Halo 3 - now coming to Xbox One. MC Collection.

[diggler]

Do we know for definite if there are any enemy elites in the game?

[superfunk]

Do we know for definite if there are any enemy elites in the game?

That's what I've been struggling to work out. What I'm understanding at the moment is you're fighting Brutes, Jackals and Grunts only.

I want to fight some Elites too

[Lucky Gonk]

Do brutes now have rechargable shields in the same way that elites and spartans do? I thought they didn't, but there's a picture in the latest issue of Edge that suggests otherwise.

[Lerschumbo]

Buying a Premium on payday, I hope this doesn't happen the day Halo launches:

http://notharrypotterspoilers.ytmnd.com/

The latest Bungie podcast revealed that brutes would indeed have rechargable shields, though recharging much slower. And somewhere I read Frankie talking about how the Covenant didn't split racially, basically pointing out that there would be covenant elites in the game.

EDIT: Okay, no brutes on humans' side and only a very small minority of elites on the covenant's side, but still...

[Snowman]

I'm becoming more and more convinced that there won't be any enemy elites. The leaked manual scans had this to say:

The Arbiter's people, the Elites, have joined Humanity's struggle against the rest of the Covenant.

Formerly the ruling military class of the Covenant, Elites are proud fighters with a valiant history. Their recent split from the Covenant was sparked by religious differences, but the schism runs deeper than that. Elites now ally with their former Human foes in part because of a deep-seated resentment of Prophet rule and in part because they understand the scale of the Flood threat.

The subject was touched on during the last Bungie podcast, and while nothing definitive was said, the implication did seem to be that the Brutes were the main enemy. It's still inconclusive though.

Do brutes now have rechargable shields in the same way that elites and spartans do? I thought they didn't, but there's a picture in the latest issue of Edge that suggests otherwise.

Their armour slowly regenerates, according to the podcast. This process can be sped up if they deploy a regenerator. It seems the chieftans have an invincibilty shield that works in a similar manner to the one Tartarus had in Halo 2.

[diggler]

In the new batch of screens it looks like MC is taking out an Elite at one point, but on squinting it turns out it's actually one of the many new Brutes wearing bright blue, very Elite-like armor. At that point is there much difference?

So I imagine we will be fighting Elite-ish enemies, just with a new Brute twist.

As long as they're fun to fight and have cool AI, it's all good. Grunts have always been my target of choice anyway.

[Hewson]

Some clips from the film have leaked out...

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33762

[Philly]

There's a multiplayer vid of sandtrap on IGN, and near the end, there's a MP level i've never seen before. Green, rocky, haloish, but it's not valhalla. It's got wreckage in the background like the Highway Campaign level. New level they haven't shared yet or one i missed?

[Comrade]

There's a multiplayer vid of sandtrap on IGN, and near the end, there's a MP level i've never seen before. Green, rocky, haloish, but it's not valhalla. It's got wreckage in the background like the Highway Campaign level. New level they haven't shared yet or one i missed?

I'm fairly sure that is in fact the Highway Campaign level (there's a Covenant dropship there after all). But they're showing off co-op. You can see the other player has an arrow over his head.

[Shafto]

Has 4-player splitscreen Multiplayer been confirmed yet? I was just presuming it was, due to the previous games, but with the Beta not having it and no chatter about it, i'm starting to get a bit paranoid about the attendance levels of my Halo 3 LAN parties.

[pretentious_helvetica]

I couldn't resist temptation any more and checked out the single player vids - I'm very happy they remind me more of Halo than Halo 2. Very open levels - lots of possibilities.

I also find it hilarious that the Halo 3 Xbox 360 Console bundle doesn't actually include, er, Halo 3.

[Chaz]

As has been said before I think, that's probably to either give consumers the choice of which version to go for given that there are three, or (more likely) to try and boost sales of the special ed/legendary edition.

[barkbat]

The price of the Halo 3 360 is in-fucking-sane. Anyone that buys it over the elite is actually stupid with no concept of monetary value (or aesthetics). They should call it the stupid edition 360.

[Guest]

have they shifted the camera further back when you're in the warthog? it looks that way in that last vid.

[Pob]

You know, I went back to Halo 2 again yesterday to get myself pumped for 3, and I had to chide myself for almost buying into the idea that it's "not very good". It's actually fantastic. Or, at least, at its best it is fantastic.

I think the first three levels offer the best action the Halo series has to offer.

I'd find it hard to go back to Halo CE, with it's health packs, lack of proper physics, destructable vehicles and the ability to swap weapons with marines (of course, the main reason I don't play Halo CE is because I have the crappy PAL version).

