Editing Halo 3

{{Status|RealWorld}}

{{Game infobox

|image= [[File:Halo3coverart.JPG|300px]]

|platform= [[Xbox 360]]<br>[[Xbox One]]<br>PC

|releasedate= September 25, 2007 {{C|United States}}<br>

September 26, 2007 {{C|United Kingdom}}<br>

September 27, 2007 {{C|Japan}}<br>

[[Wikipedia:Pan European Game Information|PEGI]]: 16+ (Europe only)<br>

{{Quote|Finish the fight.|''Halo 3'' tagline.}}

'''''Halo 3''''' is a [[first-person shooter]] video game developed by [[Bungie|Bungie Studios]] and published by [[Microsoft]]. It is a sequel to ''[[Halo 2]]'' and concludes the original ''Halo'' trilogy. ''Halo 3'' was released on [[2007 (real world)|September 25, 2007]] in Australia, Brazil, India, New Zealand, North America, and Singapore; September 26, 2007 in Europe; and September 27, 2007 in Japan all exclusively for the [[Xbox 360]].

 

Upon its release, ''Halo 3'' grossed US$300 million in its first week. More than one million people played ''Halo 3'' on Xbox Live in the first twenty hours. As of January 3, 2008, ''Halo 3'' has sold 8.1 million copies, and was the best-selling video game of 2007 in the United States. Overall, the game was very well-received by critics, with the [[Forge]] and [[multiplayer]] offerings singled out as strong features. By March 2009 more than one billion online matches had been played.

 

''Halo 3'' spans over three different settings, starting with the [[East African Protectorate]] on [[Earth]], then to the [[Forerunner]]s' [[Installation 00|Ark installation]], and finally on Halo [[Installation 08]]. The game continues the [[John-117|Master Chief]]'s efforts in stopping the Covenant from activating the [[Halo Array|Halo rings]]. The [[Covenant]] has become embroiled in a [[Great Schism|civil war]], with the [[Sangheili|Elites]] [[Fleet of Retribution|allied]] with humanity against the main body of the hegemony, now led solely by the [[Prophet of Truth]]. Meanwhile, the [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]] have taken the [[Elites]]' place as field commanders in the [[Covenant military]].

[[File:Master Chief & The Arbiter.jpg|left|260px|thumb|John-117 and Thel 'Vadam in the East African jungle featured in the level "[[Sierra 117]]".]]

The storyline begins approximately two weeks after the events of ''[[Halo 2]]'', on [[2552#November|November 17th, 2552]]. [[John-117]] enters [[Earth]]'s atmosphere and crash-lands in an [[East African Protectorate|east African]] jungle. After being retrieved by [[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Johnson]], [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]], and a handful of [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]], the group makes their way through the jungle toward a designated extraction point. Covenant forces are sighted in the area and Johnson makes a strategic decision to split the group up to reduce their chances of getting spotted. John-117 and Thel 'Vadam continue on their way to the extraction zone with the second squad, fighting off numerous [[Jiralhanae|Brute]]-led Covenant troops in the process, but upon reaching the extraction zone, Avery Johnson's [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelican]] group consisting of two Pelicans, are ambushed and shot down by [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshees]]. Johnson and his men are then captured and taken prisoner by a number of Brutes led by a [[Jiralhanae Chieftain|Brute Chieftain]]. John-117, Thel 'Vadam, and company fight their way through hordes of enemies and eventually rescue them, after which a Pelican arrives and picks them up.

[[File:UNSC Underground Facility Crow's Nest.PNG|thumb|280px|UNSC underground facility "Crow's Nest".]]

