Published September 25, 2007

I was lucky enough to get a preview of Halo® 3, and with the help of developer Bungie, a comfy chair, and three large cups of coffee, I powered my way through several hours of the game's Campaign Mode.

Together at last.

Visual Perfection
Just a quick word on the visuals for those who were worried during the Halo 3 multiplayer beta. Never before has a game looked so clean and so detailed simultaneously. The skylines are piercing and windswept, the jungle foliage luscious and alive, the water almost tangible, and Master Chief's armor a vision of dented, scuffed-up beauty. Even hair-like cracks on our hero's visor glint and distort realistically, and the lighting is so soft and accurate, it nearly drips through the TV screen.

Put another way, Halo 3 defines high-definition gaming. There is nothing muddled, nothing hidden away, just crystal clarity.

The Halo Feel
With all the advances and shifts in technology though, one thing has remained. The elusive but instantly recognizable Halo "feel" is still wholly intact. The vibrant but lethal blue plasma grenade splash on the wall, the similarly evocative pulse of a Ghost's engines, the roaring whine of the Warthog, and constant chatter among marines and grunts alike is all present and accounted for.

The color and life Halo has always brought to the table is at once familiar and fundamentally improved in this final chapter.

My money's on the Chief.

Equipment Shift
Even a swift session with Halo 3 will demonstrate one significant shift in strategic philosophy. The use of one-shot items is both crucial and varied. No, not guns or grenades, but tactical equipment that can change the tide of battle at the click of a button.

Halo 2 asked all the questions. Halo 3 provides the answers.

Yes, items like the bubble shield and grav-lift play an even more prevalent role in Campaign Mode than they did when introduced in the multiplayer beta. You can only hold one item at a time, and like weapons, they can be swapped out for others as you come across them. There are more items than were unveiled in the multiplayer beta as well. Chief among them are the:

• Regenerator: Run across a pack of bloodthirsty Brutes barring your path? Throw down a Regenerator and lay down the thunder. This useful tool generously regenerates your shield, allowing you to take a mammoth pounding.
• Portable Shield: While smaller than the bubble-shield, this one-sided beauty is permanently impenetrable and perfectly suited for narrow hallways with the enemy up ahead.
• Flare: Imagine a non-concussive flash-bang and you get the idea. Though useful against enemies, they're dreadfully effective when deployed against Master Chief. Even our hero's visor is no match for the flood of searing white light (I actually squinted at the TV screen), effectively disorienting anyone nearby.

This time, you can shoot them down.

Behind the Driver's Seat
The technological marvels continue into the vehicular realm as well, and with spectacularly destructive results. You'll see these vehicles in just the first few hours:

• The Mongoose: This itty-bitty speed-demon personnel transport boasts no weaponry, but offers unparalleled maneuverability. While the vehicle is unarmed, I can say with great certainty that an alert, rocket launcher-toting soldier hanging off the back end can wreak excellent havoc.
• Brute Chopper: My introduction to the Brute Chopper went something like this. "Oh, hey, that must be the Brute Chopper <stops Warthog>. Those wheels are cool. Wonder what…" <kaboom!>, as the chopper T-boned my Warthog, shredded right through it, and obliterated what only moments before had been a remarkably heroic Master Chief. For those that haven't seen it, imagine a beefy, futuristic chopper whose enormous metal wheels are designed to grind through opposing vehicles.
• Brute Prowler: Though similar in industrial design to the Brute Chopper, the Prowler glides along at greater speed than its Chopper cousin, and boasts a single, but powerful, turret. It's a slick and productive counterpart to the UNMC's Warthog.

Loose Ends
Halo 2 asked all the questions. Halo 3 provides the answers.

While it would be foolish and impolite to reveal story-specific details, it's safe to say that we will finally:

• Learn Cortana's fate, or perhaps more importantly, discover what precisely Gravemind's motives are.
• Learn Earth's role in the Halo network and the fate of humanity's home planet.
• Discover at last what the High Prophet of Truth is digging up in the desert location showcased during the E3 2006 trailer.
• Find out why Bungie is calling Halo 3 the end of the trilogy.

In short, while the Halo world may still possess a touch of mystery at the trilogy's close, the burning questions fans have asked will finally see resolution.

Halo 3 has been designated this generation's "killer app" from the moment Halo 2 rolled credits, and even just playing Campaign Mode single-player lends that credence. We haven't even discussed the game's already legendary multiplayer modes or new maps, the four player cooperative mode's competitive mayhem, the luxury of saved films, or Bungie's ridiculously full-featured Web-integration. We'll cover all that in future articles.

Article by Ryan Treit