News > Everything You've Wanted to Know About the Halo 3 Beta
May 25, 2007
Everyone I talk to on Xbox Live says the same thing, "This game is waaaay better than Halo 2." And it's true! I've even heard Halo fans saying that the gameplay is better than the first and second game combined. Judging from the three levels that come with the beta, this game is going to be much more enjoyable than Halo 2 ever was close to being. I've heard Halo bashers convert and say that this is one amazing experience. This game is nuts, be prepared to be instantly addicted.
How do I get in?
There were three ways to get in, but now two of the ways are closed and the only way to get into the beta is to get a copy of Crackdown. In the 'downloads' section of the game you'll see a button that you must click to download Halo 3.
How long is the beta?
The beta will last until June 6 at 11:59 PM PDT.
How much content is there?
Like I said earlier there are only three levels in the beta. There are no custom games, so you have to play all of your games in matchmaking. Since at any given time there are usually tens of thousands of players online, you'll never have a problem finding a game. Just because the game is short on content doesn't mean the game is short on fun. I've been playing this about as much as I played Gears of War when it first came out - which is a ton. The few levels are so superbly crafted that even during the hundredth time playing them you won't get bored.
What Matchmaking modes are there?
Matchmaking is a ton of fun because the ranked matches already let you level your character's rank up. Who knows if these numbers will be transferred to the full game, but my guess is that they won’t be. In Halo 2, the random map that was given to you in matchmaking may not have appealed to all who were playing. In Halo 3, if half of your party doesn't like the map, they can veto it and switch the level. Here's what we have in the beta:
Ranked Matches:
Team Slayer:
In Team Slayer you must work as a team to kill all of the guys on the other team. First team to get fifty kills wins.
Rumble Pit
Every man for himself! Rumble Pit is a chaotic match where everyone is against everyone. The first person to get 25 kills wins.
Team Skirmish:
Complete objectives as a four player team such as Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, or Oddball.
Unranked Matches
Rumble Training:
Same thing as Rumble Pit, without having to worry about your rank going up and down.
Big Team Battle Training:
6 on 6 match just like Team Skirmish.
What new weapons are there?
The weapons in Halo 3 have seen a dramatic change from those in Halo 2. Surprisingly, the primary weapon, instead of the SMG, is the Assault Rifle, which was the main gun from the original Halo. The needler is no longer dual-wieldable and its power is twice that of Halo 2's. The brute dual-wieldable SMG is a new weapon called the Spiker and is a small gun that packs quite a punch. The name comes from the Spike that's on the end of it that may act as the sword as it has a tendency to lunge forward for a deadly blow as its melee attack. There are no swords in any of the levels of the game and Bungie hasn't given us a yes or no telling us whether the Sword will be in the final game. Unlike in Halo 2, the Brute Shot really isn't very powerful, but that will probably fixed with the final release. Weapons like the plasma rifle, the rocket launcher, the SMG, and both snipers are here and they all look really cool with the new graphics. One of my favorite new weapons is the Laser. Hold down the fire button until its ready to fire to unleash a deadly laser that can kill someone from across the map. When you pick up the grenade launcher and mini gun the game actually goes into third person shooter mode. These two weapons are very powerful and fun to use.
There are actually quite a few new grenades. My favorite is the bubble shield; if someone is shooting you from afar and you don’t know where he is you can drop a bubble shield. Inside the bubble shield you can’t be hit by bullets unless someone comes inside and attacks you. There is also a portable lift that will launch you into the air and is very useful to getting to those hard to reach areas. Another one throws a plasma grenade looking thing that charges up and sends gradual damage to all those in its attack radius for about ten seconds. The plasma and frag grenades make their return as well as another standard grenade that is a frag that sticks to whatever you throw it on.
Vehicles
As for vehicles, we have the Banshee, Warthog and Ghost but we also have a little thing called the Mongoose. The Mongoose is a speedy four wheeler that gets you where you want to go FAST. You can put another guy on the back but there is no mounted turret so he has to use the weapon he was holding. I rarely see myself using the Mongoose because it’s so vulnerable to fire; it’s fun to ride in though!
Are there any cheaters?
I'm sorry to be the person to feed you the bad news but... yes, I am doing it. Out of many matches I have played one game where the other team cheated by bridging their connection to make it slow for us and fine for them. Hopefully Bungie will be able to stop the cheaters before the final product comes out. In a way, it might be a good thing that there are cheaters on the beta; at least Bungie will see some of the cheaters and perhaps patch the game up. Luckily I haven't seen any super-jumping or standbying.
What are the levels like?
High Ground
High Ground is a medium sized level with a gate in the middle that is crucial to get past if you want to win. The level design is completely unsymmetrical and one side of the map definitely has the advantage over the other. This map is awesome for objective games because of all the different pathways you can take to get past the gate and each being way of passing being a challenge. Team Slayer is also very fun on it but is often pretty chaotic because of all the power weapons on the map. This is an all around great map that you can play over and over again.
Snowbound
This is probably my least favorite out of the three maps, but it’s still a decent map. In Snowbound there is an outside area and an underground cave area; both of which stretch throughout the whole level. The underground caves tend to get really claustrophobic making battles sometimes unnerving and the outside just seems too open and you don’t generally have much time to run around without getting shot.
Valhalla
Valhalla is a HUGE map similar to Beaver Creek in Halo 2. You have a base on both sides of the map and a bunch of land and caves in between. Remember having to walk from one side of the level to the other in Beaver Creek only to get sniped? Well there’s a little something we like to call the Man Cannon on this level. The man cannons reside near the spawn points and shoots you halfway across the map when stepped on. On top of the fun you can have with the Man Cannon this is also the only level that has the Banshee on it.
How does it feel different than Halo 2?
Think of everything that bothered you about Halo 2, now picture all of your problems resolved. The weapons feel a lot more balanced so the first person who gets the good weapon has the advantage, but it never feels like an insurmountable goal to kill the person with the power weapon. The physics engine is amazing. There is almost no lag. The graphics and sound are superb and the game never really feels cheap. I found myself complaining about every other death being unfair in Halo 2, but in this, after playing a ton of games, I maybe have found two deaths that I didn’t think were fair. Literally everything that I found myself quite bothered with, and even those things that just bothered me a little bit, seems to have been fixed in Halo 3.
How are the graphics?
The graphics look a lot like Halo 2… but really shiny. I found textures to blend together in Halo 2, but in Halo 3 everything just stands out. Right now, the game looks like a much more polished version of Halo 2, which is what everyone expected. This is one of the better looking games on the 360… and it hasn’t even come out. I can see the final product having amazing graphics.
How’s the sound?
The game sounds just like Halo 2, only much crisper. The voiceovers have been redone and even the voices through the microphone sound clearer. You can hear bullets all around you and explosions from far away. It really sounds like a battlefield and it is absolutely amazing with surround sound.
Should I buy Crackdown for this?
Right now the game is looking AWESOME and even though the game isn't a finished product and has a while before its release, this game is looking much much better than Halo 2 and Halo 2 was my favorite first person shooter. There are a few glitches in the game, but they will likely get patched up with the final product. If you haven't already, go out and buy Crackdown. If you haven't already, go out and buy a 360. I smell killer app in the oven.
Pros: This game is shaping up to be an absolutely amazing game. Nearly everything about it is better than Halo 2.
Cons: We’re already seeing cheaters. Some weapons need their power to be tweaked a bit. There are no player matches in the beta.
The Bottom Line Only three levels of a game that isn’t complete and I’ve concluded that this is one of the best first person shooters I’ve ever played.
- Josh Stevens
