Editing Halo 3

{{era|H3}}

{{Ratings}}

{{real world}}

{{Game Info Box                     

|name=''Halo 3''

|image=HALO 3 BOXART.jpg

|Developer=[[Bungie Studios|Bungie LLC.]]

|Publisher= [[wikipedia:Microsoft Game Studios|Microsoft Game Studios]]

|US Date Released= September 25, 2007

|MX Date Released= September 25, 2007

|UK Date Released= September 26, 2007              

|Genre= [[First-person shooter]]            

|Game modes=[[Campaign Mode]], [[Multiplayer]], [[Forge]], [[Theater]], [[Co-Op]] ,

|ESRB= Mature (M) for Blood and Gore, Mild Language, and Violence

|Platform=[[Xbox 360]]                  

|Media=DL-DVD

|Current Version=1.2

|Website=[http://www.halo3.com halo3.com]

'''''Halo 3''''' is a first-person shooter video game, based on the science fictional events and settings in the [[Halo Universe]]. It was developed by [[Bungie Studios]] and published by [[Microsoft]]. Halo 3 was released on September 25th, 2007 exclusively for the [[Xbox 360]].          

''Halo 3'' is the sequel to ''[[Halo 2]]'' and concludes the current story arc that the previous two games told. It involves [[SPARTAN-II|SPARTAN]] [[John-117]] returning to [[Earth]] in order to stop the [[Prophet of Truth]] from activating [[The Ark]], thus activating the Halos, which would result in the extermination of all life in the galaxy. Shortly into the game, he also has to contend with the arrival of the [[Flood]] on Earth, as well as retrieve [[Cortana]] from the wrath of the evil [[Gravemind]].

Even though the game does not progress directly on from the end of [[Halo 2]], Halo 2's cliff-hanger, ''[[Halo: Uprising]]'', a mini comic book series released by Marvel, filled in the missing segments between Halo 2 and Halo 3 on Earth.

Halo 3 was released on the long-awaited September 25th in North America and Australia, the 26th in Europe, and the 27th in Japan. It has been rated ''M'' for Mature (blood, gore, violence, and mild language) by the [[wikipedia:Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]], but M 17+ means that Halo 3 is '''recommended''' for 17 years or older, not restricted (this is only a rating for parental guidance) by the [[wikipedia:OFLC (Australia)|OFLC]], but in many stores, like GameStop, ID was required because anyone under the age of seventeen is unable to buy a copy of Halo 3. Europe's PEGI rating system gave the game a ''16+'' rating, which serves as a guideline rather than as a rule. However the UK Release is rated 15 by the BBFC which means it is slightly easier to purchase.

Exactly like its predecessors, Halo 3 was a prosperous, record-breaking game. Accompanied by its record-breaking 1.7 million preorders in the U.S, it was set for release on the sought-after 25th of September, and few expected it not to break any records. 24 hours after release, Halo 3 had generated a record-breaking $170 million in the U.S., transcending the number that Microsoft was expecting, $155 million, which later was beaten by Grand Theft Auto IV's worldwide $310 million. Microsoft never released a 24-hour sales number, but it is estimated to have sold in the region of 2.4 - 2.5 million copies within 24 hours of availability in the U.S. - approximately 1.8 million units after 8 hours - with that number increasing to 3.3 million units, 12 days after release. Within 24 hours, over 1.1 million gamers had played Halo 3 on Xbox Live. One week after release, over 2.7 million players - nearly one-third of the total Xbox LIVE members at that time - had played it on Xbox Live. As of November 17, 2008, Halo 3 had reportedly sold 8.8 million copies worldwide. <ref>[http://www.vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=6964&region=All VGChartz News]</ref>

[[Campaign]] consists of 10 levels, of which nine are playable, and tell the story of ''Halo 3''.

 

===Plot===

[[Image:Master Chief & The Arbiter.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The [[Master Chief]] and the [[Thel 'Vadamee|Arbiter]] in the East African jungle featured in the level Sierra 117.]]  

