Halo 3
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
Halo 3 is a first-person science fiction shooter game developed by Bungie that was released for the Xbox 360 console. It is the sequel to Halo 2 and finished up the current story arc that the previous two games have followed. It was released on September 25 in North America and Australia, the 26th in Europe and the 27th in Japan. It has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB.
Release
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Plot
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Features
Online & 4 Player Co-Op
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Forge
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Saved Films
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Achievements
- Main article: Halo 3 Achievements
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Equipment
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Power Ups
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Weapons
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Vehicles
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Storyline
Campaign Plot
See: Halo 3 Plot
The Ark
- Main article: The Ark
Template:Spoilers The Covenant has uncovered a massive and ancient Forerunner artifact under New Mombasa (The mountain in the background is indeed Kilimanjaro[1]) and Cortana is still trapped in the clutches of the Gravemind.
The Ark is mentioned in Halo 2 as a place where all the Halo rings could be fired at once. It has been confirmed in Halo 3 that the Ark is outside the Milky Way galaxy which is outside the Halo's firing range. Presumably, the Forerunners from whom all current sentient life sprung forth, were saved by being "in" the Ark (actually being outside the Galaxy). Due to the name, it may be a reference to Noah's Ark, which saved a handful of people while the Earth was wiped clean. If this is the case, then that explains how the rings could have been activated before and yet life survives. And finally it makes sense that one can activate all the Halos from the Ark, which is also confirmed, that way they wouldn't die in the process.
Again, while the structure in the trailer was originally thought to be The Ark, it has only been officially confirmed as a slip-space portal to the real Ark. Before the release of Halo 3, many people believed the structure in the trailer was THE Ark due to evidence such as:
- At the last cutscene of Halo 2 Guilty Spark tells the Arbiter where the Ark is, although we don't hear it. In the E3 trailer we see that the Arbiter is on Earth which leads many to think that the Ark is on Earth.
- Miranda Keyes is referring to the Forerunner artifact as "the Ark" in the recently shown level Tsavo Highway.
- In the Halo Graphic Novel one Elite says "We need to clear this area before we can secure access to The Ark" -- Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa.
- It is also seen in this small sketch from the DVD.
- In Halo 2, in the Level Outskirts, Cortana says that the Covenant "weren't expecting us to be here." Us refers to Humanity of course, which means that they had come to earth for something else, very likely the Ark so they could begin the Great Journey.
Also, in Bungie's FAQ, they said that although they wouldn't tell what the structure is, Halo fans may recognize it. The structure looks somewhat similar to a structure seen in the Halo 2 multiplayer map Ascension, the circular structures on the exterior of Alpha Halo (visible in the opening menu of Halo 1), or Delta Halo's Control Room. It also looks like the dock that the Forerunner ship at the end of Halo 2 was stationed in, or the platform in the Halo's Library that is home to the installation's Index. Bungie may also be referring to the Jjaro station in Marathon Infinity (an artifact used to contain a being within a sun). Also, in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the Dyson Portal is described very similarly to the structure, albeit much smaller. [2]
Characters
Major Characters
UNSC
- Master Chief Petty Officer SPARTAN John-117
- Cortana
- Sergeant Major A.J. Johnson
- Commander Miranda Keyes
- Fleet Admiral Sir Terrence Hood
Covenant Separatists
Covenant Loyalists
Flood
Forerunner
Minor Characters
Co-Op Characters
UNSC
- Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker
- UNSC Marine Infantryman
- Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds
- UNSC Marine Orbital Drop Shock Troopers
- Office of Naval Intelligence Personnel
- UNSC Citizens
Covenant Separatists
Covenant Loyalists
- Prophets (San 'Shyuum)
- Brutes (Jiralhanae)
- Jackals (Kig-yar)
- Drones (Yanme'e)
- Grunts (Unggoy)
- Hunters (Lekgolo)
Flood
Halo 3 Multiplayer
Xbox Live
If you have the vision camera you will be able to video chat with your friends, and there are now two ranking systems, one of which is based on actual military ranks instead of numbers. This number is your total amount of games and your rank increases the more you play any matchmaking gametype (including unranked). The ranked gametypes are apparently still ranked by numbers.
