E3: Halo 3 (360)

This game really needs no introduction, and so I won't bother. Bound to make every male from the age of 10-18 squeal inwardly and gush perhaps just a little bit, expect Halo 3 to be a colossal seller for MS and the Xbox 360.



Developed by Bungie Studios as part of the Microsoft Game Studios development network, Halo 3 is the third game in the best-selling Halo franchise and is expected to "set a new high water mark" for next-gen games.

Although showing less-than-stellar screenshots, and with the beta proving the content, maps and visuals to not be much of a leap forward from Halo 2, Bungie are expected to make good on their promises come the September 25th release date.

1UP previewed Halo 3 and here is their summary:

What we like: The Marines feel like a more cohesive unit now and much less like cannon fodder. They don't just wander into battle and get immediately mowed down, plus they're constantly shouting feedback about the battle as it ensues. "Go back to planet jackass, jackass," was a particular favorite. Similarly, the Covenant are very vocal too, and as the firefights erupt you can hear them shouting abuse, while cursing the "invincible demon" (that would be you).

The lighting is really beautiful. The jungle is convincingly dark and oppressive, and the shadows cast by the foliage are remarkably realistic. It's particularly effective when the jungle cover breaks, and the whole feel of the environment changes as it's saturated in sunlight.

To be filed under "subtle, but effective" is the new effect you see when the Chief's shield is being eroded. A flash of the iconic hexagon pattern gives you just enough visible feedback to see that bad things are happening, and it helps affirm that fact that you are really inside that helmet.

What we dislike: The new Brute units look kinda silly. Shoe says he thinks it makes them look like Galactus.

Expect big things from this game. The Halo franchise has been compared to that of Star Wars, a movie script was meant to written by Alex Garland, and Peter Jackson, while no longer rumored to be directing the film version, is now the executive producer. Production was halted due to financing problems in October 2006, and has been postponed by both Jackson and Microsoft.

This could be a blessing in disguise for the Halo franchise however, as most game-to-film conversions have been dire. Anyone remember Wing Commander? :D