RiskyChris
Banned
traveler said:
That's quite the opinion there.
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The Halo 3 Thread of Review Scores
- Thread starter Tieno
- Start date
That's quite the opinion there.
siamesedreamer
Banned
Haterz = owned
AltogetherAndrews
Banned
One thing though, watching the GT video review, how in the hell is this raking in the high scores for graphics? I'm sure some of this can be attributed to poor video quality, but certainly not all of it. Not that Halo was ever about incredible graphics, but some of those subscores don't make a ton of sense.
CurseoftheGods
Banned
CajoleJuice said:
Uh oh.
Shoho said:
:lol
Hitler Stole My Potato
Banned
giga said:
FINALLY, SOMEONE TELLING LIKE IT IS
AltogetherAndrews
Banned
Gamer 2.0? Not saying it's not legit, but i don't think I've ever heard of that site.
Imperial Hot
Banned
Gamer 2.0.....giga said:
:lol :lol :lol :lol
Oblivion said:
I'm not saying it was inferior for it or that it didn't bring new things; I'm just saying the Zelda game mechanics that Gerstmann describes as disappointingly non-changing had been around much longer and in more installments than Halo's. (And, like I said, I disagree with him- I think Halo has seen a decent amount of change from 2. The whole Equipment aspect is a pretty huge deal.) Besides, he gave it a 9.5, it's clear it's not perfect and Halo's lack of change is probably one of the reasons why it didn't get a 10. Lastly, TP was the same value as every Zelda before it; Halo 3 is bringing so many new features to the table it would be ludicrous to say that because the core gameplay hasn't changed that much, the overall package hasn't brought as much as it should to the table.
Gerstmann's blurb in his "bad" summary about kids messing up the online experience is pretty ridiculous. He's basing that off of Halo 2 with no experience from Halo 3 matchmaking or matchmaking features (like that handy mute feature). Its hard for me to take all of these reviews too seriously just because I'm sure everyone blasted through the game and never even had any matchmaking experience.
People can say whatever they want. The game will be worth it to me.
People can say whatever they want. The game will be worth it to me.
CajoleJuice
Member
About to say. Looking at most of the review scores he's given the past year that GAF has ripped him for, I actually agree. I haven't played SKATE.CurseoftheGods said:
WickedLaharl
Member
giga said:
AltogetherAndrews
Banned
Sandman42 said:
That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
AltogetherAndrews said:
I only watched the first twenty seconds and that shit looked phenomenal. I'm assuming it takes a nosedive in-game?
Mr Vociferous
Member
As stated atop, nothing really can be gleaned about the story of Halo 3 in the review below, but if you feel like learning anything more about the game's story mode itself will harm you view of the game as whole, wait until you're done to give this a look. Otherwise, peek away...
There were those who said this day would never come...
And now it's almost here, right? Were it only so easy.
We've waited six years for the conclusion of the most iconic shooter of the decade. Beating its precursors in popularity and overshadowing its progeny like a looming monolith, the term halo is hardly anymore synonymous with the angelic aureoles of radiance one might have once considered. It is now a household name for a video game which rose to stardom based on a number of very simple principles: great gameplay, addictive multiplayer and an epic tale.
Unlike Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, both having their fair share of vices and flaws, Halo 3 resolves Bungie's prior mistakes and completes the saga in a manner that has been unprecedented to this day. Having played through the campaign several times already on all honorable (and one not-so-honorable) difficulty levels, and having stormed through environments by myself and with others via the seemless wonder that is Xbox Live, it can honestly be said that this game trumps its predecessors in almost every single way.
That's a pretty damn tall order to fill considering that the first two games combined sold in the several millions and 'the Master Chief' is no longer a rank in the Navy as much as it is a super soldier born into war circa 2552. Although I've played some Multiplayer customs, indulged briefly in Matchmaking, watched several hours of footage in the Theater and seen the potential the Forge has, this review is going to focus on campaign.
