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Halo 3
Developer(s)Bungie Studios
Publisher(s)Microsoft Game Studios
SeriesHalo
EngineHalo Engine (Proprietary)
Platform(s)Xbox 360
Release
[1]
[1]
[2]
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single player, Co-op, Online co-op, Multiplayer, Online multiplayer, Forge, and Meta-game

Halo 3 is a first-person shooter developed by Bungie Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. The game is the third title in the Halo series and ends the story arc begun in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued with Halo 2.[5] The game was released on September 25, 2007[1] in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, India, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and the United States; September 26, 2007 in Europe; and September 27, 2007 in Japan. GameSpot reported that 4.2 million units of Halo 3 were in retail outlets on September 24, 2007, a day before official release,[6] a world record volume release. Halo 3 also holds the record for the biggest opening day in entertainment history, making $170 million dollars in its first 24 hours.[7]

The game features new vehicles, weapons, and gameplay features not present in the previous titles of the series. Halo 3 focuses on the interstellar war between 26th century humanity and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant, who after a decades-long war have begun the invasion of Earth. The player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a genetically enhanced supersoldier, as he wages war in defense of humanity.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Halo 3 largely builds upon the previous iterations of the franchise. It is a first-person shooter that follows the character Master Chief and his struggle against the Covenant and the Flood. The game's action takes place largely on foot, but also includes segments focused on vehicular combat.

The balance of weapons and objects in the game has been adjusted to better adhere to what Multiplayer Designer Lars Bakken describes as the "Golden Triangle of Halo". These are "weapons, grenades, and melee", all three of which are normally available to a player. Halo 3 also contains the ability to dual-wield, where a player forgoes grenades for a pair of weapons. Most of the weapons available in previous installments of the series return with minor cosmetic and power alterations. For example, the Assault Rifle, which appeared in Halo: Combat Evolved but was absent from Halo 2 returned, redesigned to function as a more useful starter weapon. As a visual change to the weapons, when a player is carrying a second weapon in Halo 3, the secondary weapon will be stored on the character's back (for larger, two-handed weapons) or on a leg holster (for smaller, one-handed weapons). This makes it impossible to "hide" a powerful secondary weapon and surprise unsuspecting foes.

Halo 3 introduces new-to-the-series "support weapons", which are exceptionally large, powerful and cumbersome two-handed weapons. These weapons drastically limit the player's normal combat options and slow him significantly. In return, they offer greatly increased firepower. There are four such weapons: the machine gun turret, the plasma turret, the missile pod, and a Flamethrower.[8] The first three weapons are often found as fixed emplacements with better accuracy and unlimited ammo; the player has the option to rip them up and carry them around.

Equipment is a second new class of usable items in Halo 3. These items have various effects and functions, ranging from defensive effects (Bubble Shield and Regenerator), or objects which blind or confuse the enemy (Flare[9] and Radar Jammer), to ones which can actually harm and kill (Power Drainer and Tripmine). A player can only carry one of these items at a time. The majority are placed on the battlefield, where they can be destroyed by weapons fire or explosives. Most equipment also has a limited duration after being used.

Halo 3, like its predecessors, also features a strong vehicular component. Vehicles and their countermeasures (rockets, mines, etc.) are tightly integrated with Halo gameplay. The game features a mix of old but updated vehicles from the previous games and new vehicles. There is a wide range of types, including light reconnaissance vehicles, large, heavily armored tanks, troop and vehicle transport craft, plus various atmospheric and spacecraft. With the exception of the two types of dropship, all vehicles are usable by the player. Some vehicles appear in Campaign and custom games, but due to their power were removed from Multiplayer.[10]

Campaign

Halo 3 contains various environments for the player, including lush jungles, battle-damaged cities and sparse desert environments. The story progresses chronologically, following the Master Chief and his fight against the Brutes and the Flood.

AI behaviour of both enemies and allies in the campaign is greatly enhanced in Halo 3. Marines' driving and gunning skills on the Warthog, Grunt flanking maneuvers in battle, and Brute "pack mentality" have all been added to the game, making use of the Xbox 360 hardware. Enemy AI also has non-combat behaviors to make them feel more alive and realistic. Each type of enemy exhibits a distinct style.

Cooperative play

File:Halo 3 online co-op.jpg
Master Chief alongside the Arbiter, N’tho ‘Sraom and Usze ‘Taham.

