Cut Halo 3 weapons
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| This page discusses elements of deleted material and cut content. Some information on the page is sourced from game files and may not be verifiable through external sources. Where possible, such information should be clearly-marked and replaced with a proper external source as soon as one is available. |
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Halo 3 cut content
- Cut content
- Development
Halo 3 development
Concept art
Design documentation
Storyboards
Title Updates
Halo 3 Beta
Original script
To check out cut content for other Halo games, see here!
During the production of Halo 3, several weapons were concepted and implemented - though ultimately cut for various reasons.
UNSC
Unused rocket launcher
During the game's development, it seems that a second rocket launcher was intended for inclusion. Several pieces of concept art for this weapon can be found in The Art of Halo 3, showcasing multiple rocket launcher designs reminiscent of the anti-air rocket launcher cut from Halo: Combat Evolved. One of these concepts is famously known as the "G4H-DuSH", derived from the L33t speak for "gah-dush", an onomatopoeia of the sound a rocket makes when it is launched or detonates.[1]
An image posted by Reddit user "sneakyfellow" showcases a weapon resembling these concepts in the Halo 3 Alpha, though no details are known of its in-game operation.[2] Given its resemblance to the anti-air rocket launcher, it is possible this weapon was eventually superseded by the missile pod.
Concept art for the "G4H-DuSH".
Concept art for the rocket launcher.
Concept art for the rocket launcher.
A picture of the rocket launcher in the Halo 3 Alpha.
Covenant
Excavator
The Excavator is a weapon found in early beta builds of Halo 3, and can be found in the Et Tu, Brute? ViDoc wielded by Brutes. The weapon is an early version of the Mauler found in the final game; the original design and concept for the Mauler was based on the Excavator weapon cut from Halo: Combat Evolved.[3] The weapon can be found in the Halo 3 Beta.[4][5]
A Brute wielding the Excavator in Et Tu, Brute?.
The Excavator in the Beta.
The Excavator held in first-person - note the transparency effect on the gun.
Forerunner
Guardian eye
In early production, the planned Guardian Sentinel in the titular Guardian Forest level was to have a unique weapon of its own. In the planned encounters, players would have been able to hijack the Guardian and rip out the Sentinel's eye, using it as a powerful weapon. Little is known of this weapon's planned function.[6][7][8]
Near-final concept art for the Guardian Sentinel, with its distinctive red eye prominently-featured.
A model of the Guardian featured on Epitaph.
Equipment
Alongside the various cut weapons, a number of equipment items were cut or significantly altered prior to release.
Bomb
The bomb used in the Assault gametype appears in the Beta, similar in purpose to the trip mine. The bomb can be picked up and thrown as an equipment, at which point it will roll along the ground while beeping and flashing red. The beeping escalates in frequency, ultimately resulting in an explosion.[4]
The bomb in the March 2007 beta.
The bomb in the March 2007 beta.
The bomb in the March 2007 beta.
Bubble shield
Various early forms of the bubble shield can be found in early builds and trailers. One of the most notable can be found in the Starry Night trailer, thrown to the ground by John-117 to avoid incoming plasma mortar fire. This model seems to be based upon the version found in the March 2007 Beta build of Halo 3, shown below.[4]
Another, model of the bubble shield found in ViDocs and the multiplayer beta appears to use a similar design to the radar jammer and power drain, except yellow. This bubble shield is capable of rolling along the ground, pulling the shield with it.
A closeup of the bubble shield model in Starry Night.
The Starry Night bubble shield in use.
The bubble shield pickup in the March 2007 beta.
The active bubble shield pickup in the March 2007 beta.
The active bubble shield pickup in the March 2007 beta.
An early bubble shield in the multiplayer beta.
Sources
- ^ The Art of Halo 3, page 58-59
- ^ Reddit, My friend and I got to play the Halo 3 alpha in January of 2007. Here are some pictures I took. (Retrieved on Sep 20, 2021) [archive]
- ^ The Art of Halo 3, page 61
- ^ a b c YouTube - Generalkidd, Halo 3 - Never Before Seen Cut Weapons, Vehicles & Equipment In The Beta
- ^ YouTube - The Vengeful 'Vadam, Full Analysis of the Halo 3 Beta (Retrieved on Sep 20, 2020)
- ^ GDC Vault, Building Your Airplane While Flying: Production at Bungie (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
- ^ Bungie.net, Building Your Airplane While Flying: Production at Bungie: Original presentation download (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
- ^ Twitter, Dan Miller: "#halo3 original 'guardian forest' (cut map):" (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
