for the game to come out and in fact I actually missed the release date and ended up picking it up the day afterwards. After playing the game for a while I must say that I am very impressed with the game overall.
  
  First things first, if you get the Limited Edition, then know that you run a HIGH chance of having damaged game CD's due to the poor case design. Luckily in my case, the only CD that was damaged was the "Essentials CD", but still with me paying $70 for a game I would have liked to have both CD's in new condition. In any case Microsoft realized the issue and decided to replace all damaged Halo 3 CD's free of charge for the next few months.
  
  With that out of the way let's get to the actual game.
  
  When I first started playing the game, I thought it was going to be another disappointment like Halo 2 was, and ended up finding another great game, Bio Shock more fun to play. However after progressing further in the game, I am finding Halo 3 to be nearly as fun as the original. One reason of this is because of the new weapons, and vehicles. In addition you, Master Chief, no longer have to be driving a vehicle (with the exception of the scorpion). So if you want to man the turret on the warthog, while your computer controlled teammates drive, you can do it, same hold true for most every vehicle in the game. This makes things very interesting and fun. One of my favorite new vehicles in the game is the Hornet. My first air battle with this machine was an absolute blast. I enjoyed flying over beautiful scenery shooting down banshees while two of my squad mates sit outside on jump seats supporting me with fire of their own. I was having such a good time just admiring the scenery, I decided to fly the hornet high in the air and jump out mid flight into the sparkling ocean below. It was a looooong way down and needless to say I died, but boy it sure was fun.
  
  Flying the Hornet allowed me to appreciate the incredible detail of the graphics on this game. In HD, the graphics are stunning. Whether it's walking through the jungles, flying through the air or scaling snow covered mountains, everything looks amazingly real. Aside from the detailed scenery, the characters themselves are also done very well. Characters move, attack and even die realistically. Its things like this that separate the average FPS's from the great ones.
  
  I also am very pleased with the audio. This game boasts true surround sound and if you already haven't then I highly suggest getting an optical sound cable to experience the movie like experience from you're A/V receiver. Many gun sounds have that "punch" that I was missing in Halo 2. The grunts usually are the first ones to die, and for a little comic relief, many times you'll hear them saying things like "He killed my friend", or "How will I go on with him?" In addition to the exceptional in game sound, the soundtrack itself is very well done. Very often, after I finish playing for the night, I often leave the game on the main screen just so I can hear the music on the title screen.
  
  The controls in Halo 3 are still quite intuitive with only a small complaint; in many other FPS games, the reload button is often the X button, but not in Halo 3. In Halo 3, the X button is the "Equipment" button. So whenever you pick up items like auto turrets, bubble shields or radar jammers, if you are not careful you may accidentally use them instead of doing what you really wanted to do. In Halo 3, LB and RB reload the weapon, and I suppose this was done to accommodate dual wielding, which is back in this game. In addition to the two standard grenades from the previous installments, Halo 3 has a couple of more grenades types; one is called the Spike Grenade, and the other...well I'll leave that up to you to find out; it wasn't in the manual so I was quite surprised when I picked one up during campaign mode. In addition to the equipment I already mentioned, there are lots of others.
  
  As good as the single player is I must say that I am quite impressed with the multiplayer mode. If you know me I am not a big fan of playing online, but one night I decided to try my luck at Halo 3 on XBOX Live....and let's just say, I didn't get to bed until 5 in the morning. First off this game runs very smoothly online with no noticeable degradation in the graphics or performance and I haven't once encountered a laggy game. Best of all the game is very playable online, and not the chaotic mindless shoot fest that I experienced with Unreal Tournament. This was my first time playing online in a long time and I even ended up winning a Slayer match. One thing that makes this game playable online is that nearly every weapon either has a weakness or a counter thanks to the additional of the new equipment items. Sure the insanely good players will mop up the floor with people like me, but its still very fun playing just because it just seems fair. Games like Capture the Flag which proves to be nothing but a disaster in Unreal Tournament, is a true pleasure to play in Halo 3. And hey, if this game is good enough to allow ME to enjoy online games, then it must be pretty darn good.
  
  In my opinion Halo 3 does not disappoint one bit. It was a slow starter, but now that I am finally somewhat deep into the game, I must say that I am enjoying this game VERY much. It's a blast to play both in campaign mode and in addition the online play will be sure to keep me playing this game long after I have beaten campaign mode multiple times. Other than the small issue with the controls, I can't find anything else really wrong with this game. On a 10 point scale, I'll give this a 9.7. While Bio Shock (another 5 star game IMO) is definitely more original and just as fun, Halo 3 is the best of the breed when it comes to your "typical" shooter, and the added fun one can have playing it online make it 5 stars in the fun category. This is a great game across the board.
  