Halo 3 is the biggest and baddest Halo game easily, not only meeting the mark of its gameplay-impressive Halo: Combat Evolved entry and surpassing even the story smarts of Halo 2, this third game of the series stands perfectly on its own and aggressively within the series. I can hype it as such because despite my hype the game will still impress. It's just that good.
So what's new and what's different?
The biggest thing about the game, in fact, is the 'bigness.' Halo 3 is by far the largest game of its kind with massive, beautifully sprawling environments which go entire miles in all directions and are wrapped in all sorts of majestically bloodthirsty combat. These select parts of the Halo Universe are not only brilliantly designed for gameplay, but they're incredibly attractive to look at. From the skyboxes to the lighting, from the particle effects to the textures, everything looks awesome and feels real in the Halo style. If that wasn't enough, these wonderful lands are populated with a huge assortment of enemies and varying levels of A. I.
No longer are encounters numbered in the teens or twenties, but now they're in the forties and fifties easily. One encounter during a solo attempt at Legendary on early level saw four to five Phantoms, one after another, unload a cavalcade of at least forty Brutes total which forced me to dart shamefully/valiently toward a nearby Wraith in terror/heroism.
Buried in the center of the game there are two levels, back to back, which are unparalleled in both body and vehicle numbers. They are easily the best crafted shooter levels in the history of gaming for me, and although the level names themselves are quite plain and simple, they provide the most engaging combat sequences ever. YOU WILL LIKE. Guaranteed.
For the most part the sandbox is perfect. The vehicles and weapons remain closely tied to the fiction of the game but still ingenious in their use, physics and function. From the Warthog to the Battle Rifle, from the Chopper to the Mongoose, all are fun and all are crafted with such meticulous handiwork, it's difficult not to love vehicle combat even in the most inappropriate of circumstances.
One major improvement over Halo 2 is the combat and the sequences which involve a less than popular enemy. Am I talking about the Brutes? Flood? Jackal snipers? All of the above? Who knows, but let's just put it this way: Every enemy in Halo 3 is fun to fight on any and every difficulty. I have yet to really indulge myself in the hidden Skulls already announced publicly by Bungie, although having secured 8 of 13, but on the basic loadout in Normal through Legendary, there's little left to be said of the awesome enemy A. I. and the enemies individual roles are all tempered and elevated beyond their Halo 2 variations.
And what about the story itself? The conclusion to the series? Although my brain wracked the possibilities of Halo 3 even before it was announced, nothing could have prepared me for the glory of actually experiencing the real thing. It blew not only the hype and my expectations out of the window, but apart from the second cinematic (the one between the first and second levels), the game as a whole has the best cinematicsof any I've ever seen. They aren't necessarily movie quality, but they're as close as this generation may come. Incredibly written, amazingly voice-acted, the story of Halo 3 works both as an individual game story of star-crossed lovers as it does as the epic conclusion of humanity's war against the Covenant and its newest foe the Gravemind and the Flood collective.
Before this review evolves into a complete fanboyish wet dream of all that Halo 3 is, let me talk very briefly about some of the minor shortcomings the game has in my skewed and warped mind.
Firstly, campaign's version of the Saved Films feature is quite muted. There are no clips and the game data doesn't allow you to skip ahead or rewind. This wouldn't normally be a big deal, apart from the fact that it records every death, forcing a solo player to watch and re-watch their fifty attempts at procuring the Brute Chieftain's invincibility deployable and Gravity Hammer on Legendary. It is said that game data volume was the impacting metric which caused it to be pulled or not implemented, but it's a considerable loss. In juxtaposition with any other game rather than itself, it would hardly be worth mentioning - but having the feature in my hands with Halo 3 makes me want it.
Another issue is the inconsistency of the friendly artificial intelligence. Sometimes your allies are uncanny in their talent, as in one level they hang onto dear life on a Mongoose whilst firing a Rocket Launcher, leading their targets and scoring epically, nearly automatic hits. Other times they will sit there in the driver's seat of the Warthog while you're on the back, apparently waiting for you to march the length of the level on foot. Once, for example, after I, the Master Chief, had cleared the room of all enemies (which were substantial) on Legendary, the Arbiter awoke from his death (as he does 'die' during this difficulty setting) and then responds to me by saying: Good of you to join the fight. I know, they must have hit you harder in the head than we all think, Arby.
