Halo 3 XBOX Review

Released in the September of 2007, the third instalment in the much-popular Halo series, Halo 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed for the Xbox 360 by Bungie (a gaming products company). It gives a conclusion for the series, which started with halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 3.

No matter what one says about the way Halo 2 ended on a cliffhanger, the major success of the game and the satisfaction it rendered to the modern-day gaming community is undeniable. With amazing packaging and innovative content that manages to bring a feeling of familiarity and feels novel at the same time, Halo 3 has brought us to the next level of first-person console-based gaming.

The gameplay continues to follow the lines of the older Halo versions. This does not mean that the game does not deliver well. In fact, it plays extremely well, while simultaneously using the same light tactical considerations that make the Halo series stand out among other fast-action games. There is a balance between your weapons and your fighting strategies: again another Halo trademark. There is a new list of weapons to play with, including a host of Brutes. An example is the ‘mauler’ which is a single-handed shotgun that feels totally destructive in close-combat. There are bigger weapons too: so huge that the player slows down and the camera recedes into a third-person perspective to give the player a better view of his surroundings. The gameplay thus feel familiar and amazingly new at the same time.

With multiple chapters and efficient streaming which shows load-breaks only between chapters, the campaigns are fleshed out in a manner very similar to the older Halo games. There is also a healthy amount of deviation from the heavy on-foot action throughout the game. You get to ride the familiar classic vehicles while being introduced to newer, exciting ones. And again the autopilot is not much of a driver, so one would better drive than hold weapons.

A newer concept of ‘equipment’ is also introduced here. There are, for example, a wide variety of shields that can be used in combat situations by you (and your enemies). They serve to enhance and intensify the action on-screen.

Unlike Halo 2’s much-criticised ending, Halo 3 does not end on a cliffhanger. It starts immediately after the events of the last game: The Covenant, unabated in its religious fanaticism, continues on its way to Earth, in a plan to activate the world-destroying space weapons known as Halos. The forces of the UNSC, along with their newfound allies like the Arbiter continue their chase of them. For those who are on the fence about Halo 3, the final balancing of things at the end of the game makes for a perfect conclusion to the series and ties up all the loose ends that Halo 2 left us with, making the whole tirade an immensely satisfying experience and leaving the gamer excited about what more is to happen in the Halo world.

What is more: Halo also introduces us to a four-player co-op mode, which makes the ‘legendary’ difficulty level easier to play out. Furthermore, you can even play competitive-solo and team-based multiplayer matches.

Halo has always been artistically strong while avoiding inculcation of unnecessarily heavy graphics. The visuals are smooth, and sharp images as well as good lighting enhance the gaming experience. Provided that Halo 3 incorporates a much larger number of environments than the earlier two games, one gets to see environments ranging from deserts, jungles, vast building interiors, snow and much more. The music is another impactful part of the presentation. It is a delicious mix of old and new components, with the classic Halo theme and its variants always filling the space. A good amount of amazing new music has also been introduced which sets the pace for different set-ups very effectively.

The game received almost 94% positive reviews and turned out to be one of the biggest successes in the gaming industry. Moreover, it is deservedly so. Overall, the game delivers in full by using a good combination of the familiar old stuff and mixing it with innovative new components. What we get is an awesome gaming experience: Halo3.