  
• Damaged companies deliver damaged games....
  By A7C5CJY8L4FMP on 2007-09-25
  Badly scratched limited edition does not even play....brought it back to Wal-Mart...every limited edition that they have is badly scratched.....heard that Microsoft know about this and they did nothing...just delivered a damaged game to the trusting public. When are we going to hold Mocrosoft accountable.
  
  
• Beware limited edition
  By ATW7IRETO11CQ on 2007-09-27
  Like most, the limited edition is scratched up. I received two copies and all 4 disks were VERY scratched up. I'm not a happy camper.
  
  
• DVDs scratched - do not buy this version
  By A1KUOSQ1YZZFTU on 2007-09-28
  As noted by other reviewers, the game box was poorly designed so that both DVDs arrived loose and badly scratched. This reflects very poorly on Microsoft.
  
  
• ANGRY TROOPER
  By A3ONRMDKQQPYY5 on 2007-10-02
  
  IM A 82ND AIRBORNE PARATROOPER SERVING OVER SEA'S AND THE ONE THING WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO ON ARE FREE TIME IS WATCHING A DVD OR PLAYING A VIDEO GAME, I PRE ORDERED THIS GAME LONG BEFORE IT CAME OUT, NOT ONLY DID IT TAKE MUCH LONGER TO GET TO ME*I UNDERSTAND IM IN THE DESERT BUT HOW DID EVERYONE ELSE OVER HERE GET THIERS SO EARLY?* BUT WHEN IT DID GET HERE I FOUND THAT ONE OF THE DISC*THE BONUS DISK* WAS SCRATCHED REALLY BAD AND THAT THE OTHER ONE WAS A BONUS DISK ASWELL, THE EXACT SAME DISK AS THE FIRST ONE, I THOUGHT MABE THEY JUST LOOK ALIKE SO I PUT BOTH IN AND SAW THAT THEY WERE THE EXACT SAME DISK NO GAME IN THE BOX JUST 1 SCRATCHED BONUS DISK AND ANOTHER BONUS DISK, WTF?!!!
  
  
• AWESOME!!!! Just what the fans wanted!
  By A36FVPRHMF5ORZ on 2007-09-25
  Forget the sniveling sour grapes Sony lovers posting their grievances. This game is soooo much fun. It is Halo as Halo fans want to experience it. Beautiful, fun and perfectly paced. Spent all night playing and will play again and again. So many ways to approach each level. Multiplayer options that blow anything you've ever seen away. Worth the wait, worth every pennny. A+++ game.
  
  
• I Finished the Fight with a smile on my face!!
  By A40IRO5TAUKV5 on 2007-09-26
  This game truly re-captured the spirit of the first game's campaign mode. If you were let down by Halo 2's campaign, fear not, HALO 3 makes up for it in spades! Playing campaign with 3 friends is also amazing. Also, if you're in it for the multi-player, you won't be disappointed. The new maps are great, and the weapons are well balanced and it seems like they might have a new solution for laggers with a "new host select" option when it starts to lag a bit. So far it's been great! Okay, off to collect more skulls and finish it in Legendary mode.
  
  
• Beware this edition of Halo 3
  By A34S4UXQD9N75J on 2007-09-28
  Definitely not good to buy this edition of Halo 3. Ours was scratched. I was told to call Microsoft. Turnaround time they said was a week, but when I called back on another question for them, they told me that it would take about 10 business days. Basically two weeks. I called Amazon and just processed it for a return. I went to my local Walmart and we opened every one of these editions. They were all scratched. Not one was intact. We opted for the Halo 3 Standard which is good enough.
  Shame on Microsoft for sending out such a poorly designed case with their "Limited Edition".
  
  
• Scratched Discs. Someone should be flogged
  By A3J1B65B2FY5ID on 2007-10-03
  The others reviews about scratched disks are right on the money. I had no idea, and hadn't read any reviews before I bought. Do NOT buy the Limited Edition version, unless they repackage it. Shameful that they put out such a poor product design for such a huge release. What a fiasco. Both my discs were rolling around inside and all scratched up. I hope Best Buy doesn't give me a problem with the return. I'm sure the game itself is 5 star. This edition of it is 1 star.
  