Halo 3 features up to four player cooperative gameplay over Xbox Live or System Link and two player cooperative split-screen.[11] Although previous games also supported split-screen co-op, system link and XBL variants of this game mode is a first for the series. Players playing split-screen can also join other players over system link and Xbox Live for a total of up to four players.

For plot reasons, instead of having each player be an identical Spartan as in previous Halo games, the first player plays as Master Chief, the second player the Arbiter and the other two players newly created Elites; N’tho ‘Sraom and Usze ‘Taham, each with their own backstories. Each player has identical abilities, although the Arbiter and his Elites have different starting weapons.[11]

Campaign Scoring

Halo 3 features a "campaign scoring mode", called the "meta-game", in which a player is awarded a numerical score based on their performance while completing a level in the campaign. Points come from defeating enemies, with extra points being awarded for stylish moves such as performing headshots, or for progressing through a level quickly. Finding and activating Skulls, a continuation of Halo 2's gameplay-altering items, allows a player to obtain even higher scores in the meta-game. As it records individual performance for each player, the meta-game also introduces a competitive aspect to cooperative play. If a player kills themselves, dies, or kills a cooperative team-mate they will lose points.[9] Campaign play also unlocks even more armor permutations for use in multiplayer.[12]

Players are awarded gamerscore points for successfully reaching a certain score in each level,[13] and medals are awarded for specific accomplishments.

Multiplayer

File:High Ground Gate.jpg
Halo 3 multiplayer map "High Ground", from the online multiplayer beta.

Up to four people can participate in multiplayer match on a single Xbox 360 in Halo 3 via a split screen layout. Up to sixteen may participate in a single match over a LAN or Xbox Live. A match may use either of these methods (LAN or split screen) or a combination of both. A public beta test of the multiplayer component of the game occurred between May 16, 2007 and June 10, 2007.[14]

Like most multiplayer Xbox 360 titles, Halo 3 will use a customized version of TrueSkill ranking system for its online matchmaking facilities. Halo 3's matchmaking system will be based on two different ranks, skill and experience (based on Rating Points or RP). Skill will be the numerical TrueSkill rank of the player in a given playlist, and experience (RP) is a linear measure of experience (1 point for each win in the online playlists) overlaid by a Military rank; a player with a designation of a "General" will have played for a longer time than someone who is a "Recruit." The addition of the experience ranking is intended to make the system more fair and to reflect the effect of experience on players' profiles.[15] The RP system also has a mechanism built in to dissuade players from excessive quitting from matches, which became a problem for some players in Halo 2. When players quit from a match before it has finished, they will lose 2 RP; players that regularly quit games, leaving their teammates stranded, may eventually end up having negative RP.

The user interface has been redesigned from Halo 2, making it easier to generate a custom game in Halo 3 multiplayer, which can now be saved and shared online with the File Sharing Features. Players will now be able to "advertise" their custom games via Xbox Live Public, making it easier to find a multiplayer match to a player's taste without having to link up with friends.[15] To help players have an enjoyable time online, a new feature dubbed the "A-hole button" allows players to mute annoying players in the game quickly and easily from the in-game scoreboard view.[16]

Features

Forge

Forge is a tool that enables players to insert game objects into existing maps. Bungie has stated that this should be considered more a gametype than a tool.[10] Almost all weapons, vehicles, and interactive objects (various crates and barriers) can be spawned, moved and placed into maps with Forge. In an example of its uses, one of the testers was able to place an unusually large number of exploding fusion cores in a large vehicle set to as close an instantaneous respawn as the game would allow, which caused the vehicle to charge wildly around the map.[17]

In games where Forge is enabled, players can switch to the editing mode at any time. While in this mode, a player appears to other players as a Forerunner Monitor and is still vulnerable to being attacked and killed. Objects can be spawned into the game in real-time and parameters such as ammo counts (for weapons) and respawn rates can be altered for each object.[9] The number of objects that can exist in a map at any one time is limited, however, as each object created takes up a set amount of credits from the particular map's limit.[9] Players can remove some of the default objects to regain credits. [18] Not all objects (especially vehicles) are available in all maps, and a player can hold the X button to learn more about the object and modify its properties on the map. [18]

As well as changing alterations to spawn weapons to assist a player in real-time, altered maps can be saved and then recalled in a normal multiplayer game mode. These altered maps can also be transferred to other players using the File Sharing features. Modifications made by Forge can change the way a map plays quite drastically from its original configuration. Forge was also the name of the editing tools included in another Bungie game, Marathon.