 

The storyline begins several weeks after the events of the  ''[[Halo 2]]'' era. John-117 - the [[Master Chief]], after hitching a ride on the Prophet of Truth's [http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Dreadnaught Dreadnought] (an ancient Forerunner ship), enters [[Earth]]'s atmosphere and crash lands in an east African jungle. [[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Johnson]], the [[Thel 'Vadamee|Arbiter]], and a handful of [[Marines]] retrieve him, but was presumed dead until the Master Chief assures them he's alive, responding to [[Avery Johnson|Johnson]]'s statement, "We're not leaving him here," with, "Yeah, you're not." After coming to consciousness the Master Chief is questioned by Johnson about Cortana's location. The Chiefs reply is simply, "She stayed behind." After being questioned the Master Chief sees one of his old enemies, the Arbiter. He sprints toward the [[Covenant]] Separatist (unknown to John-117 at the time), pistol in hand. However, Johnson holds the Chief back, explaining to him that the Arbiter is their ally in the war now, as they share a common enemy [The Prophets and their followers/Flood]. The group then 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. Master Chief and the Arbiter continue on their way to the extraction zone with the second squad, fighting off numerous Covenant troops in the process, but upon reaching the extraction zone, Avery Johnson's [[Pelican]] group consisting of two Pelicans, are ambushed and shot down by two [[Banshees]]. Johnson and his men are then captured and taken prisoner by a number of Brutes led by a Gravity Hammer-wielding Chieftain. The Master Chief, Arbiter, and company fight their way through hordes of enemies and eventually rescue them, after which a Pelican arrives and picks them up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johnson radios Chief, telling him to find another way out, so he and the Arbiter shoot their way back to the entrance elevator, but it is deactivated. Behind the elevator is a hole, leading to a lower level of the citadel. Cortana briefly shows herself to the Chief, and leads him to a control panel which reveals her plan - The Ark releases a 'replacement' Halo in the event of one being destroyed. The Chief decides he's going to light the single replacement ring in order to destroy the Flood for good. However, Guilty Spark tells them it will take quite some time to fabricate an [[Index]] needed to fire the Halo, but Master Chief remembers that Cortana still has the Index that she acquired on Installation 04. He infiltrates the crashed High Charity, which is completely overrun by Flood. Cortana becomes rampant before the Chief can reach her, but she is able to contain the functional part of herself in a stasis-field, where she waits. Master Chief breaks the stasis-field and retrieves a perfectly functioning Cortana. She tells him to overload High Charity's engines in order to destroy the Gravemind. The Arbiter arrives via a Banshee and helps the Chief fight the Flood. They find a Pelican, which had presumably crashed when the Flood used ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]]'' to infect High Charity during the ''Halo 2'' era. Damaged but still flyable, the Master Chief uploads Cortana into the Pelican and both him and the Arbiter flee High Charity before it explodes.

Cortana makes contact with Johnson, who safely made it back the Shadow of Intent along with the other human and Elite survivors. He tells her that he will land the frigate [[Forward Unto Dawn]] near Halo's Control Room, and will be ready to pick them up and head back to Earth after they activate the Installation. When they arrive on the newly built Halo, they quickly discover that Gravemind is attempting to reconstruct itself on the new ring. The Chief, Arbiter, and Johnson quickly make their way to the Control Room, where they attempt to fire the Halo. However, Guilty Spark realizes that this will destroy his new ring because it is not fully ready yet, as well as the Ark. Guilty Spark becomes rampant, and fires his defensive laser at Johnson as he tries to activate the ring. Guilty Spark soon turns on the Master Chief and locks the Arbiter out of the room, leaving the Spartan to destroy Guilty Spark himself. Johnson is mortally wounded in the attack. He tells the Chief to send him out "with a bang" and dies. Cortana activates Halo, and Chief takes Johnson's [[Warthog]] with the Arbiter and race towards the Frigate. With no time to reach the cockpit, the Master Chief 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 before the other half of the ''Dawn'' containing Chief and Cortana made it through.

Back on Earth, Lord Hood holds a memorial service in honor for those who died in the [[Human-Covenant War]], with the Arbiter and many Marines in attendance. With Truth dead, the Covenant destroyed, 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. Everyone thinks the Chief is dead. After the service, Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum, tells the Arbiter that he wants to make sure the Elite [[Sangheilios|home world]] is safe. The Arbiter tells him that with the eradication of the Covenant, they have made it so. He tells the piloting Elites to take them home. Just after this you see the camera zoom in to the memorial where the number 117 is scratched onto the front. Then credits roll.

