Expectation can be a cruel mistress, Mr Bennett. You think she's going to swoop down and lavish you with affection - fanning your brow to stave off the parching heat of boredom, stuffing the succulent grapes of pure flavour down your throat, while quenching your thirst from an amphora filled with the elixir of gameplay perfection, but it never really works out that way. Just ask Mr Beardy, aka George Lucas. (Although to be fair Phantom Menace was crap, so it's not like he almost lived up to expectations).
I'm a firm believer, you see, in the Theory of Entertainment Relativity - the idea that if you think something's going to be great, and it's merely great (as opposed to awesomely awesome), you'll be disappointed, whereas if you're convinced something's going to be crap and it turns out to be great, you'll enjoy it much more. So, to test the theory, I've been telling anyone who'll listen about how shithouse the Halo series is - how Master Chief is a big girl, how I'd prefer to be forced to play every Army Men game in succession than Halo 2 and how any company that promotes its products via elaborate dioramas should be shot on sight. Unfortunately, it didn't really work. Halo 3 is, in fact, merely great, and after several days out at Microsoft playing it, I've still come away disappointed. A penny for your thoughts Mr Ring.
The Famous Five's modern day makeover hit a snag when Dick was killed by a sniper.
Bennett: I never thought I'd be mentioning Year 12 Calculus in a review of Halo 3 review fifteen years later, but here I am, about to sprout forth with a couple of words usually associated with complicated graphs and clunky scientific calculators. Camwise, I believe the term you're looking for is Inversely Proportional. That is, the amount of hype behind a game usually leads to an inversely proportionate level of satisfaction when you finally peel back the plastic wrapping, smell the sweet fragrance of a fresh manual and lodge the disc in your console's drive. In this regard, Halo 3 is facing an uphill battle. Actually, uphill doesn't really cover it - this game has to scale Mount Everest levels of hype, dressed only in a bathrobe, gumboots and a deep sea diving helmet.
It's strange, your choice of the words of "merely great" makes us sound like we were expecting to see the face of Jesus revealed when the Chief finally removes his helmet at the end of the game. Yet when we saw Chuck Norris' woolly mug beaming back at us, we should have been blown away - but we weren't. Ok, so I'm lying about seeing MC's face, but I'm sure there's some kind of meaningful analogy in there somewhere.
Cam: It's mostly Microsoft's fault really. The game was always going to be the subject of huge expectations, but the way the company has wanked on about the Master Chief and Halo 3 over the last couple of months has been - frankly - embarrassing. We've done reams of coverage on the game, sure, but Microsoft has been evangelising it as this epic, life-changing experience, and the portentous dialogue has really worn me down. While I'd love to review the game as if it's in its own hermetically sealed bubble, the reality is that the game's pretentious PR campaign meant that every cheesy line of dialogue, or example of the story taking itself too seriously (of which there are many), had me rolling my eyes. (I would have done that anyway, but this made it worse). And to be honest, while merely great still makes this a game worth owning, there are plenty of 360 games that fall into that category. I want something exceptional, but what I've found is a game that has a host of great features, but is ultimately was just one long deja vu session. I'm not saying Bungie should reinvent Halo - the Universe and gameplay has a great feel, but I don't feel that they've taken it to a new level. Levels Jerry, levels.
The Chief whipped around, but the Brute froze on the spot. This was going to be a long game of Spotlight.
Bennett: Urgh, why did you have to remind me of the cheesy dialogue? Seriously, this stuff makes those vomit-inducing pizzas that have a 12cm deep layer of cheddar in the middle seem palatable. Do you remember the virtual incarnation of Steve Irwin in there as well? Halo 3 once again has an Aussie doing some dialogue, and it's so over the top that it makes Crocodile Dundee sound positively upper class. And am I the only one that didn't have a frickin' clue what was going on? Sure, I didn't quite finish Halo 2, but there should have been some effort made to loop me in on the series' rich back story.
You're right that this isn't a re-invention of the series. During our co-op session with the game, it became clear how tightly Bungie has stuck to the Halo recipe. It's got the exact same features that made the first two games so great, most important being the epic fire fights that spring up every couple of minutes. It's here that the game's AI really shines, and I'd argue that it's one of the finest examples of computer controlled shenanigans. Watching the Brutes order around the grunts, with superb voice communications going on between the species, really captured the feeling that we were taking on a group of aliens, rather than a simple AI algorithm.
And vehicles are back, better than ever before. The Brute Chopper is my new favourite mode of wheeled destruction - that bad boy has a meaty weight to it that is going to prove a treat in multiplayer.
