Halo 3 (Xbox 360)

Saving the best for last, Bungie has done it again.
1/31/2008 12:00 AM | 4 Comments | Page 2 of 3

Halo 2 set the bar high for online multiplayer gaming. With its excellent Party system, you were able to hop from game to game, playing in assorted game types with players from around the world. All of this and then some has been brought over to Halo 3. In terms of Campaign mode, you can play the game with up to three of your friends. If you're the host, then you'll play as Master Chief. The second player will play the Arbiter, and the third and fourth players will play new Covenant Elite soldiers. If you have a group of seasoned players, you can probably finish the game in a day. If you really want a challenge, play the Campaign on Legendary. Not only is it more fun, you'll get the 360 achievement, too.

Once you've completed the Campaign, you can put your skills to the test against real players in online multiplayer. Although we spent most of our time in Team Slayer (as we think most of you will, too), we couldn't help but get drawn into Lone Wolves mode. Here, it's you against everyone else. Maps are generally smaller and matches consist of only four players. Incidentally, this is where most of your online multiplayer achievements will come from. If you like playing with a lot of your friends, then Big Team Battle is where it's at. Up to 16 players can be in a single game. Although this mode is a lot of fun, we were a bit peeved that we couldn't pick what kind of game to play in Big Team Battle -- the decision is made for you by the Bungie servers. You would think Bungie could see that Team Slayer and CTF are the more popular game choices among players and would stop trying to force games like Territories and VIP down our throats.

Another addition to Halo 3 is Forge, a key new feature. Think of it as a massive sandbox where you and other players in your game can change the way the game is played. On the one hand you have a powerful level editor with which you can change weapon and vehicle placements -- heck, you can even move spawn points. Then you can upload your changes and everyone can try out your handiwork. On the other, Forge lets all of the players in the game change what they want, which means at any given moment, a player can place a rocket launcher at his feet. Trying to get across Sandtrap in a hurry? No biggie, just spawn a Banshee and off you go. With just a flick of the directional pad, players can run the editor and add (or take away) whatever they want. Altering variables such as weapon and vehicle placements creates new strategies for players, giving new life to overplayed maps (cause god knows the default maps get old real quick after playing them a hundred times over). We could go on and on about how much fun Forge is, but the best way to find out is to experience it yourself.

Out of all of new stuff in Halo 3, our favorite is by far the Saved Films. Without a doubt, this makes the Halo 3 experience that much more exciting. At any given time, you can play back your campaign (single or multiplayer) like a video. Bringing out your inner Spielberg, you can manipulate the camera á la 'The Matrix,' go frame-by-frame, and see the action from any angle. So that sniper shot you just delivered to your buddy -- you can rewind the match, move the camera, and pinpoint exactly when the bullet went through his head. Now you can take a screenshot, upload it to Bungie.net, and brag to your friends. Want to know how you got last place in a ranked match? Players can play back the whole match and see what they did wrong and how the top players kept owning them. The cost of buying Halo 3? Sixty dollars. Learning how to be a better player by watching yourself from any angle? Priceless.