Eight players may use Forge via Xbox Live, while four may use Forge via splitscreen. [18]

Saved films

Halo 3 has a feature called Saved Films. This feature allows players to save a copy of the game data of a multiplayer match or campaign session to their Xbox 360's hard drive, so that they may watch it later on. It is essentially the same as many "replay" features found in driving games, and which has been available in PC games for many years including Bungie's own Marathon. However, the scope of its implementation is largely unprecedented in a console game.

100 files can be saved on a hard drive at a time.[19] Though the public beta's implementation was very limited, its functionality is planned to be extended for the final game.[20]

Players are able to view the action from almost any angle and any player's perspective (including a free-roaming camera), as well as being able to slow down the speed and also play the recording in reverse. The Saved Films can even be edited in game to create a shorter clip of a particularly amazing or special moment.[20] Players can also use the tool to take still pictures from films and upload them to the Bungie website.

As the Saved Films are only the game data (not an actual video), this allows the file sizes to be relatively small. A recording for a typical "long" game is in the region of only 6 MB.[20] Films are also be played back at whatever resolution the Xbox 360 is set to, regardless of the resolution at which the player was using at the time of the recording. All games are recreated in real-time on the Xbox 360 using the Halo 3 engine. This allows them to be shared amongst any other Xbox 360 without any compatibility issues because they all run off the same code. The Saved Films feature is described as an "excellent training aid" since players can gain valuable tactical insight into the strategies of other players by viewing the saved films.[21] Alternatively, they could have a look at other games uploaded through the fileshare.

This feature will also facilitate the creation of machinima and other game-related videos, as well as give the creators of such videos advanced tools to enhance the quality of this medium. Video game montage creators can save games to the hard drive of their Xbox 360 console for later use, so they never have to miss a camera shot, while machinima directors and cinematographers will have expanded camera options, instead of having to resort to using a first-person, gameplay perspective.

File share

File Sharing in Halo 3 is an online storage and sharing service for a range of files that are created in the game, and is an extension of the game's online capabilities. Files such as Saved Films, screenshots, custom gametypes and Forge settings can all be uploaded to the File Share. When the game launches, items stored there then appear on a players Bungie.net Halo 3 profile, with the ability to comment on them and queue items to download for when the player next plays the game online.[9]

Players can view and transfer these files individually to others while they are online, but can also upload them to a central, Bungie run server so friends (or rivals) can then view and download them even when the creating player is not online. During the Beta each player had 25 MB of storage space on the File Share, which may change by the time the final game ships. Bungie announced that players will be able to purchase additional storage space and slots for 750 Microsoft Points, dubbed "Bungie Pro"; all Gold subscribers get 6 file slots and 25MB of storage. Bungie Pro bumps storage up to 24 slots and 250MB. While players with Xbox Live Silver do not have access to the free file-share, they may purchase Bungie Pro to share their files. Bungie has also extended the file-share to their website; players may "flag" files for download (up to 8) on Bungie.net. The next time a user signs on to their Xbox, it will automatically download the flagged files to their hard drive. [22]

Synopsis

Setting

Characters

Main article: Characters in the Halo series

The Master Chief again returns as the main protagonist, with the Arbiter making several major appearances. Master Chief and the Arbiter are controlled by the first and second players during co-op gameplay. Two new characters, N’tho ‘Sraom and Usze ‘Taham, represent the third and fourth players in co-op respectively, but are omitted from cutscenes.

Plot summary

The game does not begin right where Halo 2 left off. The comic mini-series, Halo: Uprising, will bridge the story gap between the ending of Halo 2, and the beginning of Halo 3.[23]

When the game begins, Master Chief is back on Earth, where the Covenant loyalists (Brutes, Drones,Jackals, and Grunts), led by the Prophet of Truth, have laid waste to most of the planet. Covenant ships are hovering over an excavation site a few miles from the ruins of New Mombasa and have uncovered a large artifact.

The Master Chief, along with Sergeant Major Johnson and the Arbiter, make their way through the jungle towards a UNSC outpost. During this time, the Master Chief seems to experience disturbing broken transmissions from Cortana. Shortly after they reach their destination, the Covenant mounts an attack on the facility. After a brief struggle, in which the outpost is lost, the Master Chief receives orders from Commander Keyes and Lord Hood to clear a way into the African city of Voi, and destroy all anti-air Covenant defenses in preparation for an all-out assault on Truth and the artifact.

