Halo 3: First Impressions
Halo 3 was the most anticipated game of the year, and quite frankly in a very long time. The Halo franchise has done to the video game industry what only a few have done successfully. It is to video games what Star Wars is to movies. Books were written to talk about things not covered in the game and Peter Jackson is working on a movie that he wants to be better than his Lord of the Rings Trilogy. There are even rumors of a prequel game. But right now, the all important question is: is Halo 3 up to snuff?
In short: Yes. It arrived at my house at school on Friday. I was home by 2:00pm and my friend and I sat down at 2:30pm to play it. Seven hours later, we beat the game, but on a mere difficulty of Normal. In that time, however, I was able to take in the game for what it was worth- the story line, the new controls, weapons and other equipment, and the graphics. Oh my God the graphics. That seems like a logical starting point.
Halo 3’s graphics are unlike anything I have ever seen before. Playing it on my HDTV is incredible. I would say even better than Gears of War. The shadows and lighting are so precise and everything has such great detail, you almost forget you are watching a video game. The physics in the game are also very accurate. Halo is known for it’s excellent physics engine, but it seems to have gotten better. Even a couple of my friends who understand the stuff noticed it.
As far as game play goes, the boys at Bungie managed to change it, but keep it familiar. Some of the controls were changed to take advantage of the Xbox 360 controller, which also made shooting and reloading easier. They brought back the pistol and the assault rifle, which has become one of my favorite weapons. There is an onslaught of new guns, two new types of grenades and some other tools that can help or hurt you depending on how you use them. That adds a nice element of strategy to the game that I think was missing from Halo 2. For example, with the Power Drain, it’s great if you use it correctly, but if you don’t, you will be on the losing end of that battle.
Finally (for now), is the story line. What’s in a video game story line? Most people just want to play on, runnin’ and gunnin’ until they can’t look at a screen any longer. But with Halo 3 (just as with Halo 2), you want to watch the movies. You need to know what happens next. Not to mention it gives you the opportunity to admire the graphics without having the fear of being killed. Cliche at times? Sure, but it’s a video game, not some Academy Award winning piece (we’ll wait for the movie for that). Even during the game, it messes with your head, and maybe you’re a little freaked out, but want to play on. It’s encapsulating and you feel like you are a part of the Halo Universe.
I say this post covers my first impressions because I haven’t even scratched the surface. This weekend when I go home, I will pick up my WiFi adapter so I can partake in massive online play (assuming my Xbox Live membership is renewed), which should be great. Up until now I have played multiplayer with a max of 3 including myself, which can’t compare to online games with 16 or better. I will also be playing the game on Heroic and Legendary, though I am not sure how well I will fair on the later. Those two things should give me enough to do a follow up. But I will say this- Halo 3 and Halo 3 alone is worth having an Xbox 360.