And what's wrong with dual wielding? No way is it overpowered. I hardly ever use it in campaign, as it's just not that versatile compared to having two decent two-handed weapons. But it's great to have the option when you're standing off against a last remaing Elite, with no grenades and a depleted battle rifle. It works just as it should.

Some of the later levels are very boring. The Brutes, monitors and flood are not fun to fight, and having huge stretches without any human allies, weapons or vehicles was a big mistake.

I'd love it if the Flood were handled a little like the zombies in Dead Rising - i.e. you have to cut a path through them rather than tediously killing every last one. Then they'd add some proper variety to the gameplay, rather than being the less-fun enemy you dread coming up against.

Rather than making another tedious Halo 1 vs Halo 2 post, what I wanted to say is that, if Bungie take the best of Halo 2 (i.e. the Earth levels), and expand on them, we're looking at the best FPS ever.

[The Cactuar Cat]

"destructable vehicles"

They are indestructable aren't they?

[Pob]

"destructable vehicles"

They are indestructable aren't they?

Sorry, that means "lack of destructable vehicles and lack of the ability to swap weapons with marines" in Halo CE.

[Guest alisdair]

I think he meant "lack of: proper physics, destructable vehicles and the ability to swap weapons with marines". You couldn't swap weapons in Halo, could you?

I only recently played through the Halo 2 campaign, and aside from some dodgy pacing, I thought it was really pretty good. I really liked the Arbiter missions, and pretty much the only thing I didn't like was the boss battles.

[diggler]

Some very nice moments in the Halo 2 campaign that never get any kudos sadly. The Banshee level in cloud city. Boarding that massive spider thing chomping its way down the street. That tank level on the stunningly long bridge early on. Loved all that stuff TBH.

But no, "Halo 2 sucks" right...

[Rushy]

Best footage of the campaign yet (replay): http://www.gamersyde.com/news_4868_en.html

[Jumble Jumble]

Proper physics? Pah. When that base goes into freefall, you should be weightless.

[Mr.Crowley]

Best footage of the campaign yet (replay): http://www.gamersyde.com/news_4868_en.html

Fuck me, that's pretty.

That's almost Super Mario Galaxy-pretty.

[Pob]

Speaking of physics, love that bit in the campaign footage where a jetpack Brute comes into land and blunders into a pile of barrels, knocking them all over the place.

[A Hen]

My favourite part is the bit where that Brute is trying to do the Times crossword puzzle, and two Jackals and a Grunt come over and help him solve it.

[pretentious_helvetica]

That replay function looks spiffy.

[dan_tm]

Proper physics? Pah. When that base goes into freefall, you should be weightless.

If you jump just before the platform collapses you do turn weightless and fall much slower than the platform below you, eventually to your death. A bit of a shit bug that, it makes you fight the battle again, which is quite a tough one on Legendary.

While on the subject of Halo 2, everyone always talks about the last few levels being boring, they were my favourites really. I loved the atmosphere created battling through that High Charity place with the prophet of Truth (or was it Regret?) shouting his propaganda as you proceed through the level. The dancing Grunts on that level were fantastic too, I always tried to save them from the oncoming Brutes

I want to play it again now...

[hughes]

Some very nice moments in the Halo 2 campaign that never get any kudos sadly. The Banshee level in cloud city. Boarding that massive spider thing chomping its way down the street. That tank level on the stunningly long bridge early on. Loved all that stuff TBH.

But no, "Halo 2 sucks" right...

That's all at the start. I've never heard anyone complain about the first 2 levels. I think even halos harshest critics will admit the first 50% of the game is amazing, but in halo 2 it's only the first 20% that is.

[Rockboy]

That replay video (this one) is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Imagine playing through to the end of an epic level, and then sitting back and watching it again while panning the camera around yourself, watching the other parts of the battle you weren't involved in, taking photos to use as your wallpaper, then posting the best bits up as a movie.

[Stroker Ace]

That replay video (this one) is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Imagine playing through to the end of an epic level, and then sitting back and watching it again while panning the camera around yourself, watching the other parts of the battle you weren't involved in, taking photos to use as your wallpaper, then posting the best bits up as a movie.

Except most fights in first-person shooters look fucking stupid because everyone runs around in circles, weaves left and right, bunny hops and circle-strafes, so it would kinda be like watching the shit bits of a shit movie.

[LongHairStu]

That replay video (this one) is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Imagine playing through to the end of an epic level, and then sitting back and watching it again while panning the camera around yourself, watching the other parts of the battle you weren't involved in, taking photos to use as your wallpaper, then posting the best bits up as a movie.

I've wanted that since Halo, since being dead in co-op while my partner fought on. Mainly for the watching, but I've a penchant for spinning around objects that are floating in the air, so that's nice too. The rest is a bonus. A big, fat, stonkingly excellent bonus.