Halo 3 Beta: Does it Meet the Hype?

May 14, 2007

The Halo 3 multiplayer beta is, um, well, more Halo.

I don't know what I was expecting. The hype is getting so great that I would not have been surprised if a harem of Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders wearing nothing but gold body-paint exploded out of the console as soon as I hit start.

Instead I got more Halo.

It's no revolutionary new sequel, it's not set in an open-world and it doesn't now feature a stealth meter or cover system. It's the same action-packed, bunny-hopping, grenade-lobbing, beat-down-from-behind multiplayer shooter that we've come to know and love. In the same way Halo 2 felt like the original Halo with additional vehicle jacking, dual wielding and a crappier pistol, Halo 3 feels like Halo 2 with additional bubble shields and giant lasers.

And man cannons.

This doesn't mean that Halo 3 is not great. Bungie did a wonderful job of staying true to what makes its game so awesome. Instead of going in a wild new direction like we've seen in franchises like, say, Splinter Cell, Halo 3 retains what we love, then gives us more. Kudos to Bungie for staying the course.

What you notice first about Halo 3 is literally the first thing you see: the graphics. Maybe Microsoft shot itself in the foot with the gorgeous CG "Starry Night" trailer, or even the very first trailer that shows the Chief looking over a giant crater as dozens of Covenant ships invade Earth. We were expecting a bit more. Instead, the visuals look like a high-res Halo 2 with some nice new rag doll physics and pretty water. The rocks and trees are especially bland. It's still a great looking game, but fans were probably expecting Halo 3 to at least challenge Gears of War as one of the best-looking games on the console. As of now, it does not.

After about five minutes of playing the beta, you quickly forget all about the graphics (a work in progress, mind you). Put it this way. If you loved the previous games, you'll love Halo 3. If you didn't like them, then you will not like Halo 3 (we also call into question your manhood). The subtle changes -- gadgets, new maps, new weapons, new vehicles, weapon balancing -- they don't detract from Halo. They add to it.

What makes the gameplay great is really the "holy s***" moments that take place every round. Driving the mongoose off the man cannon, jumping off midair and killing some schmuck with the missile battery as you fall back to earth; jumping in the passenger seat of the warthog while your enemy drives; sniping someone from across the map with the Spartan Laser.

These wild moments are clearly the inspiration for the new film feature, allowing you to easily save, view and share your greatest moments. As soon as playback controls are added like different camera angles and slow-motion replays, YouTube is probably going to crash.

Something that flies under the radar when we talk Halo 3 is the sound -- it's easy to forget how well done it really is. On Valhalla, the sound of a machine gun or sniper rifle or mounted turret in the distance is striking, reminding me of "Saving Private Ryan" as the squad approaches a battle that is several hundred yards away. On Snow Bound, the snow actually muffles the sound outdoors, while it echoes in the underground caverns. Very well done.

The weapon balancing is an interesting topic. The assault rifle, your starting weapon, is ineffective at long range, and decent at medium range (if you can spill an entire clip into a target). It's good to get rid of it as soon as possible. But for the most part, you never feel defenseless. The needler is strong. The battle rifle, sniper rifle and carbine are great sniping weapons for skilled players. The rocket launcher rounds move slowly, but deal great damage. I was quick to jump all over this design choice, but the more I play with it the more I think it was a nice balancing move. The rocket launcher was too strong in previous games. And to balance the strong vehicles, you have grenades, mines, jacking, and the missile battery and Spartan Laser. You'll get giddy when you blow up a Warthog that has been terrorizing the map.

And the maps are all well done, for the most part. Everyone seems to enjoy Valhalla and High Ground because of their wide-open spaces and interesting designs. Both are good maps for a variety of game types like One Flag CTF and One Bomb. Just hopping on the back of a mongoose with the flag or the bomb feels exciting, and Halo 3 definitely retains that great sense of teamwork that Halo introduced with the original Warthog in cooperative play. People are already trying to veto Snow Blind, but I've come to enjoy the wide open space contrasting with the underground cave.

Still, I think the best is yet to come from Bungie. We haven't touched on the single-player game, which everyone expects to be nothing short of epic. And Microsoft is clearly trying to make Halo 3 the flagship Xbox Live title with new film features and service records integrated right into your Gamer Profile. While the beta may have underwhelmed in terms of visuals, it is overwhelmingly fun.

Come Wednesday, dust off your copy of Crackdown. Halo fans will not be disappointed. Unless you were hoping for the pistol. Or cheerleaders.