I meant to actually get this entry out before the public beta came out on Wednesday, but the combination of playing so much Halo 3, constantly finding new stuff to write about, and having other obligations that required my attention kept me from posting it. So, a lot of this stuff is well known by now, and probably comes off as a lot less interesting than it would have if it was posted before the public beta was out. Nevertheless, I’m not letting this huge entry go to waste, and most of my impressions are relevant regardless of when the post goes up. Just try to ignore the parts that are written as if the public beta wasn’t out yet.  

Those of you who know me know that I am a huge Halo enthusiast. Halo: Combat Evolved was the whole reason I bought an Xbox in the first place, and Halo 2 has continued to entertain me on Live for more than two and a half years. Most of the blog entries here focus on or at the very least mention Halo. Therefore, it should be no surprise that I would have a lot to say when I finally got my hands on Halo 3. I was fortunate enough to get invited to the Friends and Family beta, and have therefore already had a few days to spend with the game. It would seem that writing about Halo is the only thing that will keep me from constantly playing Halo, so over the last couple of days I’ve been compiling my impressions of just about everything related to the beta. Weapons, vehicles, maps, equipment, features, it’s all here. This blog entry is absolutely massive, and I can understand if it is too much to read, but this is Halo 3, so I’m not holding back at all. Several people suggested that I break it up into a couple of different entries, but I figure you guys can choose to read it in different intervals if you really want. So, if you have the stomach for it, read on to see my immense Halo 3 beta analysis.  

Weapons  

While a number of old favorites from Halo and Halo 2 are returning for the third installment, most of them have been tweaked, thankfully for the better. Also appearing are a few brand new weapons, each filling a unique role in the gameplay. Notably, both the Pistol and the Energy Sword are absent from the beta, as are any obviously unrevealed weapons.  

Assault Rifle: With the inclusion of the MA5C Assault Rifle, Bungie has finally made the perfect starting weapon. It’s excellent at close-to-mid range combat, and easily solves all of the problems that there were with Halo 2’s SMG start. It boasts improved accuracy and power over the Halo 1 assault rifle, but also has a smaller clip size at 32 rounds. The MA5C gives people the power to effectively kill the enemy right off the bat without having to scramble to find a power weapon, but at the same time it’s not too overpowered. It’s just a great gun to have on hand, and may prove to be useful in nearly any situation.  

SMG: The SMG in Halo 3 acts in largely the same capacity that it did in Halo 2, filling the role of the bullet hose. It’s completely ineffective at mid-to-long range, but it is actually quite devastating in close quarters, especially when dual wielding or used in conjunction with a melee attack. While I can’t foresee the SMG being something that players scramble for each game, it may be something you want to hold on to if you are expecting a lot of close combat.  

Spiker: Early previews compared the Spiker to the shotgun, but in actuality it is much closer to the Brute equivalent of the SMG. Like the SMG, it has a large clip and high rate of fire, but it also seems to have a better range than its human counterpart. The Spiker also has one of the most effective melee attacks of any weapon in the game, and I found myself often grabbing the gun just so I could whip it out and hit people if I needed to.     

Shotgun: Many people complained about the shotgun in Halo 2, and how it was less effective than its Halo counterpart. It seems that with Halo 3, Bungie has brought back the shotgun’s awesomeness. Not only does it look similar to the Halo 1 weapon, with blue sights instead of Halo 2’s green sights, but it also has similar power and range to the Halo shotgun. At close range, the shotgun simply dominates, and no other weapon can match it. Another change is that it can only hold six shells at once, as opposed to eight in the previous games. However, that doesn’t detract from the gun, and in fact probably balances it out. The shotgun is quite possibly my favorite Halo 3 weapon, and I have been grabbing it nearly every chance I get. It’s just that awesome.  

Needler: Bungie has repeatedly said that the Needler in Halo 3 is a force to be reckoned with, and they were not bluffing. After three games, the gun has finally been perfected, and players who once laughed at the sight of a Needler are now scrambling to get their hands on one. It still functions basically the same as in the previous games, but the rate of fire has been increased and the needles do more damage and travel faster. If your aim is good enough, you can drop a player in only a couple of seconds. To balance this out, it is no longer dual wieldable, and it may be my imagination, but it seemed like the homing on the needles was turned down a bit. Still, that doesn’t detract from the Needler’s newfound awesomeness.  

