I literally just got back from a marathon eight-hour session of Halo 3 multiplayer beta play and boy are my arms tired ... *rimshot*. No, but seriously folks, it was pretty much a wonderful night. I'm sure you'll see a ton of video and impressions soon, if not now, but coming from me, this game lived up to expectations. For those worried it may not improve or at least maintain that same strong online and gameplay Halo has been known for, worry not my little underlings.
The game felt incredibly comfortable and smooth as silk. I admit I was a bit worried with the addition of deployables and other little tweaks, but the game works great. Pretty much everything you expect, you will get in Halo 3. Some very noticeable changes include: battle rifle nerf; needler is pimp; and the protection shields make the matches even more intense than ever.
Most of the night, CTZ, Husky Hog, Gamer Andy and I stayed on one team and ripped through the competition like butter with a knife and any other cliche I can't think of right now. My brain is fried, literally. Thankfully, I'll get a good night's sleep, then head home to play even more of the Halo 3 beta -- we were all given codes and passes to be used immediately.
It's gonna be a long summer Halo fans, a long summer.
Latest comment by CarlostheJackal |view all 35 comments Great, thanks, I needed to go home any ways. Now I have a reason to change my pants when I get in the door. Get all the spoogg out!!!!...
All I know is that if single player has me shooting the same 5 enemy types and running through the same TWO landscapes that i ran through in the first two Halos, then this game blows. I really hope Bungie didn't put all their effort into MP
The health bar is in the top middle. If you play Halo enough, I don't know if you ever really need to look up there. You can usually tell by the sounds and kind of gun being fired at you what's gonna happen.
"What makes it different than the other Halos, other that graphics and a few new weapons?"
Graphics, yeah, they're pretty damn good. There were some noticeable jaggies and graphical glitches, but this is a beta. The new deployables and shields make the game feel refreshing. It's going to be more intense then what we've played before online.
hmm lovely. Auto-aim...i don't even remember this feature. u must be on crack....maybe it told you that u were attacking an enemy, but there has never been auto aim in halo.
I dont understand what you people want...If they change to many things, it wont be halo and everyone will bitch...If they change too little people will say its the same game and dont want to play rehashed shit. So people make it sound like they dont want halo at all...Sequals arent meant to be completly different games, its halo and thats what you are going to play. Unreal tournament? Quake? POKEMON! They are all the same with very few changes and maybe a graphical overhaul in between each version.
Zoex, and anyone else who hates halo 2 i dont understand. You say
"Looks Halo 2'ish. I can not bitch enough about how much that game failed on so many levels for anyone that started on Halo 1. "
I played halo 1 since the day it came out, until the day halo 2 came out and i never went back except to play a few times on XBC with some old friends. It seems like the people who hate halo 2 say nothing but that they hate it...no reason why. I've seen some people say halo 2 doesnt take skill. Tell that to the people who are better at the game than you, the ones who make thousands of dollars a year for playing the game better than everyone else.
Man, I hope nobody is still saying this game is disappointing graphically. Sure it's got the same style, but I can see innumerable differences when you look at the details. Like the broken concrete, for instance. I love the little shit like that.
True. But in Halo 2, you'll notice that if you're aiming close to an enemy, it tries to pull your aiming reticle in that direction. Perhaps it's only on the lesser difficulty levels, because I only noticed it playing a little co-op with my n00b roommate last night. So, believe what you want, Halo 2 tried to aim for me.
CaptainBlue, your rant is silly. A good sequel to a game adds new features, reatians core ones, and generally makes itself a must have for people who love the other games in the series. Super Mario 3, Resident Evil 2, Metal Gear Solid, and Street Fighter 2 are all examples of this done will. The core is there, but enough is added to make a new, expanded, must have experience.
This does not appear to be such a sequel. The core is there, the graphics are better, and that's it. That means a lot of casual Halo fans will pass this up, as it is the same game with better graphics. There are many people who still play Halo 2 and don't feel a need to upgrade.
I don't think it will out do Gears, but the game looks fun and I'm looking forward to playing it.
RSS 
MORE IN OUR 
More from this author: 
God.....this is gonna be a long 3 weeks.....
Did you only play the Beta we are getting on the 16th or a beefier sexy version?
Same beta everyone will be getting.
How would you describe the needler?
IT WAS AMAZING
ME AND CTZ SPENT 135 ON A CAB HOME
Needler was actually remarkably powerfull, I counted around four pairs of needles before I was gone
Looks sexy but still won't make me buy a 360 yet.
Is IGN fucking retarded?
