Halo 3

[MrAngryFace]

I like it a lot so far. A bit easy on Normal, a LOT of fun on Heroic. Split screen is crap, then again who does that anymore. Then again I suppose more effort could have been put into it. Seems tacked on. Ah well. LIVE BABY. The AI is DEVIOUS. I mean that. The new high explosive fast projectiles are replaced grenades as oh shit, and snipers everywhere.

Also, visually, non split screen, its very impressive. Not so much because of what its pulling off, but because Bungie managed to not pull a Halo 2 with Halo 3 at a technical level.

[demi]

It's a LOT funner on Legendary. Let's roll out.

[MrAngryFace]

I suck at legendary. I played split screen with Drinky and some at home but Im playing WOW now, cause im tired and WOW is good for tired people. Plus I need to yell at the WOW forums about the latest patch sucking.

[Van Cruncheon]

yeah, it's good. i'm kinda dubious on the graphics on a technical level -- they aren't awful even at the worst, and they have their moments (like the explosions/debris and the lighting model), but it's clear that top-of-the-platform graphics aren't bungie's forte anymore. (apparently a bunch of the original devs left after halo?) like you said, though, at least they aren't glitchy like halo 2. the ai upgrade is great great great, and the set piece battles really impress. also GRAVITY HAMMER

[MrAngryFace]

Its not Halo 2, thats ALL I asked from Bungie, and I got what I wanted. So sad, Halo 2. I shouldnt see stuff render in front of me.

THAT GAME GOT 10s!

And also, the game looks very good, regardless. I mean we can nitpick, but there's way worse looking games out there, and even the original Halo isnt THAT good looking.

[Van Cruncheon]

it's pretty, yeah. still, when you're a tech nerd, it's instinct to play "spot the rendering issues". it's no halo 2 in that regard, for sure, but bungie still has plenty of room left to make a massive leap with halo 4 on the tech front.

halo games still get tactical firefights better than any competitor. no fps -- not even the ones on pc -- do believably dynamic large-scale shootouts like the halo series. period.

[Van Cruncheon]

also, how halo 2 got 10s is beyond me. i honestly think halo 1 is largely beyond reproach -- yes, even the library, which while a visual mess was just frenetic ammo-chewing fun -- but 2's sp is all kinds of screwed from the tech to the level design to the pacing. it has a lot of brilliant staged moments, but it is half the game (literally) halo 1 is. halo 3, so far, does everything better than 2 as well.

edit: forgot about the last level of halo 1 with the timed warthog race. that was gimpy.

[CajoleJuice]

Halo 1 co-op was some of the greatest shit ever.

[MrAngryFace]

TIMED WARTHOG RACE

[CajoleJuice]

Holy shit, I just got on XBL and see 25 friends online. Out of the 21 actually playing a game, it's all Halo 3.

[Van Cruncheon]

hey, i was just on playing blue dragon

[CajoleJuice]

I think you were offline by the time I came on. I did not see Blue Dragon.

[Van Cruncheon]

i beat disc 1 :'(

[demi]

i beat disc 1 :'(

Did you think it was WOW OMG like most people were saying? I didn't.

That comes at the End of Disc 2 - Beginning of Disc 3

[Van Cruncheon]

the water physics are neat -- when they're available -- and the light scattering is nice. i also like the more subtle hdr use as opposed to ABUSE in some games (lol heavenly sword wut).

though man while i am no 360 programming expert i can't fathom what in their rendering model would preclude 4x aa. as i told tvc, i think their scene rendering algorithms must be straight up brute force with little consideration for post-processing. in fact, the game seems to lack any real post-processing effects all around.

like i said in the other thread, the graphics are a mixed bag on a technical level. overall it looks really solid, but the curtain is thin and there are tears at the edges.

[Van Cruncheon]

i beat disc 1 :'(

Did you think it was WOW OMG like most people were saying? I didn't.