  
• I think buyers should have been made aware
  By A33JEHW9RG7PIC on 2007-09-29
  I bought this for my son, the first one was so scratch. Of course Amazon was amazing and I returned it and he had the new one before they even received the old one. However, the second was scratched worse, and my son asked me just to take him to have it buffed. Come to find out, there were thousands of games with this problem and now we have to deal with microsoft themselves. A head up would have been nice.
  
  
• BeWare Avoid the Limited Eddition Scratched Discs!!!
  By A1M6J6I4PWSYAI on 2007-09-30
  Please avoid the Tin Box Halo3 Limited Edition the discs are scratched badly I haven't tried the game yet. but from the looks of it it won't work. I just wrote my review to save much ppl as possible.
  
  
• GOOD BUT DSICS SCRATCHED
  By A5663LFW3DSG7 on 2007-09-26
  I love Halo 3. The one complaint I have is that my disc are scratched and were out of the holders when i received Halo 3.
  
  
• Triple Beware!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By ANEP0QYMPBT7Q on 2007-09-27
  Bought three Limited Editions from Wal-Mart...Had to return to exchange
  for basic editions.
  
  I have enjoyed Halo, Halo 2, and Halo 3 beta.
  I will continue to play online with Halo 3, and cooperative campaign online.
  
  As much as I like Halo 3, I wonder why close combat situations are not as
  good as Halo 2. I do not get the same emotional visceral effect when I
  melee an opponent then tea-bag them. Everything in Halo 3 is better than Halo 2 except close combat situations.
  
  I am still unable to get out of the first level of campaign, because the play stops...have tried several adjustments...no good.
  
  On line cooperative play has so much lag it is unplayable.
  
  
• Very far from what it should have been.
  By AZ1MNRUSHHTKA on 2007-09-27
  After an hour with Halo 3 my initial reaction was "so what?...big deal!". The gameplay seemed like a slurred and half-hearted version of Halo's 1&2, the graphics were scarcely next gen (compare with Gears Of War and Bioshock), the storyline wasn't gripping and the whole thing kind of lamely chugged along. There was little or no responsiveness and I felt cheated by the OTT hype.
  
  Persisting with the Halo 3, however, eventually brought rewards--albeit not the Tiffany diamond sized ones I was expecting but nevertheless they were satisfactory. I did get lost in the game and managed to ignore the bland indoor environments and the constant glitches. The pop-ups even melted away as I wasted squadrons of alien slime.
  
  The review for this game then runs thus: it's a well above average FPS which will entertain you for a fair while. The multiplayer options are great and the replay value is pretty good. Those are the straightforward points if you ignore that other whopping, gargantuan issue.
  
  Namely, is this a fitting end to the Halo series? Well, in that case the answer is `no' about 3500 times. On that score the game is shoddy and truly disappoints. There is hardly a sense that you're even playing a title worthy to be called Halo. If you've played and loved the other games then I bet you'll be off-loading this baby soon. The lousy programming, the sense of ennui, the collapse of creativity and the dull story will probably turn your stomach. It's the biggest let down for quite some time and is fairly insulting to the gamers who've been eagerly waiting for it.
  
  
• Good game, bad edition
  By A2WSUZNFQDSMG4 on 2007-09-28
  When this arrived in the mail, I could hear something rattling inside the package when I moved it. It turns out that both discs came loose and have been bouncing around in the mail during it's journey to my front door. It looks like someone scrubbed the game disc and bonus disc with sandpaper. The tin package itself has several dents and pings on it as if it had been in a hail storm. Even if I sent the discs in to be replaced, the package is still a piece of crap. I will be returning this and getting the basic edition in the good old plastic case.
  
  
• Lots to do, but to short for the $$
  By A2AMSA0WD6MFXC on 2007-09-29
  I enjoyed the game and right when you are really getting a feel for the game its all over. I have finished the normal difficulty in less then 5 hours and the Heroic in less then 8 hours. For the money this is just too short of a campaign for such a fine franchise. The online is really fun and the new rankings for battling online is awesome. Another nice feature is the saving video and using the forge map editor is a lot of fun. Overall I would suggest this game if you have xbox live. If you do not then you payed for a half a game that is way to short,(9 levels worth).Yes the rumors are true for this edition because my game disk was scratched as well as everyone else's. : (
  
  
• Limited Edition is Scratched, rumor is conformed
  By A3QFEJHX4ZVPFM on 2007-09-30
  If you're just thinking of buying Halo 3, please dont consider the Limited Edition. Most of the ones that are bought by me and friends are scratched. Due to the bad design of the box it destroys the CDs inside. If you have the time to purchase and send back to get a replacment, be my guest. Buy either get the Normal, or the Legendary (The one I got after) is great. I like the packing, and the CD case inside is the same as the normal one.
  