Plasma Pistol: Now, this is just everyone’s favorite weapon from Halo 2, right? Most gamers will be relieved to hear that the tracking on the Plasma Pistol has been severely reduced this time around. No longer can someone just fire in the general direction of the enemy and get a hit; they actually need to take the time to aim and line up the shot properly. A direct hit will still completely drain a player’s shields though, so don’t think that just because the tracking is reduced that the weapon is harmless. An overcharged shot from the Plasma Pistol will also now instantly disable a vehicle, so watch out for that.    

Plasma Rifle: Largely unchanged from Halo 2, the Plasma Rifle still functions much like a Covenant SMG, and can still be dual wielded (and should be dual wielded for maximum effect). It seems to be more accurate this time, and has an increased rate of fire. One cool change, though having absolutely no impact on the gameplay, is the addition of a number of glowing blue lights on the rifle, which makes it look very awesome in the dark.  

Carbine: The first thing that players will notice when picking up the carbine is that it is quite a bit more powerful than it was in Halo 2. It seems to be more accurate, with all of the shots hitting right in the middle of the reticule (instead of all over the place like in H2), and it appears to take less shots to drop an enemy. It definitely rivals the Battle Rifle for domination of the mid-range battlefield, and I’ve actually heard a number of complaints that it is too overpowered this time around.  

Battle Rifle: Through there are some minor visual alterations, the Battle Rifle is largely unchanged from Halo 2. It still fires three-round bursts, holds 36 rounds, and is still very effective at taking other players down at mid-range. Thankfully, it would seem that Bungie understood that they shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken. Not too much to add here. You all know how the BR functions.  

Rocket Launcher: Redesignated the M41 from the M19, the most dramatic and noticeable change to the rocket launcher this time around is the removal of the lock-on feature. Without the ability to fire-and-forget, players have to be much more strategic with their shot placement, leading to a much more Halo 1-like feel. The splash damage has been tweaked, and the rocket seems to travel slightly slower than before, and though I have had more than a week to play around with the weapon, I have yet to get used to the changes. Out of all of the weapons brought over from H2, I think the rocket launcher may be the only instance when I prefer the Halo 2 version to the Halo 3 version.  

Spartan Laser: One of the more publicized and unique new additions to the Halo 3 arsenal, at first glance the Spartan Laser seems to fit more with Covenant weaponry than with the other human weapons. Like the Covenant weapons, the gun is energy-based, and has a non-rechargeable battery that means the weapon must be abandoned when its power source has depleted. Still, the Spartan Laser definitely looks human, and is a welcome addition to the UNSC lineup. It can only fire five shots, and has a long (about five seconds) charge-up period before the shot can be fired, but don’t let that detract you from using it. The shots are devastating, and a single one can completely destroy a vehicle and kill all of its occupants. It’s also very accurate, and if you are a good enough shot it is easy to hit a player who is halfway across the map. The key is timing, and if you can master that, you’re going to have a blast with this weapon. 

Sniper Rifle: The biggest change to the sniper rifle in Halo 3 is the removal (or at the least, severe decrease) of auto-aim. Players now have to have decent aim and skill when using the weapon and it is much more satisfying to score a headshot from across the map. There is also significant recoil, and a slight delay between shots, so you need to plan your attacks out well or the target may be able to escape. Visually, the scope (the actual scope on the gun, and not your view when looking though it) looks a lot cooler this time around, and now displays some kind of green night vision/thermal view. It’s a nice graphical touch, but does nothing for the gameplay.

Beam Rifle: Like the human sniper rifle, the Beam Rifle has just about zero auto-aim in Halo 3. However, unlike its human counterpart, the Beam Rifle does not have significant recoil and no delay between shots, making it much easier to fire off several rounds in quick succession. Overall, the weapon seems mostly unchanged from Halo 2, which is good, since it didn’t need to be changed all that much.  

