Halo 3

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Revision as of 14:29, October 7, 2007 by 68.42.117.232 (talk) (→‎Plot)

Template:Game Info Box 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, the 26th in Europe and the 27th in Japan. It has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

Release

Bungie has announced that the release date for the final game is September 25, 2007 in North America and Australia as advertised on a number of websites - while Europe will receive the game on September 26, 2007, one day later. The Asian release date will be September 27. Halo 3 is officially out in stores across the world.

An internal build, the Halo 3 alpha build, codenamed "Pimps At Sea", was released in April 2007 for Microsoft employees. A public beta test, the Halo 3 Beta, was rolled out in Spring 2007 and was scheduled for online play at midnight (U.S. West Coast Pacific-Time) on May 16th, 2007 - June 10, 2007, although there were certain technical difficulties in its distribution. After that, Bungie collected all the feedback from the beta and sought to improve their multiplayer through it, with the final game coming out four months after the end of the beta. On August 10, 2007 another Halo 3 build, Halo 3 Epsilon, was released to Microsoft employees, featuring Forge and multiplayer aspects. It went gold on August 29, 2007.

Bungie has also announced three versions of Halo 3: the Halo 3: Standard Edition, a Limited Collector's Edition, and the very limited Legendary Edition.

Version Standard Collector's Legendary
Price (USD) $59.99 $69.99 $129.99
Game Disc & Manual Yes Yes Yes
Interactive Xbox 360 Disc No Yes Yes
Bestiarum No Yes Yes*
Legendary DVD No No Yes
Master Chief Helmet Replica No No Yes
* Additional content on DVD

Reviews were recently released from a number of high profile gaming websites: Gamespot- 9.5 IGN- 9.5 TeamXbox- 9.7 1up- 10.0 Gametrailers- 9.8 ComputerVideogames- 9.7 OXM Australia- 10.0 Famitsu-9.99 GamespotKorea- 4

Plot

Template:Spoilers

Halo 3 does not begin right where Halo 2 left off. Instead, the comic mini-series, Halo: Uprising, will bridge the story gap between the ending of Halo 2, and the beginning of Halo 3.

When the game begins, John-117 is back on Earth, where the Covenant loyalists (Brutes, Drones, and Jackals), led by the Prophet of Truth, have laid waste to most of the planet. Covenant ships are hovering over an excavation site a few miles from the ruins of New Mombasa and have uncovered a large artifact in this site (seen in the E3 2006 trailer).

The Master Chief, along with Sergeant Major Johnson and the Arbiter, make their way through the jungle towards an UNSC outpost. Shortly after they reach their destination, the Covenant mounts an attack on the facility, and it is during this time that the Chief starts receiving disturbing transmissions from Cortana. After a brief struggle, in which the outpost is lost, Master Chief receives orders from Commander Keyes and Lord Hood to clear a way into the African city of Voi, and destroy all anti-air Covenant defenses in preparation for an all-out assault on Truth and the artifact. After the Master Chief and the Arbiter destroy the defenses, Truth activates the artifact and creates an enormous slipspace portal, into which all the Covenant ships retreat. As Keyes follows the Dreadnought a Covenant ship controlled by the Flood arrives by slip-space and crash lands nearby, and the parasite quickly spreads throughout the city.

The Master Chief and the Arbiter attempt to fight off the Flood and retrieve Cortana from the Flood ship. After they have completed all of their objectives, Guilty Spark arrives by an Elite drop-ship. Once the Arbiter and Master Chief are evacuated, the remaining Covenant fleet proceeds to glass the parts of Africa that have been infectedted. Once the Elites and Lord Hood decide to follow Truth, the remaining Elite ships and 2 UNSC Frigates leave Earth via the slip-space portal and find themselves near an immense artificial structure, which is soon revealed to be the Ark. They find that the Ark is in fact positioned outside of the Milky Way galaxy, just beyond the Halo rings' effective firing range. Guided by Guilty Spark and temporarily assisted by the Flood, the Chief and the Arbiter push their way to one of the communication arrays of the Ark, where they barely manage to stop The Prophet of Truth from activating the rings. Commander Keyes dies as she tries to kill herself and Sergeant Johnson to stop Truth from activating the rings.

In the meantime, a flood-infested High Charity arrives by slipspace jump. After executing The Prophet of Truth, the Arbiter and the Master Chief discover that a replacement ring has been constructed by the Ark to replace the one destroyed by Master Chief. The Chief decides to activate the ring so as to destroy any chance the Flood has from spreading even further. However, the Chief and the Arbiter first take a detour through High Charity to recover Cortana, who, under the grasp of Gravemind, had the activation Index for the replacement Halo. After rescuing the AI, they destroy the Covenant home world as they make their escape, which seemingly kills Gravemind.

When they arrive on the newly built Halo, they quickly discover that Gravemind is still alive, and attempting to reconstruct itself on the new Halo. The Chief, Arbiter, and Sergeant Johnson quickly make their way to the control room, where they attempt to fire Halo. Guilty Spark realizes that this will destroy his new ring because it is not fully ready yet, and kills Sergeant Johnson as he tries to activate the ring. Master Chief destroys Guilty Spark, activates the ring, and barely manages to escape with the Arbiter on Forward Unto Dawn, a UNSC frigate ship.