The Pelican brings them to [[Crow's Nest (location)|Crow's Nest]] which is used as a local base of operations by the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]. Here, [[Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]] and [[Fleet Admiral]] [[Terrence Hood]] plan a last-ditch effort to stop the Covenant from activating an artifact built by the long-vanished [[Forerunner]]s who the Covenant worship as gods, uncovered outside the ruins of the city of [[New Mombasa]]. This artifact is believed to be the Ark, which, if activated, will fire the [[Halo Array]], which the Covenant believe will herald a sublimation event called the [[Covenant religion|Great Journey]] and propel the faithful to godhood, but will in fact wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy. Their plan is to have John-117 and a small group of marines punch a hole in the Covenant's anti-air defenses, so that Lord Hood can initiate a low level air-strike on the artifact. Their planning is quickly interrupted when power is cut and the [[Prophet of Truth|High Prophet of Truth]] broadcasts an announcement to all surviving human forces that their doom is inevitable. Soon after that, the Covenant discover the facility and mount a heavy assault. After a brief struggle, the outpost is lost and is destroyed by a bomb activated by John-117. Deep underground, the Master Chief regroups with the surviving Marines and makes his way into the African city of [[Voi]], [[Kenya]] via the [[Tsavo highway (location)|Tsavo Highway]]. In Voi, John-117 along with a handful of Marines destroy the Covenant anti-air defenses. Lord Hood leads the last of Earth's military ships against Truth and the artifact. As Hood mounts his attack on the Prophet, Truth activates the artifact and creates an enormous [[slipspace portal]], into which all the Covenant ships retreat.

At the same time, the ''[[Indulgence of Conviction]]'', a ''Ket''-pattern battlecruiser controlled by the [[Flood]], a parasitic species which nearly wiped out the Forerunners, arrives suddenly via slipspace and crashes in Voi. The parasite quickly spreads throughout the entire city and infects many, minutes after they arrive. As the Human forces attempt to fight the infestation, many become infected by the Flood. The [[Fleet of Retribution|Sangheili]], led by Shipmaster [[Rtas 'Vadum]], arrive at Earth and assist the struggle against the infestation. The Elites inform Commander Keyes that a UNSC construct is aboard the crashed Flood ship, and identify it as [[Cortana]]. After retrieving Cortana, John-117 returned to the Elites' flagship, ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', to oversee the repairs made by [[343 Guilty Spark]]. However, it is only a recorded message from her. Cortana's message says that the [[Gravemind]] is bringing the infested ''[[High Charity]]'' to Earth with an army of Flood, and that on the other side of the portal is a solution to the Flood infestation, without having to fire the rings. Lord Hood questions Cortana's plan, assuming that it could be a Flood trap, but John-117 firmly tells Hood that he trusts her.

Lord Hood and the rest of the UNSC remain on Earth to defend it against the incoming Flood invasion while Commander Keyes and the Elites journey through the Portal. Arriving at [[Installation 00|the true Ark]], which is several thousand light years beyond the rim of the Milky Way, the Sangheili engage Truth's fleet while the UNSC launches a ground campaign. After landing on the Ark, 343 Guilty Spark helps lead the Master Chief and UNSC forces to the [[Cartographer|Ark's Cartographer]], the map room of the Ark, to locate the Control Room of the Ark. In order to access the Control Room, the UNSC and the Sangheili must deactivate three shield generators which are inside three separate towers. While John-117 and the Arbiter succeed in deactivating the first and second towers, Johnson radios Keyes, telling her that he must retreat due to the heavy enemy assault. When John-117 and the Elites arrived to the third tower, Johnson and his men are nowhere to be seen. After the final shield barrier protecting the Control Room deactivates, the Flood-infested ''High Charity'' arrives via slipspace and crashes onto the Ark, releasing [[Flood dispersal pod]]s as it falls.  

After handling the nearby infestation, John-117 leads the remaining UNSC and surviving [[Sangheili]] forces via armored vehicles in an assault on the [[Installation 00 Citadel|Citadel]] containing the Control Room, which is heavily defended by Covenant forces. Once inside the Citadel, Truth broadcasts his sermon and reveals the captured Johnson to his followers. Just as Truth is about to force Johnson to activate the rings, Keyes crashes into the Control Room using a Pelican. While she tries to fight off all the Brutes, Johnson realises that she must kill him and herself to stop the rings from being activated. From behind, Truth kills Keyes, and then using Johnson's hand on the nearby terminal, activates all of the remaining Halos in the galaxy.   

