Post by TTR Dr Payne on Jul 2, 2007 20:58:11 GMT -4
The pictures dont show up here so make sure you go to the link because theres pics of new vehicles that look crazy!!
As some of you may know, im not the biggest Halo fan out there, but man did this stuff make me drool, and i havnt even read the entire thing yet!
xbox360.ign.com/articles/800/800896p1.html
Halo 3: Beyond the Beta
IGN visits Bungie for an in-depth look at new maps, vehicles, items and more. Hot new screens inside.
by Patrick Kolan, IGN AU
Australia, July 1, 2007 - A little while ago, IGN was invited to Bungie's military-compound-like studio for a very hush-hush look at what lies beyond the beta. Since then, the beta has come and gone, but the fire still burns. And, because we know that you want every scrap, every drop, every molecule you can scrounge on Halo 3's content, we humbly present a few fresh chunks of information on new maps, vehicles and items.
Plus, at no extra cost, we have an extensive interview with two of the most influential figures in Halo 3's development - Jaime Griesemer, Sandbox Design Lead, and Tyson Green, Multiplayer Design Lead. Check out their candid comments on the evolution of Halo 3's deployable equipment, the medals system, and the new film-capturing options and their implications.
Woah. Note the custom armour permutations.
Perhaps more telling than this interview, however, was Bungie's willingness to show off its game to a potentially critical audience - it was a vote of supreme confidence in their title and ultimately a show of force for a title that will be a key feature on the 360 by Christmas 2007. Halo 3 is also a test-bed for the potential for user-generated replay content - something that the team is looking to potentially integrate into their website. Bungie can rest assured - it's definitely on track to deliver a knock-out multiplayer experience.
Featured in an area either in Halo 3's menu, on its homepage or tantalizingly, both, 'Bungie Recommends' is a highlighted area where Bungie will promote its favorite user-generated content for the world to digest and reflect upon. User-generated content has long been limited to the platform from which it originated. However, if Bungie integrates its community pages into Halo 3's menus or the 360's blades, the game could pave the way for true online community building.
Such a point will remain moot until closer to release. However, one area we can delve into with absolute certainty are the fresh maps that were unveiled to us: Epitaph, Shrine and Last Resort. These are three new courses that will be in the final game - although their names may shift before the final game drops. Let's dive into the fray.
Epitaph
The first of the fresh maps unveiled to our eager eyes and twitching trigger fingers was the gothic and foreboding Forerunner-inspired 'Epitaph'. Dark and cathedral-like with towering panes of sky-blue glass stretching a hundred feet into the air, Epitaph is an intimidating map to play on. The walls are rendered in cement and stone with shades of grey, broken by bolts of blue light shining into the structure through enormous window panes. Blind corners abound, and the multiple levels and sheer length of the presumably religiously-significant chamber make for tense matches. It's not an enormous structure - from one end to another, the chamber spans perhaps 200 virtual feet - and the symmetry only adds to the confusion and chaos.
Epitaph - full of atmosphere and some amazing architecture.
The main chamber is lined with wide pillars that run down the sides of the space. These are wide enough to realistically support the steep and distant ceiling while providing plenty of cover at ground level.
The Forerunner-influenced building is perhaps more impressive from the outside - we were shown the structure with the free-roaming camera activated; this is presumably a function that will be useable in the saved replay video function, but for the sake of a more spectacular and effective preview, Bungie activated it during the game.
The map is definitely suited to close-quarters combat - it's a corridor shooter's dream. Forcing players into a confined space can also limit team-based game-types; it might not be the best suited environment for a sprawling king-of-the-hill game, for instance.
Halo 3 just gets better looking every time we see it.
On the other hand, the inclusion of two man-cannons (one at each end of the main chamber) adds considerably to the pace. A jump pad, set into the base of the wall, propels you into the air and onto the upper tiers of the level. From this point, you can leap across the chasm via man-cannon and land on a precariously shifting, gravity-affected platform containing a sole Covenant Energy Sword.
It's not an immediately classic map, unlike High Ground with its central gate system which we absolutely adore. Epitaph serves a different purpose. Half of the map's appeal lies in the solemn and foreboding atmosphere. What it lacks in gameplay gimmicks, it makes up for in personality and blind-corner challenge.