Back on Earth (March 3, 2553), a memorial service is held for fallen UNSC personnel. A memorial has been constructed from part of a spaceship, atop a hillside which Lord Hood orders will "remain barren". Affixed to the memorial are flowers, photos, and messages. Among the images seen on the memorial are that of Miranda Keyes and A. J. Johnson. After the service, Hood tells the Arbiter that although "I can never forgive what your kind did to mine", he tells the Arbiter that "You have my gratitude for sticking with him 'til the end". It is implied that John did not survive to make it back to Earth. Following this, the Arbiter departs, bound for the Elite homeworld above a Covenant cruiser. Further alluding to Master Chief's death is the numbers "117" scratched into the space ship fragment.

After the credit roll, footage is shown of the Master Chief and Cortana on-board the rear section of Forward Unto Dawn, which had apparently torn off during the slip-space jump; the pair are drifting through space. Cortana tells John she will drop a distress beacon, but that it could be years before they are found. The Chief makes it 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 game is completed on the Legendary difficulty, the section of Forward Unto Dawn that Cortana and the Chief are aboard is seen drifting towards an artificial looking planet after an unknown amount of time since he put himself in cyro. This may infact be Onyx.

The ending seems to imply that Bungie is in the works on a sequel to Halo 3, either as a video game, possibly Peter Jackson's Halo project, or the third novel from Tor in Bungie and Tor's three book contract.

This ending also draws an interesting parallel with the opening scene of Marathon, leading some to jump to conclusions and say that Halo 3 is in fact a direct prequel to Marathon. However, this is false since Bungie has on several occasions stated that Marathon and Halo do not occur in the same universe.

Template:Spoiler End

Halo 3 Levels

The levels in Halo 3 are:

  1. Sierra 117 - Make your way through a dense jungle.
  2. Crow's Nest - Help evacuate your headquarters.
  3. Tsavo Highway - Take the fight to the road.
  4. The Storm - Clear the anti-air battery near Voi.
  5. Floodgate - Quarantine the Flood before they cover the planet.
  6. The Ark - Find out exactly what the Covenant are up to by finding the Control Room.
  7. The Covenant - Eliminate the shield around the central structure and deal with the Prophet of Truth.
  8. Cortana - Rescue your AI companion from Flood-infested High Charity.
  9. Halo - Finish the fight.

Halo 3 Walkthrough

A Halo 3 Walkthrough/Guide has be released alongside the actual game. The walkthrough/guide, as of September 25, is available in stores

Controls

Because of differences between the XBOX original and XBOX 360 controller, and the addition of the new "equipment", there are a few differences on controls.

  • Right bumper: Click-Reload, Hold-Pick up weapon, exchange equipment, get in/out of vehicle, activate.
  • Left bumper: Click-switch grenades, reload(if dual-wielding) Hold-duel wield(when available).
  • Right trigger: Fire weapon
  • Left trigger: Throw grenade, shoot(if dual-wielding)
  • Left thumbstick: Move(Forward, Back, Strafe Left, Strafe Right)
  • Left thumbstick(click): Crouch
  • Right thumbstick: Look/Aim(Up, Down,Left, Right)
  • Right thumbstick(click): Activate scope/zoom
  • D-pad: Scroll through menu, up-team talk channel (Multiplayer), up-toggle monitor/spartan mode (Forge), toggle flashlight(Campaign)
  • A button: Jump/Select
  • B button: Melee/Back, pick support weapon up if in stationary mode.
  • X button: Deploy/Activate equipment
  • Y button: Switch weapons
  • Right Bumper, Left Bumper, Click-in Left Analog Stick, A, Down on D-Pad for 3 seconds: Lowers weapon (proof its real: [2])

You may also change controls to Halo Classic, as the control scheme as in Halo and Halo 2. Many other layouts will return such as the Southpaw and etc.

Changes from the Past Games

Multiplayer

File:600px-Mongoose.jpg
The Mongoose, one of Halo 3's new vehicles.
  • The Man Cannon is an addition capable of catapulting a player across a multiplayer map. It seems to have replaced the teleporter for Halo 3.
  • Energy Shield doors have been added to some multiplayer levels, which allow players to pass through, but cannot be shot through. Spike grenades can stick to these walls.
  • A new "Veto" system has been placed into the Halo 3 Matchmaking. Before the game starts for any game, players can choose whether to veto them out. If more than half of the player's votes are cast to veto, the game will assign a new map and gametype.
  • You now can customize the helmet and armor on multiplayer, but each of these permutations must be unlocked before they can be used. [1]
File:Spikers.jpg
Spikers and visible secondary weapons are two of Halo 3's new features.
  • Bungie have confirmed that there will be no Clan support in Halo 3. However, there may be an Xbox Live Dashboard update that supports clans.
  • The matchmaking system from Halo 2 will be revamped. The system will be based on two different ranks, skill and experience, in order to make the system more fair and to reflect the effect of experience on players' profiles.[2]
  • Call signs will be used instead of small HUD emblems to identify allies. Example: your ID is E77, and a team mate looks in your direction an arrow saying "E77" will appear over your head; in the game, if pointed at, your gamertag will appear.
  • A female voice will be in the final multiplayer game but the male voice will be the default. This will affect what sounds the player makes when grunting, hitting, etc.
  • Bungie has stated that the MJOLNIR Armor variants will not play an important role in campaign, and that it is just for aesthetic appeal in multiplayer. However, that does not mean they won't make any appearances in other corners of the Halo universe.