After the credits, it is revealed that the Master Chief and Cortana are still alive on-board the rear section of the ''[[Forward Unto Dawn|Dawn]]'', which had apparently torn off before going through the portal; the pair are drifting through space. Cortana tells the Chief she will drop a distress beacon, but that it could be years before they are found. The Chief floats to a cryotube, and as he is climbing in Cortana comments "I'll miss you." He replies "Wake me, when you need me."

If the last level is completed on Legendary difficulty(however there is a bug that allows you to see it on other difficulties), the section of [[Forward Unto Dawn]] that Cortana and the Chief are aboard is seen drifting towards an [[Legendary Planet|unknown Forerunner planet]].

Rumors have it that the unknown planet, is Onyx, a shield planet the Forerunners would go to if they ever had to activate the rings (see [[Onyx]] for more information).

[[Image:Brutecaptain.jpg|200px|thumb|right|A render of a [[Brute|Jiralhanae]], or Brute, Captain.]]

'''[[UNSC]]'''

* [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]]

* [[Artificial Intelligence|AI Construct]] [[Cortana (AI)|Cortana]]

* [[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery J. Johnson]]

* [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]]

'''[[Covenant Separatist]]s'''

*[[Arbiter (Rank)|The Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]

*[[Shipmaster]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]

 

 

'''[[Covenant Loyalist]]s'''

*[[High Prophet of Truth]]

 

'''[[Flood]]'''

'''[[Forerunner]]'''

*[[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]]

'''[[UNSC]]'''  

'''[[Forerunners]]'''

*[[UNSC Marine Corps]]

**[[UNSC Navy|Crewman]]

*[[Office of Naval Intelligence]]

**[[ONI Recon 111|Reconnaissance Personnel]]  

*[[Voi Factory Workers]]

'''Covenant Separatists'''

*[[Sangheili]]

'''Covenant Loyalists'''

*[[San 'Shyuum]]

*[[Jiralhanae]]

*[[Mgalekgolo]]

*[[Unggoy]]

*[[Yanme'e]]

**[[Infection Form]]s

**[[Combat Form]]s

*[[Sentinel]]s

*[[Constructor]]s

*[[Monitor]]s

====[[Covenant]]====

=====Standard=====

*[[Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol]] (Plasma Pistol)

*[[Type-26 ASG|Type-26 Anti-Personal Stationary Gun]] (Shade)

*[[Type-51 Carbine]] (Covenant Carbine)

 

*[[Type-3 Antipersonnel/Antimatériel Incendiary Grenade]] (Incendiary Grenade)

*[[Type-25 Carbine]] (Spiker)

*[[Type-25 Grenade Launcher]] (Brute Shot)

*[[Type-52 Pistol]] (Mauler)

 

 

[[Image:Flamethrower.jpg|thumb|Players were thrilled to hear that the [[Flamethrower]] would make its return in Halo 3.]]

 

*[[AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun]] (Machine Gun Turret)

*[[LAU-65D/SGM-151]] (Missile Pod)

 

<div class="thumb tright"  style="width:200px;">

*[[Active Camouflage]] - Multiplayer only (similar to [[Cloaking]])

*[[Overshield]] - Multiplayer only (similar to [[Invincibility]])

*[[Custom Power Up]] - Multiplayer only

 

[[Image:Starry Night by the Ark.PNG|thumb|right|A Covenant [[Carrier]] Battle Group.]] [[Image:Banshee 2.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A [[Banshee]].]] [[Image:Forward into dawn.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Forward Unto Dawn]] over the Ark]]

*[[Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle]] (Ghost)

*[[Type-25 Wraith]] (Wraith)

*[[Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Artillery]] (Anti Air Wraith - Usable via [[How_to_Pilot_an_AA_Wraith|glitch]])

 

=====[[Brute Sandbox|Jiralhanae]] (Brute)=====

*[[Type-25 Rapid Assault Vehicle]] (Brute Chopper)

*[[Type-52 Infantry Support Vehicle]] (Brute Prowler)

 

*[[Assault Carrier]]

*[[CCS-class Battlecruiser]]

*[[Covenant Seraph-Class Starfighter|Seraph Fighter-Interceptor]]

*[[Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform]] (Scarab)

 

====[[UNSC]]====

*[[Behemoth-class Troop Transport]] (Elephant)

*[[AV-14 Hornet]] (Hornet)

*[[Warthog#M12 Warthog LRV|M12 Warthog LRV]] (Chaingun Warthog)