My third and final qualm was the 'griefing' witnessed last night by me during metagames. Unfortunately, as it seems the nature of campaign scoring, some players will intentionally seek the most powerful weapons, leave other players behind, as they wave from their vehicles, without anything to traverse the open environment without anything but their two feet or even worse, steal kills. Whether or not there could ever be vices in place to prevent or discourage such behavior seems considerably unlikely, but metagame friends should be considered even more carefully than those you play cooperatively with.
Overall, this game superseded even its much vaulted expectations. It's few issues are outweighed by not only its amazing feature-count but just the sheer quality of the game itself and the campaign shines the brightest. Minimal lag over Xbox Live from across the nation during online cooperative play is not only unbelievable considering issues with most network codes on console games, but people will discover how beautiful it is to run through the game cooperatively in the seemless environment that is Halo's online capacity.
Add to that, Saved Films and user-face incorporated Skulls which change the way a campaign game is played by modifying the point system during a metagame, its hard to imagine a story-based gaming environment which has more freedom. To put it simply, Halo 3 will be played and played and replayed for years to come. Halo 3 has arrived...it's about time you got those divorce papers in order.
This review would be longer and more detailed, but I'd rather be playing the game than talking about it. Something rare from a chap as vociferous as I, but in this situation, absolutely true.
There were those who said this day would never come...
And now it's almost here, right? Were it only so easy.
We've waited six years for the conclusion of the most iconic shooter of the decade. Beating its precursors in popularity and overshadowing its progeny like a looming monolith, the term halo is hardly anymore synonymous with the angelic aureoles of radiance one might have once considered. It is now a household name for a video game which rose to stardom based on a number of very simple principles: great gameplay, addictive multiplayer and an epic tale.
Unlike Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, both having their fair share of vices and flaws, Halo 3 resolves Bungie's prior mistakes and completes the saga in a manner that has been unprecedented to this day. Having played through the campaign several times already on all honorable (and one not-so-honorable) difficulty levels, and having stormed through environments by myself and with others via the seemless wonder that is Xbox Live, it can honestly be said that this game trumps its predecessors in almost every single way.
That's a pretty damn tall order to fill considering that the first two games combined sold in the several millions and 'the Master Chief' is no longer a rank in the Navy as much as it is a super soldier born into war circa 2552. Although I've played some Multiplayer customs, indulged briefly in Matchmaking, watched several hours of footage in the Theater and seen the potential the Forge has, this review is going to focus on campaign.
Halo 3 is the biggest and baddest Halo game easily, not only meeting the mark of its gameplay-impressive Halo: Combat Evolved entry and surpassing even the story smarts of Halo 2, this third game of the series stands perfectly on its own and aggressively within the series. I can hype it as such because despite my hype the game will still impress. It's just that good.
So what's new and what's different?
The biggest thing about the game, in fact, is the 'bigness.' Halo 3 is by far the largest game of its kind with massive, beautifully sprawling environments which go entire miles in all directions and are wrapped in all sorts of majestically bloodthirsty combat. These select parts of the Halo Universe are not only brilliantly designed for gameplay, but they're incredibly attractive to look at. From the skyboxes to the lighting, from the particle effects to the textures, everything looks awesome and feels real in the Halo style. If that wasn't enough, these wonderful lands are populated with a huge assortment of enemies and varying levels of A. I.
No longer are encounters numbered in the teens or twenties, but now they're in the forties and fifties easily. One encounter during a solo attempt at Legendary on early level saw four to five Phantoms, one after another, unload a cavalcade of at least forty Brutes total which forced me to dart shamefully/valiently toward a nearby Wraith in terror/heroism.