Just as John-117 and Thel 'Vadam reach the top, two [[Flood tank form]]s confront them. The [[Gravemind]], communicating through the two Flood forms, urges the two to join forces in stopping the initiation of the Halos and Truth. With the Flood's help, John-117 and Thel 'Vadam slaughtered all the Covenant forces defending Truth. Upon arrival to the Ark's Control Terminal, they find Johnson mourning over the loss of Keyes, and Truth partially infected. Thel 'Vadam, after a short confrontation with Truth over the true purpose of the [[Halo Array|Halos]], executes Truth with his energy sword, just as John-117 deactivates all the Halos. Shortly after the deactivation of the Halos, the Gravemind betrays them and prevents the duo from escaping - although Johnson manages to escape using Keyes' crashed Pelican.

The duo escapes from the Citadel via an access tunnel near the elevator they used earlier. John-117 then experiences a hallucination of Cortana and follows the figure to a control panel. He then activates the panel, finally learning Cortana's plan: the Ark is manufacturing a [[Installation 08|replacement Halo]] after the destruction of the previous one. Knowing that the threat of the Flood is undeniably apocalyptic, and that the new ring is unconnected to the rest of the Array, John-117 decides he will activate the new Halo. Needing an Index in order to fire the ring, SPARTAN-117 journeys into the crashed High Charity to retrieve Cortana, keeping his [[High Charity (level)|promise]] and knowing that she still has the Index she acquired from the original [[Installation 04]]. Once retrieved, Cortana instructs the Spartan to overload ''High Charity''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s engines in order to destroy the Gravemind. Thel 'Vadam arrives via Banshee to assist the Spartan in fighting the Flood. The two escape from ''High Charity'' before it explodes using a damaged but still flyable Pelican.

The surviving Sangheili and UNSC personnel return to Earth leaving only Sergeant Johnson, John-117 with Cortana, and the Arbiter to make their way to the new Halo. As they make their way to the new Halo's Control Room, Flood forms arrive via [[Flood dispersal pod|dispersal pods]] to prevent the activation of the Halo. From here, they quickly discover that [[Gravemind]] is attempting to reconstruct itself on the new Halo. As Sergeant Johnson tries to activate the ring, [[343 Guilty Spark]] fires his defensive laser at him after realizing that it will destroy the installation and the Ark. The Monitor then turns against the Spartan and blasts the Arbiter out of the Control Room, leaving the Spartan to destroy Guilty Spark by himself. John-117 successfully destroys the Monitor with the [[M6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle|Spartan Laser]] and tries to mend Johnson. Mortally wounded, Johnson urged the Spartan to send him out "with a bang".  

With the Halo activated, John-117 and Thel 'Vadam race towards the frigate ''[[UNSC Forward Unto Dawn|Forward Unto Dawn]]'' using Johnson's Warthog. With no time to reach the bridge, John-117 uploads Cortana into the frigate to start taking off before the Arbiter is able to take the controls. The front half of the ''Dawn'', containing the Arbiter, makes it through the portal. However, as Halo shakes itself to pieces during its firing sequence and damages the Ark, the portal deactivates as the other half of the ''Dawn'' containing Chief and Cortana enter it. This causes them to rip off from the other half of the ship and be sent to an unknown area of space far enough from the Halo's blast. However, since they didn't come out of the other side of the portal, they never make it back to Earth.

Back on Earth, Lord Hood holds a [[Voi Memorial|memorial service]] in honor of those who died in the [[Human-Covenant War]], with the Arbiter and many Marines in attendance. With Truth dead, the Covenant defeated, and the Flood wiped out, the long and devastating war is finally over. Though he says he can never forgive the Arbiter for what the Covenant did to the human race, Lord Hood sincerely thanks him for standing by the Master Chief until the end. After the service, the Sangheili return to their [[Sanghelios|home planet]].

After the credits, it is revealed that John-117 and Cortana are still alive aboard the rear section of the ''Dawn'', which had apparently torn off before going through the other side of the portal. The SPARTAN floats to a [[cryo chamber]] and as he climbs in, Cortana comments "''I'll miss you.''" He replies "''Wake me, when you need me.''" If the last level is completed on Legendary difficulty, the section of ''Forward Unto Dawn'' that Cortana and the Chief are aboard is seen drifting towards a [[Requiem|Forerunner world]].