*[[M12G1 Warthog LAAV]] (Gauss Warthog)

*[[M274 Mongoose ULATV]] (Mongoose)

*[[M808B Scorpion MBT]] (Scorpion)

*[[M831 TT Warthog|M831 Troop Transport]] (Troop Transport Warthog)

=====Non-usable=====

*[[D77H-TCI Pelican|D77H-TCI Pelican Dropship]]

*[[Albatross|Albatross Heavy Dropship]]

*[[C709 Longsword-class Starfighter|C709 Longsword Fighter-Interceptor]]

====Standard Maps====

[[Image:Val ext3.jpg|right|thumb|The map Valhalla.]]

On release, ''Halo 3'' was shipped out with 11 [[multiplayer]] maps that could be played over [[Xbox Live]]. ''Halo 3'' has the smallest number of multiplayer maps released on launch, as [[Halo: Combat Evolved]] had 13, and ''[[Halo 2]]'' had 12. To combat this lack of maps, many players customized the maps using the new feature, [[Forge]].

The Maps Epilogue, Sand Tarp, Boundless and Pit Stop are official re-edited maps by Bungie, which include small changes like the removal of shield doors, weapon spawns and vehicle spawns.

*[[High Ground (Level)|High Ground]]

*[[Narrows (Level)|Narrows]]   

*[[Sandtrap (Level)|Sandtrap]]/[[Sand Tarp (Level)|Sand Tarp]]

*[[Snowbound (Level)|Snowbound]]/[[Boundless (Level)|Boundless]]

*[[The Pit (Level)|The Pit]]/[[Pit Stop (Level)|Pit Stop]]

*[[Valhalla (Level)|Valhalla]]

====[[Heroic Map Pack]]====

[[Image:Heroicmaps.jpg|right|thumb|Foundry, Rat's Nest, and Standoff: the three Heroic Maps]]

The [[Heroic Map Pack]] is downloadable through Xbox Live Marketplace. Previously an 800 point purchase, it is now available as a free download. The maps included in this Map Pack are:

 

====[[Legendary Map Pack]]====

*[[Avalanche (Level)|Avalanche]]

*[[Blackout (Level)|Blackout]]

*[[Ghost Town (Level)|Ghost Town]]

====[[Cold Storage (Level)|Cold Storage]]====

This map is downloadable through Xbox Live Marketplace for free and is the [[7|seventh]] downloadable map for Halo 3. It was released on 07/07/08, Bungie Day, as a free gift to the entire Halo 3 community around the world .

====[[Mythic Map Pack]]====

*[[Assembly (Level)|Assembly]]

*[[Orbital (Level)|Orbital]]

*[[Sandbox (Level)|Sandbox]]

====[[ODST Map Pack]]====

The ODST Map pack (also known as the "Mythic Map Pack part 2") is an upcoming map pack being released with [[Halo 3: ODST]]. It will be available on Xbox LIVE marketplace as a standalone map pack sometime after the release of ''ODST''. It is still unknown what the map pack will officially be called.

The Service Tag is how you and your team 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.

When certain specific Service Tag coding is entered for example: I17 ''(117)''  an error message will appear stating ''"This Service Tag is currently in use by the UNSC"'' and to choose another. Another error message will happen when ''"N64"'' and ''"P52"'' (Nintendo 64 and Playstation 2) are entered but this is due to trademark infringement of the companies, and as a result the service tag will not be allowed. Similar error messages are shown if you put in "A55", "N00", "P00", "F00", "J00" and "T17" as they are offensive references. "O00 has also been blocked as it is reserved as guest service tags.

According to [[Bungie]], as of March 14th the most used Service Tags by players of Halo 3 are, in descending order, ''O07'', ''M16'', ''I69'', ''P26'', ''S80'', ''N99'', ''F18'', ''H20'', ''I87'', and ''D13''.

The chances of two people having the same service tag on Xbox Live is 2574 to 1 or would be if the tags were chosen randomly.

====Armor Permutations====

{{main|Armor Permutations}}

There are two player models which you can choose from, the standard [[Spartan II|Spartan]] model or an [[Elite]] model. Each model has several armor permutations which can be combined. All [[Armor]] permutations do not have any effects on gameplay.

=====Spartan=====

[[Image:Armor Permutations.png|300px|thumb|right|All of the Spartan Permutations. Note: If a part of the armor set doesn't exist it has been substituted with Mark VI.]]

