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

[Rockboy]

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.

Well yeah, some of the multiplayer stuff will probably look a bit shit for the reasons you've mentioned. But the campaign is different, I mean the amount of times in Halo 1 and 2 where you enter a huge battle and spend most of your time concentrating on just staying alive, now you can go back and watch it all from whichever angle you want, as many times as you want. It's a pretty cool feature if you ask me.

[barkbat]

I'm amazed how polished and sexy it all is. And whats more, how open and Halo 1ish the battles appear to be. I think this could well be the Halo 2 I was looking for. If the level editor works as well as promised, this has edge ten written all over it.

[StephenM]

Two quick (stupid) questions - one, when you talk about Halo 2 being good near the beginning, how far until are you thinking? I never did get very far, but remember I lost interest just after the scarab thing. Really early, I know, but as soon as we were away from the city-styled Earth levels that they seemed to promise us in the hype, the disappointment turned me off sharpish.

And, on a similar note, is there much talk of city-based levels in 3? Surely the battle has got to find its way back to Earth for any kind of climax....

[Angles Morts]

I thought that the New Mombassa level was pretty crap, personally. It all went a bit too 'Medal of Honour' for me.

"Clear this bit, man this gun emplacement, wait for these doors to open, kill the hunters which come out, go down a few streets with snipers, do a vehicle section".

[dan_tm]

The opening Earth levels are rubbish, no idea why everyone seemed to like them so much.

Why on Earth (no pun intended) would you want cities in Halo 3?

[Stroker Ace]

Because New Mombasa and the arrival on Halo were the only two good levels in Halo 2, and because Turf was the best multiplayer map ever?

[Snowman]

I never did get very far, but remember I lost interest just after the scarab thing. Really early, I know, but as soon as we were away from the city-styled Earth levels that they seemed to promise us in the hype, the disappointment turned me off sharpish.

This is something I never quite understood. Granted, all the promotional stuff did imply that there would be a lot of action on Earth, but it seemed to me that it would only be a true Halo game if the majority of the levels took place in and around a Halo ring. In fact, when the MC finally landed on Delta Halo six levels in, I distinctly remember feeling that the game had, at that point, finally begun.

And, on a similar note, is there much talk of city-based levels in 3? Surely the battle has got to find its way back to Earth for any kind of climax....

Now for some furious backpeddling I'm fully expecting the majority of Halo 3 to be set on Earth one way or another. That's certainly the case for the early levels, with the fourth one being located in the industrial outskirts of the city of Voi. I suppose the difference this time around is that we know there are Forerunner structures on Earth so the Halo vibe can be maintained without having to leave the planet.

On an unrelated note, issue 1 of the Halo Uprising comic is now available. It's early days yet but it's certainly piqued my interest, picking up the story right where Halo 2 came to an abrupt halt.

[Straps]

Turf was the best multiplayer map ever?

I've actually now got tea on my keyboard. Are you serious?

[Stroker Ace]

I've actually now got tea on my keyboard. Are you serious?

Since we're making shit up, I've actually got my cock in your ear right now.

[Straps]

Hey, you started it!

[Chaz]

I hated Turf at first but grew to love it. Absolutely mental for slayer games.

Crazy King on it needs to die though.

[Chaz]

Double post madness.

[Pob]

Now for some furious backpeddling I'm fully expecting the majority of Halo 3 to be set on Earth one way or another. That's certainly the case for the early levels, with the fourth one being located in the industrial outskirts of the city of Voi. I suppose the difference this time around is that we know there are Forerunner structures on Earth so the Halo vibe can be maintained without having to leave the planet.

There will surely be another Halo ring in Halo 3. I'm fully expecting it to 'go off' as well. Or, er, did that already happen in Halo 2? I've only got through the campaign once.

What's wrong with cities in Halo games? I loved the close-quarters combat in Old Mombassa and the destroyed metropolis. The Earth levels in 2 are superbly designed. It's the stuff that takes place on samey-looking battlecruisers (esp Covenant ones) that I'm less keen on.

[Ferine]

There will surely be another Halo ring in Halo 3. I'm fully expecting it to 'go off' as well. Or, er, did that already happen in Halo 2? I've only got through the campaign once.

When Miranda Keyes tries to deactivate Delta Halo by removing the Index — as per the Monitor's vague instructions — it causes all the rings to enter standby. They can be activated remotely from The Ark, which is presumably the thing buried on Earth seen in the announcement trailer for Halo 3.

