Treit and True:

A Word Between Halo 3 Marathons

Published May 23, 2007

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.

Article by Ryan Treit