''Halo 3'' incorporates many of the gameplay features previously made available in [[Halo 2]], refining the gameplay design and expanding the amount of resources in the sandbox to diversify the gameplay experience. For example, [[dual wielding]] has been retained as a feature in both campaign and multiplayer, HUD elements have been repositioned so that they are more prominently available to the player, and [[boarding (gameplay mechanic)|boarding vehicles]] have more varied animations and are more balanced.

 

The game enhances the core gameplay design by introducing [[Equipment|deployable equipment]] as well as giving players the ability to use [[Weapon types#Turret|turret weapons]]. Equipment is a collection of tools accessible to players to assist them in their objectives. This ranges from [[Bubble Shield|a spherical shield that protects players temporarily]], [[Power Drain|a device that drains power from electrical appliances]] to [[Gravity lift|a device that propels personnel into the air]]. Turret weapons allow players to wield heavy weapons in a third-person perspective at a slower pace.

The campaign in ''Halo 3'' consists of ten levels which tell the story of the final days of [[human]]ity and the [[Fleet of Retribution|Sangheili's]] conflict with the Prophet of Truth's Covenant forces.

#[[Crow's Nest]] - ''"Clear the base, whatever it takes."''

#[[Tsavo Highway]] - ''"Mount up. Get to [[Voi]]."''

#[[Floodgate]] - ''"Stop the [[Flood|infestation]]. Find [[Cortana]]."''

#[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]] - ''"Light [[Installation 08|the ring]]. Destroy the Flood."''

A total of 24 multiplayer maps are available in ''Halo 3''. As of [[2021 (real world)|2021]], three additional maps were added to ''Halo 3'' in ''The Master Chief Collection'' from the cancelled ''[[Halo Online]]'' - bringing the total map count for this version of ''Halo 3'' up to 27.

*[[Construct]]

*[[Guardian (map)|Guardian]]

 

*[[Assembly]]

 

*[[Citadel]]

*[[Heretic]]

The service tag is how players can be identified quickly on the battlefield, instead of the long names and complex number combinations which are not suitable for battle situations that require quick tactical orders or communication. The service tag is comprised of a letter followed by two numbers. A few examples of service tags are K90, C27, A12, S86, D17, and D21.

Certain service tags are disallowed, and entering them will yield the error message "This Service Tag is currently in use by the UNSC." Generally, tags that identify ''Halo'' characters, trademarks, or offensive words are disallowed. Such tags include: "[[John-117|I17]]", "[[Wikipedia:Nintendo 64|N64]]", "[[Wikipedia:Playstation 2|P52]]", "[[Wiktionary:Ass|A55]]", "[[Wiktionary:Poo|P00]]", "[[Wikipedia:Jew|J00]]", "[[Wikipedia:Fag (slang)|F49]]", "A23", and "[[Wikipedia:Teat|T17]]". "O00" is blocked due to its usage in [[Temporary Profile]]s. Anything ending in 00 is blocked.

{{Main|Armor customization (Halo 3)}}

An Emblem is a highly customizable image that appears on the right arm of a Spartan and the back of an Elite during multiplayer matches, they are there to give a player an identity for themselves. ''Halo 3'' introduces several new emblems for the player to use along with new backgrounds to further customize that emblem.  

==Appearances==

===Original ''Halo 3''===

''For subjects that appear in the terminals, see [[Terminal (Halo 3)#Appearances|here]].''

'''[[Human]]'''

*[[John-117]]

*[[Avery Johnson]]

*[[Miranda Keyes]]

*[[Terrence Hood]]

*[[Hocus]] {{1st}}

*[[Reynolds]] {{1st}}

*[[Marcus Stacker]]

*[[Chips Dubbo]]

 

'''[[Sangheili]]'''

*[[Thel 'Vadam]]

*[[Rtas 'Vadum]]

*[[N'tho 'Sraom]] {{1st}}

*[[Usze 'Taham]] {{1st}}

 

'''[[San'Shyuum]]'''

*[[Prophet of Truth]]

'''[[Jiralhanae]]'''

