The Crier

Finishing The Fight With Halo 3

Why even though Halo-3 is the easiest game of the series, it’s still the most fragtastic

John Church · Amused · Oct 10, 2007

After a year of teaser trailers, a flood of Mountain Dew sponsored ads, and a bigger buzz than any game ever released, Halo 3 is out, but does it live up to its high expectations? Well, yes and no.

The plot of Halo 2 ended on quite a cliff-hanger — alien Covenant forces were invading Earth with the game’s hero Master Chief flying down after them, promising “to finish the fight.” In the beginning of Halo 3, players retake control of the hero after his crash-landing and begin an epic quest to save the universe from four warring intergalactic factions. As exciting as the premise is, players will quickly find that the epic quest to save the universe takes only about 9 hours to complete. The short game-time coupled with extremely easy game-play will leave veteran players very disappointed with this apparent end of the series. (At least you won’t want to fling your controller away in frustration over the difficulty of this game. This is a nice protection clause for that HD TV you should have to experience it.)

Despite game developer Bungie’s boasting about the advanced AI intelligence and tactics, the enemies are still as easy to knock over as dominoes.

That being said, the graphics are fantastic compared to the first two games released in the series. The designers significantly enhanced their emphasis on weapon and player details and added massive, unique environments. Watching the enormous flash emitted with the destruction of a Scarab or watching “The Flood” engulf and mutate characters will make players just stop and stare. At other times, though, players will race through the environments, mostly because they have to go over them twice in order to defeat the level. Fighting for 20 minutes to get to the next scene can be an entertaining challenge, but having to run back over the area you just conquered makes the game repetitive and sometimes even boring.

Although fighting ones way through a mass of villains is thoroughly enjoyable, it is way too easy for veteran players, giving another boring touch to the game. Despite game developer Bungie’s boasting about the advanced AI intelligence and tactics, the enemies are still as easy to knock over as dominoes. Many times enemies will not fully cover themselves behind obstacles, making them easy targets to snipe; other times enemies will even freeze or get stuck on the screen, making a grenade throw a simple way to clear out a map. While game-play may still be difficult for players new to First Person Shooters, these players will face a different disappointment- a complete lack of back-story.

Running the span of three games, the story and character development has become complex and interesting, but a new player will not have a clue as to what is going on. I mean really, after playing a hi-def game with such stunning graphics, who would really want to go back and play the original two to understand it all? Unlike the release of the hit FPS Bioshock (which came only a month before the release of Halo) where players are able to shape their own destiny, Halo follows a linear plot, giving players no control over the outcome of the game. When you beat the game, the world is saved. Period.

The new armaments of Halo 3 provide all new forms of destruction for players.

Don’t get me wrong. Halo 3 still has some completely redeeming features that make it one of the greatest games available. There is a vast arsenal of weapons and new ways to eliminate enemies, new vehicles, and an enhanced multi-player experience.

Aside from the classic weapons from the first two games, such as the plasma pistols, needler, and sniper rifle, the new armaments of Halo 3 provide all new forms of destruction for players. Heavy weapons that were once mounted down, such as the Gatling gun, are now detachable. They can be carried about the level, allowing a player to increase their firepower, but reducing their speed. This range of heavy weapons also includes a new flamethrower and missile pod, which if used effectively can make up for the slowed player mobility. The most unique new weapon is the laser, which charges to create a massive stream of power. It’s able to rip through obstacles to hit hiding players, and the one-shot kills on vehicles make this one of the most ruthless weapons to use (especially in multi-player).

On top of the standard ability to draw two weapons simultaneously, and carry 4 types of grenades, players now have additional “items” to carry along at their disposal. These include portable gravity lifts to launch players over walls and obstacles, the bubble shield, power drainer, regenerator, and deployable guard wall. There is such a wide range of ability for all of these items, that players will have to discover and invent uses for them on their own. While these items are more for luxury in the campaign mode, they often come in handy when working with other players.

Although hindered by a few issues, Halo 3 is still definitely a game to add to your collection.

Players no longer have to fight their way through the game alone. A co-operative game-play option is available online, offering up to four players to play the campaign as a team. If it were a more challenging game, this might have been the greatest option available for any first person shooter available. However, as it is, even four mediocre players could get through it on the hardest setting with no problem. For the vast number of Halo veterans out there, the long-lasting appeal for this option fizzles away quickly.

The best part of the game is still the classic multiplayer shootout. Maps range in size from some twice the size of ones in Halo 2, to the tiny arenas that force hectic close-combat battles. The intricately detailed environments may cause a player to sacrifice a life or two just to look around and take it all in. Those who have spent time playing multiplayer will appreciate the new veto option, which allows players waiting to enter the game to over-rule on a map (only once) causing the game to randomly select another level. This cuts down a lot on dissatisfied quitters, and with a new upgradable experience point system, players have less of an incentive to drop out of games. All in all, the multi-player has improved significantly from Halo 2 and will keep the more than 1,000,000 online users playing for years to come.

Although hindered by a few issues, Halo 3 is still definitely a game to add to your collection.