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Halo 3: Third time’s charmed

By Dakota Randall
After three attempts to create the perfect game, the designers at Bungie Studios have finally made a nearly flawless product.

Halo 3 succeeds in many areas where its predecessors failed. In the first installment, Halo CE, the graphics technology in video games was not as advanced as it is today, which resulted in some lack-luster environments, and sub-realistic combat. The first Halo also didn’t have a true available online multiplayer. You had to physically go to someone’s home that had the game to be able to play with them, or with anyone else. However, its campaign mode is one of the best gaming campaigns in recent memory.

Bungie’s second release in the series, Halo 2, offered some regressions and improvements. As far as the game-play is concerned, Halo 2 introduced the ‘dual wield’ option, a feature that allowed you to fire 2 guns at the same time, so long as they were compatible with the dual-wield feature. This, at first, was a great change, and was widely embraced, but it soon became useless, due to other flaws in the game.

Those flaws include the introduction of certain weapons, specifically those like the energy sword and battle rifle. Both those weapons basically neutralized any sort of advantage you would have with the dual-wield. Also, the campaign was widely considered a failed effort, though the introduction of Xbox Live quickly took over. The Xbox Live feature allows you to play Halo 2 multiplayer online with anyone else in the world, and also allows you to communicate with them with a headset.

In the latest release, it appears Bungie has finally gotten it right. The graphics in Halo 3 are not only by far the best in the series, but are also High Definition compatible. The campaign offered not only a great game-play experience, but was presented in a way that was almost theatrical.

There are multiple endings to the game, depending on which level of difficulty you’re playing at. The game-play itself is vastly improved. The weapon balance finally makes sense, and has a lot of new additions.

There are two new grenades: a spike grenade, which has the ability to stick onto an opponent, as well as kill them with numerous flying spikes, and a flaming grenade, which, if thrown accurately, sets an opponent on fire.

There are also new basic weapons: the Mauler, which is a dual-wieldable revolver, a Spiker, which is a dual-wieldable spike projecting gun, and the Spartan Laser, which is a chargeable red beam that is a one-hit kill. There’s also the Gravity Hammer, which is a large stick that can be used to beat down an opponent, or send them flying with an anti-gravity effect.

Then there is the flame thrower, which is part of a new line of weapons that you carry that also include a Missile Pod, and a mobile turret.

Another addition is the ability to use certain items. These items include a bubble shield that provides as a protection shield that you can walk inside, a power drain that lowers enemy shields, a gravity lift that creates a boost that shoots you upwards, a radar jammer, which creates numerous red dots on your radar, causing confusion.

The last new item is the regenerator, which refills your shields when you step onto it. Also new to the game, are a variety of new vehicles. There’s the Mongoose, which is essentially a four-wheeler, that also has a back seat. There’s also the Brute Chopper, which is a bullet projecting one-seater, with two large wheels in the front. There is also the Elephant. This is essentially a mobile combat base. It has the ability to carry up to 20 crew members, and is mounted with multiple turrets. The downside, however; is that it moves at a very slow pace.

The last addition is the Hornet, which is like a helicopter. It has the ability to fire radar-seeking missiles, as well as machine guns, and carries up to three crew members, including the pilot.

The online multiplayer is still the main attraction of the game. The matchmaking setup once again gives gamers the opportunity, through the internet, to play and communicate with anybody else in the world.

There’s one new addition to the online experience—The Forge. The Forge allows you to manipulate any map or game-type by placing weapons, items, and vehicles anywhere you want, and by changing settings so that players have gravity and speed options, plus many other features.

Halo 3 is by far the best release in the series, and perhaps of the year. However, it will not be the last in the Halo series. In 2008, Bungie will release Halo Wars, an RTS strategy game that will serve as a prequel to the first Halo game. There are also rumors that Halo 3 will not be the last Halo game, though there is no evidence to prove that theory. Overall, the third installment of Halo is a great success. I give it a 9.5 out of 10.