I can see the rings being set off, but then there will be something that stops everyone from dying; time travel, plot twist, some kind of deus ex machina.

[Ketchup]

I hated Turf at first but grew to love it. Absolutely mental for slayer games.

Crazy King on it needs to die though.

Turf was great the first night it came out, had so much fun in them games. After a while it got a bit dull, especially with the glitches in the map that allowed you to exit the level. Loved the hiding places on top of the small buildings you could get to though, made for some great defence tactics, as did the worthog.

[Chaz]

Turf was great the first night it came out, had so much fun in them games. After a while it got a bit dull, especially with the glitches in the map that allowed you to exit the level. Loved the hiding places on top of the small buildings you could get to though, made for some great defence tactics, as did the worthog.

Yeah true, I went back to H2 multiplayer the other week for funs (well, I hoped...) only to find there was a sudden fascination with a newly discovered (ie, not patched) superbounce on Turf on top of the medical tent. Bizarrely, some of my opponents spent the whole game trying to superbounce rather than kill me and my teammate (double-team) when we had the lead. Obviously we clocked on pretty soon when they continuously would make for that area straight away, only to continue jumping onto the same spot over and over. Some sly camping underneath low roofs did the trick.

This happened with almost every Turf game I played over that short period, still amazes me how much people care about their rank on Halo 2, hopefully Halo 3 won't suffer the same fate, but I fear it will.

[Stroker Ace]

Yeah true, I went back to H2 multiplayer the other week for funs (well, I hoped...) only to find there was a sudden fascination with a newly discovered (ie, not patched) superbounce on Turf on top of the medical tent. Bizarrely, some of my opponents spent the whole game trying to superbounce rather than kill me and my teammate (double-team) when we had the lead. Obviously we clocked on pretty soon when they continuously would make for that area straight away, only to continue jumping onto the same spot over and over. Some sly camping underneath low roofs did the trick.

This happened with almost every Turf game I played over that short period, still amazes me how much people care about their rank on Halo 2, hopefully Halo 3 won't suffer the same fate, but I fear it will.

In situations like those, I consider it poor form to go about killing them.

Take the lead in points and then join in the silliness.

Like when it's 4 v 4 and some guy's entire team leaves making it 4 v 1 - to keep killing him is just a cunt's trick. I always try to get a Hog race going or something.

[Chaz]

I always try to get a Hog race going or something.

To be fair in the situation I mentioned, going to them would just result in them suddenly trying their utmost hardest to kill us. They were trying to superbounce to get the edge and beat us by being cheating cunts, without a shadow of a doubt.

It always makes me laugh when you're in MM, perhaps say Team Slayer, you team of bellends quits after the other team take a 5 kill lead leaving you solo against 4, then you get some legend on the other team continuously committing suicide allowing you to win with a little dexterity. Cue the other team (usually Americans) going absolutely mental, hurling abuse at the player in question and behaving like they had just come and raped their spouses and slit their children's throats on Christmas Day.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

When Miranda Keyes tries to deactivate Delta Halo by removing the Index — as per the Monitor's vague instructions — it causes all the rings to enter standby. They can be activated remotely from The Ark, which is presumably the thing buried on Earth seen in the announcement trailer for Halo 3.

I can see the rings being set off, but then there will be something that stops everyone from dying; time travel, plot twist, some kind of deus ex machina.

Given they're all on standby and the Ark is on Earth and the important thing in all this, I can envisage about 80% of the game being on Earth with possibly a return to High Charity/Halo 05 to rescue Cortana somewhere around the middle.

Speaking of get-outs, couldn't a fleet hide in sub-space to escape the effects of the firing pulses?

Damn I need to play this, like, yesterday.

[dan_tm]

What's wrong with cities in Halo games? I loved the close-quarters combat in Old Mombassa and the destroyed metropolis. The Earth levels in 2 are superbly designed. It's the stuff that takes place on samey-looking battlecruisers (esp Covenant ones) that I'm less keen on.

Well for the vast majority of people: Halo, The Silent Cartographer and Assault on the Control Room are easily the best 3 levels on the original game. What do they all have in common? They're all set in wide open environments, filled with fields, forests, snow-covered landscapes and sandy beaches. Not cities with buildings, alleyways and roads all over the place.

[Snowman]

There will surely be another Halo ring in Halo 3.

Given they're all on standby and the Ark is on Earth and the important thing in all this, I can envisage about 80% of the game being on Earth with possibly a return to High Charity/Halo 05 to rescue Cortana somewhere around the middle.

