Halo 3

Mich you were saying Rock and Load - LOL!!!

So after all this time (and fuss), Master Chief and crew are back in town. Just in case you missed some of the publicity, this game brings to an end a trilogy of releases that have launched and made the Xbox, Xbox Live and Xbox 360.

Halo has been one of the few games to transcend the gaming community alone. This game is supposed to pull all the pieces together and also to stretch the possibilites of the console. So is it all things to all men (and women)?

Master Chief is returning to a defeated Earth where the Covenant have pretty much turned the planet into a wasteland. If you played either of the first two editions you should know what to expect. You play a big guy with a big gun or ten and you kill almost everything that moves. If you can wrap your head around that concept then you are in for some edge of the seat entertainment. There is no doubt that this release has moved things forward in almost every way from Halo 2.

The story, unless you are a game zealot, is just a bit confusing. Other than the fact that you have to beat up on the bad guys and save the world, it’s hard to decipher what exactly is going on. Or maybe that’s just me. I still haven’t figured out if there was one enemy or two. But no matter, I killed them all. The ending too is a little underwhelming - Halo 4 anyone?

The gameplay on the other hand is exceptional. There have been very few additions in terms of weaponry or enemy types but as they say ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. The allied AI are still pretty stupid (tip: don’t let them drive), which is strange compared to the enemy AI. These guys almost seem to know what you’re thinking. Although mostly what I was thinking was “shooooot”.

Graphically, it looks great. But then that’s what you would expect. The thing is that while this aspect has been improved again, the competition has moved on even further. Gears of War and Bioshock are better looking games in my opinion. The environments are breathtaking and almost cinematic in scope. My dad was very impressed. Although TV was still in black and white when he was my age, so maybe that’s not saying too much. The scale is simply epic but the details too are not neglected, down to blades to grass and the sand on the beaches.

What makes Halo 3 though is the multiplayer. Unlike Bioshock for instance, this game has bags and bags of replayability. Even before you get into customisation, the range of options on offer is astounding. The co-op mode allows you and 3 mates to play through the full game. Excellent. Then there is matchmaking where you can play equally skilled players, the forge in which you can edit the maps, custom games where you alter the gameplay and finally the theatre where you can watch your last 20 games in full, from any angle. It’s all absolutely top drawer stuff.

While I was briefly tempted to drop a point for some of the flaws or ‘continuity’ in the single player game, the multiplayer is just too good for anything other than a perfect score.

Microsoft knew they had to give Halo’s devoted fans all they wanted and more and I think I can safely say that is what hey have achieved.