*[[Cethegus]] {{1st}}

*[[Tartarus]] {{Mo}}

'''[[Unggoy]]'''

*[[Flipyap]] {{Fm}}

'''[[Artificial intelligence]]'''

|title-2=Species and entities|

**[[UNSC Marines]]

**[[Jiralhanae War Chieftain|War Chieftain]]

**[[Jiralhanae Minor|Minor]]

**[[Kig-Yar Minor|Minor]]

**[[Mgalekgolo]]

**[[Pod infector]]

**[[Flood pure form]] {{1st}}

***[[Flood ranged form]] {{1st}}

***[[Flood tank form]] {{1st}}

 

|title-3=Organizations|

**[[UNSC]]

****[[UNSC Communications Commission]] {{Fm}}

****[[Seventh Fleet]] {{1st}}

*****[[Battle Group Victory]] {{1st}}

*****[[SPARTAN-II program]]

****[[ONI Recon 111]] {{1st}}

*[[Covenant separatists]]

**[[Fleet of Retribution]] {{1st}}

*[[Covenant]]

**[[Covenant military]]

**[[Covenant fleet]]

**[[Vheiloth]]

*[[Flood]]

 

|title-4=Locations|

*[[Epoloch system]] {{1st}}

**[[Requiem]] {{1st}}

**[[Foundry (location)|Foundry]] {{1st}}

**[[Installation 00 Citadel|Citadel]] {{1st}}

*[[Installation 08]] {{1st}}

**[[Control Room (Installation 04)|Control Room]]

*****[[Crow's Nest (location)|Crow's Nest]] {{1st}}

*****[[New Mombasa]] {{Mo}}

******[[Mombasa Tether]] {{c|Wreckage}}

*****[[Voi Municipal Water Pump House 03]] {{1st}}

***[[Sector 331]] {{Fm}}

|title-5=Events|

 

|title-6=Weapons|

====UNSC====

*[[Class-2 Guided Munition Launch System]] {{1st}}

*[[BR55HB battle rifle]]

*[[LAU-65D/SGM-151 missile pod]] {{1st}}

*[[M247T machine gun]]

*[[M41 Vulcan]]

*[[M512 smooth-bore high-velocity cannon]]

*[[M6 Spartan Laser]]

*[[M68 Gauss cannon]]

*[[M6C/SOCOM]] {{MCCo}}

*[[M6G magnum]]

*[[M7 SMG]]

*[[M7057 flamethrower]]

*[[M7S SMG]] {{MCCo}}

*[[M9 fragmentation grenade]]

*[[M90 shotgun#M90A variant|M90A shotgun]] {{1st}}

*[[MA5C assault rifle]]

*[[SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifle]]

*[[Type 14 Magnetic/Anti-Tank Mine]] {{C|Gametype-specific use only}}

*[[Anvil-II air-to-surface missile]]

*[[M370 autocannon]]

*[[Machine-linked autocannon#M9109 ASW/AC 50mm|M9109 ASW/AC 50mm]]

*[[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]

*[[Surface-to-air missile launcher]] {{1st}}

*[[Improvised UNSC bomb]] {{1st}} {{C|Story-specific use only}}

 

*[[Plasma cannon (starship)|Plasma cannon]]

*{{Pattern|Skar'wa|Mantis}} {{1st}}

 

====Forerunner====

==== UNSC ====

*[[AV-14 Hornet]]

 

*[[UNSC frigate]]

***{{UNSCShip|Aegis Fate}} {{1st}}

 

 

 

 

*[[Portable gravity lift|Portable Gravity Lift]] {{1st}}

*[[Deployable Cover]] {{1st}}

*[[Invincibility]] {{1st}}

*[[Cloaking]] {{1st}}

 

*[[Active Camouflage]]

 

*[[Jiralhanae power armor]] {{1st}}

***[[ROGUE-class Mjolnir|Rogue]] {{1st}}

 

*[[Covenant watchtower]]

*[[Methane tank]]

*[[Repulsor engine]]

|title-9=Miscellaneous|

*[[49-6-39]] {{Fm}}

*[[Equipment Control Key Code]] {{Fm}}

*[[Remote Network Control]] {{Fm}}

*[[Sangheili (language)]]

*[[Standard Issue Personel - Mobile Field Bunk]] {{1st}}

*[[UNSC site operation security initiatives]] {{Fm}}

}}

{{Main|Halo: The Master Chief Collection}}

Following the release of ''Halo 3'' onto the PC version of ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'', more story elements have appeared, a number of which are carried over from ''[[Halo Online]]''.

