Published September 27, 2007

Halo® 2 revolutionized multiplayer gaming on Xbox LIVE® with its matchmaking system, Web integration, stat tracking, dynamic playlists, and buttery smooth network performance most developers would die for. Its fanatical following has made it the most popular, most played online game on Xbox LIVE even well after Xbox 360™ launched.

Armor combinations can be customized.

The rightful heir to this legacy has come at last. With Halo 3, developer Bungie has crafted a few stunning new features to layer on top of the already outstanding Halo 2 foundation. File sharing, service records, a phenomenal real-time map editor, a welcome tweak or two to the party system, perhaps the most spectacularly balanced maps on record, and much, much more, all make this game everything you hoped it would be online.

There is no greater combination of outstanding gameplay,
brilliant level design, customization, and community features.

We Have a System When We Party
While Bungie has fashioned together a bevy of new multiplayer features, they decided not to fix, thankfully, what was never broken. Specifically, the Party system still works as elegantly as it ever has, allowing you to meet up with friends and enter matches together.

Once in a party you can still move through the various lobbies seamlessly, so whether you want to test out a game variant in a private match, join some Team Objective matches or mess about in The Forge, it's all available at the touch of a button. This applies to the Theater lobby as well, so, if after taking some poor fools to task in a spirited match of Team Territories, you want to immediately relive your glory, go ahead and do precisely that.

Also included is the option to invite a competitor into your Party after a match has ended, so if you've got three members and you want a fourth you can count on, send an invite at the end of a match.

Ah, classic. Red versus Blue.

Forging Creativity
Denny Atkin has already discussed The Forge in his preview article, and you should definitely check that out. Essentially though, The Forge works something like this. You drop into a map and are given the tools to shift everything you can imagine in real-time, beyond the map's basic geometry. Alter spawn locations, remove crates, cases, power cores, and whatever else isn't nailed down. Add weapons, drop crates and vehicles, grav lifts and barricades, and on and on. You can even reset the objectives, such as shifting where territories spawn in Team Territories.

Most remarkable though, The Forge isn't just for editing at your leisure to play at a later date. Games can be played real-time inside The Forge while you're tinkering away. For example, a Team Slayer match can rage on with each team leader given editing privileges.

Imagine dropping a crate in front of an opposing player, trapping them as they attempt to flee, or plopping a grav-lift in front of an enemy Warthog to send it flying, or even something as simple as plucking away the energy sword right before an enemy reaches the weapon. The possibilities are endless.

Opponents moving out en masse? View the replay.

Movie Time
Every multiplayer match and Campaign level you've ever played can be replayed immediately in the game's Theater mode. And here's the thing, the replay is not locked in to your own perspective. Think about that. You can detach the camera for a free-roaming mode, and even lock into your opponent's perspective to track their movements and strategy.

Record individual clips from each match to highlight your favorite moments, pause the proceedings to take a screenshot, and then upload your short clips, screenshots or entire movies onto your Halo 3 File Share for the entire world to see.

Perhaps most impressive though is the modest file size for movies and clips. Instead of literally recording the video, which would take up enormous resources and disk space, Bungie records the game data instead. Then, when it loads the level (either Campaign or multiplayer) it uses the data to stream movements, actions, animations and all the rest. Because of this, even a whole hour of gameplay can clock in at less than 10 megabytes.

Guide Additions
Halo 3 multiplayer beta veterans may recall spotting new menu options on their guide button menu when viewing a friend's profile. They are:

• Halo 3 Service Record: Is your buddy bragging that he already beat Campaign on Legendary? Hmmm, let's check his Service Record. Check their online ranking, their experience level, and even which Spartan or Elite armor and color scheme they've chosen.
• Halo 3 File Share: File Share allows you to upload movies, clips, screenshots, and even maps you've edited in The Forge and variant game types you've cobbled together. No matter if it's someone on your Friends List or a random opponent you've just played, you can view and download from anyone's File Share.
• Halo 3 Party Details: This option will break down what your friend is doing in Halo 3. Are they watching a video, playing Campaign on Legendary, starting a Team Slayer match? Do they have enough people for a good time? Party Details will let you know.

Faster!

Ask and Ye Shall Receive, Co-op Fans
The masses clamored for online cooperative play in Halo 2, and with Halo 3, they get their wish. Play up to four players simultaneously on any Campaign level the Party Leader has available, and on any difficulty they choose. Online co-op speaks for itself, but the feature isn't limited to simply dropping extra players into a Campaign level. For example:

• ŸCompetitive scoring: Turn on the scoring options and every kill, headshot, grenade stick or other exemplary feat will be recorded and added to your overall score. Compete individually for bragging rights in co-op, or split the scoring between two teams of two players each for a different challenge.
• Respawn co-op: When you die in co-op you aren't forced back to a checkpoint, but instead, will spawn when the area is safe and your teammates are not engaged in battle.
• Covenant reinforcements: Of course, added forces come into play, so combat will be filled out with a number of enemies appropriate to the amount of players participating in co-op.
• Skull multipliers: Skulls are the hidden items you find in each level. You may activate whatever Skulls you've discovered to add multipliers to your overall score, and even change the way the game is played. For example, activating one Skull may force you to restart the level every time you die, and another may completely remove your HUD (including the targeting reticle).

.Net
Just like Halo 2, Bungie.net provides outstanding Web integration where you can view your statistics, check your Service Record, track your File Share and Download History, and break down info of your latest matches.

Bungie.net extends well beyond your own stats and info, though. View community-wide stats such as active players, enemy, and friendly KIA, and view info on recently played Campaign and multiplayer matches. Queue up downloads from the Web site to download to your console the moment you sign on. This can include Bungie's personal favorites as well as community films, clips, screenshots, maps, and game types you've tracked down on your own.

Halo 3 has arrived, and it has delivered the same thunderous online punch as its predecessor. There is no greater combination of outstanding gameplay, brilliant level design, customization, and community features. Halo 3 will be played for years online, and with co-op, The Forge, Theater mode, ever-changing playlists and much more, there won't be a repetitive moment to be had. Bungie has delivered on its promise.

Article by Ryan Treit