Halo 3 Beta Impressions

First off i have to remind everyone that this is beta. Were not even seeing a finished product, so the game could look different when it launches.

 

First thing i want to mention is that while playing the beta, there was no doubt in my mind i was playing Halo. A lot of people are worried about the new turret gun and missile pod ruining the balance of the game. Even some who think the new equipment function would change the entire flow of battle are sadly mistaken. I believe the game is balanced, well at least more balanced than Halo 2. The turret/missile pod are weapons that you should worry about, but not too much. You feel almost sloth-like when holding these weapons and a well planned fight can easily take one down. As for the equipments, at times they do have a big part in the game, but only occasionally. Because of the pace of the battle, you worry more about getting another shot out than dropping a bubble shield. A little note: The bubble shield, whether dropped by you or an opponent, can be a good or very bad friend.

Halo 3 beta is bringing the battle to a more mid-range fire fight. Those of you who enjoyed Halo2 for the dual-wielding probably wont have as much fun on the beta. The three maps Valhalla, Snowbound and  High Ground are very much mid and long range maps. But if you have the chance to get in a CQC battle while wielding two spikers, you will see that dual wielding still plays a big role. In these three maps, you will most likely be running for a battle rifle most of the time, or a Carbine which is beautifully buffed to match the battle rifle. Don’t count out the assault rifle though, a fight between a battle and assault rifle that is more closer than farther will teach you that steady aim can save your butt.

The pace of the game is fast. Really fast. That’s the way Halo has been. You spawn, you run for a gun and hope you get that first shot. I may be lucky, but i haven’t run into much trash talking. Since the battles are so fast and most people are mainly worried about getting some cover, you usually wont get T-bagged by the guy who just killed you while you were trying to sneak up behind him. The Man Cannons on Valhalla are great addition. Bringing you to the battle right away and usually landing you near a battle rifle. One thing i noticed is that no matter where i spawned in a map, i was not that far away from the action. Allowing me to jump right into the fight and even get revenge on the last person who killed me.

The maps are great. People already choosing favorites and saying that High Ground is probably the best of the three. Don’t get me wrong, but these maps arent huge, nor are they small. I really think they are perfect. The recreation of blood gulch feels much better. Walking on the side of the map isnt as much of a problem as it used to be and most of the battles occur in the center hill. The different elevations of hills bring a different kind of fight also. If you remember Blood Gulch, if you were anywhere but the base, you were pretty much a sitting duck for a sniper. Here it is different. Its possible to even crouch to the center without being seen. The placements of guns on all three maps are well placed. The gun placements are still balanced and not to mention you have lots of choices. There is always, ALWAYS, a gun near by. Seeing the gun on an opponents back will help a lot in deciding how you will approach a fight.

The gameplay is great, but visually the game could use some work. It’s obvious that the environment is extremely detailed, but a closer look will show that it doesnt look so great. I guess i still have Gears of war in mind, but i would expect at least some better looking rock designs. It’s really the small things that shine. In the end, it was the things like joining a party with people you just played with simply by pressing X at the end of the game. Or how simple it is to mute someone. I like to change my buttons between default, boxer and green thumb. The fact that the menus work extremely fast makes me happy. For being a beta allowing 238,964 unique gamers play on three almost finished maps, i think the game is great so far. You can tell they’ve put a lot of work and thought into the game. Not like the Call of Duty series where it felt all they did was raise the maximum amount of players in a match.

Whats your favorite and least favorite part of the beta?

- Jerome “the360loop” Francisco -