Well, it finally happened. Halo 3 arrived. Millions of people worldwide stepped back into the role of Master Chief(and the Arbiter) and finally finished the fight we oh-so wanted to finish what was it? 6 years ago? I believe so. So here's what I, a true Halo fan think of the finale of the epic Halo trilogy:
It was a great game.
That's all there is to it.
People will whine and complain about the campaign, but this game is different. Sure, it didn't blow me away to the extent that I was grasping for air in every single level, but the campaign will keep me wanting to play it again and again. Similar to how a kitten will always go nuts when it sees a ball of string? Let's say that.
The campaign isn't what I intentionally expected it to be. It's a little under par to be honest. This is saying a lot because I'm a die-hard Halo fan and everyone should know this. There were less levels than Halo 2(which was weird because the first level was just like Halo 2, a cinematic) It was a nice touch, but it really didn't transition into Halo 3 well. Halo 2 told some background of Halo(when the "Arbiter" was telling the Prophets about "Reach" *reference to Fall of Reach and how the "Demon" destroyed the first Halo") That was a nice touch because if you have never touched the Halo games before, you'll be thinking the whole time "WTF is going on?!" and gamers don't like to be confused. At least I don't like to be. I like a compelling storyline(ala God of War, Mass Effect in the future, Fable, Gears of War) to throw me into a different world and have an unearthly bond with the characters. No, this does not mean I am in love with them, but on a specific level I can relate to the characters.
Ok off from Halo. My bad.
On with Halo:
This is a game you will either love or hate similar to my title on my previous post. It would be wise to play the first two Halo's before getting Halo 3 or you'll be lost about what's going on in the Campaign mode. The multiplayer is amped up x100000 and that's a good thing. You can do so much now in there and it's a nice touch. It really isn't anything new, but Bungie did a good job putting in things that every fellow Halo nut will enjoy for years to come. At least until Peter Jackson's project rolls around or Halo Wars(although I'm most likely not going to buy this game).
The biggest strength of this game is replay ability. I haven't got all the skulls and achievements yet, so I'll be back for a couple more rounds. For some reason, Legendary isn't as tough as what I expected it to be compared to Halo 2, but I still have my suspicions. It is a challenge though.
*Spoiler Alert! The ending really wasn't what I thought it would be. I'm glad I watched after the ending credits on it. And I truly can't believe that (insert name here) died. It is a way of saying this arc is done, but seriously, come on he/she is a badass. I'd expect him/her to fight off the stupid (insert important Halo 3 character here) and kick the crap out of him/her/it. Oh well.
Overall, Halo 3 is a great game. Nothing new, nothing mind blowing, but it is the game I had spent several days thinking about after cursing like a sailor over Halo 2's ending. They finally did it and I'm proud to say I was there when it happened. Feel free to leave your input about Halo 3. Whether you loved it/hated it/didn't care for it/whatever.