Cam: I'm not such a fan of the Brute Chopper - it seems pretty goofy to me. You're right though - the AI is excellent once again, and Bungie really throws a lot of enemies at you at a time now, which helps give the fire-fights a better sense of scale. As always, this also helps give the game replayability, simply because the same scene plays out differently every time. This is a tough nut to crack on Heroic - although it didn't pose too many problems in two player co-op on Legendary (because, well, there's two of you, and you're far less likely to get booted back to a checkpoint), which acts as a good starting difficulty level for anyone who has played shooters before. Still, I just couldn't help shake the feeling that I'd played whole sections of this game already, which really reduced my drive to finish it. For every level I really liked, such as the jungle section early on (which shifts the gameplay up a bit by virtue of the densely forested environments and snipers stationed in trees), there's a level that feels like something out of Halo 2, or a section where you go back and forth across the same terrain several times, or a disappointing boss battle (for something so big, those Scarabs sure are easy to take down).
That said, the weapon selection is a huge amount of fun to play around with, and adapting to the situation at hand is once again an important component of the gameplay. A few faves? The Flame Thrower is very cool, as is the Gravity Hammer. You've got to get pretty close to an enemy to use it, but damn is it satisfying. Love being able to rip off gun emplacements too - you move much slower, but they're pretty formidable. Elsewhere, the Needler is very powerful this time around, and I can't get enough of the Carbine for some reason. It's definitely the AI and the weapons that are Halo 3's major strength, as opposed to level design.
Master Chief, gettin' out on the highway, lookin' for adventure, whatever comes his way.
Bennett: Halo has always been great at giving the player variety in terms of things to kill people with, and in this regard Halo 3 doesn't disappoint. The Gravity Hammer is the definition of pure rib-cracking oomph, though it's a total bitch to get close enough to enemies to actually use it. I'm not so sold on the new pickups though - I can't actually remember either of us using these once the novelty of trying them had worn off. Sure, the Bubble Shield looks super sexy, but in single player it's easier to duck behind a wall or barrel than it is to take the time to deploy the shield. I can see the pickups being much more useful in multiplayer though.
For the most part, I actually liked the level design. There's plenty of difference between the levels - one moment we'd be in the midst of a frantic hallway based fight, the next we'd be able to pick enemies off at leisure with our sniper rifles in large, open vistas. Sadly, one of the main issues with Halo 2, having to backtrack through parts of the level, happens once again in Halo 3. C'mon Bungie - Microsoft gave you more money than it's going to cost NASA to set up a moon base, so why the need to re-visit parts of the level that we've already cleared minutes before?
Cam: A couple of other things we should mention before we move on to multiplayer. I really love the scoring system in co-op - trying to get a higher metascore than the dudes you're playing with brings a great competitive edge to the game - it's no longer about just getting through a section, but kicking more ass than your friends. Then there are the hidden skulls which unlock a whole range of modifiers, such as turning off your HUD or giving enemies better grenade-throwing skills. Many of these increase the game's difficulty, and come with a metascore boost for those who turn them on, rewarding you for taking on the challenge. Nice one Bungie - these are the kinds of bonuses that will make me want to play through again.
Death from above. The best kind of death.
So. Multiplayer. This is a tricky one, partly because (being completely honest here) Halo hasn't been my favourite multiplayer shooter in the past, and it won't be in the future either. While we've had some fantastically fun sessions, it just doesn't grip me in the same way as an Unreal Tournament or a Call of Duty 4. That's just my personal preference, so if you're a huge fan of the series' multiplayer, obviously take what I have to say with a big grain of salt. The other reason evaluating multiplayer is a little tricky is the simple fact that most videogames get better in multiplayer the more you play them. Part of the great thing about multiplayer is seeing tactics, weapon use and item use evolve, and discovering maps and modes you may have overlooked. Halo 3's multiplayer is an even more extreme example of this, as The Forge will see maps being tweaked and uploaded, and players dropping in reinforcements and weapons in real-time. That has huge ramifications for the longevity of the game, and factored in on top of the wide array of options for customisation, you have one hell of a beast. That said, while I'm happy to take 'potential' into account, the reality is that, based on what we've played so far, I found Halo 3 multiplayer to be solid, as opposed to groin-grabbingly transcendent. Of course there are exceptions, but I'll get to those after Bennett has his say. Your take?
Bennett: It's going to take months, years even, for players to exhaust the huge range of options in Halo 3's multiplayer game. The biggie is The Forge, allowing creative-types to build exactly what they want to play. This feature won't appeal to those who like to jump in and get blasting with a minimum of fuss, but for the creative-types it's as deep as Forza 2's livery customisation system. As a result, Halo 3 players aren't going to be short on new content and game modes for years to come.