That comes at the End of Disc 2 - Beginning of Disc 3

it was a really good dungeon and a satisfying conclusion to the end of the disc, but no, i wasn't blown away. the pacing is too sharply done so far to make the player climax this early, anyhow.

[drohne]

the lighting is really nice sometimes, but otherwise i'm not seeing the 'pretty.' the second level really looks like xbox 1 material. and bungie can't model human beings. yes, i know, cutscenes don't matter -- but going from heavenly sword's cutscenes to halo 3's cutscenes is like going back in time five years. every time i see miranda keyes and her independently operating sphincter mouth i reach instinctively for the right trigger.

two levels in, i haven't made my mind up about the game -- the first level has some GREAT open battlefields. but elsewhere it feels like halo 2, with big enemy packs who'd easily overwhelm you if they put in the slightest effort, but instead sit back and let you pick them apart with a br or carbine. on heroic. this is still fun -- is perhaps more fun than any fps that isn't called 'halo' -- but it's nowhere near as much fun as halo 1's intelligent, malevolent, aggressive elites. i'm not sure replacing elites with brutes was a good idea -- perhaps they ought not to have committed to that plot development -- space monkeys whose clothes fall off as they approach death are impossible to take seriously. though functionally they now behave a great deal like halo 2's elites.

that all sounds a bit negative, but it's just the skepticism of a big halo fan -- the mechanics are still shit hot, and i'm still totally engrossed when i'm playing. LET'S SEE HOW IT DEVELOPS

[demi]

Here's a thread on Achieve360Points of the locations of the hidden skulls. The skulls let you modify the game, for the little "meta-game" achievements. You also get an achievement for finding the skull itself. I think I'm the only one who cares about this, but if you want to squeeze a little more out of your investment^^^^^

http://www.achieve360points.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53723

[BlueTsunami]

I would totally buy this game but I'm not good at game juggling

[Van Cruncheon]

i think it's pretty. not gorgeous, just pretty. my eyes -- when they aren't on the cutscene models -- are pleased. the color choice is great, the lighting model is nice, and the special effects are bright, varied, and dynamic.

yeah, the bit inside the hq is pretty sparse on the crazy shader effects, but it isn't until i spent a little time in retrospect that i noticed. i don't wanna sound like a gaf apologist, but really: you're inside a concrete structure, and the environmental art direction has never been about garish normal mapping and per-pixel lighting abuse. i think it's fine. if i'm gonna nitpick, i'll go after some pretty lo-fi textures, but again, i didn't really notice at the time.

[demi]

I would totally buy this game but I'm not good at game juggling

I thought "game juggling" only applied to RPGs, you can run through Halo in a weekend. On easy, lol.

[Van Cruncheon]

demi, to most people, the appeal is the multiplayer. loner.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

I put the disc in and my 360 RRODed.  Couldn't even get passed the Bungie logo.

[demi]

Multiplayer will still be there when I get back a year from now, no rush diving in!

[Van Cruncheon]

good art goes the country mile. see: metroid prime. half the ninthings think the game was a technical powerhouse on the gc.

[Van Cruncheon]

I put the disc in and my 360 RRODed.  Couldn't even get passed the Bungie logo.

jesus. there is indeed a cruel gaming god amok today.

[drohne]

i thought bungie's art direction wavered in parts of halo 2, but yeah, they've gotten back to a clean, distinctive, and attractively-colored look. the graphics are nothing approaching a problem for me, but everything else i'm going to play this fall looks completely OMGWTF, and it's a little disappointing that halo 3 isn't on that level.

sucks about the untimely rrod, hitler (can i call you hitler?) -- i've been worried that about that happening. i guess there's still time :x

[Candyflip]

I'm really regretting not having a 360 at the moment. Fuck me.

[CajoleJuice]

One of my buddies with a 360 that had never really played Halo before went from "Eh this game isn't that good, I kinda wish I didn't buy it" to "Ok, this is pretty fun" in only about 3 multiplayer games.

