More of the same great gameplay and graphics we've come to expect from the series. Almost too much the same.
Meeting expectations pretty much sums up Halo's final installment. The game plays and looks A LOT like Halo 2, which depending how you look at it is a great thing, or a sight letdown for next-gen enthusiasts. Its easy to see why some have dubbed this as Halo 2.5. I would almost agree with that assessment except that the depth and additions in features propel the game play into just enough new territory to be valued as a worthy sequel. Bungie definitely delivers on their promise of an exciting 1st person shooter. It wont take long for players of the first 2 games to pick up the controls and dominate as if they were still playing the last Halo.
Gameplay: 9.0. With a few new weapons and features, playing as Master Chief in Halo 3 continues to uphold the tight and accurate control that the series is famous for. Bubble Shields, trip mines, gravity hammers and a slew of new vehicles are nice new weapons of war. All of the original weapons are back and operating pretty much exactly how they did in the last outing. One of the coolest new features is the "Forge" in which you can now design and change the multi-player maps while the game is being played. Playing God is always fun and its a nice way for Bungie to make Halo 3 limitlessly customizable so that we never get bored and will always have new challenges to face.
Graphics: 8.5. Smooth. Crisp. Fairly detailed. The graphics in Halo 3 are a slight improvement over the last-gen game. This gives the concluding chapter a strong sense of continuity and familiarity, but not the power and amazement it probably deserves. Its hard not to compare this shooter to others (like Gears of War) that really upped the bar and showed us something new. Its obvious that Halo and Gears are 2 completely different franchises with an art style all their own. Where Gears is a more confined, claustrophobic and gritty world; Halo is a free floating, open and less realistic interpretation. Levels have been given a markable boost of detail, but overall we're left with an absence of jaw-dropping wonder that made the first 2 Halo's set new visual standards.
Sound: 8.5. Halo 3 sounds exactly like Halo 2. Everything from the gunfire to the chatter of marines to the soundtrack is almost a carbon copy of what we're heard before. This is another element that makes the game feel too familiar feel to be the overwhelmingly exciting experience we've long been hoping for. It sounds great, but its literally an echo of the past.
Overall: No doubt that this game will be a mainstay for XboxLive for years to come. One can only imagine the number of hours that players all over the world will log in the multi-player maps of Halo 3. With great game play and slightly amplified graphics, this game lives up to its billing as a top shooter on the Xbox 360. Halo 3 certainly does not exceed expectations, but then again it would be almost impossible to do so. With a campaign that looks and feels like Halo 2 in HD, most players will be left feeling a little slighted. Where the game is sure to shine is in the incredibly diverse and dynamic multi-player customization. The best game for the Xbox 360? No. But an excellent game none-the-less.
Final rating: 8.6/10