• E3 Halo 3 Trailer
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Hands-On: Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta

Published May 11, 2007

From 5:00 A.M. PDT on May 16 through 11:59 P.M. PDT on June 6, Crackdown™ owners and a few other lucky Halo® fans will get a sneak peek at this year's most anticipated game by participating in the Halo 3 multiplayer beta test on Xbox LIVE®.

Riding into action on the new Mongoose.

This test version contains only a taste of what you'll find in the full game when it releases later this year—but a sweet taste it is, with three maps and a wide variety of multiplayer game types.  Here's a quick overview of what to expect.

Getting Started
Your key to the Halo 3 multiplayer beta is your copy of Crackdown. If you somehow missed Crackdown so far, the copies on store shelves now include access to the Halo 3 multiplayer beta, in addition to the titular fantastic sandbox action game. Why are you still reading? Go. Now. Buy!

The Missile Pod packs a mighty punch, but also slows you down.

To download the beta, beginning May 16, just start Crackdown, select “Downloads” from the main menu, and select "Download Halo 3 Beta." Once the download finishes, the menu item will change and give you the option to play the beta. You'll need your copy of Crackdown whenever you want to play.

Getting Into the Game
The Halo 3 multiplayer beta delivers a preview of the final game's matchmaking abilities. Keep in mind that the beta only allows multiplayer over Xbox LIVE—the final game will also support solo play, split-screen, and System Link play.

When you start the game, you have options to Play the Beta or View a Film—I'll get to the films in a few. Now you choose the game type. You'll find both Ranked and Social playlists. Ranked playlists let you build rank depending on your performance, but they don't allow guests, and you can't choose who you play against. Social playlists don't add to your ranking, but they let you party up and choose your teams.

You’ll get a charge out of the multiplayer beta.

Each playlist has a number of different game types. Ranked game types include Rumble Pit (you against the world), Team Slayer (team deathmatch variants), Team Skirmish (team-based games like Capture the Flag and Territories), and Big Team Battle (just what you'd expect—large map, big teams, non-stop action).

There are plenty of variations of each game type as well. For instance, a Rumble Pit game might find the level populated with just sniper rifles or rocket launchers, or you might find yourself playing a variant like Crazy King, a King of the Hill game where the hill location changes every few seconds.

Select your playlist to get matched with players of equal skill and dropped into the action.

Into the Battle
The Halo 3 beta includes three maps: Snowbound, High Ground, and Valhalla. With variations in terrain, structures, and available vehicles and equipment, each map provides a unique combat experience. Snowbound, for instance, is replete with tunnels, good sniping spots, and a good old-fashioned Ghost vehicle to run down enemies with. Valhalla, on the other hand, is a huge, open terrain, with gravity launchers to give you a boost over the battlefield, and the new Mongoose vehicle for scouting missions, quick transport, and (with a rocket-launcher-toting buddy on the back) fast-attack passes against the enemy.

Nothing like a portable machinegun turret to ruin the enemy’s day.

Combat has all the goodness that made multiplayer in Halo 2 such a blast, plus some new twists that allow for some interesting, and occasionally amusing, new strategies. Spartans can now pick up equipment on the battlefield and deploy it with the X button. For instance, the Grav Lift can be used to give you a boost over a high wall. But you can also drop it in front of an oncoming vehicle to send it flying.

The Bubble Shield protects you from incoming fire outside the shield. It's great protection against snipers when you're trying to hold a position, but it doesn't stop an enemy from walking through the shield and attacking you from inside. Trip Mines can booby-trap a vehicle or help protect you from attacks from a tunnel behind you, while the Energy Drainer can shut down a vehicle or drain your enemy's shielding.

There's a variety of new weapons strewn about the levels, but I won't spoil the fun of discovery by detailing them here.

When the match ends, you now have the option to Party Up. If you've found some awesome teammates and want to play with them again in future games, just vote to Party Up in the post-game screen. If everyone agrees, you'll be put into a new party that you can continue to play with in future games. This works for teammates in Ranked Team Games, and friends and foes alike in Social games.

At the Movies
When a game ends, press the X button to save a film of the entire game. Watch the replay later to see what you did right—and wrong. Better yet, share the film in your File Share, so that other players can check it out.

This isn't just for bragging rights, it's also an excellent training aid.

In one game, another player just decimated the lot of us—he had 25+ kills to our average of five or six apiece. I checked his profile, found his shared films, grabbed one, and I was able to see the techniques he used to rule the battlefield. Next time, I'll be … well, probably still his victim. But at least I'll know how he did it.

Remember that this is the Halo 3 beta, and the final game will look even more amazing, and have loads of features that you don't see yet. While the current version's Saved Films feature is limited to one camera viewpoint, for instance, the final game will let you view the replay from almost any angle or player perspective, slow it down, reverse the action, and zoom in. You'll be able to snip clips out of the film and send just the highlights, so you can show your friend that great moment when you saved the game by sticking the flag-carrier with a Brute Spike Grenade.

Article by Denny Atkin