After the Master Chief and the Arbiter destroy the defenses, Truth activates the artifact and creates an enormous slipspace portal, into which all the Covenant ships retreat. As the humans weigh their options, a Covenant ship controlled by the Flood arrives by slipspace and crash-lands nearby, the parasite within quickly spreading throughout the city.

The Master Chief and the Arbiter attempt to fight off the Flood, aided by the arrival of the Elite fleet, which proceeds to glass areas that have been infected. Keyes, the Master Chief, the Arbiter, and the Elite fleet decide to follow Truth. They leave Earth via the slipspace portal and find themselves near an immense artificial structure, which is soon revealed to be the Ark. They find that the Ark is in fact positioned outside of the Milky Way galaxy. 343 Guilty Spark arrives by an Elite dropship and promises to help the Master Chief in any way he can, since he has no more pre-programmed duties now that his ring has been destroyed. Guided by Guilty Spark, the Chief and the Arbiter push their way to the control room of the Ark, where they barely manage to stop the Prophet of Truth from activating the rings. Commander Keyes dies during the struggle.

In the meantime, a flood-infested High Charity arrives by slipspace. After executing the Prophet of Truth, the Arbiter and the Master Chief discover that a replacement ring has been constructed by the Ark to replace the one destroyed by Master Chief. The Chief decides to activate the ring so as to destroy any chance the Flood has from spreading even further. However, the Chief and the Arbiter first take a detour through High Charity to recover Cortana, who is still in the custody of Gravemind. After rescuing her, they destroy the Covenant homeworld as they make their escape, apparently killing Gravemind in the process.

When they arrive on the newly built Halo, they soon discover that Gravemind is still alive, and attempting to reconstruct himself on the new Halo. The Chief, the Arbiter, and Sergeant Johnson quickly make their way to the control room, where they attempt to fire Halo. Guilty Spark realizes that this will destroy his new ring because it is not fully ready yet, and kills Sergeant Johnson as he tries to activate the ring. At this point he exclaims to the Master Chief, "...you are Forerunner, but this ring is mine!". The Master Chief destroys Guilty Spark, activates the ring, and barely manages to escape with the Arbiter to The Dawn, a UNSC ship. They launch, and cling desperately to the ship as the installation fires. The screen fades to white, leaving the player to wonder if they escaped or not.

Back on Earth, a memorial service is held, and it is implied that the Master Chief did not survive. When Lord Hood mourns his loss, the Arbiter answers him cryptically, "Were it so easy," and then departs for his own homeworld.

If the player waits through the closing credits, a scene reveals that Master Chief and Cortana have in fact survived, after being separated from the Arbiter as a section of The Dawn tore off during the slipspace jump. Drifting helplessly through space, Cortana enables a distress beacon while Master Chief climbs into a cryo chamber to await a rescue which Cortana warns may take "years." If the game is completed on the highest difficulty level (Legendary), the hulk of The Dawn is seen after an unknown period of time drifting towards an object that may be a planet, however it could also be another Halo, leaving the ending open for a possible Halo 4.

Technology

Graphics

File:Halo 3 singleplayer.jpg
Work-in-progress Halo 3 screenshot of campaign mode originally captured for use in The Wall Street Journal.

Halo 3 utilizes a proprietary, in-house graphics engine, often referred to as the "Halo 3 Engine".[24] This engine builds upon the technologies of the Halo 2 Engine (and previously the Halo Engine) and is re-optimized for the architecture of the Xbox 360.

As detailed on the Bungie Studios website, it will employ advanced graphics technologies such as High Dynamic Range, global lighting, real-time reflections and depth of field effects within cutscenes.[25] Certain surfaces, including the Master Chief's visor (when visible) and the armor of a Ghost, will have real-time reflections (these were not present within the Beta). Most of the dynamic objects in the game will cast real-time shadows on themselves and the environment around them, including the game's plant life. Halo 3 will use normal, bump, and parallax mapping to give surfaces more detail without dramatically increasing the number of polygons.

Bungie has also stated that the draw distance of the game will be in excess of Template:Mi to km. Sophisticated new atmospheric models are used in the game to replace the traditional skybox,[26] allowing several layers of cloud and atmospheric cover, and even a pseudo "space" beyond that.