*[[Mark VI MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/C variant|MJOLNIR Mark VI [C] variant]] - The Close Quarters Battle (CQB) armor.

*[[Mark VI MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/V variant|MJOLNIR Mark VI [V] variant]] - The Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) armor.

*[[Mark VI MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/EOD variant|MJOLNIR Mark VI [EOD] variant]] - The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) armor.

*[[Mark VI(A) MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR Mark VI [A] variant]] - The Rogue helmet. 

*[[Mark VI MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/S variant|MJOLNIR Mark VI [S] variant]] - The Scout armor.

*[[Mark VI MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/R variant|MJOLNIR Mark VI [R] variant]] - The Recon armor.

*[[Mark V MJOLNIR (Armor permutation)|MJOLNIR Mark V armor]] - The ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' helmet.

*[[Mark V(m) MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR Mark V [m] variant]] - The Security helmet and shoulders.

*[[ODST Armor|ODST armor]] - The [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]] helmet.

*[[Hayabusa Powered Assault Armor|HAYABUSA armor]] - The rival to the MJOLNIR program armor.

*[[Katana]] - Sword that is non removable positioned on back

*[[Bungie Armor]] - Makes the players helmet appear to be on fire - exclusive to the Bungie workers.

*'''Most Popular Spartan Helmets are:''' [[Mark VI]], [[Rogue]], [[Hayabusa]], [[CQB]] and [[ODST]].'''

*'''Most Popular Spartan Chestpieces are:''' [[CQB]], [[Hayabusa]], [[Mark VI]], [[EVA]], [[EOD]].'''

*[[Elite Assault Armor]] - The type of armor worn by Elites of the [[Special Operations Elite|Special Operations]] rank.

*[[Elite Flight Armor]] - The type of armor worn by Elites of the [[Ranger Elite|Ranger]] rank. Flight Body: Successfully complete the "Tsavo Highway" mission on the Heroic or Legendary difficulty setting.

*[[Elite Commando Armor]] - The Commando armor is the armor worn by Commando Elites. Commando Body: Accomplish the "Triple Kill" achievement.

*[[Elite Ascetic Armor]] - The Ascetics Elite armor.

Ascetic Body: Accomplish the "Up Close and Personal" achievement.

Ascetic Head: Accomplish the "Steppin' Razor" achievement.

*The armor of the arbiter is only wearable in campaign mode.

{{Main|Multiplayer Emblems}}

According to Bungie on March 14th 2008, Weekly Update;

*'''Most Popular Emblems:''' Phoenix, Jolly Roger, Valkyrie, Crossed Sword and Champion

====Colors====

*'''''Steel''''', '''Silver''', and '''''White'''''

According to Bungie on the March 14th 2008, Weekly Update;  

*'''More Popular Primary Colors:''' Steel, White, Blue, Cobalt, Green, Sage

*'''Less Popular Primary Colors:''' Lavender, Pale, Salmon, Peach and Mauve

[[Matchmaking]] is where people can play with and against each other through a specially designed search system and multiple playlists. In Matchmaking [[EXP]] and [[Skill]] can be earned to raise ranks. You have a highest skill which cannot be taken away, but your current skill level can decrease if you play poorly in that variant. Also, on some maps like Guardian and Narrows, various equipment such as the [[Flare]] and [[Radar Jammer]] have been removed due to balance changes.

===Playlists===

[[Playlists]] are lists of different game variations from free-for-all to team games. They are split into Ranked, Social, Hardcore, Community, DLC, Tournaments and Double EXP Weekends. The Community Playlist returned on July 7, 2008 with the release of the free map Cold Storage.

The Ranked playlists are the more serious playlists. [[Skill]] can be raised and [[EXP]] can be gained.

*[[Lone Wolves]] - Various gametypes free for all up to six players.

*[[Team Slayer]] - Slayer based gametypes with two teams of three to four players.

*[[Team Objective]] - Objective based gametypes with two teams of three to four players.

*[[Team Doubles]] - Slayer based gametypes with two teams of two players.

*[[Squad Battle]] - Various gametypes with two team of six designed to fill some of the void left by excising Ranked Big Team Battle from the Halo 3 Playlists.