[Van Cruncheon]

they aren't kidding, btw, when they (they being the folks who wrote the ui text) said that in easy mode "the game plays itself." even normal is pretty easy, although i'm just bad enough at console fps to enjoy the cakewalk. i might bump up to heroic given that it still takes like 10 good hits post-shield to kill you.

[MrAngryFace]

IM PLAYING WOW

Also play heroic or dont play

[demi]

IM PLAYING WOW

Also play heroic or dont play

[MrAngryFace]

SORRY DEMI I MEANT LEGENDARY

[Vizzys]

We were playing LAN and I couldn't rid of black bars on the side of my widescreen HDTV when it was split in two. Is there a way to make it a vertical split or make the horizontal fill up the whole screen? The rest of the game (ie menus, lobbies) are full widescreen so I don't know what the problem is...

its not your fault, nor your tv's

blame the devs if you wish but thats not an error, just a design choice

(a choice that if you read bungies halo 3 forums, pisses alot of people off)

[CajoleJuice]

Oh wtf, that's horrible.

[CajoleJuice]

I couldn't wait to try out some split-screen co-op over my friend's house on his new HDTV.

[Vizzys]

with the amount of bitching it seems to be generating, it probably will

I still need my copy of this game

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

I asked this on GAF but I've got a feeling that'll just get lost in all the hoopla....

I went out and got a new 360 since I was on a replacement program but now that I'm home it won't recognize my wireless router so I can't connect to Live . I've reset both my modem and my router but still no luck. Any advice?

[TVC15]

I dunno.  I really can't help but be disappointed, especially seeing the fidelty of graphics in a lot of next gen games for truly the first time over the past week.

This is the single most important game that will be released in the 360's lifespan.  This is the "decisive" holiday season.  This is the biggest name in the MS arsenal.  This is probably the most well known game of these years (that isn't GTA).  Why does it still appear to be using an engine that is a direct descendent (and not even that far of a descendent) of the first Halo?  Did all of Bungie's good technical people leave after Halo, leaving their technology team to somewhat half-assedly hammer improvements onto the basic engine?

I mean, clear comparison, graphically, this game is sort of a metaphorical equivalent to Metroid Prime 3:  it's art is its saving grace, and it's a slight improvement over previous entries, but not by a ton.  Yes, comparing the game to Metroid Prime 3 on the GC 1.5 means that I am basically saying this is more Xbox 1.5 than 360.

More?  Resistance looks better.  Resistance has AA.  Resistance doesn't have the slight (very slight) hitches that Halo 3 has.  Of course, it doesn't have the Halo AI, or the better art, but I still think the graphical fidelity of the 360's Big Gun should at least match that of a launch title on the 360's rival system.  Forget about matching Gears, that was probably the more important achievement.

Like I said, though, it plays well enough.  It's Halo.  Not a huge advancement in play, but more Halo is always a good thing.

[Van Cruncheon]

pretty much. personally, i'm happy with a good game, and i'll let the gaffot fanboy brigade fight this one, but it would have been nice to see bungie knock one out of the park technically. ah well, the visuals hardly impede the gameplay, and the visual bits that DO matter -- the physics, the explosions, and the weapon feedback -- are there. still, it ain't gonna make any LOL PS3 SUX megalists in the future console wars!

resistance is definitely more impressive technically, but it's also grey, has terrible enemy ai which substitutes hitpoint sinks for meaningful engagement, and has some of the worst weapon balance ever. it's fun, but it still feels amateurish in design next to halo 3, visual complaints aside. halo 1 really had it all, and we've come to expect it all from future installments, but i ain't gonna let visual flaws ruin a good game for me. unless that game is on the wii, because YUCK.

[CajoleJuice]

After playing a bit more multi, I'm reminded of why I never was all that impressed with Halo 2. I'm going to be playing much more TF2 and COD4, I think.

[Van Cruncheon]

how many times did you get called a motherjew n*ggerfaggot

[CajoleJuice]

I heard variations of "your mom" about a dozen times already.