Maps
- Construct
- Epitaph
- Guardian
- High Ground
- Isolation
- Jodrell Bank - Nickname
- John Carpenter's Prince of Dorkness - Really long nickname
- Last Resort
- Moonbase Alpha - Nickname
- Narrows
- Sandtrap
- Snowbound
- The Pit
- Valhalla
Gametypes
Players can also set up custom games. Custom game settings from the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta give us an idea of what can be defined in custom gametypes.
Custom options
In Halo 3, there are a number of options that can be changed.
- Damage resistance
- Shield multiplier
- Shield recharge rate
- Immune to headshots
- Grenade counts (grenade regeneration, on or off)
- Infinite ammo
- Weapon pickup disabled
- Player speed
- (25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, 100%, 110%, 125%, 150%, 200%, 300%)
- Player gravity
- (50%, 75%, 100%, 200%)
- Vehicle use (passenger only)
- Motion tracker range
- (10m, 25m, 75m, 100m, 150m)
- Indestructible vehicles (on, off)
Player Customization
- Main article: Armor Permutations
Originally discovered in the Halo 3 Beta code by hackers, high levels of player customization have now been confirmed by GamePro's June issue.
- "Halo 3's online mode offers new armor permutations that allow players to customize their persona's from head to toe." it has also been confirmed that you can unlock armor permutations via campaign and online.
- IGN AU: "How do they actually find it? Is it linked to multiplayer or single player?"
- Lars Bakken: "It's linked to the entire game, and the way it's unlocked is through milestones that you hit, with achievements. It's linked to a point total basically, in your achievements."
- IGN AU: "Through single player and multiplayer."
- Lars Bakken: "Yep, for both, it's combined."
Template:MJOLNIR Variations Template:Elite Variations
Variants
Spartan
- MJOLNIR Armor - Mark VI
- EVA Armor - Extra Vehicular Activity armor
- CQB Armor - Close Quarters Battle armor
- MJOLNIR MARK V - Mark V (Same armor from Halo: Combat Evolved)
- EOD Armor - Explosive Ordnance Disposal armor
- Recon Armor - Powered Assault Armor/R variant|For Use By Bungie Only (Helmet only)
- ODST Armor
- Scout Armor
- Security Armor
- Hayabusa Armor
- Rogue Armor
Elite
- Elite Combat Armor - Standard Elite armor.
- Elite Assault Armor - Similar to Ranger Elite armor. Worn by Usze 'Taham.
- Elite Flight Armor - The Elite Flight armor. Worn by pilots.
- Elite Commando Armor - Similar to Elite Assault Armor, but more smoothed. Worn by special commando forces.
- Elite Ascetic Armor - Similar to Elite Assault Armor, but with fan like protrusions. Worn by the Ascetics.
To unlock these armor types certain achievements and single player actions must first be taken. A lot of them come naturally from completing the campaign on various difficulties. If you have your eye on a particular one, a guide can be found here.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack is slated for release this holiday season. Unlike the Halo 2 Soundtrack, it does not feature any third-party band songs.
Microsoft did host a band contest, however. One of the songs, created by Director, can be found here.
Marketing Promotions
Viral Marketing
- Main article: Iris
On June 11th, 2007, at 10:26AM PDT, a viral marketing campaign for Halo 3 started, called "Iris".
Trailers
Announcement Trailer
- Main article: 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 arrives at a cliff where the Covenant forces are hovering over a Forerunner structure (believed to be 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,"[2] which references the first of the Cortana Letters. The line itself refers to 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's being activated.
Starry Night Trailer
- Main article: Starry Night
Starry Night Trailer was released on December 4, 2006 with its format designed for TV Ads. It shows two kids 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 uses a Bubble Shield to defend himself from an incoming Wraith plasma mortar and then charges forward, eventually jumping over a cliff into a swarm of Covenant Loyalists.
E3 2007 Trailer
- Main article: 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
- Main article: Believe
Believe is a Microsoft marketing campaign for Halo 3.
It features the word "Believe" as a tagline, and appears to be honoring the legacy of SPARTAN-117, citing himself 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 messageboard Neogaf.
Arms Race
- Main article: Halo: Arms Race
Arms Race is a trilogy of short films designed to promote Halo 3 as well as test the potential for a live-action Halo Movie.
