Halo 3
Review
Halo is back, with a vengeance
by Keaton Arksey
reviewed on X360
Button layout
The interface has been slightly improved and is both simple and effective. The left and right bumpers take over for X and are now used to pick up and reload weapons but besides that, everything remains the same. While it may not be the excellent mouse and keyboard combo that PC gamers have available, it gets the job done and feels natural.
The X button is now used for a new feature in Halo 3: Equipment. In each level, pieces of technology can be found that may help turn the tables in a tough fight. The bubble shield protects you from bullets, the stationary shield does the same but lets you shoot through it and the regenerator heals your shields. To win, you will need to learn how to use the available equipment effectively.
Moving, shooting
The enemy AI is impressive, especially on the higher difficulty settings. Your foes take cover, aim for the head and make effective use of grenades. The AI of your allies however, is less than stellar. Marines don’t seem to be able to stay alive and the Arbiter at times will make you wonder how exactly he managed to survive the previous part in the series.
Each and every weapon makes a return in Halo 3. The Assault Rifle from the first game, Pistol, Rocket Launcher, Brute Shot (a grenade launcher) and Plasma Rifle are all available. New additions include the Spartan Laser which is very useful as an anti-vehicle weapon, the very cool Mauler (a dual wieldable sawed off shotgun) and –my personal favorite- the Gravity Hammer.
The Humvee-like Warthogs make a return and so do other vehicles like Ghosts (fast Covenant attack craft), Banshees (Covenant air fighters), Scorpion Tanks and Wraith tanks. They are joined by new vehicles such as the ATV Mongoose which is basically a modified Warthog that -instead of having a chain gun in the back- is used to carry troops. It serves as humanity’s answer to the Banshee, Hornet and the newly introduced Brute Chopper (imagine a cross between a bull dozer and a motorcycle). While some may seem weak, they all have uses in both the single player campaign and multiplayer.
Levels, graphics, sound
The level design in the game is excellent. Bungie seems to have fixed the problem of back-tracking in previous games. Jungles, deserts, African highways, snowy mountains and military bases, the levels are varied and never trigger a “been there, done that” feeling. Sadly, the last level does not make you feel like you have truly finished the fight. Even on the highest difficulty level it just seems a bit too easy.
The graphics may not be exactly Gears of War or Ghost Recon quality (some of the character models in Halo 3 can look pretty bad), it is the subtleties that make the game beautiful. Light shining through the jungle leaves reflects off the water and truly awe inspiring explosions will fill your vision. The game is able to produce a staggering amount of characters on your screen while barely touching the framerate. Some slight slowdowns occur every now and then but never bad enough to ruin the experience.
9.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