Water effects are also dramatically improved, as water can now reflect and refract images simultaneously. In addition to being able to simulate effects such as waterfalls, water will visually flow around objects in its path and splash when players, vehicles, or other objects travel through it.

Physics

Halo 3, like Halo 2, uses a version of the Havok physics engine for much of its physics calculations[27][28] (although parts of the physics, like melee, are done with custom code on top of the middleware).

A wide variety of objects are affected by physical interactions in Halo 3. Crates, canisters, objective objects, dropped weapons, characters, bodies, vehicles, and some parts of the world geometry all interact with each other and the world around them in generally more believable physical ways. Trajectories of thrown objects are also affected by the gravity lifts in the game (including the "Mancannon").

Some of the foliage in the game is physically reactive; it not only moves in the simulated wind, but actually reacts to the player's (or other creatures) presence and bullet fire, as well as explosions. Some flora in the game will also be destroyed after receiving enough damage.

Audio

As with all titles on the Xbox 360, Halo 3 fully supports 5.1 surround sound audio. In the game, there are over 50,000 pieces of audio, with nearly 40,000 of those being NPC dialogue.[9] This is many more than in either of the preceding Halo titles; Halo 2 had over 15,000 pieces of dialogue. The AI controlling this dialogue is designed to ensure the exchanges flow naturally and convincingly.

Separate recordings have been made for nearby and distant gunfire to make for a more believable sound experience. Distant gunfire sounds, which may first seem like prerecorded ambient sound, may often be the result of an actual firefight happening somewhere in the game. Marty O'Donnell is again composing the original score. Some pieces of the game's music are produced with a much larger real orchestra than anything in the prior two games. For example, the music for the announcement trailer was recorded with a 60-piece orchestra and a 24-piece choir.[5] Halo 3 is the first game in the series to feature custom soundtracks, allowing players to replace in-game music with their own choices.[29] Voice actors returning to reprise their roles in Halo 3 include: Jen Taylor as Cortana and Steve Downes as the voice of Master Chief. Actress Julie Benz, however, is not voicing Miranda Keyes for Halo 3.[30] Celebrity presenter Jonathan Ross has also done some voice acting for Halo 3.[31]

Development

Halo 3 was officially announced with a realtime trailer at E3 2006.[32] Two of the main creators of the game are Justin Winkelman and Nicholas Miller.

Marketing and release

Main article: Marketing for Halo 3
File:GAME FUEL version of Mt. Dew.jpg
Mountain Dew Game Fuel.

Various marketing techniques have been employed in promoting the release of Halo 3. This has included various trailers of the game; real-time cinematics, recorded gameplay sequences, pre-rendered CGI and even live action film. Throughout the course of development several "developer documentaries" were released, which explain the processes behind creating parts of the game. A large scale multiplayer Beta test was played on Xbox Live with many members of the public being able to take part and experience the game for themselves. Beginning in June 2007, Iris, an alternate reality game, began on the internet, designed to create hype for the game while involving players in slowly revealing some background information for the game.

In addition to high profile events, Bungie often talked about the game in its Weekly Update, occasionally releasing media of the game on their site. Numerous interviews with Bungie staff have been conducted by many gaming press establishments, covering a vast range of subjects. Magazines and journals also occasionally ran stories revealing new information. Pepsi-Cola have announced a new line of soft drink, a variant of Mountain Dew named Game Fuel. The packaging reflects Halo 3, sporting images of Master Chief.[33] As Halo 3 draws nearer to completion and release the marketing drive is set to increase. Much of the advertising to date has focused on appealing to the general public, rather than just hardcore fans of the game. Microsoft announced on August 9, 2007, that pre-orders for Halo 3 had exceeded one million in North America.[34] Some 7-Eleven stores have recently begun advertising Halo 3 and will be selling copies of the game, as well as special collectible drink cups.[35] On September 12, 2007 the "Believe" Halo 3 ad campaign, focused on the epic nature of the story and heroism told through dioramas and third party accounts of Master Chief's service, began with the video "Museum".[36] The same video which aired as the second Halo 3 commercial during NFL football on September 16 2007.

