Halo 3 One More Man's Opinion

I got up at 5:30 a.m. this morning as usual, but instead of checking the news and paying a few bills on line, I took advantage of the 8 hour time difference to get in a few last rounds of Halo 3 before the Beta was pulled. I got my copy of Crackdown about a week into the Beta testing, so my experience with the game was not as extensive as some, but overall I was impressed -- but not enough to proclaim it the next be all and end all in on-line gaming.

Most reviews I've read started with the graphics and maps. What made this a very positive experience for me was what Bungie must have done on the back end. Gameplay for me was incredibly smooth, and the lag I usually have on line was absent in all but three or four games. The controls felt much more responsive as well, with weapons changes and other reactions almost instanteous. The one area where the controls felt looser was with the sniper rifle, and it was harder to stay on target than in Halo 2. Whatever Bungie did, however, they did right as far as I'm concerned because my scores were usually higher than what I've averaged in Halo 2.

The maps in the Beta were easy to learn, and everyone I played with seemed to know them, so it was hard to get an advantage. For that same reason, they didn't excite me, nor raise any expectations about what the final release might be, or might not be. The new weapons were solid, even more lethal, and the tweaks with old weapons, like the needler, were good enough to make me pick them up and use them with effect, compared with the futility I've had with that same needler and the battle rifle in Halo 2.

The graphics were a step up from what we're used to in Halo, but this being a Beta, I hope that some more improvements are coming. Without reading too much into it, Halo 3's graphics were less than stunning when I look at Gears of War.

What I played, I liked. With all the hype and raised expectations, I want more from the finished version, and I suspect Bungie's got a jaw-dropping surprise in reserve. I'm not ready to pre-order yet, but I might be close.