Halo 3 [X360]

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.

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