Community High School

The Third Coming

Descending the staircase, Tim Smedley wore a look of anticipation. The day had finally arrived.

“I’ve been waiting for this game like the Second Coming… Er, I guess it’s the Third Coming now.”

That’s right, “Halo 3” has hit the stores and the wallets of countless people across the nation.

“Time to finish the fight,” Tim said with an air of confidence.  Sitting down at the couch, Tim and I waited patiently for the game to load. We planned to do four player cooperation mode and build camaraderie, through killing a bunch of aliens. Our plan was doomed from the start.

“Uh, guys… The Xbox says we can’t do four player co-op on the same screen,” I remarked dryly. Tim stared blankly at the TV, rage festering inside him.

“This is not happening,” he said.

It was happening. Tim had apparently been deceived into thinking that four player co-op was possible on one Xbox. He was wrong. Four player co-op required a LAN connection or another Xbox 360. We did have another 360, but lacked another copy of “Halo 3.” Tim did not realize this.

“All right, guys, this is fixable. Sawyer, drive me to my house.” Begrudgingly, Sawyer agreed.

This left Ben and me alone with Halo 3. Unfortunately for us, we only managed to get through about a quarter of the first level. Tim and Sawyer walked down the stairs. Tim was carrying another Xbox 360, but grinned sheepishly.

On the way back from my house I realized we didn’t have another copy of “Halo 3.” We did it for nothing.

We accepted the fact that four player co-op was not going to happen. Our expectations lowered. Now one thing needed to be settled: who would play first?

It was decided that Ben and Sawyer would play first, as Tim had already played the previous night. From the onset, the graphics impressed.  “Visually speaking, this game looks great,” Tim pointed out. “The water reflects sunlight. The trees sway in the wind. The physics are definitely a strong point, and they run off the Havoc engine.”

It did not take a long time for someone to die, and I picked up the sticks. The first level stood out to me because of the tropical setting that really showcased the graphics. Adjusting to the gameplay was not difficult. It has the same feel as “Halo 2,” for better or for worse. The most accessible new feature was the deployable equipment, which added a new dimension to the gameplay.

“The bubble shield is a pretty crucial development. When deployed, it creates a barrier for bullets and grenades. Enemies can still walk through it, so the game remains tough,” Tim commented. “They have limited lifespan, so you must make the best of it. Other deployable equipment includes the gravity lift, power drainers, invincibility, cover and cloaking.”

We got through the level and hit our stride. The introduction of new vehicles was entertaining and diversified the game. Brute Choppers, a motorcycle with rotating blades in front, soon became a favorite. The Mongoose, a four wheeler ATV, was one of Tim’s favorites. Other new vehicles were the Hornet, the human answer to the Banshee, the Elephant, which is a transport carrier, and a redefined Warthog.

As we played on, this “Halo” retained the strong points of its predecessors in terms of level design.

“The levels are vast and expansive. Those qualities promote an epic feel,” Tim said. “They don’t have the [repetition] of ‘Halo 2,’ which is appreciated.”

The weapons have been revamped as well. New additions include Spartan Laser, an aggravating weapon that takes three seconds to fire. The damaged inflicted is worth it, however.  The assault rifle returns from the original Halo, but with greater accuracy and a smaller clip. The new gravity hammer became an instant favorite: it is what it is. Other new weapons are the flame thrower, spike grenade, fire grenade, mauler, and Brute spiker. Tweaked weapons include the sniper rifle, battle rifle, and needler.

“What is this?” Ben said in excitement. He had torn off a turret from its mantle. Turrets are now portable and can instantly turn the tide of battle.

Eventually we tired of single player. It was on to multiplayer. The levels are bigger and more intricate. The designs vary from vast desert to cramped bridges. As always, taunting became a large part of multiplayer.  Tim, the more experienced player, challenged us to 3 vs. 1. Never one to miss to a chance to humiliate Tim, I accepted. It was embarrassingly close for Tim, though he was winning. Then the unexpected happened.

Tim has a lot of friends online. One of them, “Kanojed,” joined the game. It soon became wholesale slaughter. The game soon lost its appeal. We quit multiplayer.

Tim became anxious to show us his favorite new feature: saved film.

“This way I can watch myself own you guys as much I want,” he said smugly. He went on to explain. “In a sense, save films is instant replay of anything you would like to see on campaign, co-op, or multiplayer, on or offline. You can watch the action from anyone’s perspective or detatch the camera to roam freely across the map. You also rewind, fast forward, or pause the action at anytime. It really showcases Halo’s visual detail.”

The film does not have to sit in your hard drive. If your profile is linked to Bungie.net, you can upload it to the internet for anyone’s enjoyment.

At the end of the day, the new features and improved graphics make this game what it is. It’s immensely enjoyable and due to multiplayer, it’s fantastically replayable. The single player could have been longer, and our troubles with the four player co-op were pretty annoying. So, does it really live up to the hype? For Tim Smedley, the answer is a resounding yes.

“Was it worth the wait? Definitely. This is probably the last time anyone will hear from me for a while.”