Posted in: Game Reviews by Michael Durr on October 3rd, 2007
Halo 3, the hype machine; have you drank the kool-aid, errr the Game Fuel yet? In the midst of a media storm and $170 million opening week sales, Halo 3 was released to the public in three different versions. For most people, the regular edition was enough to satisfy. Some like myself opted for the limited edition, which includes a tin and a bonus disc. Others decided they wanted a Master Chief helmet and opted for the legendary. No matter which edition you decided on, you were more interested in the amazing gameplay & multiplayer from the previous incantations. By the time it takes to come down from the caffeine buzz generated by the mixture of code red & live wire (& cough syrup I believe), though, you realize that Halo 3 — while awesome on many fronts — isn't quite the mega-wonder we all had hoped for.
Graphics
Games that present the action in full 1080p are starting to come into focus. Halo 3 is one of those dandy operations that supports this function and provides perhaps the best looking console video game to date. The colors are vivid (especially if you like the color green) and the environments are beautiful. Who would have known that Brutes could look this good? If the scenery goes underground and into the darkness, this is one of the rare games that I did not have a lick of trouble figuring out which way to turn. Even in the most dense jungle, very little distinction is needed to get to the next objective. Gunfire is easy to detect and as long as your shields hold up, you'll be able to see where it is coming from and return it in no time. Halo 3 will sell more 360 systems based on store displays alone (just look at those gorgeous loading screens) than any other game to this point.
Posted in: Game Reviews by David Annandale on July 13th, 2005
Gameplay
The maps range from the enormous to the intimate. The biggest are Containment and Terminal. Containment is a vast, snowy valley with fortresses at either end and tunnels running the lengths of the mountain walls. This is a map that makes one wish the multiplayer limit was greater than 16, as even the biggest parties can all but disappear in here. Its size does make it the map most amenable to vehicle combat outside of Coagulation. Terminal, on the other hand, is an urban environment reminisc...nt of Zanzibar and Headlong, only on steroids. Asymmetrical, and set up very deliberately with the idea of one team attacking (armed with Warthog and Ghost) and one defending (with Wraith), this map also features the most exciting dynamic addition of the set: a lightning fast and utterly lethal train that hurtles along the tracks every few seconds. The train is an important factor, given that the energyh sword is located over the tracks, and the hill in Crazy King often places itself in the path of the train.