Products and collectables
- Mountain Dew Game Fuel is a new version of Mountain Dew soda which was released on August 13th, 2007 and will be available for 12 weeks.
- Bungie has worked with Jasman Toys and they will be showcasing the new Halo Laser Tag Replica Guns.
- Tod McFarlane's line of Halo 3 Action Figures.
- There will a Halo 3 edition of the Xbox 360. It was released on September 16th, and will have other things in the box like a wired Halo 3 headset.
- The Halo 3 Zune is a Zune in a Halo Trilogy-theme. It features Halo content in many media formats. Included in the Zune, are trailers, music, and artwork, from the critically acclaimed Halo series.
- Halo 3 scale replica weapons. These are just ornaments and are not toys.
- Burger King announced a Halo 3 Promotion from a Microsoft press release on August 9th, 2007 including limited edition FRYPODS and 42 oz drink cups.
Trivia
- In one screenshot, the word "Puma" can be seen on the tires of the Warthog, this is possible homage to the popular online Machinima series Red vs Blue, which uses the Halo game engine. "Puma" came from Episode 2, where Red Team was discussing what to name their new LRV (a warthog), and "puma" came up as a suggestion.
- In screenshots in the campaign mode and the Halo Trailer, there is Master Chief armed with the new MA5C Assault Rifle, and in the middle of the gun, there is the Marathon symbol, Click here for Image.
- For Christmas 2006, Microsoft & Bungie gave the U.S. soldiers in Iraq a chance to play the Halo 3 multiplayer public pre-alpha. [3]
- Halo 3's release date is two more 7s. September 25 is 9+2+5. 9-2=7. 5+2=7. 9+2=11+5=16. Then, 1+6=7. Also September 25, 2+5=7.
- On Cops & Robbers commercial for the 360 at the XBL Marketplace one of the license plates says HA LO307 aka Halo 3 07.
- From Bungie.net weekly update (9/14/2007). Car Number 40 driven by David Stremme has been decked out for Halo 3. He is, allegedly, a big Halo fan.
- From Bungie.net weekly update (9/14/2007). For the Halo Project, they have in fact built a fully functional Warthog, with a working chain gun and everything.
- Hollywood Arts announced an auction for a voice cameo in Halo 3 on February 6, 2007. The auction was held from February 17, 2007 to February 24, 2007.[4] The auction was won by the members of Rooster Teeth Productions, the makers of Red vs Blue. [5].
- The above cameo can be found in the second level, Crows Nest, where you can find a man beating on a door and demanding to get in. The conversation changes depending on your difficulty level; here is a “Youtube” video showing all the conversations
References
- ^ . The Chief is indeed standing in the ruins of New Mombasa where said artifact was uncovered. -- Bungie.net Weekly Update May 12, 2006
- ^ 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 --Weekly Update May 12, 2006 - ^ [1]
- ^ http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/761/761866p1.html
- ^ Bungie podcast Episode III
Related Links
Internal
- Halo 3 Announcement Trailer
- Halo 3 Credits
- 60sec ESPN Commercial Starry Night
- ViDoc: Et Tu Brute - a 7 min documentary about the Brutes ViDoc: Et Tu Brute
- ViDoc: Is Quisnam Protero Damno
- ViDoc: Cinema Paradiso
- Halo 3 Beta
- Mountain Dew Game Fuel - Halo 3 themed Mountain Dew
- Halo 3 Zune - A limited edition Microsoft Zune.
- Halo 3 Achievements
- Halo 3: The Cradle of Life
- Halo 3 Official Strategy Guide
- Halo 3: Original Soundtrack
- Burger King
External
- H3Customs - Find Halo 3 custom game matches
- Online Campaign & Multiplayer Guide
- Skulls Guides - Skull guides with pictures
- Bungie's Announcement
- IMDB Entry on Halo 3
- Halo 3 Easter Eggs
- Halo 3 Website - Main Halo 3 Website
- Halo 3 at MSN.com
- Halo 3 News
- The Halo 3 Custom Match Finder - The next best thing to the now non-existent XBL Public
- Halo 3 Photoshop Brushes - Very detailed high resolution brushes.
- Halo 3 Trilogy blog