Frag Grenade: There isn’t much to report on the frag; it’s still the reliable explosive that we all know and love from Halo 2. There are no significant changes to it, and it still functions and serves the same role as before. The only thing I can really add is that the explosions look and sound a lot better this time around.  

Plasma Grenade: Like the frag, the plasma grenade is basically the same thing that we saw in Halo 2. It still sticks to players and vehicles, and fulfills that job very effectively. Visually, the explosion looks a lot cooler, and really does seem like a huge discharge of energy and plasma, as opposed to a blue ball of fire like we saw in the previous games. Still, I’ve noticed less use of the plasma grenade in the beta, with players favoring the new Spike Grenade instead.   

Spike Grenade: Complementing the plasma grenade in the Covenant arsenal, the Spike Grenade adds a unique twist to an existing concept. In addition to sticking to players and vehicles like the plasma grenade, the Spike Grenade also sticks to most walls and other surfaces. The splash damage on the Spike Grenade is also much smaller and more focused than that of the other grenades, and usually a player will need to be in the direct direction of the blast to get killed.  

Turret: Now, this is one of the more unique additions to Halo 3. The UNSC stationary turrets are now more similar to the tri-barreled Light Anti-Aircraft Gun found on the back of the Warthog, as opposed to the single-barreled GPMG found in Halo 2. What makes these turrets unique though is that they can be detached from their base, and the player can run around with them. When mounted, the turret has unlimited ammo, but when detached (simply by getting on the turret then pressing B) it has a limit of 200 rounds, which can deplete quickly. After detaching the turret, the player will run around (albeit much slower than usual) in third person, only to return to first person after dropping it. It’s an interesting new concept, and while I was skeptical at first, it actually blends quite well with Halo’s other weapons and gameplay. It should also be noted that the Warthog’s turret cannot be detached; only the stationary turrets.  

Missile Pod: Similar in concept to the detachable turret, the Missile Pod is another interesting new weapon. It’s a lot like a supped-up rocket launcher, and contains eight missiles that can be fired in rapid succession. The missiles have a homing ability, and will automatically track vehicles when the target is painted with the reticule. Like the turret, when using the missile pod the view will switch to third person, and after the eight shots are fired the weapon will have to be ditched.  

Equipment  

Recently the function of the mysterious X button was finally revealed to be ‘equipment’. Many gamers were understandably skeptical of the new feature, wondering if it would fit with Halo’s gameplay and if equipment would be a common enough find to warrant the use of the X button. Upon actually trying out the new feature, I was surprised with how perfectly it blended with Halo’s gameplay style. Deploying a Bubble Shield or Power Drainer doesn’t seem strange at all, and although it is true that equipment is relatively rare, it’s not completely elusive, and a player can typically find a piece of equipment a couple of times each game.  

Bubble Shield: Most people should be familiar with the Bubble Shield at this point, having seen it in the ESPN commercial last December or in recent leaked footage. When deployed, it creates a geodesic dome that protects the person inside from all projectiles and grenades. However, it does not stop people from entering the shield, and enemies (or allies) can easily come inside and fight it out with the shield’s occupants. Vehicles can also drive right through the shield, so players must still be aware of their surroundings; they can’t just sit inside the shield and act like they’re invincible. The shield’s generator can by destroyed if it takes enough damage, causing the bubble to collapse, but otherwise it seems like the shield lasts roughly 30 seconds or so before automatically shutting off.  

Trip Mine: This piece of equipment should be quite self-explanatory. Basically acting as a proximity mine, it will detonate when any players or vehicles, regardless of whether they are friend or foe, get within a few feet of it. It cannot be remote detonated by the player and cannot be defused (though you can detonate it by shooting it), so make sure you know what you’re doing when you deploy it. The mine can work as a good deterrent when placing it near the flag in CTF or by a territory, but it can easily be seen by the other team, and in my experience, they’ll simply shoot it and move on. Perhaps it can best be used as a last-resort weapon, dropping it when you are about to die and there are a number of enemies in the area. I should also point out that at this point the only people I’ve been able to kill with the trip mine are myself and my teammates.  

