Halo 3

It was only recently that I played the original Halo; the game had come out in the generation I skipped and when I eventually rejoined gaming with the 360, I had all the shooters I needed with COD4 and anything I saw of Halo was of a multiplayer with big beasts that seemed to take a lot of hits to die – basically it never appealed to me. I loved the first game and due to a broken disk of Halo 2 which kept dying midway into the campaign, jumped right into Halo 3. The graphics were a nice change from the original Halo (even the updated version) and although I missed the final half of Halo 2, the story was not too hard to pick up since essentially the players are all the same.

The gameplay is a lot of fun – more than I expected. The world terrains are large with nice open areas where you have options in terms of the fight and where you can see others battling with you or alongside you. I started the game on Heroic and found the game to be perhaps a bit too challenging to be fun for a casual player such as myself. On Normal setting it is perhaps a bit too easy but it still has a challenge – you cannot hold the trigger while running forward. The flow of enemy and the structure of levels is really good and I continued to be forced to use all sorts of weapons since ammo is not always readily available for any one weapon. The use of music and the large cinematic landscapes produce great moments but also a real sense of excitement; the best example is the final level, which is a drive against the clock like the first game, however this time the clock is not real but a warning triggered by progress – so not a real heart-in-mouth race, but it is exciting and the urgency helped by the scale of the surroundings and the music. The cut- scenes are not overly used but when they are they add to the cinematic feel, being dramatic and looking very good – the only thing I think they did badly was the ending as it is misleading and doesn't make too much sense unless you sit through all the credits (which we all know we should but nobody does); it would have been better to deliver it all properly. Otherwise it is generally a very well put together game though.

The downside of it is that the game is not as long as I would have liked – it is plenty fun while I played but even for someone only grabbing a few hours every few evenings, it was done quite quickly. The reason for this I assume was the multiplayer experience being the bigger part of the sale. For me I don't pay for Gold to play online, so I cannot comment on that – but for the very low price I was able to pick this up for, I felt the solo campaign was more than good enough on its own – shortness aside.

A strong game then – even some 6 years later it stands up very well. Very glad I checked the franchise out at last and I'll probably carry on with the next game at some point.

For me, personally, this is my favorite Halo. A lot of my friends also think this is the best game in the series. There are so many great Halo games that there are so many different answers you get when asked what your favorite Halo game is... Halo CE, Halo 2, Halo 3, ODST, Reach...

I'm fine with anybody who disagrees with me on which Halo game is the best (unless you think Halo 4 or 5 is the best then I will rip you apart) because all of the original halo games are all amazing, and almost all equal to each other in terms of quality despite being different. But just in my personal opinion, through all of my experiences playing this game, I will say that it is my personal favorite. Great game.

The campaign, which is very good, is Halo 3's weakest point. It doesn't capture the cavalier spirit of the original Halo, but you'll still have fun playing through it. There's no first-person shooter on 360 that can equal Halo 3's blend of cinematic action, adrenaline-pumping shootouts, and male- (and female)-bonding gameplay. Look beyond the gameplay and you have a rich feature set unlike anything ever delivered in a video game. The Forge and the replay functionality raise the bar for console shooters so high, it may never be surpassed this generation. There will be plenty of aspects for fans to nitpick, but it's hard to argue against Halo 3 as the most complete game available on any console.

PRESENTATION - 10/10 An amazing replay editor, four-player online co-op, map editor, and community support make this the most robust feature set ever in a video game.

GRAPHICS - 9/10 Despite a few moments of slowdown, this is a gorgeous game, especially considering the demands of the replay function. And it's to die for in 1080p.

SOUND - 10/10 This is the reason God created Surround Sound. Halo's theme is a futuristic anthem that inspires the troops. The chatter during combat is fantastic.

GAMEPLAY - 9/10 There are a few questionable design choices in the campaign, but this series remains the most fun first-person shooter on the planet. Multiplayer and the Forge are fantastic

LASTING APPEAL - 10/10 The campaign won't take you long to complete, but this is a game that can be played for years. There are so many things to do, and it's so much fun to do them.

OVERALL - 10/10

When a sequel offers little in the way of innovation or stops short of a major revamp, I'd normally deduct a couple of stars in the name of tardiness. But this is a Halo game, and what makes it console dynamite isn't so much what's new, what's different, or even what happens as you play - instead, it's all about how it makes you feel.

