Halo 3: "Is Quisnam Protero Damno!"

Apr 10, 2007

"We're gonna be what we're gonna be, and we think it's really good. But everybody is expecting [Halo 3] to be really good, so we've got to beat their expectations. It's tough. That's what makes me cry at my desk [every morning]." -- Steve Cotton, Bungie Studios multiplayer environmental artist

With that honest lamentation, Steve Cotton appears to sum up the general feeling at Bungie Studios, the team behind the upcoming first-person shooter Halo 3, as it launches its third ViDoc, Halo 3: "Is Quisnam Protero Damno!" (roughly translated to "You are condemned to tread underfoot" or "Condemned to be stepped on").

Released today on Xbox Live Marketplace in conjunction with the official date of the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta Test, ViDoc 3 reveals Bungie's forward progress on the last game in the Halo story arch, this time using new video footage to reveal nuggets of information on the multiplayer modes. During the approximately seven-minute 15-second, 328.43 MB video, Bungie reveals significant new details on the Bubble Grenade, Trip Mine, the "Save Film" replay function, the return of the Halo 1 Assault Rifle, and the godliness of the Man Cannon. Halo 3 is slated for an official fall 2007 release (though a September date is suspected).

First, however, let's clarify the state of the game's graphics. As posted on Bungie.net, this footage provided is not final:

"NOTE: All of the game footage in this doc was taken during the Alpha stage and isn't even representative of what you'll see in the Public Beta, let alone the final game. You will see frame rate skips, unfinished animation and graphical features that will change come fall. All the footage is clearly marked Alpha. You're looking at the features here folks, not the final quality bar - which we've set pretty high. Your next taste of that will be in May." -- Frank O'Connor, Community Manager, Bungie Studios

What ViDoc 3 is about is multiplayer features. After having reworked numerous aspects of Halo 1's multiplayer mechanics and weapon choices, Bungie is looking to rebalance its third game with new modes of transportation, a stronger focus on melee and mano-a-mano combat, and incorporating a new level of depth and combat without losing the core elements that make Halo 1 and 2 so good.

The Multiplayer team works with the single-player campaign team, but their goals are different. As Chris Carney, multiplayer environment lead, explains, the team has started working on asymmetrical maps. The video portrays how the environmental artists and designers worked over time to create the map High Ground, a base built into the corner of a small mountain with a single choke point that's set underneath a tunnel with a single set turret. On this map, which was used to show a Capture the Flag game, the team originally used several turrets but whittled them down because the odds were too great in favor of the defending team. Bungie illustrated how the team flag is constantly repositioned to find the best possible place, using common architectural spots to create better communication amongst gamers, such as a waterfall, a bridge, or a port-a-potty. "Hey, grab the flag now; it's near the port-a-potty!"

"A lot of time is spent on details, such as the kinds of weapons, where they are placed, the right distances for the flag, and overall accessibility," said Steven Cotton, multiplayer environmental artist.

To coincide with the first look at High Ground, Bungie showed off Valhalla and Snowbound, all of which are maps playable in the Halo 3 Beta prepped for May 16 at 12:00 AM PDT through June 6 at 11:59 PM PDT. The Beta will feature the use of a new grenade type (the Bubble Grenade), a completely different class of weapon (Spartan Laser, Spiker, or Brute Spike grenade anyone?), and the Mongoose, the quick new ATV vehicle for Halo 3.

Also revealed today was the Tripmine, which was wielded to portray how to combat unfair odds. In this video you watched as a single Spartan completely wipe out a warthog (while also committing suicide himself). While originally revealed in the Starry Nights commercial on Monday Night Football, new details were presented on how the Bubble Grenade works. First, along with frag and plasmas grenades, the rather large bubble grenade provides a third option, in which once thrown to the ground, a translucent, honeycombed dome surrounds and protects the player. Shaped more or less like a small barrel, the bubble grenade was deployed on a slope, where is rolled down a hill, indicating its usefulness for player movement while remaining invulnerable. The Bubble Grenade is assuredly timed, and it's not entirely clear yet if its shield can indeed be penetrated by more powerful weapons.

Bungie talked again about the Man Cannon, the subliminally perverted new mechanic that hurls players into an arc in the sky to transport from one spot to the next in one bound. The Man Cannon is an excellent new gameplay technique that works to the advantage of both teams. On the one hand, if you are using it, you'll quickly get from point A to point B. On the other hand, if a sniper spots you, you're totally vulnerable to his whims. The video showed a Man Cannon guinea pig shot in mid-air, only to get tagged by a sniper and flop lifelessly into a creek like a sad rag doll. Looks like killer fun.

Along with implementing new mechanics and weapons, Bungie's various multiplayer team members indicated they wanted to return to the Halo 1 in several regards, so they have re-fashioned the Assault Rifle with a new design and look that provides options for more melee combat, something the team felt vanished a bit in Halo 2 because of the introduction of new weapons. This re-balancing, "an adjustment that is pretty considerable in design and gameplay," says Tom Doyle, 3D artist, brings the game back to the golden trio of weapons, grenades and melee.

Last, Bungie has implemented a feature all Madden fans have been using for quite some time now, a video replay function. Using the "Save Film" function, players can capture especially sensational snipes, kills, and explosions to share with friends later, perhaps even to save and send across Live. The clips can be slowed down, replayed, stopped, and shown from different angles and even the enemy's perspective, to presumably be played after a session. It's not clear how long the clips can last, or if they can be seen during gameplay or after.

In all, ViDoc, Halo 3: "Is Quisnam Protero Damno!" whets our appetites for Halo 3, but still doesn't give a clear indication on several other fronts, including final graphic looks, the X button, and the story. Look for the Halo 3 Beta in my May to answer some of the questions and we'll see you online.

Don't miss the ViDoc itself, available in our media section, and clips from the feature in the image gallery.