Power Drainer: The power drainer is one of the more unique pieces of equipment. It’s essentially a blue ball that when deployed creates a transparent blue sphere, and it will rapidly deplete the shields of any player, friend or foe, who happens to be nearby. It also immediately shuts down vehicles that are in or attempt to drive through the drainer’s sphere of influence. While the power drainer will deplete a player’s entire shield, it won’t actually kill them. However, at the end of the drainer’s life cycle the generator will explode, killing anyone in the immediate vicinity. Bottom line: avoid this thing when it’s deployed.  

Gravity Lift: The portable gravity lift is another piece of equipment that should be self-explanatory. When deployed, it creates a small gravity lift that players can use to propel themselves up higher than they could normally get. The lift itself is actually quite powerful, and will easily take a player up to the third story of a structure (such as the watchtower where the Spartan Laser spawns on High Ground). The device will also lift up Mongoose ATVs (I haven’t had the opportunity to try it out with any other vehicles), which should lead to some very entertaining custom games when the full version comes out this fall.  

Maps  

Three maps are included in the beta, each tailored for different types of games and players. While many other sites have already posted detailed run-downs and previews of the maps, I’m giving my impressions anyway.  

Valhalla: Named for the hall of slain warriors in Norse mythology, Valhalla is already one of my favorite maps out of all three Halo titles. It can be perhaps described as the spiritual successor of Blood Gulch/Coagulation, since the map consists of a canyon with a base at each end and a cave system on one side, but it is by no means a straight remake. It also seems to be roughly the same size as Coagulation, despite the fact that some earlier previews were saying that it is one of the biggest maps in the Halo series. The first thing I noticed when playing was that the map just looks incredible. The snow-capped peaks in the distance, the rolling hills, the lush foliage, and the gentle stream all give an ironic sense of serenity. The downed Pelican, scattered UNSC equipment, and massive Forerunner wall hugging one side of the canyon also serve as great aesthetics and add to the atmosphere. Several times I found myself backing away from the combat just so I could take in the scenery. But, apart from looking really cool, the environment also has a tactical element to it. The hills in the center of the map give cover from snipers and encourage players to hold the high ground, and ducking through the caves allows for a sneaky entrance to the enemy team’s base. Then of course there are the infamous man cannons, which are just as fun as they were made out to be. They’re excellent at quickly getting players to the middle of the map, but when using them the player is very vulnerable to snipers and other small arms. All-in-all, if you are a fan of Blood Gulch/Coagulation or outdoor combat in general, you’re going to love Valhalla.  

High Ground: Taking place at a remote UNSC outpost in East Africa, the first thing gamers will notice when playing on this map is that it is highly reminiscent of Zanzibar. Like the popular Halo 2 map, High Ground consists of a beach and a main base protected by a wall and functioning gate. Like Zanzibar, High Ground is designed to be a map suited for offense/defense games such as 1 Flag CTF. However, despite many earlier reports, High Ground is not a remake of Zanzibar; it is merely influenced by it. The map itself is not that large, and players can get from the beach to the base in only a few seconds. The base can be entered from a gap in the wall or through a bunker outside of the main gate. The bunker complex around the base is actually a lot larger than it looks from outside, and there are a number of hallways and rooms, both underground and above ground, making it easy to get lost the first few times through. The gate functions similar to the one found in Zanzibar, and once you open it, it’s opened for good. While borrowing many concepts from Zanzibar and not the most original map of the three, High Ground is still a lot of fun and unique enough that one can play it over and over and not get bored. Make sure to play some 1 Flag CTF; it’s a blast.    

