Halo 3 Beta: First Impressions

Now that all the problems downloading the Halo 3 Beta build have been cleared up, I was able to download (through Crackdown) the beta build of Halo 3, as I'm sure countless other gamers have done so. So what are my first impressions of perhaps the biggest game that will ever release on the XBox 360? First and foremost, the biggest aspect of the Halo 3 beta is that not a lot has changed. The gameplay is pretty similar to Halo 2, with the biggest changes being a tweaked physics engine (jumping isn't so "floaty" anymore), the addition of gadgets (such as the bubble shield and land mines), and the much-welcomed return of my favorite weapon in the Halo universe: the assault rifle.
While something may seem insignificant, such as less "floaty" jumps, subtle changes to the gameplay do make a difference. A better physics engine keeps the gunfights more grounded, eliminating the "bunny hop" scenario that all Halo 2 players are familiar with. The addition of gadgets also makes for more interesting matches, especially since some (like land mines and personal jump jets) may change the dynamics of a map from time to time. Players can now create choke points and funnel opponents into specific areas with strategically placed gadgets. Lastly, the assault rifle is a Godsend. In Halo 2, most of the time when you respanwed you had to grab a battle rifle or the rockets to stand a chance. Now that the assault rifle is back, grabbing a more pwerful weapon doesn't have to be priority one. If you spawn and get into a gunfight with someone with a battle rifle, you have a chance of winning the gunfight, which was next to impossible in Halo 2, and that helps keep the playing field a little more level this time around.
As far as the maps go, we are able to play three new maps: High Ground, Valhalla, and Snowbound. High Ground is a very close-quarters, team based survival map, Valhalla is a wide open, sniper-friendly map, and Snowbound is a little bit of both. Personally, my favorite map is High Ground, because I love close-quarters. I don't like having to run for 20 seconds before seeing someone, or getting spawn-sniped from God knows where. Overall, the maps are pretty balanced, and reek of Halo 2, which isn't a bad thing. Graphically, they can be improved, and probably will when the retail version releases on September 25th.
I'll be back to post more in the next few days, but until then I have a date with some red and blue spartans tonight.

Turret Action on High Ground

A Look at the Mongoose on Valhalla

Carnage on the map Snowbound

--all pics courtesy of Bungie.net--

We Like to Party

Yes, Halo 3 fervor is now in full effect! We are t-minus 3 days until the infamous Halo 3 beta goes live, when gamers can finally get their frag on yet again in spartan vs. spartan action. Chances are that you've already seen a plethora of videos, game screens, and articles on what will make Halo 3 tick. But as we get closer to the inevitable hours upon hours of time that we will spend in the Halo 3 universe, I'm reminded of the amazing party system that Bungie developed for Halo 2. It will most certainly be back in Halo 3, but why can't this great and innovative way of playing PvP online cross developers and become an industry norm?
For anyone who hasn't played Halo 2, the party system would allow a group of friends to remain together while moving in and out of different games. Once a game ended, the party would be put back into their own private lobby, and the party leader could then search for a different game. Parties would be matched up against each other, so gamers could play ranked games with their friends, and Bungie didn't have to worry about cheaters who "boost" to get their ranks up. It was such a successful system, I can only scratch my head and wonder why haven't other developers implemented this system into their online modes? A game like Gears of War would have been perfect for such a system, and would have eliminated the need for that ridiculous patch that eliminated playing ranked games with your friends.
Throughout this generation, Microsoft has made it pretty clear that they will do anything it takes to keep the sanctity of ranked games from being tarnished by "boosters" and cheaters. Unfortunately, this has been a move very disliked by hardcore online gamers, who crave nothing more than to play with their clan mates in games that mean something. The Halo 2 party system was a perfect answer to this problem, in that it answered the needs of both sides. It ensured that rank boosting cannot occur, while letting gamers play with their friends or clans. Hopefully, with the release of Halo 3 in the not-so-distant future, developers will get wise and use the party system to give their game's online life some longevity. Word on the street is that Shadowrun, which is scheduled for release on May 29th, will be using a similar party system. We can only hope...