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Xbox 360 | Action | Halo 3

Boxart for Halo 3
Halo 3 397 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.75
  • SOUND: 5.00
  • CONTROL: 5.00
  • FUN FACTOR 5.00
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.5
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.8
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: GamePro Reviews Halo 3! (Page 6 of 7)

Review by Travis Moses | 09/25/2007 | 15:22:48 PM PST

No More Beta

Now that I've thoroughly given you a rundown of all the multiplayer options, you can start to see that Bungie knows what it's doing. With all due respect to the single-player campaign, it's multiplayer that has been the meat and potatoes of the Halo franchise. The first Halo got it started with system-link parties, Halo 2 helped turn Xbox Live into the top console online service that it is today, and now, Halo 3 is here to raise the bar even further. I predict the lifespan of Halo 3's multiplayer will be twice that of Halo 2, meaning it'll be viable long after the game's release. Hell, it's not too far out of the realm to think that we'll all still be battling each other online when the successor to the Xbox 360 is released.

Pimp My Equipment

One thing that got lost in all the talk about the single and multiplayer modes is the equipment. The addition of deployable equipment -- along with armor permutations and Xbox 360 Achievements -- gives online Halo 3 players even more incentive to keep logging on. Customizable armor is split between helmet, shoulder pads, and body armor. Brutes are not playable, but Spartans have ten different customization options and Elites have seven. Armor pieces are unlocked by getting Achievements and by doing "random things," to quote Bungie. Here's a hint: Playing a large number of online matches may be one of those random things.

While some players seem to be ambivalent to the new equipment, I personally love the tactical options that it allows. Each piece of equipment is unique in its own way and some are great while others don't work how you'd expect them to. The Flare, which blinds everyone within a large radius, and Radar Jammer, for example, affect everyone in the vicinity including yourself, which seems to be counter-productive. It's a little frustrating, but there are ways to get around it: you can chuck the Flare and pick your opponents off from afar, for instance.


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