1 - The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.69960#676220]
2 - Harvie Krumpet [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.70751#701645]
3 - The White Chamber [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.71432#723554]
4 - WALL-E [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.71895]
5 ? The Life of D. Duck [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.72595]
6 ? JetSet Radio Future [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.73006]
7 - Star Wars: Battlefront (1 and 2) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.73287.790938]
8 - Bioshock [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.80646]
9 ? Halo: Combat Evolved [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.81344]
10 ? Halo 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.84653]
2 - Harvie Krumpet [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.70751#701645]
3 - The White Chamber [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.71432#723554]
4 - WALL-E [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.71895]
5 ? The Life of D. Duck [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.72595]
6 ? JetSet Radio Future [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.73006]
7 - Star Wars: Battlefront (1 and 2) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.73287.790938]
8 - Bioshock [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.80646]
9 ? Halo: Combat Evolved [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.81344]
10 ? Halo 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.84653]
It has been a very long time since I?ve written a review. A very long time since the second part of my review of the Halo trilogy made it onto the forums, and a long time since I claimed I?d have a Halo 3 review up next week. The reason? I just found myself not wanting to write this due to the fact that it?s been done a million times before. However, my neat freak tendencies insist that I finish what I started, so I can get on to the good stuff (and have an excuse to play Legend of Dragoon again).
[HEADING=1]Lord Krunk Reviews #11: Halo 3[/HEADING]
For those who have been living so far in their caves that they haven?t heard about this multi-million dollar cash cow, Halo is a franchise developed by Bungie studios about the human race (America) fighting against heavily religious aliens and a parasitic monstrosity bent on eating everything in the galaxy. Shortly after the events of Halo 2, SPARTAN-117 (aka the Master Chief) is found by his human comrades after plummeting to Earth aboard a Covenant ship. After his return to the ranks, he is informed about a plot instigated by the Covenant leader in order to activate a device called ?The Ark?, which will in turn wipe out all life in the galaxy. 117, coupled with The Arbiter, set out to foil Truth?s plans and destroy the parasitic Flood once and for all.
Before its release, Halo 3 was glorified beyond measure with what is quite possibly one of the most awesome trailers I have laid eyes on. Naturally, I was very excited about this release, and in many cases it does deliver.
One of the most important improvements from the game?s predecessors is easily the graphics. From the moment I booted this game up for the first time, through magnificent explosions and scenery to the end, I never ceased to be wowed by the drastic improvement that Bungie had made with regards to the game's stunning visuals. Even more impressive, however, was the effect this improvement had on the artistic quality of the game. Which, as I have expressed in my previous reviews, is one of the strongest points of the Halo trilogy.
Another major improvement to the trilogy has been the introduction of new weapons, vehicles and features that, while not as plentiful as it?s predecessor, are substantial enough to maintain their usefulness in many situations. Improvements of note are the inclusion of the Spartan Laser and a new ?deployable items? system to aid you in combat.
The multiplayer function is also a commendable quality of the game, providing endless fun for players worldwide. As I do not own Xbox Live (I usually play through Splitscreen or System Link), I will not be elaborating on this as much as I should. However, I will say that a more diverse ?custom games? system can make for compelling and creative gameplay; better play than most multiplayer games can offer you.
Last, but certainly not least, is the game?s soundtrack. When coupled with the art and shiny graphics of the game, Halo 3 has quite possibly one of the most well-structured atmospheres and aesthetics of any game that I?ve ever played. Suffice to say, nothing quite beats the feeling of awe that you get when you see the Ark for the first time. Kudos to O?Donnell and Salvatori; you guys don?t get enough credit for your work.
Stop! Hammer Time!
Even with my praise for the game, it is still not without its problems.
My first issue is with the game?s length. It?s great that Bungie removed their infamous cut-and-paste sequences from the game, removing any repetitiveness that could have occurred. Sadly, rather than replace these sequences with unique content they merely left the final product as is; the result being a game that you could easily finish in one sitting on the Legendary difficulty. And trust me, I already did that.
Another issue is that of the story, which was certainly not as accommodating as its predecessors. At every twist and turn the game throws references to the books that to me, a gamer with no intention to touch the novels, seemed rather uninviting and unappealing. This became particularly bad with the random and disengaging seizure sequences (you know the ones) that throw odd and irrelevant quotes at you that not even a veteran like myself could make head or tail of.
One of my most prominent grievances, however, was the gameplay. For two games I was perfectly happy with the controls, which felt smooth and natural for me. And then, all of a sudden, they go ahead and change the controls on me! When I made the transition from 2 to 3, it took me ages to warm up to the controls and not chuck Power Drains at myself in an attempt to reload. There was also an issue with the way the game handled too; something about it just felt? wrong. Not in any way that I can describe properly though, and could be due to a myriad of causes, including the previously mentioned controls or the occasional and ever-so-slight in-game lag. And then Bungie has the nerve to bring back the trademark Assault Rifle. This would have been fine if they hadn?t coupled it with a weak and unsatisfying rattle when firing the device.
My final qualm is not actually associated with the game itself, but with the hype that Halo 3 received prior to and during its release. Being an avid fan at the time, I would probably have enjoyed Halo 3 a whole lot more if it wasn?t advertised so heavily as ?the greatest game ever,? even more so because the trailers had me convinced as well.
Yes, I was that bad.
To clarify, yes, I was a Halo fanboy at one point. And yes, Halo 3 was the game that brought me to my senses. However, all things considered, it is still a good game. Halo 3 may not live up to the hype or even its prequels, but it is still a fun, beautiful and entertaining conclusion to the game that gave rise to the console FPS as a respectable genre.
Recommendation: Buy It if you have any intention to make use of your Xbox Live Gold membership, otherwise it?s a Rental.
As always, feedback would be nice. Just be advised that my heart wasn?t in this one; I?m just ?Finishing The Fight? against my own lack of compulsiveness. Shit, I was trying not to use that term?
EDIT: 3 criticisms I missed, because I'm an idiot:
1) The story for Halo 3 was uninviting to the new player in the series; where Halo 2 gave enough information to catch up where the original left off, its sequel gives little to the player. All you're really sure of is that there's a blue person in your head telling you to burn things.
2) The story does not focus on the Covenant's POV and directs attention to the Master Chief, which was a real dick move on Bungie's part. Characters like Truth, Half-Jaw and The Arbiter had far more intriguing personalities, motives and backgrounds, and this is the main reason Halo 2 was so good.
3) Truth has been turned into a Saturday morning cartoon villain, which bugs me.