Snowbound: The most original (meaning not inspired by or taking excessive elements from a previously-existing map) of the three maps, Snowbound is a circular-shaped small-to-midsized map taking place in, not surprisingly, an arctic setting. It is mostly an outdoor map, focused around two small Forerunner (according to Bungie, though they look more Covenant in origin to me) outposts, but there is also a system of tunnels underground that join the two bases. The tunnels add an entirely new dimension to the map, and really make what would otherwise be a relatively boring circular map a lot of fun. Protecting the entrance to the bases and the tunnels are shield doors, which function similarly to the bubble shield. No grenades or projectiles can pass through, but people can move freely. The doors also prevent vehicles from entering (One Ghost spawns in Snowbound). I have often found myself just staring down at another player who is on the opposite side of the door, both of us refusing to make the first move. Inside the bases, the shotgun and other close-range weapons dominate, while outside snipers and Carbines seem to own the map. This leads to a nice combination of outdoor and indoor fighting, and means that some players may commit themselves to the tunnels the entire game, and others may refuse to go inside, instead preferring the outdoor combat. Another interesting part of the map is the lack of physical walls that keep the players confined to the level. Instead, the map’s perimeter is surrounded by automated plasma turrets, which will open fire on any player who leaves the combat area. It’s a new concept to the Halo series, and makes one wonder if it will be implemented in other maps in Halo 3.   

Vehicles  

Only the Warthog, Mongoose, and Ghost make an appearance in the beta, and I don’t exactly have a whole lot to say on the vehicles at this point, but for the sake of completeness, I’ll include my impressions. 

Warthog: The Warthog in Halo 3 is largely unchanged from its Halo 2 counterpart. It obviously looks better, but it has no new functionality and handles just about the same. The biggest change is in the Hog’s strength. It seems very difficult to destroy the thing in Halo 3, and while the occupants may be killed, more often than not the vehicle itself will survive. Also, the Warthog’s turret seems far more accurate and deadly than before, and may actually prove to be a useful turret this time around, instead of just a backup if there is no Gauss Warthog available. I also feel compelled to mention that it took me a full six seconds to crash the Warthog from the time I first entered it in Halo 3. Why do people continue to doubt my awesome driving skills?   

Mongoose: Everyone was disappointed when they learned that the ATV wasn’t going to be included in Halo 2, but finally, more than four years after Bungie publically contemplated the idea of an ATV in Halo, we have the Mongoose. Was it worth the wait? I certainly think so. The Mongoose is completely unarmed, but a passenger can jump on the back and fire any weapon (regardless of whether it is normally single or dual wieldable), which can lead to some interesting scenarios. The Mongoose is fast, though not ridiculously fast, and it is very maneuverable. You can get the Mongoose nearly on its side and it will still drive (though at that point you’re almost certainly going to crash, it’s just a matter of time), and due to its size you can easily drive through some doorways and inside buildings. The Mongoose is also light enough that it will just go flying across the map if hit with enough force by a blast or another vehicle, with hilarity ensuing afterwards. If you like driving the Warthog, you’re going to love the Mongoose.  

Ghost: I haven’t had too much time with the Ghost yet, since I usually go for the shotgun on Snowbound (the only map in the beta that has the Ghost), but it seems like it is more or less the same vehicle that it was in Halo 2. Like the Warthog, it seems a bit harder to destroy (though one well-placed sticky grenade will take it out), and it also seems a lot more difficult to board. The efficiency of the plasma cannons have been decreased a bit, but to balance it out, I have noticed that it seems like it is a lot easier to get splatters. 

General Thoughts/Comments  

Now, we can’t have a thorough analysis of the beta without taking a few minutes to talk about the graphics. Since the first alpha footage leaked, many people have been complaining about Halo 3’s graphics. To many people, anything short of Gears of War-quality visuals will mean Halo 3 is a miserable failure. So, does Halo 3 look like Gears? Simply put, no, it doesn’t. However, that doesn’t mean that Halo 3 looks bad. Bungie isn’t trying to make a gritty, realistic looking game like Gears. The game keeps in line with the graphical style introduced in Halo and Halo 2, and that art style isn’t the most realistic looking, nor does it try to be. It is certainly next-gen, but still looks like Halo, and I think that is important. One thing I really enjoy is the HDR lighting. Just go to High Ground and pay attention to the lighting when you emerge from one of the buildings. It’s actually really cool. The water is very impressive as well. The river in Valhalla actually looks like a river, and the way the water foams at certain places is an awesome effect. Halo 3 may not be the best looking game ever, but it is still impressive, and is a lot more than simply Halo 2 in HD. If the final game looked like this, I wouldn’t complain.  