  Halo 3 is the best game there is. Have fun and see you in the battle field.
  
  
• Do Not Buy Limited Edition
  By A37ZW5VNQTIO5S on 2007-10-01
  Halo 3 is a great, by yourself or online. But the Limited Edition has defective packaging. Both my discs were scratched. Don't buy the Limited Edition until Microsoft fixes the package.
  
  
• Great game: horrible package
  By A1J60T6AUO4FZ9 on 2007-10-03
  Do not, under any circumstances, buy the Special Edition. The first package I received had both discs scratched so badly they were unreadable. Amazon customer service was great: they sent a replacement overnight: I had it 2 days later.
  
  The game itself is great: a fine finish to the series. This episode had the best plot line of any: the last 30 minutes were worth of Joss Wheadon. Too bad the game was spoiled by the horrible packaging.
  
  
• Halo's a bit tilted, but it still shines bright
  By A3PPXVR5J6U2JD on 2007-12-07
  I came into Halomania with Halo 2 on the original Xbox. During the time we waited for Halo 3, I played Gears of War online with an expanding circle of friends, including the Geezer Gamers (look 'em up). We chafed at the eight-man team maximum and were itching to play in the larger sandbox that was Halo 3.
  
  My wife bought the Halo 3 Limited Edition the day it came out. Did I mention I love my wife?
  
  There's been so many reviews about Halo 3 that there's little new I can contribute here. The campaign is serviceable, but takes itself a little too seriously. Viewing the web site for Halo 3 is unintentionally hilarious, treating the game like a World War II memorial, as if it has that much emotional gravitas. It doesn't; the hinted-at relationship between Master Chief (Steven Downes) and Cortana (Jen Taylor) gets a little silly at times, the stalwart allies die heroically, bad guys become allies and then betray you later, and aliens natter on about setting off the Halo rings and destroying the universe. The talking plant known as the Gravemind (Dee Bradley Baker) doesn't make an appearance, but his voice is ever present. In fact, the game uses the awful method of flashbacks, both from Cortana and Gravemind, to interrupt game play and force the plot down your throat. It gets old fast. The game reaches a rollicking conclusion with a crazy Warthog chase across collapsing platforms that recaptures some of the fun of Halo 2. The ending is predictable but well earned.
  
  But forget the campaign. The real beauty of Halo is the multiplayer game. I play the game every Wednesday night (look for Talien) and we play Team Slayer with sixteen people at once. It's great fun, and the boards provide an endless array of challenges that make Halo 3 the excellent multiplayer experience we've come to expect.
  
  There are some changes. The graphics are better, but not much better. I miss the value of a perfect reload from Gears of War. Speaking of Gears of War, Halo's environments aren't as destructible. And my favorite tactic, two-fisted Needler-ing, has been rendered obsolete. In fact, Needlers don't track nearly as well as they used to.
  
  There are new guns and vehicles, but the biggest change is the ability to remove heavy machineguns from their mounts and walk around the board, mowing people down. I've had more kills using this new tactic than using all the other weapons combined. As for vehicles, there's a new bike and an enormous beast known as the Elephant that I'm fond of driving (I flipped an Elephant once, ask me about it some time). Speaking of war stories, there's also a neat function that allows you to view replays and share it with friends.
  
  The packaging of LE of Halo 3 isn't very practical. Made of metal, the package I received was warped. Since the piece that holds the disc in the box is also made of metal, the disc was banging around inside the case. Even the booklet, which is in the center of the container, was warped. No wonder the discs in some copies were scratched!
  
  Despite the changes from Halo 2, Halo 3's multiplayer can't be beat. It's a testament to the game's staying power that we come back to it every Wednesday.
  
  
  
• Halo 3 Years
  By A3CN9XNI1NZZ1K on 2007-09-25
  Halo 3, practically a gamer's messiah. Halo has been one the most important video game franchises since 2001. Yes, we know that. and now after all of those late night frenzies in Halo and 2, the finale is upon us...
  