Last Resort - Zanzibar Reborn
Halo 2's fan-favorite, Zanzibar, lives on in the drastically improved and expanded Last Resort. In keeping with the coastal resort feel, Bungie used the opportunity to show off Halo 3's fantastic water effects - something also demonstrable in Valhalla's river system. The ripple and breaker effects, the refractions and reflections and the deforming surface of the water are all breathtaking.
Facing away from the sea shore, the far left side of the map has been drastically redesigned and expanded. For those who haven't played the original Zanzibar, the most iconic feature on this map is an enormous rotating, circular generator at the centre of the expanse. Set behind it, away from the shore, is a massive fortress. Defensive walls, outposts and a lot of natural environmental objects are spread along the width of the map. If the front half is a blend of nature and technology, the far end, with its warehouses and rooms, is almost a separate map unto itself.
The original Xbox Halo 2 version...
The scale has been upped considerably since the original Xbox version. This was emphasized by a pretty simple demonstration from Bungie, which ran the original version in 480p and then swapped across to the remake running on fresh hardware. Most noticeable were the improved textures - the Xbox original was positively unsightly by comparison. Full HDR lighting was also implemented and looked impressive when transitioning from indoors to outdoors.
Unlike the original, a greater emphasis has been placed on making the map much more vehicle-friendly. New vehicle paths, wrapping around the left side of the map and into the fortress, have been added. However, to get your set of wheels inside the complex requires deactivating large retractable cement blocks. The activation / deactivation console sits on a suspended walkway near the entrance - on the inside. For team-based game types, this is the perfect combination of required teamwork and risk-taking that fuels the most exciting matches.
...The Xbox 360 Halo 3 version.
Also newly added to the map are a number of suspended walkways. These extend from the expanded hangar area (containing the vehicle-blocker controls) and wrap around to the outside. The walkways are lined with guardrails; these are conveniently broken up in places, allowing for a clean line of sight for a well-timed blast with a rocket or peppering from an assault rifle.
We found that the fresh emphasis on vehicles makes for more flexibility with game modes - capture the flag in particular worked very well, with squads coordinating to lower the gates and infiltrate the building from two sides. Factor into this the sheer size of the map and you'll find the sweet-spot number of players sits at around 6-on-6.
Just as it was in Halo 2, Last Resort will likely continue to be a favorite pick for just about every game type. With just enough new content and redesigns to keep the map feeling fresh and fun, we can't wait to log a few more hours into it.
Shrine
The final map unveiled to us was perhaps the most interesting departure in design ethic for the series so far. Shrine is an open, expansive desert with a large, segmented cement shrine winding through the level like a spinal column. Like Epitaph before it, the Bungie design team explained that the structures in Shrine were of Forerunner origin. The strings of buildings jut out of enormous dunes, corners worn and weathered by the ages. Giant towers loom grey and tall in the distance, stretching high into the sky which itself is dominated by an enormous craft, almost like a mothership, looming ominously overhead.
Shrine - Big, wide and full of debris. Vehicular carnage for all!
The overall intended effect is that of overwhelming scale. This is by far the largest multiplayer map yet introduced - reportedly roughly the length of Valhalla, but four times as wide. It's huge. Therefore, Shrine has been designed as a vehicle-based map; players need to get themselves some wheels or wings in order to be competitive. Likewise, a map of this scale really needs the full 16 players in order to feel lively.
If Snowbound is the obligatory ice-map and Valhalla is the token Blood Gulch, then Shrine is desert through and through. The 360 does wonders with subtle heat-haze effects; characters and environmental objects cast clean shadows over rippling sand, and HDR adds to the feeling of intense, dry heat. It's the kind of map that, due to its size, really makes good use of native widescreen, too.
Note the very faint, enormous mothershuip looming over the map in the distance. That thing is Super-Star-Destroyer huge.
Shrine was only displayed in video form - captured via the in-game video creator - and as such, we were unable to play it. We have a lot of questions, such as how are players held within the boundaries of the map (Invisible walls? A continuous, sheer cliff face? Unscaleable dunes?), are the Forerunner buildings enterable and how will the map handle weapon and vehicle respawns, given the scale. However, the recreated footage also unveiled two previously unannounced features for the final release - a new vehicle called the Brute Chopper, and a fresh way to customize your character with unlockable armor, dubbed 'Armor Permutations'.