[TVC15]

Yeah, but you know how it goes.  In the fanboy wars, graphics are more important than gameplay, and now 360 is "weaker" than PS3.

I am hoping later levels throw more physics in.  From what I've played, it's just a bunch of little objects and it has little importance on gameplay.  I like when physics are implemented and used in a game.  Like in Bullet Witch.

[drohne]

if we're talking halo 2 onwards, i'm really not seeing the excellence of halo's ai. with halo 2 they decided to double or triple the number of enemies on screen, and to balance the thing, enemies stopped trying very hard to kill you. remember in halo when you run into maybe four elites at the end of 'assault on the control room'? that's an 'oh shit' moment on heroic or legendary, where you have to try and squeeze a ghost in or use ridiculous hit-and-run tactics. in halos 2 and 3 you can take out a dozen brutes or elites from cover, more or less at your leisure. the enemies in resistance are really stupid about grenades -- probably by design rather than negligence -- but they'll flank you pretty aggressively. and i don't know if anyone agrees with me, but the enemy ai in gears is maybe the best i've ever seen -- the way locusts methodically encroach on your position is awesome.

[Van Cruncheon]

it's more the individual ai than the group ai, true, but i had a moment with an armorless brute where he put his back to a tree and sidled around it while i circled-strafed. as i fired on his position, he waved grunts from the brush and a couple tentatively attacked while the rest broke and fled. it's the ILLUSION that bungie's ai folks are so good at -- they understand that i don't want smarter-than-me algorithmically brilliant superbots, i want the idea that there's personalities and wills of various strengths governing the entities, and that context matters enough to make my enemies react in quasi-realistic rather than optimal ways. and while it's hardly that sophisticated, the illusion is there, and that makes me really get into the game.

[drohne]

yeah, maybe i should be playing halo 3 instead of posting about it -- i haven't even had time to see moments like that

[CajoleJuice]

Maybe I should play the campaign.

Or TF2.

[TVC15]

I had a peanut butter sandwich and my tummy isn't quite in FPS mode, but I wanna play it.

[Lucretius]

I played the first ten minutes of campaign mode and I started getting motion sick.  Bungie should partner up with the pharmaceutical industry for some "Finish the Fight" branded Dramamine. 

[Van Cruncheon]

INNER EAR FUEL

[TVC15]

Maybe it's an age thing, but over the past few months, I have noticed myself getting motion sick with a few games, whereas it used to only happen with a few PC FPSes before, usually ones with either odd fields of view or weird framerates.

[MrAngryFace]

Resistence doesnt look better, come on ;p

[CajoleJuice]

I really have no urge to play this game. I just played solo campaign for like 5 minutes and turned it off. Then I stared at the title screen for a while. Maybe it's because I know I have work I should be doing. I'll do that now, I guess.

[Van Cruncheon]

no-one said it looked better -- that's a purely subjective thing. i said it was a more technically impressive game, given that it is pushing a lot more polys, has more effects, and has anti-aliasing. whether or not that translates to "looks better" is up to the individual. personally, i find slate grey and dark ochre unappealing without a little variety to break it up, and resistance waits until far too late in the game to do so.

[MrAngryFace]

well if we're gonna argue things that are relative lemme open up another new forum, cause we're gonna need room.

[Lucretius]

not that there's anything really wrong with the controls, but after playing Metroid Prime 3 for the past week I find myself really wishing I could play Halo 3 with Wii aiming controls.  I think it would help with my motion sickness too.  Again, this is not me complaining about the Halo controls... just me confessing that I generally suck at FPS's on consoles and I'm a total mouthbreathing queasy wuss.

[demi]

If you want to play, I'm waiting in Legendary, babes.

[MrAngryFace]

Of all of us I think Demi has actually PLAYED the game the most lol

[Van Cruncheon]

Of all of us I think Demi has actually PLAYED games the most lol

fixed