====Social====

*[[Action Sack]] - The Halo 2 gametype is making a return in June 2009. This unique 4v4 playlist will reward you no exp if you win but there is plenty of fun to be had. It will include some gametypes you may have played before such as Team Rockets and Team Fiesta and will have some brand new gametypes exclusive to this gametype such as Ninja Assult. This is a 1 bomb assult gametype with a twist. The Bomb Carrier will have active camo and moves slightly quicker than others but is alot weaker and easier to kill. There will be plenty of other playlists when it is released into matchmaking.

*[[Social Team DLC]] It's like a mix of Social Slayer and Social Skirmish but it's a DLC playlist so you need to buy Legendary Map pack pack to play it. It's two teams of four to five players like in Slayer and Skirmish. ''Now updated to include Mythic maps.''

*[[Social Big Team]] Like in Big Team Battle, two teams of five to eight players but it's DLC like Social Team DLC.

====Hardcore====

The Hardcore playlists are the more realistic and competitive playlists. [[Skill]] can be raised and [[EXP]] can be gained.

*<!--Please Create Page-->[[Head to Head]] - [[Slayer]], [[Oddball]] and [[King of the Hill]] gametypes free for all up to two players. ''This playlist has been retired.''

*[[MLG]] - Various MLG gametypes on MLG map variants with two teams of three to four players. ''The MLG map variants were updated to v6 in the April 2009 playlist update.''

*[[Team SWAT]] - Ranked teams of 3/4 players playlist where players have to kill others with headshots (or enough body shots).

*[[Team Snipers]] - Ranked 4v4 playlist. Sniper Rifle spawns (no secondary weapons unless the game is shotty snipers) on maps forged with Beam Rifles.

The Tournaments are temporary playlists involving prizes. [[Skill]] can be raised and [[EXP]] can be gained.

*[[Living Dead]] - [[Infection]] up to thirteen players.

*[[Valentines Day]] - Various gametypes with two teams of two.

This playlist made a comeback as of July 7, 2008; with the free release of the map [[Cold Storage]], but was taken off by July 11.  [[EXP]] can be gained and guests are allowed.

*Icy Treats - Various gametypes of free for all on the newly released map Cold Storage.

<!--Notes about a specific playlist don't belong here-->

*[[Living Dead]]  - [[Infection]] up to thirteen players. Now requires the [[Legendary Map Pack|Legendary]] and the [[Mythic Map Pack|Mythic]] maps.

*[[Legendary Brawl]]  - Various gametypes on Standard, [[Heroic Map Pack|Heroic]] and [[Legendary Map Pack|Legendary]] maps, free for all up to twelve players.

*[[Mythic Brawl]]  - Various gametypes on Standard, [[Heroic Map Pack|Heroic]], [[Legendary Map Pack|Legendary]] and [[Mythic Map Pack|Mythic]] maps, free for all up to twelve players.

*[[Fiesta]] - Various gametypes with random weapons on Standard, [[Heroic Map Pack|Heroic]] and [[Legendary Map Pack|Legendary]] Maps.

*[[Team Snipers]] - Sniper based [[Team Slayer]] on Standard, [[Heroic Map Pack|Heroic]] and [[Legendary Map Pack|Legendary]] maps.

*[[Rockets]] - Rocket based gametypes free for all up to eight players.

*[[3 Ball]] - [[Oddball]] with 3 Oddballs and four teams of three players.

*[[Team Melee]] - A variety of gametypes featuring Melee weapons  [[Gravity Hammer]] and/or the [[Energy Sword]].

*[[Rocket Race]] - A [[VIP]] variant in which a team of 2 players must reach certain objective before the opposing team does, While riding in a mongoose and scoping out the others using Rocket Launchers.

===Veto===

The Veto system is new for the Halo franchise. Vetoing a map and game type is a very useful thing these days. In a game, after the map and game type loads for each player, a 10 second countdown starts. If the majority of players in the match decide to veto, by pressing the (X) button, before the countdown ends, a different map and gametype from the playlist will be selected to be played on. (Note that not all playlists have the Veto option).

If a map and gametype is vetoed, the option to veto will be lost during the next countdown. Sometimes you will see the map and gametype change, but you still get the veto option. This is just because the host's connection cannot support the map, or if anyone in the party cannot play the map. When this happens, you still have the right to veto the next map and game type. However, you cannot veto on a few gametypes, such as [[Grifball]].