{{/Appearances/MCC}}

The unnamed '''''Halo 3'' Engine'''<ref name="igntrailer">[http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/706/706251p1.html '''E3 2006''': ''Halo 3 Trailer Impressions'']</ref> is the game engine developed for and implemented in ''Halo 3'' and ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''. Its unique features include advanced graphics technologies such as [[wikipedia:High Dynamic Range|high dynamic range]], global lighting, and [[wikipedia:Depth of field|depth of field]] effects within cutscenes.<ref>[http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3158071 '''1 Up''': ''Bungie Says Halo 3 Graphics are Coming Together'']</ref>

''Halo 3'' utilises Waves audio plugin which allows audio to be processed in real time as the game engine generates the audio calls.<ref name="waves">[https://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?cid=12878 '''Bungie.net''': ''Waves Audio Plug-ins in Halo 3'']</ref>

{{Main|1=Rank (Halo 3)|l1=Rank}}

Forge is an "object editor" that can be used to edit multiplayer maps. It does not allow as much freedom to edit/make maps as a PC map editor, such as the ''[[Halo Custom Edition|Halo: Custom Edition]]'' and ''[[Halo 2 (Windows Vista)|''Halo 2'' for Windows Vista]]'' editing kits. Players can, however, edit objects, spawn points, weapons, teleporters and properties of objects on the map, etc. While in a forge map, players may start editing maps by press up on the D pad; when a player goes into edit mode they take on the appearance of a Forerunner Monitor similar to 343 Guilty Spark. The player now obtains the ability to spawn weapons, vehicles and objects in-game, as well as move and adjust them. New DLC maps like Sandbox and Foundry will allow a player to make their own map using the amount of objects included in the map. While the forge may not allow as much freedom as other map editors, it makes it easier for a player to make a map with "simple" objects.

Saved Films allow a player to view any game, campaign or multiplayer, from any angle. It uses game data to re-create the games, which makes file sizes very small (5 MB for a 15-minute multiplayer match). In the film, players can either watch themselves play through an entire mission or match, or use a bird's eye view to see the bigger scope of how the match or mission plays. Players can go anywhere they want, within the limitations of invisible barriers, so that players cannot fly as high as possible or go very far from their character. In multiplayer matches, players can fast forward or rewind the film so that players can relive the parts you missed. Campaign films cannot be rewound for technical reasons. Only the previous 25 games will be saved under the recent films category on the Xbox 360 console. Older films will be deleted.

The ''Halo 3: Original Soundtrack'' was composed by [[Martin O'Donnell]] with the help of [[Michael Salvatori]] and was released on November 20, 2007. It is a two-disc set featuring all the music heard in-game, in order of appearance.

Believe was the marketing slogan and campaign for ''Halo 3'' developed by both Bungie Studios and Microsoft. The word "Believe" appears to be honoring the legacy of SPARTAN-117, citing him as a hero of humanity whose brave actions inspired other servicemen of the United Nations Space Command during the final days of the Human-Covenant War. It has been noted that the Believe trailers took place about 50 years after ''Halo 3''{{'}}s storyline.

''Halo 3'' was officially announced via a cinematic trailer rendered in real-time, on May 9, 2006 during the Microsoft press conference. The reveal utilized real-game assets, fiction and locations. The trailer shows John-117 walking through wreckage of the [[New Mombasa]] space elevator with Cortana appearing at several intervals. He then stops at the edge of a cliff where the Covenant forces are hovering over a [[Forerunner]] [[Portal at Voi|structure]].  The trailer ends with the structure opening and firing a beam of light.