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/787/787943p1.html
We only have to wait four more days for the beta. This is going to be fun.
I spotted wos-a-name from 1up in your middle photo. Did you guys get to square up with the 1up crew? Tell me you laid the smack down on them, right?
Answer me this, Halo 1 fun? Or Halo 2 Fun?
Halo 2 sucks.
All I know is that if single player has me shooting the same 5 enemy types and running through the same TWO landscapes that i ran through in the first two Halos, then this game blows. I really hope Bungie didn't put all their effort into MP
Four more days, just four more days.
... I hope you get thumb cancer, lucky bastard.
God I hope my 360 gets back from MS repairs before the beta starts...
i got to play the beta lat night, not for nearly as long but i got a few intimate hours with it and its fucking great.
What makes it different than the other Halos, other that graphics and a few new weapons?
If it's just a graphics upgrade of the same game, I have no interest.
No matter how good the game will be, it will still be over-hyped. Can't be avoided...
The public beta for the rest of us can't come soon enough....
Hey Rob. We need to get on some match making this weekend. I played all night as well, and I am itching to play some more, right now...:-)
So when is this coming to Wii or PS3? I only want to use next-gen controls to play my games.
The health bar is in the top middle. If you play Halo enough, I don't know if you ever really need to look up there. You can usually tell by the sounds and kind of gun being fired at you what's gonna happen.
"What makes it different than the other Halos, other that graphics and a few new weapons?"
Graphics, yeah, they're pretty damn good. There were some noticeable jaggies and graphical glitches, but this is a beta. The new deployables and shields make the game feel refreshing. It's going to be more intense then what we've played before online.
Is the silly Halo 2 auto-aim feature at least disableable? (Wow. The Stripe = bad at words.)
hmm lovely. Auto-aim...i don't even remember this feature. u must be on crack....maybe it told you that u were attacking an enemy, but there has never been auto aim in halo.
Holy shit this actually looks quite good. Looks much faster paced and solid than the previous installments. It might actually not suck.
Looks Halo 2'ish. I can not bitch enough about how much that game failed on so many levels for anyone that started on Halo 1.
Words fail me. I need a 360 and Halo 3, STAT.
Yes! I can finally see things in the distance...damn you xbox and your crappy graphics DAMN YOU
I dont understand what you people want...If they change to many things, it wont be halo and everyone will bitch...If they change too little people will say its the same game and dont want to play rehashed shit. So people make it sound like they dont want halo at all...Sequals arent meant to be completly different games, its halo and thats what you are going to play. Unreal tournament? Quake? POKEMON! They are all the same with very few changes and maybe a graphical overhaul in between each version.
Zoex, and anyone else who hates halo 2 i dont understand. You say
"Looks Halo 2'ish. I can not bitch enough about how much that game failed on so many levels for anyone that started on Halo 1. "
I played halo 1 since the day it came out, until the day halo 2 came out and i never went back except to play a few times on XBC with some old friends. It seems like the people who hate halo 2 say nothing but that they hate it...no reason why. I've seen some people say halo 2 doesnt take skill. Tell that to the people who are better at the game than you, the ones who make thousands of dollars a year for playing the game better than everyone else.
/end rant
Man, I hope nobody is still saying this game is disappointing graphically. Sure it's got the same style, but I can see innumerable differences when you look at the details. Like the broken concrete, for instance. I love the little shit like that.
"but there has never been auto aim in halo."
True. But in Halo 2, you'll notice that if you're aiming close to an enemy, it tries to pull your aiming reticle in that direction. Perhaps it's only on the lesser difficulty levels, because I only noticed it playing a little co-op with my n00b roommate last night. So, believe what you want, Halo 2 tried to aim for me.
Just to prove that I'm not the only one that's not insane,
Linkies, Fred!
CaptainBlue, your rant is silly. A good sequel to a game adds new features, reatians core ones, and generally makes itself a must have for people who love the other games in the series. Super Mario 3, Resident Evil 2, Metal Gear Solid, and Street Fighter 2 are all examples of this done will. The core is there, but enough is added to make a new, expanded, must have experience.
This does not appear to be such a sequel. The core is there, the graphics are better, and that's it. That means a lot of casual Halo fans will pass this up, as it is the same game with better graphics. There are many people who still play Halo 2 and don't feel a need to upgrade.
I don't think it will out do Gears, but the game looks fun and I'm looking forward to playing it.
God damn this game is good.
Great, thanks, I needed to go home any ways. Now I have a reason to change my pants when I get in the door. Get all the spoogg out!!!!