  Obviously expectations were high. The Xbox 360 riding on this thing, and the whole marketing campaign and all. Anyways, when it all cam down to it, after taking my disc out of the collector's edition case (Middle edition), I put it in, and it worked. Phew. Then we get to the menue. it's slim and organized. Campaign, multiplayer, map editor, filmaker, that's it. So I start campaign...
  
  The cutscenes weren't that good, but they weren't that bad. and we see the same Halo we've played for years, and it's well... Raher cartoonish! The graphics are good, don't get me wrong, but they just have an airless artificiality about them. And it feels like your playing a port of Halo 2, rather than a Halo game, it just is "okay." That's really the only way I can describe it. The new weapons and vehicles are fun, but the level design it both campaign and multiplayer let me down. The campaign has poor level design, with linear small areas, and the controls are changed, as is the HUD, making the expereince a little more difficult. And the multiplaer levels, are just better looking, less maneuverable counterparts of Halo 2 ones, minus a few. so there are many obvious things that bring it down.
  
  And for all their efforts, the story is presented as well as Halo 1 (but better than 2).
  
  Still, it is a game that can give you many little bits of fun. Xbox Live will let us enjoy it for years.
  
  Overall, Halo 3 is good, for the most part a superb version of halo 2 (+ more) that just turns out to be a bit of a letdwon. For once I can't support a Halo title for game of The year.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Scratched discs....
  By on 2007-09-26
  To those complaining about this....you know MS will send you a free, scratch-free disc if you go to this link: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemuse/xbox360/gameplay/discreplacement-program.htm.
  
  Anyhow about the game....all I can say is, GET IT NOW. Great game, definetly lived up too the hype.
  
  
• Warning!!!!
  By A3WJB9CVG0D2Z on 2007-09-26
  If you're going to buy this edition, I highly advise you to buy it in a store and not online. The case is designed very poorly, so the disc easily falls out of its place and gets knocked around and scratched. Microsoft will replace the scratched disc for free, but it's still a pain.
  
  The game is awesome, I own this edition and all I have to do to knock the disc out of place is slap the case lightly on my hand, THAT'S IT!!!
  
  If you choose to buy it in a store, be sure to shake the case and make sure the disc is secured.
  
  
• Limited Edition case is defective
  By A193TJT3XSDHNJ on 2007-09-26
  Game is great, but beware. The Limited Edition of this game comes in a defective case. Everyone I've talked to that has purchased this version, including myself, have gotten their copies with the game off the spindle, extremely scratched and unusable. We now have to send in our discs to MS and wait for replacements.
  
  I highly recommend getting one of the other two version of this game.
  
  
• Destroyed the Story and Characters
  By A363165ETSVLHQ on 2007-09-28
  **SPOILERS(kinda)**
  
  Halo 1 and especially 2 built up a fantastic story and some amazing characters...and Halo 3 destroyed all of that. Halo 1 was filled with amazing game play. Halo 2 introduced key characters with amazing dialogue, story line and cut scenes. It's almost like Halo 3 wasn't even made by the same team. The characters were drastically changed and 90% of the time it was for the worse (a good example of this is Truth. In Halo 2 Truth was very wise, level headed and had great dialogue. In 3 he is a moronic religious nut who has a middle school vocabulary.) Although I had a good time going through the campaign, I was extremely disappointed in the changes to the characters and some of the inconsistencies in the story.
  
  EDIT: One important thing that they did make better was the multiplayer in Halo 3. New weapons have been added while some of the older weapons have been modified. Also, new features such as the ability to watch replays of campaign and multiplayer games have been added which adds a whole new aspect. Although the campaign was somewhat of a letdown, I think that the multiplayer alone is enough to justify this games purchase.
  
  
• The Shortest Straw
  By A1XXEDB2SE2TAE on 2007-09-29
  I have always enjoyed the franchise, but i play for the story. I beat the game in 6 hours.I feel cheated.For $65 i expect to play for 15 hours at the least. I'm really dissapointed. The limited edition disc were scratched just like the rumors, but the discs worked fine. I agree that these games are WAY
  over-hyped. The story does wrap it up and i was having a good time till it ended. Just think long and hard before you throw your money away.
  
  

• Halo 3 Series 3 - Spartan Soldier Rogue
• Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide (Prima Official Game Guides)
• Halo 3 Original Soundtrack (2-CD Set)
• Halo 3 Series 3 - Jackal Major
• Halo 12" Master Chief Figure

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• BioShock
• Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide (Prima Official Game Guides)
• Assassin's Creed
• Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Black