Halo 3 Review

June 15th, 2009

Halo returns to the next generation Xbox 360 in Bungie’s epic last installment of the Halo trilogy.  This installment boasts a memorable storyline featuring 4 person online cooperative play, fantastic competitive multiplayer, and an amazing new game mode called Forge.

Halo’s storyline has been consistently appealing since the get go, but this time around it is a little different.  This time, the Elites from the Covenant have turned allies to the UNSC.  This is reflected in the 4 person coop as follows: Player 1 will be in control of Master Chief himself, Player 2 will be in control of the Arbiter, Player 3 and 4 will be in control of 2 Elites loyal to the Arbiter.  They have also included competitive scoring in the campaign as well; which allows you to kill as many baddies as you can.  Style points matter as well.  There are bonus points for headshots, grenade sticks, and assassinations. There will be numerous times in the campaign where you scream for joy as you watch the story will unfold, especially when Arbiter shanks someone’s Covenant ass with his signature Plasma Sword.  In Halo 3 the squadron will be more focused on killing big Brutes, hardcore Brutes with crazy armor and “Gravity” War Hammers.  A couple new weapons will be available in this new installment as well. Gravity Hammers, Spikers (one handed Brute SMG), Maulers (one handed Brute shotgun), sticky Brute Grenades, and the ultimate power weapon, the Spartan Laser, a powerful handheld laser that can destroy groups of enemies, vehicles, and practically anything else you can think of.  In Halo 3, there is another addition to the fast paced and addictive combat.  Now players can pick up equipment items and use them by pressing the X button.  Some examples of equipment are the energy drainer, bubble shield, trip mine, and gravity lift.  Skulls are also back for players to explore and collect and once collected; these skulls can be activated to make the campaign more challenging.

The Halo series is most well known for its fast paced competitive multiplayer and you will be sure that Halo 3 is not missing out.  There are many different game modes to play and explore online with friends.  Bungie is also known to put weekend play lists to make things interesting as well.  The highlight of the multiplayer has to be the vehicles.  Now matchmaking play lists include many vehicles; you can control scorpions, hornets, wraiths, banshees, ghosts, warthogs, as well as the all new mongoose (ATV) and Brute chopper (similar to ghost).  Something about hopping into these vehicles and causing mass amounts of chaos is just too damn fun.  The all-new game mode is known as Forge. What is special about this mode is that it allows you (and friends who join the game) to essentially give any map a complete makeover and play it exactly how you would want to play it.  You can add vehicles, weapons, equipment, and just about anything else to make the map yours.  What more is that you can upload your new map to Bungie, get people to download it, then you can play custom games with your own map.  Bungie also adds a new feature that allows players to record their games.  Once again you can make it into a clip and upload it, brag to your friends of your amazing moment and they can go online to download it and be equally amazed.

Bungie has definitely developed to impress.  This game features all the goods and is wrapped up in one overall beautiful package.  The features in this game are strong enough to be standard in every other multiplayer game.  Even if one hasn’t experienced previous Halo games, one should look into this one.  It’s almost like an offer you can’t refuse.

By Arshak Torossian

Submitted by: VoreekMAN