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Halo
3 :. Reviews: Beta Madness |
A
Word Between Halo 3 Marathons
I remember
vividly when then-fellow-columnist Cory Herndon and
I were summoned to the halls of Bungie to settle down
for a two-day session of Halo® 2 a few weeks before
its release. That sort of opportunity was rare even
for us, and as every minute of gameplay underscored
Halo 2's status as an Xbox® masterpiece, my appreciation
for my chosen profession grew.
It's
here at last.
As with
anything, it's easy to get stuck in a routine and
lose sight of how, well, just cool it is to walk into
Microsoft once or twice a week and play games nearly
no one else has touched. With the release of the Halo®
3 multiplayer beta this last week, I got to see and
hear that same appreciation from nearly everyone on
my Friends List, as they dove headlong into a game
they won't experience fully for another four months.
It's
one thing to offer a beta on an upcoming game,
but to do so with the most anticipated title on
Xbox 360 is radical indeed.
Exquisite
Refinery
I played quite a lot of Halo 2, though admittedly
nowhere near the endless hours the hardcore FPS gamers
have logged, and so I think I bring a discerning eye
to the Halo 3 experience. No doubt true veterans of
the series have already formed their own opinions,
and proclaimed them to friends and forum-readers alike,
but for the more casual Halo fans, I offer the following
observations:
- Bubble Bliss:
It is a pet peeve of mine that by the time you realize
you're being shot from behind in a first-person-shooter,
it's already too late to do much about it. With the bubble-shield
in Halo 3, this concern is, at least in part, alleviated.
Dropping an impenetrable shield during a period of rapid
evisceration is sweet, and the few seconds it affords
you to regroup and respond is priceless.
- A More Skillful
Shot: Though it is only my own unscientific eye
that tells me, I'm convinced that the hit detection in
Halo 3 requires more skillful aim to score a shot on your
target. Shots I'm sure would have drained an enemy's energy
shield in Halo 2 are now missing their target, and while
my precision aiming suffers, I'm glad that rapid escape
maneuvers seem to succeed now at a higher rate.
- Join the Party:
Bungie has made a small tweak to the Party system that
I feel is worth highlighting. When working with an incomplete
team (three friends playing four-on-four matches), you
can seamlessly invite the person randomly assigned to
your group to join your party after a match. It may not
be earth-shattering, but it works well and removes the
problem of having to worry about new random teammates
every match.
Yeah, I took it.
- Tactical Gadgetry:
The Halo series has been and no doubt will always be a
speedily paced online FPS, but the additions of the grav-lift,
trip mine, spiked grenade, power-drainer and bubble-shield
all encourage more tactical gameplay. The addition of
these items offers a whole new world of opportunities.
For example, flinging down a bubble-shield in a chokepoint
to buy the flag carrier a few extra seconds, using the
grav-lift to reach an objective, shredding a group of
enemies' shields as they try to claim a Territory, and
trip-mining doorways to protect an objective are all viable,
exciting, and brand new strategies to the Halo experience.
- An Ode to Man
Cannons: Only in a sci-fi shooter more concerned
with fun than reality can a player be launched hundreds
of feet in the air by something gleefully called a "man
cannon," and I heartily applaud Bungie for this preposterous
and wonderful inclusion. There are few things more enjoyable
than raining grenades down on a group of enemies while
being launched across the map. Conversely, it's equally
satisfying to headshot an opponent with a well-placed
sniper round as they launch themselves into the air.
- Veto Once:
I was a shade leery of the Veto system that allows a majority
of players to nix the randomly assigned map/game-type
combination before a match, but with the system only allowing
one veto per match, it works out perfectly. When Territory
on High Ground pops up for the third time in a row, you've
got a good chance at scoring a veto, but you don't have
to worry about a constant stream of rejections bogging
down the experience.
Don't just stand there.
Subject
to Replay: It was pretty damn impressive in Halo 2
when you could roll on over to bungie.net and check
out an overhead view of a recently played match highlighting
flag-capture paths as well as enemy and allied kills.
With the new ability to instantly save a replay after
a match, Halo 3 is revolutionizing the opportunity
for strategic study. It's amazing how much more you
notice when you're not in the middle of a game trying
to survive. I've already established a score of new
strategies after viewing just a few replays.
The Halo 3 beta is a rare, landmark experience for
the console gamer. It's one thing to offer a beta
on an upcoming game, but to do so with the most anticipated
title on Xbox 360™ is radical indeed. With Forza
Motorsport™ 2 and Shadowrun™ around the
corner and Halo 3 now confirmed for September, it's
a special time to be a gamer. Let's enjoy the ride.
>>
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Article
by Ryan Treit
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