Features

Online & 4 Player Co-Op

The previous installment of the Halo series had implemented a 2-player Online Co-Op play (As seen in the "Switch to Co-Op" option in the Pregame Lobby). But was taken out of the final version due to balance and connection issues.

File:One Spartan and Three Sangheilis.jpg
All four playable characters for Co-Op.
File:The Four Heroes.jpg
The four characters in action

Originally Bungie confirmed Co-Op play on a system with two player split screen. They later confirmed a 4 player Co-Op option over Xbox Live or System Link.[3] Unlike previous Co-Op renditions this time each player takes on an individual canon approach. The first player will be Master Chief, the second will be the The Arbiter, the third will be N’tho ‘Sraom, with the fourth being Usze ‘Taham.

This will encourage replaying the game more and enjoying the game differently. Each player has the same abilities, with only their starting weapons differing: for example, if the Chief starts with a Battle Rifle, the Elites will start with a Carbine.

N’tho ‘Sraom and Usze ‘Taham are characters added for the 3- and 4-player Co-Op. The two new Elites, joining the Arbiter and Master Chief, both have real bios and appropriate fiction, but they will not be appearing in the cinematics and so on. They are designed to be believable and useful allies, without affecting the fictional arc in a negative way – and they do not appear in the game as AI controlled opponents during one or two player games.

Forge

Main article: Forge

Forge is an "object editor" that can be used to edit multiplayer maps. It was originally called a map editor until Bungie showed what one could do with it. In Forge, you can edit objects, spawnpoints, weapons and properties of objects on the map. And, when playing a map on forge, players may take control as a monitor and will obtain the ability to spawn weapons and vehicles in-game, as well as move/adjust them too.

Saved 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 mulitplayer match) These films can also be shared with Bungie.net.

Achievements

Main article: Halo 3 Achievements

Halo 3 has 49 achievements worth a total of 1000 GamerPoints that contributes to a player's overall GamerScore.

Equipment

Main article: Equipment

Campaign

Power Ups

Weapons

These are the weapons known to be in the game:

Covenant

Forerunner

UNSC

Vehicles

Covenant

File:Starry Night by the Ark.PNG
A Covenant Carrier Battle Group
Non-Usable


UNSC

Non-Usable

Storyline

Campaign Plot

See: Halo 3 Plot

The Ark

The Portal at Voi as seen in the Halo 3 announcement trailer.
The Dyson Portal to The Ark - as seen in the Halo 3 trailer.
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[3]) 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 sentinent 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 Halo's 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 [4] smaller.


Template:Spoiler End

Characters

Promotional image for Halo 3 featuring John-117 with an MA5C assault rifle on the campaign level Sierra 117.
Screenshot of The Master Chief
Promotional image for Halo 3 featuring John-117 with an MA5C assault rifle and Thel 'Vadam with a Vostu-pattern carbine on the campaign level Sierra 117.
The Master Chief and the Arbiter

Major Characters

UNSC

Covenant Separatists

Covenant Loyalists

Flood

Forerunner

File:Brutecaptain.jpg
A Render of a Brute Captain

Minor Characters

Co-Op Characters

UNSC

Covenant Separatists

Covenant Loyalists

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

File:H3 map.jpg
A concept model of High Ground.

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
  • Infinite ammo
  • Weapon pickup disabled
  • Player speed
    • (25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, 100%, 110%, 125%, 150%, 200%, 300%)
  • Player gravity
    • (50%, 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."

Variants

Spartan
Elite


To unlock these armor types certain achievements and single player actions must first be taken. A lot of them come naturally from completeing 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,"[4] 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.

Other Products

Halo 3 Xbox 360.
  • 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

File:Pumaontire.jpg
Puma on Tire
  • 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. [5]
  • 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). If you are a Nascar fan, then watch the Dover Nextel Cup on Sunday the 23rd. 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.
  • Hollywood Arts announced an auction for a voice cameo in Halo 3 on Febuary 6, 2007. The auction was held from Febuary 17, 2007 to Febuary 24, 2007.[6] The auction was won by the members of Rooster Teeth Productions, the makers of Red vs Blue. [7].
  • 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

  1. ^ http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12616
  2. ^ http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3155479
  3. ^ . The Chief is indeed standing in the ruins of New Mombasa where said artifact was uncovered. -- Bungie.net Weekly Update May 12, 2006
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/761/761866p1.html
  7. ^ Bungie podcast Episode III


Related Links

Internal

External

Template:MJOLNIR Variations Template:Elite Variations

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