The Starry Night trailer was released on December 4, 2006 during Monday Night Football on ESPN. It shows two children staring at the stars talking about whether there is life out there in the universe, before switching to a dazed [[John-117|Master Chief]] recovering from some form of blast. Once back on his feet, he picks up his helmet and then uses a [[Bubble Shield]] to defend himself from an incoming [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Wraith]]'s plasma mortar. He then quickly charges forward, eventually jumping over a cliff into a swarm of [[Covenant Empire|Covenant Loyalists]]. It is speculated, yet left to interpretation, that the two children are [[John-117]] and [[Kelly-087]] when they were young.

The Et Tu Brute ViDoc was released before the end of 2006 and was a behind-the-scenes look at the development of ''Halo 3'', specifically focusing on the Brutes in ''Halo 3''. This 7:03 min clip interviews various Bungie employees about the Brutes, their development and flaws in ''Halo 2'', and how they were expanded upon in ''Halo 3''.

{{Halo 3 editions}}

The launch of ''Halo 3'' also coincided with the release of various games, action figures, collectibles and marketing promotions. This included a Halo 3 Spartan Edition Controller and [[Halo 3 Covenant Edition Controller]] that features ''Halo 3'' themed artwork from renowned artist Todd McFarlane. The controllers included a Master Chief figurine. While previous ''Halo'' action figure series were produced by [[Joyride Studios]] the studios closure in 2007 allowed Todd McFarlane's [[McFarlane Toys]] to release ''Halo 3'' Action Figures. On September 18, 2007 Wizkids released the [[Halo ActionClix]] collection. The tabletop game features miniature characters and vehicles from the ''Halo'' universe. Microsoft also collaborated with Pepsi-Cola to release the first promotional soft drink for a video game. [[Mountain Dew Game Fuel]] was a soda which was released on August 13, 2007 and was available for 12 weeks to promote the launch of ''Halo 3''. 7-Eleven sold a Slurpee version of the drink along with several collectible cups. On September 16, 2007 Microsoft released a ''Halo 3'' edition of the Xbox 360. The console includes various ''Halo 3'' themed items including a ''Halo 3'' headset, and special exclusive gamer pics and themes only available to those who purchase the console.  As part of the ''Halo 3'' marketing assault Microsoft also released a Halo Trilogy-themed [[Halo 3 Zune|Zune media player]]. It features Halo content in many media formats including exclusive artwork from the trilogy and a special [[Red vs Blue]] PSA. Master Replicas also released ornament [[Halo 3 Scale Replica Weapons|Halo 3 scale replica weapons]]. [[Wikipedia:Burger King|Burger King]] also announced a ''Halo 3'' Promotion from a Microsoft press release on August 9, 2007, the promotion which started September 24  including limited edition FRYPODS and 42 oz drink cups featuring Halo designs and characters on food wrappings. Pontiac produced a special [[wikipedia:Pontiac G6|Pontiac G6]] GXP Street Edition, outfitted with a ''Halo 3'' styled paint job. It was part of a sweepstakes hosted by [[wikipedia:Best Buy|Best Buy]], called the ''Best Buy Play & Win Sweepstakes''.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12761 '''Bungie.net''': ''Best Buy’s Golden Gift to Halo Players'']</ref>

 

{{Halo 3 reviews}}

''Halo 3'' was called the most sought-after video game of 2007,<ref>[http://www.vita.mn/story.php?id=12329421 '''Vita.mn''': Video games: ''Halo effect'']</ref><ref>[http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/14463/Master-Chief-Immortalized-in-Wax-at-Madame-Tussauds/ '''Team Xbox by IGN''': ''Master Chief Immortalized in Wax at Madame Tussauds'']</ref> and one of the most hyped video games of all time.<ref name="pittsburgh">[http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_529167.html '''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review''': ''Halo 3 gamers brave midnight openings'']</ref><ref>[http://www.totallygn.com/2009/06/12/halo-3/ '''Totally IGN''': ''Halo 3'']</ref><ref>[http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/halo_s_new_heights_keep_gamers_up_at_night_06-18-2008_09_52_07.html '''Beaumont Enterprise''': ''Halo's new heights keep gamers up at night'']</ref>