''Note'': On certain gametypes, like Team SWAT, the gametype will be rarely changed from the only three types, but from no lack of maps, the map will almost certainly change.

==Ranks==

The ranking system is based on real military ranks. To progress in Rank, players must earn the required amount of [[EXP]]. For [[Officer]] ranks, players must also reach a certain skill level in a ranked playlist. If a player earns a certain amount of experience, but does not reach the required skill level to reach the next officer rank, they will instead be promoted to a higher grade of their current rank (For example, A [[Major]] who earns 200 [[EXP]] but does not have a skill level of 35 will be promoted to Major, Grade 2 upon earning 300 EXP).

Each Officer rank has a "final" grade which is represented by a unique name instead of a number. Gunnery Sergeant also has this feature. Many players judge others that have the grade 4 rank or "gold bars" as a sign of lack in skill, though not necessarily always true.

Halo 3 uses the [http://research.microsoft.com/osa/apg/trueskill.aspx Trueskill] system created by Microsoft to determine skill level in ranked playlists.

*[[Apprentice]] (grades 1 and 2)

*[[Sergeant (Halo 3)|Sergeant]] (grades 1, 2, and 3)

*[[Gunnery Sergeant (Halo 3)|Gunnery Sergeant]] (grades 1, 2, 3, and Master Gunnery Sergeant)

====Officer Ratings====

*[[Lieutenant (Halo 3)|Lieutenant]] (grades 1, 2, 3, and First Lieutenant)

*[[Captain (Halo 3)|Captain]] (grades 1, 2, 3, and Staff Captain)

*[[Major (Halo 3)|Major]] (grades 1, 2, 3, and Field Major)

*[[Commander (Halo 3)|Commander]] (grades 1, 2, 3, and Strike Commander)

*[[Colonel (Halo 3)|Colonel]] (grades 1, 2, 3, and Force Colonel)

*[[Brigadier (Halo 3)|Brigadier]] (grades 1, 2, 3, and Brigadier General)

*[[General (Halo 3)|General]] (grades 1, 2, 3, and Five Star General)

In the [[Custom Games]] Lobby you can choose the gametypes and maps you have made and want to play with your friends, these include Custom Game types and Map Variants. These games don't give you exp but they are still fun to play around with friends.

====Standard Game Types====

====Custom Game types====

In Halo 3, there are a number of options that can be changed. Press X in the lobby to change the default options, when changing press X again to save as custom game type.

===[[Forge]]===

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]] and [[Halo 2 Vista]] editing kits. You can, however, edit objects, spawn points, weapons, teleporters and properties of objects on the map, etc. And, when playing a map on forge, players may take control as a monitor (very similar to 343 Guilty Spark) and will obtain the ability to spawn weapons, vehicles and objects in-game, as well as move/adjust them too. You can also get more forging items if you get any of the new map packs from Bungie.

====Map Variants====

 

===Theater===

====Films====

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, you can either watch your own player play through the entire mission or you can use a different way: bird's eye view. You can go anywhere you want, but they will limit your movement so that you cannot fly as high as possible or go very far from your character. You can also fast forward or rewind the film so that you can relive the parts you missed. On Campaign you can't rewind the film. Only your previous 25 games will be saved under the recent films category on your console. Older films will be deleted. (Note: If you haven't received the February Auto-Update, after your first 25 film slots are filled, about 1 out of the 3-5 films in future will only be saved due to a glitch. The AU fixes this glitch, but not entirely however, as all games played on Local area Network on the 360 still mostly have this problem.)

====Clips====

When playing a film you record a particular part of the film from any angle you want. Doing this allows you to look back at your greatest moments without having to watch the entire film, however, sometimes the [[HUD]] will not show up in a first person view, or the time bar showing the elapsed time appears, which is normally a problem because it normally can't be removed or the HUD can't be brought up for the start of the clip. If you would like to make a clip in FPS mode, but you accidentally get out of it, or switch to another player, you can just click on the right thumbstick to return to FPS mode. You cannot record clips of campaign films, but you can take screenshots. If you are in a party viewing a film, you will not be able to record clips, nor take screenshots.