More than two weeks before Halo 3 was due to be released, full retail copies of the game complete with photographs of the open game box started to appear on the internet auction site eBay.[37] A week before Halo 3 was due for release, major UK catalogue retailer Argos accidentally released some of their final retail copies of Halo 3. Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division were quoted as being "disappointed that it happened" but that "it was just an honest mistake" and that Microsoft had no intention of punishing Argos for the error.[38]

Months before the release of Halo 3, the game's final testing copy before its gold release (codenamed Epsilon and confirmed by Bungie to be 99.9% complete)[39] was leaked to the Internet. Microsoft reacted to this leak by having the Xbox Live accounts of gamers caught playing the Epsilon copy banned until the year 9999.[40] Halo 3's final retail copy was leaked online over a week before its official release. The 6.14 gigabyte file of the game was hacked and downloaded by "thousands" of people within 24 hours of the leak.[41] Videos of the ending of the Halo 3, obtained from the leaked copy, were captured and posted on popular file sharing sites, such as YouTube.[41]

Wikinews has related news:

On September 23, 2007, Microsoft released the game manual online, to promote its new browser plug-in, Microsoft Silverlight.[18][42]

According to Microsoft, first-day sales of Halo 3 reached $170 million, making it the highest grossing American entertainment property within 24 hours of release ever.

Versions

Halo 3 Legendary Edition box and helmet.

Halo 3 was released in three separate versions. The Standard Edition contains the game disc and a manual. The Collector's Edition, contained in a metal case, contains the game disc, manual, interactive Xbox 360 bonus disc with several featurettes, and "Beastiarum", which is a "hard cover, bound collection of information and art covering the species, cultures and civilizations of Halo 3. The final version was marketed as the "Legendary Edition", which contains the game disc, manual, interactive bonus disc, Beastiarum, Legendary DVD containing special content exclusive to the Legendary Edition, and a scale replica of the Master Chief's Helmet as a case for the three discs.[43] Gamestation stores in the UK also offered a limited edition Master Chief figurine only available to the first 1000 pre-orders.

There have also been some early reports that in the Collector's Edition version of Halo 3, the hub that is supposed to keep the game discs in place is faulty. This may lead to scratched game discs. Microsoft has confirmed the problem and offers to replace scratched Halo 3 game disks free of charge.[44] However, this does not appear to be a problem in either the Legendary Edition or the Standard Edition.[45]

Critical reception

Publication Score
Edge
10 of 10
MetaCritic
96
Game Rankings
96
1UP.com
10 of 10
Eurogamer
10 of 10
Famitsu
37 of 40
Game Informer
9.75 of 10
GameSpot
9.5 of 10
GameSpy
5 of 5
IGN [1]
9.5 of 10

Critical reception of the game has been positive. On Metacritic, the game had an average score of 96 out of 100, based on 26 reviews.[46] On Game Rankings, the game also had an average score of 96%, based on 29 reviews.[47]

Famitsu awarded Halo 3 a "Platinum" review of 37/40. In a leaked review of the Australian wing of Official Xbox Magazine, Halo 3 was again rated with a score of 10.[48] IGN awarded Halo 3 a 9.5 in its review.[49] GameSpot's Jeff Gerstmann gave the game a 9.5 rating.[50] UK-based review website Press Start Online gave the game a Gold Award, the first in the web site's history.[51] Dan Hsu awarded Halo 3 a perfect 10 for 1UP.com.[52] The UK videogame culture magazine Edge awarded the game only its sixth 10 of 10 rating in 14 years of publication (the fourth 10 having gone to the original Halo: Combat Evolved), saying that "In substance it's nothing new, merely a magnificent, beautiful monster of an FPS sequel. In concept and execution, though, Halo 3 is the future."

Pro-G claims, "Halo 3 transcends video games. It is a global entertainment experience. Just as Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and Spider-Man 3 brought to a close two of the most lucrative and epic film trilogies of all time, Halo 3 brings to a close perhaps the most complete, engaging and downright fun video game trilogy of all time."[53] Eurogamer stated, "The best game yet in one of the best FPS franchises of the era,"[54] while Games Radar reported, "The single player is bigger and brawnier than anything that's been attempted on a console before."[55] Of multiplayer play, IGN praised, "There's no first-person shooter on 360 that can equal Halo 3's blend of cinematic action, adrenaline-pumping shootouts, and male- (and female)-bonding gameplay."[56] The Forge level editor and saved films features were singled out as particularly strong features.[57][50]

GameSpy noted one of the game's shortcomings in its review, "[The] single-player campaign is somewhat short."[58] Hilary Goldstein's review on IGN is also critical of the Campaign mode, stating that "the penultimate chapter is so bad, just thinking about it puts a rotten taste in my mouth. It's the kind of level where, if playing through Halo 3 again, I might just stop once I reached it and not bother finishing the skirmish, much less the fight."[59]