The level of player customization is much improved from Halo 2, and that’s great in my opinion. As most people know by now, in Halo 3 the player’s emblem no longer appears above his head. Instead, players are identified by a three-character callsign consisting of a letter followed by two numbers. Bungie believes this will make it easier to identify and call out to other players, though I’ll admit I never had any such problem in Halo 2 (possibly because I usually played with friends and knew who used what emblem). The callsigns do give the game a more military-like feel though, and are a welcome addition to the refined HUD, which I will discuss in a minute. You still have emblems, and they still appear on your armor and next to your name in the lobby; they just don’t appear above your head in-game. Another cool thing is now in addition to choosing a primary and secondary color (both of which will be overridden in team games), players choose a third color which will always show on their armor in the form of bands on their arms and legs. It’s subtle, but still adds a nice new layer of customization. The emblem’s colors are also now independent of the armor’s colors, so you can choose to have an emblem that uses completely different colors from your armor if you wish. 

The HUD has changed significantly from Halo and Halo 2, and it’s definitely a change for the better. This time around, it’s slightly concave, and there is a very subtle outline of the visor, which gives the impression that you are actually looking out of a Spartan’s helmet. When the player first spawns, a grid-like effect splashes over the screen, followed by all of the relevant information appearing, making it seem like the Spartan’s HUD is just starting to come online. It’s another subtle but interesting effect. The shield bar has been moved from above the motion tracker to the top center of the HUD, which allows it to be easily seen without impairing the player’s view of the action. Notably, the compass that appeared below the shield in some leaked footage is now absent, though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It looked cool, but realistically, it probably wasn’t of much use. The binoculars, which consisted of a simple zoom-in when holding a weapon without a scope, have also been revamped. Now, the binoculars have an elevation gauge on the side, some binary code running along the bottom, and the Mark VI HUD’s firmware code. It’s another nice little thing that Bungie put in to help the player feel like they actually are a Spartan.  

The saved films feature is one of the coolest new things to Halo 3. Each game is automatically recorded in its entirety, and at the end of the match the player can choose whether or not to save that particular film. If it is saved, it can then be sent to friends or uploaded to a file share where other players can download and view it. The feature guarantees that no great moment has to be forgotten, and if some outrageous or really cool thing happens in a certain game, you instantly have a video of it. Right now, the feature is limited to a straight video feed from the first-person perspective, but Bungie will be adding a lot more functionality in the final game. I have found myself using the feature quite a bit, and now I’m wondering how I ever played without it. In one game, I drove the Mongoose off the mancannon in Valhalla, bounced it off a rock, nearly hit a friend, then landed it on the back two wheels and kept driving it around vertically until I ran into a wall. Unfortunately that video is gone now due to Bungie’s shenanigans, but before it was lost I uploaded it to my file share and was soon getting comments about my awesome driving, showing how fast word can spread thanks to saved films.  

Now, I know people have been complaining about this for over a week now, but I have to agree with the criticism of putting push-to-talk on the d-pad. Having PTT on the left bumper was perfect in Halo 2, and while I understand the rationale behind putting the grenade switch and dual-wielding on the bumper, I still hate that PTT has been put on the d-pad. Putting it there requires you to take a finger off of one of the thumbsticks to activate it, and when engaged in combat, even taking your finger off a thumbstick for a split-second can mean your death. At the same time, I like having dual-wielding on the bumper, and wouldn’t want to see that get mapped to the d-pad either. It’s the classic dilemma of having too many functions and not enough buttons. Unfortunately, I think I’m actually starting to get used to PTT on the d-pad, even though I really hate to say it.   

Overall, the beta has left me with a very favorable opinion of Halo 3. There are some bugs and a few gripes here and there, but for the most part it is nothing but improvements. Halo 3 takes some of the best elements from Halo and Halo 2 and puts them together to make a game that is just a whole bunch of fun to play. There are still some weapon balancing issues and the graphics are not the best ever seen, but it still doesn’t detract from the fun of the gameplay, and in the end, that’s what it’s all about. September 25 cannot come any sooner.