====Screenshots====

Screenshots can be taken in any sort of film; all screenshots taken by Xbox Live players are sent to [http://www.bungie.net Bungie.net] via the Internet. You must be in single-player theater or film to take a screenshot. If your screenshot is favored by many and also [[Bungie]] employees they may put it on [[Bungie Favorites]]. The favorites link can be found [http://www.bungie.net/online/communityfiles.aspx?filefilter=772007&sort=3 here]

==Soundtrack==

[[Image:200px-halo3soundtrack.jpg|right|thumb|Halo 3 Soundtrack Cover Art]]

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.

As the [[Halo: Original Soundtrack]], the music is in more of a medley format. However, similar to the [[Halo 2: Original Soundtrack]] Volume 2, tracks are divided into 'suites' corresponding to each level in the game. A number of bonus tracks and a third-party song will be contained on the second disc of the album: 'LvUrFR3NZ' by Princeton.

Previews of the ''[[Halo 3: Original Soundtrack]]'' can be heard on the official site <ref>http://www.halo3ost.com/</ref>.

==Marketing Promotions and Release==

On June 11th, 2007, at 10:26AM PDT, a viral marketing campaign for ''Halo 3'' started, called "''[[Iris]]''".

====Trailers====

=====[[Halo 3 Announcement Trailer]]=====

At E3 2006, [[Bungie]] released their announcement trailer. It required long hours and hard work from many, many Bungie staffers, and utilizes real-game assets, fiction and locations from parts of the "real" game. It shows John-117 walking through some wreckage of the [[New Mombasa]] space elevator with Cortana appearing at several intervals to give her lines. He then stops at the edge of a cliff where the Covenant forces are hovering over a [[Forerunner]] structure (the portal to the Ark).  The trailer ends with the Forerunner structure opening and firing a beam of light.

The Trailer fueled speculation about what was going to happen in the game, particularly Cortana's last line in the trailer: "''This'' is the way the world ends,"<ref>''Please have Cortana's lines pronounced so that I don't see 36 threads about it.''

:"I have defied gods and demons."

:"I am your shield, I am your Sword."

:"I know you, your past, your future."

:"This is the way the world ends."

[[Frankie]] --[http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=weeklyupdatemay1206 Weekly Update May 12, 2006]</ref> which references the first of the [[Cortana Letters]]. The line itself refers to [[wikipedia:T. S. Eliot|T. S. Eliot]]'s ''The Hollow Men'', which ends:

:''This is the way the world ends''

:''Not with a bang but a whimper.''

Cortana's emphasis on "this" implies she is rejecting the poem, and that the world will end with a bang - likely referring to the Halo installations being activated.

====[[Starry Night]] Trailer====

Starry Night Trailer was released on December 4, 2006 with its format designed for TV Ads. It shows two children staring at the stars talking about whether there are aliens before switching to a dazed [[Master Chief]] recovering from some form of blast. Once he gets back on his feet,  he picks up his helmet and then he uses a [[Bubble Shield]] to defend himself from an incoming [[Type-25 Assault Gun Carriage|Wraith]]'s plasma mortar and then charges forward, eventually jumping over a cliff into a swarm of [[Covenant Loyalists]]. It has been rumored that the two kids are [[John]] and [[Kelly]] when they where young.

====[[Halo 3 E3 2007 Trailer]]====

The final trailer for ''Halo 3'' was released during E3 2007. Unlike the others, this trailer focused on showing various gameplay and movie clips.  While the trailer did little to further knowledge about the ''Halo 3'', it confirmed many speculations about the game, the least of which was that the Arbiter and the [[Master Chief]] will fight alongside one another in the game at some point.

====[[Believe]]====

Believe is a Microsoft marketing campaign for ''Halo 3''.

It features the word "Believe" as a tag line, and appears to be honoring the legacy of SPARTAN-117, citing him as a hero of the United Nations Space Command Defense Force whose brave actions inspired other servicemen during the Human-Covenant War. It has also been cited that it has been linked to the popular message board Neogaf. Its been noted that the Believe trailers took place about 50 years after Halo 3's storyline.

Halo: Landfall is a trilogy of short films designed to promote ''Halo 3'' as well as test the potential for a live-action [[Halo Movie]].

''Halo 3'' was released in three separate versions. The Standard Edition contains the game disc, manual, and a small poster with the game's control-map and artwork.  

The Limited Edition, contained in a metal case, contains the game disc, manual, poster, interactive Xbox 360 bonus disc with several featurettes, and a hard cover bound "Bestiarum", which is a collection of information and art covering the species, cultures, and civilizations of ''Halo 3''.