References

  1. ^ a b c Luke Smith (Lukems) (2007-05-15). "Finish the Fight on September 25, 2007" (HTML). Bungie Software. Retrieved 2007-05-16. On September 25, 2007, players will be able to finish the fight they started in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2. Halo 3 will release in Europe on September 26, 2007 {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Microsoft Games Studio (2007). "Halo 3 Page Xbox Japan" (HTML) (in Japanese). Xbox.com/ja-JP/. Retrieved 2007-06-15. 発売日: 2007/09/27
  3. ^ "Halo 3 BBFC Rating Page". Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  4. ^ "HALO 3 Game (Multi Platform)". The Classification Board and Classification Review Board. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  5. ^ a b Achronos (2006-05-09). "Halo 3 Announced" (HTML). Inside Bungie. Bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-08-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Brendan Sinclair. "Analyst: 4.2M Halo 3s already at retail". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  7. ^ Blake Snow. "Analyst: Halo 3 shatters retail record; sells $170M in 24 hrs". GamePro. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  8. ^ Hilary Goldstein (2007-08-10). "Burn, Baby! Burn!" (HTML). IGN Halo 3 Coverage. IGN.com. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2007-08-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b c d e f Edge (UK) (2007). "Finish the Fight". Edge. September 2007 (179): 66–77. ISSN 1350-1593. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |laydate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |laysource= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |laysummary= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
    • On Audio: "- of the 53,595 pieces of audio created by the day we visited, 39,368 were of NPC dialogue"
    • On File Sharing: "Content in players' shared spaces will be shown on Bungie.net, with the ability to post comments and queue clips for download when players next load up the game"
    • On Equipment: "it operates over and above normal combat, [..] that can benefit and disadvantage each side in equal measure."
    • On Forge: "Each object has a certain cost, each map a global budget"
  10. ^ a b bungie (2007-08-03). "podcast". Retrieved 2007-09-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Bungie-podcast082707" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Luke Smith (Lukems) (2007-07-31). "The Tru7h About Co-Op in Halo 3" (HTML). Bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-08-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Lukems (2007-07-03). "Way Beyond the Beta: Screenshots Galore" (HTML /ASPX). Bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-07-04. The C.Q.B. (Close Quarters Battle) and E.V.A. (Extra Vehicular Activity) variants of Spartans are two of the numerous permutations players will be able to unlock in Halo 3 {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Bungie Studios (2007-06-19). "Halo 3 Achievements" (HTML). Xbox360Achievements.org. Retrieved 2007-07-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Frank O'Connor (Frankie) (2007-04-10). "Inside Bungie: Multiplayer Madness!" (HTML). Bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-04-17. The Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta will go live on May 16th at 12:00 AM PDT and run through June 6th at 11:59 PM PDT {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ a b Luke Smith (2006-11-24). "The Five Best Things About Halo 3" (HTML). 1up Halo 3 Coverage. 1up.com. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Halo 3 gets shutup button". Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  17. ^ Frank O'Connor (Frankie) (2007-08-03). "Bungie Weekly Update: 08/03/07". Inside Bungie. Bungie.net. Archived from the original (HTML) on 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2007-08-05. [...] placed a RIDICULOUS number of exploding fusion cores [...] respawn times set to as close to "instant" as Forge allows [...] {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ a b c d Halo 3 Manual (Silverlight), available online from Microsoft.com.
  19. ^ Lukems (2006-09-02). "HBO" (HTML). HBO. bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-09-02. Players will be able to save up to 100 total films (this is also referenced to in a podcast that it is all items, so 100 films, or 20 "forges" and 80 films, et cetera {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ a b c Frank O'Connor (Frankie) (2007-05-15). "Saved Films and File Share" (HTML). Halo 3 Beta Guide. Bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-05-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Denny Atkin (2007-05-11). "Hands-On: Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta" (HTML). Previews on Xbox.com. Xbox.com. Retrieved 2007-05-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Luke Smith (Lukems) (2007-08-17). "Bungie Weekly Update: 08/17/07". Inside Bungie. Bungie.net. Archived from the original (HTML) on 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2007-08-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ Bungie Studios (2007-06-14). "Halo: Uprising On Halo3.com" (HTML). Halo3.com. Retrieved 2007-06-22. ...the miniseries will bridge the gap between Halo 2 and the upcoming release of the highly-anticipated Halo 3 video game... {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ Kathleen Sanders (2006-05-09). "E3 2k6: Halo 3 Trailer Impressions" (HTML). IGN E3 2006 Coverage. IGN.com. Retrieved 2007-06-25. ...rendered in real-time on the Xbox 360 using the current version of the Halo 3 engine. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Bungie". Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  26. ^ alextotherescue (May 25). Halo 3: Sky Testing Part 2 (flash). Clan Hat Trick. Retrieved 2007-05-27. {{cite AV media}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  27. ^ Frank O'Connor (Frankie) (2007-06-15). "Bungie Weekly Update: 06/15/07" (HTML). Bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-06-16. ..and this isn't a Havok physics issue, this is a bug with the Halo melee physics... {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Havok Inc. "Havok - Upcoming Releases" (HTML). Havok.com. Retrieved 2007-07-13. The following game titles on current and next-generation Xbox 360 and Playstation®3 platforms will be released utilizing Havok products [...] Halo 3
  29. ^ Luke Smith (Lukems) (2007-09-20). "Bungie Podcast: So Long" (MP3). Inside Bungie. Bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-09-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ Matt Webb Mitovich (2006-12-15). "Dexter's No. 1 Gal — Julie Benz" (HTML). TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-04-28. Benz: You know what? I am actually not a part of Halo 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ Matt Martin (2007-09-18). "Microsoft plans star-studded Halo 3 launch in UK" (HTML). gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 2007-09-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=news&cid=12807
  33. ^ "Halo 3 Box Arrives at IGN Offices". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  34. ^ "'Halo 3' breaks pre-order record". msnbc.com. 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2007-08-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ "Reserve Halo 3 at 7-11 TODAY!". Xbox 360 Rally. 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2007-08-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ "Watch the new Halo 3 ad: "Museum"". joystiq.com. 2007-09-12. Retrieved 2007-09-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ Marcus Yam (2007-09-11). "Early Copys of Halo 3 Sell on eBay" (HTML). dailytech.com. Retrieved 2007-09-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ Phil Elliott (2007-09-20). "Microsoft won't punish Argos" (HTML). gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 2007-09-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ Bungie (2007-08-17). "Homestretch" (HTML). bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-09-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ "thorsen-ink" (2007-09-07). "Halo 3 Epsilon cheaters banned until 9999 AD" (HTML). gamespot.com. Retrieved 2007-09-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ a b Matt Martin (2007-09-21). "Halo 3 leaked online" (HTML). gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 2007-09-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/launch/newyorkcity.htm
  43. ^ Frank O'Connor (Frankie) (2007-06-08). "Three Versions of Halo 3". Bungie.net. Archived from the original (HTML) on 2007-06-09. Retrieved 2007-06-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. ^ "XBox Disk Replacement Program". Microsoft. Retrieved 2007-09-25. {{cite web}}: Text "date2007-09-25" ignored (help)
  45. ^ "Early Halo 3 Limited Edition Owners Plagued by Scratched Discs". DailyTech. 2007-09-22. Retrieved 2007-09-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. ^ "Halo 3 (xbox360: 2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  47. ^ "Halo 3 Reviews". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  48. ^ "Famitsu gives Halo 3 high marks". Joystiq. 2007-09-19. Retrieved 2007-09-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  49. ^ "Halo 3 IGN Review". Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  50. ^ a b Jeff Gerstmann (2007-09-23). "Halo 3 for Xbox 360 Review - Xbox 360 Halo 3 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  51. ^ "Press Start Online: Halo 3". Press Start Online. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  52. ^ Dan Hsu (2007-09-23). "Reviews: Halo 3: The fight may never end". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  53. ^ "Pro-G Halo 3 Review". Pro-G. 2007-09-23. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  54. ^ "Eurogamer Halo 3 Review". Eurogamer. 2007-09-23. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  55. ^ "Games Radar Halo 3 Review". Games Radar. 2007-09-23. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  56. ^ "IGN (USA) Halo 3 Review". IGN. 2007-09-23. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  57. ^ "Team Xbox Halo 3 Review". Team Xbox. 2007-09-23. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  58. ^ "GameSpy Halo 3 Review". GameSpy. 2007-09-23. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  59. ^ http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/821/821911p1.html

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