My guess is that Gravemind will take Cortana to Earth in an effort to stop the rings being fired from the Ark, so the Chief won't have to travel as far as Delta Halo if he wants to attempt a rescue mission.

Speaking of get-outs, couldn't a fleet hide in sub-space to escape the effects of the firing pulses?

It'll be very interesting to see how much the events of Ghosts of Onyx will effect the outcome of Halo 3. Those same events form a large part of the reason why I think Halo 3 will take place predominantly on Earth, although they could of course turn out to be a massive red herring. Anyway, according to the book, it seems the Forerunners thought much along the same lines as you do

What's wrong with cities in Halo games?

Nothing really. I do quite enjoy the New Mombasa levels. It's just that they've always felt like a gimped version of the original city in the single player demo from E3 2004. Even to this day, I'm still gutted about all the changes Bungie made.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

Isn't the Gravemind and co stranded on High Charity, though? The Prophet of Truth took the 'power supply' on his trip to Earth at the end there, the city is just dead in space now.

All this Cortana talk has made me recall that the game will be lacking in one area at least - Cortana's so fun and chatty that any levels without her babbling away in your ear ('sup, Library/Arbiter levels) invariably tend to be lacklustre in comparison. If she doesn't show up until the end, well...it's like Snake without the Colonel or Otacon.

[dan_tm]

All this Cortana talk has made me recall that the game will be lacking in one area at least - Cortana's so fun and chatty that any levels without her babbling away in your ear ('sup, Library/Arbiter levels) invariably tend to be lacklustre in comparison. If she doesn't show up until the end, well...it's like Snake without the Colonel or Otacon.

I'm sure Cortana talks to you in one of the videos already posted, either that or I dreamt it...

[Snowman]

Isn't the Gravemind and co stranded on High Charity, though? The Prophet of Truth took the 'power supply' on his trip to Earth at the end there, the city is just dead in space now.

That's a very good point, which is strange, given the following:

All this Cortana talk has made me recall that the game will be lacking in one area at least - Cortana's so fun and chatty that any levels without her babbling away in your ear ('sup, Library/Arbiter levels) invariably tend to be lacklustre in comparison. If she doesn't show up until the end, well...it's like Snake without the Colonel or Otacon.

This is where the 'Marathon Man' achievement comes into play, which you unlock by activating all the terminals in campaign. AFAIK this hasn't been definately confirmed, but all the signs point to there being Marathon-like terminals dotted throughout single player which, once activated, give the player bonus story info. I had assumed that Cortana would be providing you with this info, but then as you rightly pointed out, she's most likely stranded light years away.

This is the same link that was posted a few pages back, but it's been updated since then with some more extensive single player videos. Needless to say it looks stunning

[The Chief]

Does the Halo 3 Xbox 360 have the updated chip?

I mean I really want to get it, however it's £280 and you can purchase an Elite with a game for £299. Ahhhh

EDIT* £289 with Blue Dragon and GRAW 2!

[Stroker Ace]

Does the Halo 3 Xbox 360 have the updated chip?

No. It doesn't even have HDMI. It's the original chipset, not the Elite, and DEFINITELY not the new Falcon one.

[Corleth the Fey]

Well for the vast majority of people: Halo, The Silent Cartographer and Assault on the Control Room are easily the best 3 levels on the original game. What do they all have in common? They're all set in wide open environments, filled with fields, forests, snow-covered landscapes and sandy beaches. Not cities with buildings, alleyways and roads all over the place.

Surely the best thing about The Silent Cartographer was the fact that it had it all. It was this beautiful self contained island. It felt whole. Beautiful beaches and open areas with a fascinating interior of tight corridors and small spaces. I'm not really much of a Halo fan, but The Silent Cartographer will remain one of my favourite 'levels' from any game ever - I'm sure.

[Uzi]

No. It doesn't even have HDMI. It's the original chipset, not the Elite, and DEFINITELY not the new Falcon one.

I might remember that it was announced with HDMI? I'm not concrete but otherwise they are charging 30 pounds for a nasty paintjob

edit- It is HDMI unless this has changed

http://e3.gamespot.com/story.html?sid=6174058&pid=926632

[Loony Jetman]

No. It doesn't even have HDMI. It's the original chipset, not the Elite, and DEFINITELY not the new Falcon one.

Horse's mouth says it has HDMI.

[Stroker Ace]

It's the Elite guts then, I guess. My mistake.

Still, it's thirty quid less than the one that comes with the 120Gb hard drive.

Halo 3 Xbox - I wouldn't.