Buried in the center of the game there are two levels, back to back, which are unparalleled in both body and vehicle numbers. They are easily the best crafted shooter levels in the history of gaming for me, and although the level names themselves are quite plain and simple, they provide the most engaging combat sequences ever. YOU WILL LIKE. Guaranteed.
For the most part the sandbox is perfect. The vehicles and weapons remain closely tied to the fiction of the game but still ingenious in their use, physics and function. From the Warthog to the Battle Rifle, from the Chopper to the Mongoose, all are fun and all are crafted with such meticulous handiwork, it's difficult not to love vehicle combat even in the most inappropriate of circumstances.
One major improvement over Halo 2 is the combat and the sequences which involve a less than popular enemy. Am I talking about the Brutes? Flood? Jackal snipers? All of the above? Who knows, but let's just put it this way: Every enemy in Halo 3 is fun to fight on any and every difficulty. I have yet to really indulge myself in the hidden Skulls already announced publicly by Bungie, although having secured 8 of 13, but on the basic loadout in Normal through Legendary, there's little left to be said of the awesome enemy A. I. and the enemies individual roles are all tempered and elevated beyond their Halo 2 variations.
And what about the story itself? The conclusion to the series? Although my brain wracked the possibilities of Halo 3 even before it was announced, nothing could have prepared me for the glory of actually experiencing the real thing. It blew not only the hype and my expectations out of the window, but apart from the second cinematic (the one between the first and second levels), the game as a whole has the best cinematicsof any I've ever seen. They aren't necessarily movie quality, but they're as close as this generation may come. Incredibly written, amazingly voice-acted, the story of Halo 3 works both as an individual game story of star-crossed lovers as it does as the epic conclusion of humanity's war against the Covenant and its newest foe the Gravemind and the Flood collective.
Before this review evolves into a complete fanboyish wet dream of all that Halo 3 is, let me talk very briefly about some of the minor shortcomings the game has in my skewed and warped mind.
Firstly, campaign's version of the Saved Films feature is quite muted. There are no clips and the game data doesn't allow you to skip ahead or rewind. This wouldn't normally be a big deal, apart from the fact that it records every death, forcing a solo player to watch and re-watch their fifty attempts at procuring the Brute Chieftain's invincibility deployable and Gravity Hammer on Legendary. It is said that game data volume was the impacting metric which caused it to be pulled or not implemented, but it's a considerable loss. In juxtaposition with any other game rather than itself, it would hardly be worth mentioning - but having the feature in my hands with Halo 3 makes me want it.
Another issue is the inconsistency of the friendly artificial intelligence. Sometimes your allies are uncanny in their talent, as in one level they hang onto dear life on a Mongoose whilst firing a Rocket Launcher, leading their targets and scoring epically, nearly automatic hits. Other times they will sit there in the driver's seat of the Warthog while you're on the back, apparently waiting for you to march the length of the level on foot. Once, for example, after I, the Master Chief, had cleared the room of all enemies (which were substantial) on Legendary, the Arbiter awoke from his death (as he does 'die' during this difficulty setting) and then responds to me by saying: Good of you to join the fight. I know, they must have hit you harder in the head than we all think, Arby.
My third and final qualm was the 'griefing' witnessed last night by me during metagames. Unfortunately, as it seems the nature of campaign scoring, some players will intentionally seek the most powerful weapons, leave other players behind, as they wave from their vehicles, without anything to traverse the open environment without anything but their two feet or even worse, steal kills. Whether or not there could ever be vices in place to prevent or discourage such behavior seems considerably unlikely, but metagame friends should be considered even more carefully than those you play cooperatively with.
Overall, this game superseded even its much vaulted expectations. It's few issues are outweighed by not only its amazing feature-count but just the sheer quality of the game itself and the campaign shines the brightest. Minimal lag over Xbox Live from across the nation during online cooperative play is not only unbelievable considering issues with most network codes on console games, but people will discover how beautiful it is to run through the game cooperatively in the seemless environment that is Halo's online capacity.