Within an hour of starting the game you'll be leaping onto futuristic motorbikes and ripping the alien driver from his seat, then flipping the bike around and mowing the monster down with his own ride. In tight spots you'll be snapping stationary gun turrets from their mountings, then wading into the chaos of battle as your chunky cannon shreds legions of shrieking invaders. As you go ever-deeper behind enemy lines your allies will dive for cover when firefights turn to stalemate, compelling you to steam into impossible situations and sort them out with not much more than a pea-shooter. And when it finally comes to switching off your console and going to bed at night, finding the will to sleep will be impossible as you'll still feel ten-feet tall and able to punch holes in solid concrete.

Thrilling action aside, Halo 3 is also one of the best-looking games on the shelves and surpasses all expectations; from the slick, Hollywood-quality movies that flesh out the story and introduce cannon-fodder characters you can't help growing attached to, to dense forests where you can spot enemies fleeing through the undergrowth as trails of saplings get pushed aside, Halo 3 boasts an epic sense of scale and keen eye for detail, its stunning art direction helping to create breathtaking worlds that are a joy to explore and the perfect stage for tense and imaginative shootouts. The new battle gadgets and retooled Covenant enemies - each of which look more terrifying than before, especially when you're standing toe-to-toe with a Brute Chieftain intent on caving your skull in - also make this instalment absurdly exciting, and the fact you can stick with Master Chief throughout rather than being forced to control a crappy alien like in Halo 2 will be enough to tempt back players who were disillusioned by the last game.

But while the single-player adventure doesn't disappoint, Halo 3's biggest draw is its multiplayer carnage. As well as the traditional deathmatch clashes where players can tear their buddies limb from limb, Halo 3 boasts a selection of Xbox Live cooperative challenges, allowing players to hook-up, choose from a quartet of unique characters, then work through the entire single-player quest as a team. The sprawling online mode also features clever 'matchmaking' options where you're paired with other players of similar skill across the world, avoiding the frustration of becoming the whipping boy for a gang of experienced nutjobs.

While a tangible sense of déjà vu pervades the whole adventure, Halo 3 does what it does extremely well, and what it loses in originality it more than makes up for in stellar production values and delirious, balls-out blasting. And while players looking for a solo shooter may find BioShock's bleak atmosphere more intriguing, Halo 3's blistering blend of anarchic battles and team-based challenges make it worthy of the 'game of the year' tag so often thrust upon it.

Not quite the epic ending do an amazing trilogy. I'm not gonna lie and say it was amazing and the best yet just because I was waiting for it for so long and a lot of other people like it.

Let me first start out by saying I am a long-time Halo fan. I really love these games. I believe that Halo, Combat Evolved had the best storyline and Halo 2 had best online/ multi-player. When I heard Halo 3 was coming out, I was so excited. I bought it that weekend it came out and went home and beat it in a day.

A day. For those of you who don't know me, I am an extremely slow gamer. I found out very quickly that this is the shortest halo game. I thought the last should be the longest! It's a pretty quick single player experience.

Alright, actually playing the game. This game is, as I am happy to say, still fun to play. I love the jungle as the first few levels, and that ship that crashed that was infected with flood, I liked it. But, I think there's something missing with memorable levels or battles in levels. Like Halo 2 had some pretty memorable battle sequences. For instance, in the second level where you have a little siege on that building. First the elites/grunts, then the flying bugs and jackals, then BOOM! two hunters bust through the door! I liked that. But Halo 3's levels I though felt a bit rushed for me. My least favorite level is Cortana. Which basically has you running, the entire level not trying to kill the flood, but not let it kill you because they just keep coming. I just felt like something was missing in the single player experience.

The ending just felt a bit rushed too. I won't give anything away, but I think they definitely should have spent more time developing the end.

Lastly, multi-player. Multiplayer is fun and awesome. But there are a few things I don't like. They got rid of the old maps like blood gulch and sidewinder. I loved those old maps! And quite a few other maps from halo 2 aren't on there either! There are a lot of new maps too though, but it just doesn't feel the same for me. But it's not that bad I guess. I absolutely love the fact there's theater and you can go back and watch a lot of your latest online battles.

So here you have it: In a nutshell, Halo 3 I think felt a bit rushed, and not exactly what I had hoped it to be. It's still a good game but it's not the amazing ending I thought it would be. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it.

I'm sure a lot of you die-hard halo fans might badger me for writing this review, but hey, this is how I feel about it. You feel different? Message me, I want to see what you think. Thanks for reading this.

7.5/10