Likewise with the incredibly powerful replay system. I can't see everybody appreciating the ability to share replays of every single, co-op and multiplayer game they've played. But when the wannabe Spielbergs start getting busy, YouTube had better beef up its bandwidth in the week's following Halo 3's launch.
And yet… and yet… I'm with Cam on the feeling that there's something lacking. Again, I think it's because Bungie didn't want to mess with the formula too much. Other than the new pickups, multiplayer feels exactly the same as Halo 2. Perhaps I'm underwhelmed because I've been spoilt by the amazing Call of Duty 4 and Team Fortress 2 betas - if you like Halo 3's online game, just wait a month until these two beasts come out. To me Halo 3 is simply solid, rather than breathtaking. The same can be said of the game's graphics.
Halo sailor!
If you played the beta and weren't impressed by the game's visuals, don't expect a massive leap in the game's appearance. For every "Omigod how does the 360 do this without bursting into flames" moment, there'll be another "If it wasn't for all the jaggies I'd probably notice how bland these indoor sections are" sections. Halo 3 needed to be the most amazing looking game to hit the 360… and yet it doesn't compare to the likes of Gears of War.
Cam: It doesn't, but then, you can't pause the action, detach the camera and fly around an entire level seeing what every entity is up to in Gears of War, now can you? For me that's worth a slight graphical hit, but also means that you can appreciate the artistry that did go into many of the models and effects. Some of the textures and environmental geometry might be a bit lacking, but this is a good looking game in so many other ways.
But back to multiplayer. I wasn't all that wowed by the maps in the beta, but thankfully the full game has a stronger line-up. My favourite is probably Narrows, simply because it has a good rhythm and symmetry… not to mention Man Cannons - gotta have Man Cannons, but there are definitely enough compelling maps to keep me entertained. A couple of small duel maps wouldn't have gone astray though. In terms of play modes, old favourites are back, although thanks to the greater array of options, modes like Oddball or CTF can feel radically different once you've toyed with damage, gravity, weapon and other settings. And then there's Infection, which is a riot - several players start out as energy sword-wielding zombies and by taking out the normal players can 'infect' them. It's frantic fun being one of the last players left, desperately trying to avoid infection. We like. So multiplayer is a hugely polished experience, no doubt about it, and while there are other multiplayer shooters I like more, Halo 3 still gets a big thumbs up.
We call this level the Killatorium. Actually, we call all the levels the Killatorium.
Bennett: Man cannons? Bah - I've been jumping around on bouncy pads since Quake 2, so to me they're a non-event. There's one element we haven't mentioned though, and for me it's the most impressive of the lot. The musical score and sound effects. I've briefly chatted about the AI's propensity to have a chat in the middle of a fire-fight, but it needs to be said again just how cool this feature is. It gives the enemy AI a sense of truly being alive, as compared to the robotic scripted foes we see in so many other games. But the real treat for your eardrums is the music. Wow. I remember when the first Halo 3 trailer came out and I played it endlessly just to hear the militaristic theme song. I'm happy to report that the rest of the music in the game is just as good. This is a sound-scape that demands a booming sound system.
Closing Comments
Cam: So where does all this leave us? With a game that is worth playing, no question, but that – for me at least – is a long way from game of the year. If you’re a Halo or Halo 2 multiplayer whore you may feel differently, as the Campaign will be the icing on a delicious multiplayer cake stuffed with maps, modes, replays and options galore, but for me the actual gameplay itself – potential aside – simply doesn’t warrant a 9. It’s very close, but not quite there. Care to bang out a Conclusion Bennett?
Bennett: Hang on a second Cam, I’m just on the phone to a security firm. See, we’re going to need personal bodyguards for at least the next month, because I agree with you that this isn’t quite a 9/10 game. There’s no denying how awesome the replay and Forge features are – but they’re not the core of the game. Don’t get me wrong, the single player campaign is very strong, the action is tight, and the AI is F.E.A.R.-killing. But for every positive, there was an area of the game that left me wanting more – the backtracking, the overly cheesy storyline, the underwhelming visuals. And multiplayer feels too much like a HD-version of Halo 2 with a few gadgets you can toss around. Which to Halo fans is fine – but compared to other online shooters, I get the feeling that Halo 3 is staying a little too close to its roots. It doesn’t really matter what you or I think Cam – Halo 3 will still sell more copies in the first second of release than all of the games ever created in the history of electronic entertainment combined. But does that make it the best game on the 360? I think not.
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