Nick's Halo 3 Impressions

I guess it's my turn to shell out my personal opinion of this years most anticipated game. I've been rather open about my opinion of the series thus far but for those of you who don't know, I think Halo in general is extremely overrated. Now, with that said, I have some surprising news for you... I really like Halo 3. Having played the Beta a few months back, I was already a little impressed with the overall feel of the game but I remained as reluctant as ever. I remember thinking that there is no way Halo 3 could be any different than Halo 2 because nothing that was being shown really introduced anything that new. Let me also say that to a degree, I was right, this game is definately Halo 2 with a glossy new coat of paint but for some strange reason it still works.

Visually this game has the same feel as Halo 1 and 2 but adds a lot more detail. The multiplayer maps look great and offer some of the best arena's i've ever had the pleasure of killing people in. The game really starts to shine when playing the single player campaign though. I have completed the first full level on heroic difficulty mode and I am already more interested in this campaign than I was with Halo 2. The first level drops you down in the middle of a beautiful, lush jungle which looks amazing. There is detail everywhere and if you stand still, you can actually see little insects flying around. I am particually pleased with the blur and exposure effects that have been implemented. When you turn really fast, the whole screen blurs and when you look into the sky, your eyes actually have to adjust to the brightness before you can make out the blue sky and clouds. The level design has also taken a step in the right direction which makes for a much more interesting gaming experience.

The biggest improvement in my opinion is in the weapon variety. I disliked Halo 2 (which I finally beat yesterday) so much because the weapons were so boring. The only fun weapons were the Fuel Rod Cannon, Rocket Launcher, and the sword but luckily, Halo 3 has added enough new weapons to the old arsenal to make this game worth my time. Don't panic, the old classic weapons like the Assault Rifle and Needler are still there but Bungie was nice enough to add goodies such as the gravity hammer and the Mauler. Another interesting dynamic is the deployables such as the bubble shield and flare which add a unique twist to the classic and, forgive me, boring gameplay.

Overall, I think Halo 3 is the first game in the series that has actually lived up to the hype. It is true to the old "if it's not broken, don't fix it" mentality while adding in some interesting gameplay mechanics that make this game truly stand apart from it's predecessors. I have been drawn into the campaign so far but who knows if I will be satisfied when Master Chief finally "Finishes the Fight".