Read The Halo 3 Part 1 first or else you will end up stupid.

Gameplay (Multiplayer Beta)

We can’t speak to the quality of campaign mode yet, but we can talk about the multiplayer Beta, having spent a ridiculous amount of time playing it. Technically, the Beta serves the dual function of being a Halo 3 demo (minus the locked specs*); showcasing the new weapons and features to a mass audience as opposed to a carefully selected cross-section.
*Microsoft Game Studios is quick to remind players that because this is a Beta and not a demo, graphics and calibrations are still works in progress and not meant to be judged as the final product.

Unfinished or not, we have to say we liked what we saw. New weapons such as the Brute Shot and the Spike Grenade bring a whole new level of destruction to death matches and hint at a well-rounded campaign arsenal to come. New vehicles such as the Mongoose also make tantalizing appearances and offer hours of crash-course delight. But the stars of multiplayer have to be the tripmine, the man-cannon, and the bubble shield. The tripmine offers players a good way to get revenge from beyond the grave, as well as a method for shaking Warthogs and Ghosts trying to run you down. The man-cannon is a well-developed replacement to the teleporter from Halo of yore; letting players remain in the game (and remain targets) while covering great distances on the map. A similar effect can be achieved with a drop item (the portable reverse-gravitational lift) which is also available in the multiplayer Beta and allows players to scale impossibly high walls. Last, but by no means least, the bubble shield is a godsend when entering an enclosed space with an attacker coming up on you from behind.

The various weapons in Halo 3 present the first evidence that Bungie has given subtle gameplay changes, a great deal of thought. The weapon balancing in the beta is unique and achieves a great deal, the player never feels naked as the assault rifle, your default weapon, is quite good at short to medium distances. A quick upgrade however, is advisable as weapons such as the needler, the sniper rifle, the carbine, the rocket launcher (slow loading though it is), the missile battery and the Spartan Laser offer much more power. Grenades have also improved, becoming more potent tools in the hands of skilled players, especially in close to medium range combat. Vehicles also display the same amount of concept care, the mongoose will help you easily traverse the large maps while warthogs will create memorable moments of map terror for your enemies.

Further tools, such as the portable gravity lift, the man cannon and the bubble shield grenade greatly enhance gameplay adding to the frantic mayhem that takes place in maps. At times it feels as if some tone-deaf philharmonic is reaching a crescendo under the watchful conduction of Bungie.

The subtle changes by Bungie do not stop at weapon balancing however, increased player interaction with the environment comes from improved physics. Walking on snow, in the snow bound map, will leave a clear set of tracks on the ground while a grenade falling on the ground will sink and have its potency affected. The introduction of natural rag-doll physics and the improvements in the behavior of water are also gentle changes which contribute to making a Halo 3 beta map a much more immersive experience.

We have to also mention that part of the overall effect of the game on the player is achieved through the excellent use of sound. Weapons fire will echo in the distance, should the warring factions be around rocks or hills, while the same sound will reach the player muffled in snowy terrain. Explosions and other sound effects are also affected by their environment, further adding to the immersive experience.

Despite these nifty new additions (and the re-introduction of the assault rifle), the thing to remember is that Halo 3 multiplayer is essentially Halo 2 multiplayer only bigger, louder, and ultimately better. Anything and everything can happen, says designer David Candland. And how! Just for fun, if you have the Beta, trying sniping someone launching out of a man-cannon. It’s too fun for words.

The design of level maps is also an impressive update to Halo’s multiplayer experience. Distances between spawn points, flags, weapons, and items are spaced carefully throughout the map so no one area has an unrivaled advantage. Landmarks are carefully designed and integrated into the Beta maps, making navigation more intuitive and less map-reliant. Though the pace of multiplayer hasn’t dropped, obstacles like the wall in Highground add a new degree of difficulty to multiplayer that requires strategy in addition to run-and-gun goodness. A.I. gunners also make appearances throughout the Beta, rounding out the difficulty of maps in key locations.

Bottom Line

The interesting dilemma raised by the Halo 3 beta has to do with the game’s right to call itself Halo 3, does it bring enough improvements and additions to justify its title or is it a simple case of a Halo 2.5?

Answering that is a very subjective experience as different players will appreciate different aspects of the game. Having tried the beta we can only say that the improvements introduced definitely make the multiplayer modes great fun. Bungie has a recipe for engaging multiplayer and it has now, officially, improved upon it. The vast number of memorable moments, craftily generated by the attention to MP design, is astounding and the movie feature is bound to become a must have addition for future games.

Now, are these changes adequate to warrant a 3 next to the Halo title? We cannot say; we cannot however, forget that Halo 3 still has an epic and complex tale to tell. We cannot judge the game until we experience the single-player campaign. There is a lot of promise for what SP will hold for Halo fans and it would be unfair to jump to any rush conclusions; especially when knowing that Bungie is bound to have kept a few aces up its sleeve.

If you like Halo, even a little and you also love online gaming, there is no reason not to get Halo 3; not even when considering the steep USD 59.99 price tag for the Standard edition. Serious gamers might even consider shelling out USD 69.99 for the Limited edition or – shock – even USD 129.99 for the Legendary edition with it’s little replica Spartan helmet. Microsoft has spared no expense for Halo 3’s marketing campaign, so expect all sorts of peripherals to bombard you come September—including a Halo 3 Zune loaded with exclusive content.

And if you didn’t like Halo or Halo 2, or are a complete Gears of War multiplayer snob, chances are Halo 3 will feel like a step backwards (no cover button), and you can skip Bungie’s newest masterpiece. But then again, you just might… be missing out.

Pluses
+Good graphics
+Updated multiplayer mechanics
+Man-cannons and other new weapons and items
+Involved central plot

Minuses
-Assault rifle is still sub-par
-Mute button toggle is awkward
-Takes forever to get into a game, long loading times (Beta-specific)
-Graphics seem outdated and out-classed by other FPS games

Hopefully this review will help you