Add to that, Saved Films and user-face incorporated Skulls which change the way a campaign game is played by modifying the point system during a metagame, its hard to imagine a story-based gaming environment which has more freedom. To put it simply, Halo 3 will be played and played and replayed for years to come. Halo 3 has arrived...it's about time you got those divorce papers in order.
This review would be longer and more detailed, but I'd rather be playing the game than talking about it. Something rare from a chap as vociferous as I, but in this situation, absolutely true.
CurseoftheGods
Banned
giga said:
Sounds about right.
Even though I still haven't bought and played the game.
From Eurogamer:
"Let's cut the crap. Cut the platform advocacy, cut the ranting of Internet storm-troopers on behalf of multinational corporations who don't care if they live or die. Cut the agonised wailing and gnashing of teeth over whether something is "game of the year" or just "really good".
Let's cut the crap, and talk about Halo 3, the videogame - not Halo 3, the monumental "event". Let's talk about the next instalment in one of the most likeable and well-crafted science fiction shooter series ever created - the third part of a trilogy which, despite its occasional wrong steps, has held our attention for six years. Let's talk about that."
/applause
Go to Gamevideos and watch the Guardian walkthrough they just put up in HD. The game is absolutely beautiful. Were to have to label it with a number, I would say it at least merits a 9.
"Let's cut the crap. Cut the platform advocacy, cut the ranting of Internet storm-troopers on behalf of multinational corporations who don't care if they live or die. Cut the agonised wailing and gnashing of teeth over whether something is "game of the year" or just "really good".
Let's cut the crap, and talk about Halo 3, the videogame - not Halo 3, the monumental "event". Let's talk about the next instalment in one of the most likeable and well-crafted science fiction shooter series ever created - the third part of a trilogy which, despite its occasional wrong steps, has held our attention for six years. Let's talk about that."
/applause
AltogetherAndrews said:
Go to Gamevideos and watch the Guardian walkthrough they just put up in HD. The game is absolutely beautiful. Were to have to label it with a number, I would say it at least merits a 9.
PDZ Review: http://www.gamer20.com/gamehub/perfect-dark-zero-x360/review/634AltogetherAndrews said:
Guess the score!
CajoleJuice
Member
Pretty much.Eric WK said:
bigmakstudios
Banned
The Wizard.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
CurseoftheGods said:
YourAvatar.gif
Oblivion said:
Over all time, yes. But can you recall seeing this type of publicity and hype around SMB3 at the time of its release? Maybe I was too young at the time and am wrong, but I just can't fathom how it would have reached this level without the mass acceptance of the Internet.
WickedLaharl
Member
giga said:
halo 3 only as good as pdz confirmed!
Man, I always thought that the Halo series was overrated and it sure is a bit but this game seems like it will be a definite gaming fuckfest.
With :
Mass Effect
Bioshock
Super Mario Galaxy
Metroid Prime 3
Super Smash Bros
Halo 3
No More Heroes
Drake's Schicksal
Lost Odyssey
usw
Gaming orgasm is coming closer to anything we've ever experienced before. Too bad : Xbox western blockbusters are only FPS :'(
With :
Mass Effect
Bioshock
Super Mario Galaxy
Metroid Prime 3
Super Smash Bros
Halo 3
No More Heroes
Drake's Schicksal
Lost Odyssey
usw
Gaming orgasm is coming closer to anything we've ever experienced before. Too bad : Xbox western blockbusters are only FPS :'(
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
Dirtbag 504 said:
That's so fucking great. Pretty much my expectation.
Metalmurphy
Member
It begins.
CajoleJuice
Member
The Orange Box is 5 games in one, though.Dirtbag 504 said:
Hitler Stole My Potato
Banned
VALIS said:
Those are the ones that surprised me as well....especially Eurogamer. I mean of all the major sites out of there, that's the one that I had pegged to give H3 a low score (or at least in comparison).
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
Kenka said:
Except for Mass Effect and PGR4. And then there's just the 'Superbad's like Naruto and Eternal Sonata and Blue Dragon and, you know what, never mind.