Prior to its launch, ''Halo 3'' was expected to be one of the biggest entertainment events of the year,<ref>[http://www.daytondailynews.com/e/content/oh/story/entertainment/2007/09/24/ddn092507lifehalo.html '''Dayton Daily News''': '''Halo 3' drops the hammer'']</ref> and among the biggest entertainment releases of all time.<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/may07/05-15Halo3LaunchPR.mspx '''Microsoft News Center''': ''“Halo 3” to Make Entertainment History on Sept. 25'']</ref><ref>[http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=130125&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1055079&highlight= '''GameStop''': ''Hollywood and GameStop Roll out the Red Carpet for Halo 3 Launch'']</ref><ref>[http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2887&iArticleId=4061398 '''IOL Techonology''': ''Halo 3 vying with movie blockbusters'']</ref><ref>[http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/16187/Halo-3/ '''Daily Star''': ''Simply The Best 7 Days A Week: Game On: Halo 3'']</ref> Additionally, ''Halo 3'' was expected to stir the sales of the Xbox 360 console<ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-9783413-17.html '''CNET News''': ''Why 'Halo 3' will decide the Xbox 360's fate'']</ref><ref>[http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2887&iArticleId=5020969 '''IOL Technology''': ''Microsoft's 'Halo 3' launches amid spectacle'']</ref> - being a "killer application".<ref>[http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2007/09/25/1_HALO25_--_home_entertainme.AR0_ART_09-25-07_D3_C580JGG.html '''The Columbus Dispatch''': ''All hail Halo 3'']</ref><ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070925-9999-1n25halo.html '''SignOnSanDiego''': ''Microsoft pins Xbox 360 hopes on 'Halo 3' sales'']</ref> The craziness of the ''Halo 3'' launch was compared to the madness of the iPhone, Harry Potter books and Star Wars movies releases.{{Ref/Reuse|pittsburgh}}

*At precisely 6:36pm PST on the 28th of February 2009, in a three-minute and nineteen second game of Infection on Foundry, four players participated in ''Halo 3'''s one billionth match.<ref name="billionth">[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=CGHV33KGD2R9D3W9V4QY7MF9Q '''Bungie.net''': ''One BILLION Served'']</ref> In comparison, ''[[Halo 2]]'' has to date only had 800 million games played.

*The original ''Halo 3'' before the Auto-Update 2 patch contained 49 [[Achievement]]s, which is a seven reference [[Seven|7]]x7=49, and these together are worth 1000 [[Gamerscore]].

*''Halo 3'' multi-player was shown at the Penny Arcade Expo as the final round of the Omegathon and showed the level [[Guardian (map)|Guardian]] before its release date.

*''Halo 3'' was released on the 25th of September, this is most likely a [[seven]] reference (2+5=7).

*As of 1 March 2009, the total amount of online [[Matchmaking]] time accounted to 2,023,153,340,764 seconds, equal to 64,109 years of playtime.{{Ref/Reuse|billionth}}

==Gallery==

===Logos===

File:Halo 3 Logo Large.png|The abbreviated version of the ''Halo 3'' logo.

===Cover art===

 

File:Halo 3 promo 1.jpg|Concept art of John-117 leading a group of ODSTs.

File:Halo 3 promo 2.jpg|Concept art of John-117 standing behind Cortana.

File:Halo 3 promo 3.jpg|Concept art of John-117 with Pelican flying overhead.

File:Halo 3 promo 4.jpg|Concept art of UNSC personnel in a town.

File:Halo3 manual 1.jpg|Proposed cover art for the ''Halo 3'' manual featuring John-117 in a group of Marines.

File:Halo3 manual 2.jpg|Proposed cover art for the ''Halo 3'' manual featuring John-117 standing in front of a Pelican.

File:Halo3 manual 3.jpg|Proposed cover art for the ''Halo 3'' manual featuring John-117 and Cortana.

File:Halo3 manual 4.jpg|Proposed cover art for the ''Halo 3'' manual featuring John-117 and the Arbiter fighting together.

{{Ref/Sources|2}}

==See also==

*[http://halo.bungie.net/projects/halo3/default.aspx ''Official project page on '''Bungie.net''']

[[Category:Canon]]

[[Category:Bungie games]]