Brute Chopper
It is on the map Shrine that we were introduced to the Brute Chopper. Originally referred to online as the 'Brute Ghost', this vehicle is actually a new variety of vehicle altogether.
The Brute Chopper. Can you sense the chaos waiting to unfurl?
Being a Brute-based bundle of high-technology, the Chopper is all about muscle. The front wheel is huge, with steel treads and a lot of chutzpah. The rear of the Chopper hovers with a similar glitter-effect seen on Ghosts - hence the misnomer. However, the oversized, steel treaded front-drive wheel makes it very stable and quick. Even tearing along and making a tight turn on a slope barely fazes it - it's tricky to roll this sucker.
It's a cross between a Harley and a Ghost - with a giant ramming wheel at the front. Awesome.
The Brute Chopper is also packing some vicious firepower. Armed with twin front-mounted cannons, its offensive weaponry is based around the Brute Spiker rapid-fire handguns. As we know, Spikers are devastating at close range and since the Chopper's enormous wheel is perfect for ramming, expect a lot of devious, into-the-fray tactics. It also has in impressive boost function, adding to its already impressive abilities.
The Jammer
This tool is designed for players who like to freak out the opposing team via the clever use of electronic countermeasures.
When you fire up the Jammer, the sides pop out, exposing the red, glowing core. And when you see that core, it mean's you're too close. So run.
Deployable with the X button, the Jammer interferes with motion-tracking and causes your nemesis' screen, as well as your own, to flash. It also causes everybody's motion trackers to suddenly indicate points of activity all over the place. It's instant mayhem and causes lingering disorientation.
Mjolnir Spartan Armour Permutations
As we've established, Bungie is really heeding community trends right now, and part of its grand schemes is to allow much more customization with regard to your Halo 3 multiplayer alias.
One of the more elaborate permutations. Goldtastic!
Details are still sketchy, but we understand that at some point during the single player campaign, you'll unlock special armor and helmets that you can apply to your multiplayer character. These include two new variants - C.Q.B. (Close Quarters Battle) and E.V.A. (Extra-Vehicular Activity). Are they collectible? Tradable? Will they be associated with your online military-equivalent ranking? Will they improve your defensive capabilities, or are they merely 'decorative'? We tend to think it's solely a visual difference, but only Bungie knows, and even then, the implementation is still up in the air right now. All we know for certain is that having a unique online presence is very attractive right now, and Halo 3 is going to jump on that bandwagon.
Design-wise, only two new pieces of new Mjolnir Spartan armor were on display. These included a nifty alternate helmet with larger curved front glass stretching into the forehead of the helmet, like the armored variants on the cover of the Halo: Ghosts of Onyx novel. We also saw some pauldrons (effectively shoulder armor, for all you non-RPG players) and chest plates, but we'd speculate that there will be a tidy range of different items to collect and apply.
We've been fans of that helmet design ever since we saw it on the cover of the novel.
We'd love to see this tied to the 'Medals' system of accomplishments, where you gain new armor for pulling off spectacular kills and maintaining an impressive online presence. In this way, a person's armor can be tied to their abilities for an at-a-glance indication of their skills. Moreover, we'd also love to see fresh armor permutations released via the Xbox Live Marketplace to keep variations high.
Saved Films and Content Sharing
Also landing in the name of 'community', Bungie is offering players the ability to store a few cool things on its servers. As the beta has demonstrated (in a very limited capacity), players can save and replay matches. It's important to note that these aren't videos, which are prerecorded, static and very large in size. Instead, Halo 3 tracks data during the match and the game is able to recreate every player movement, whizzing bullet, roaring explosion, and accidental pratfalls on the fly. This keeps the file size very small which in turn reduces the burden on your bandwidth and Bungie's servers.
Note the screenshot controls on the bottom right.
These can then be exchanged with other players and, by all indications internally, there are plans to make sure the coolest videos are viewable by the masses. Players can activate the Saved Film option via the Post-game Lobby, where all you need to do is hit a button and the match is saved to your private Halo 3 File Sharing area. This area acts as a hub for watching replays, sending films to friends and editing the clip down to size - handy if you want to highlight a particular moment. You can also watch the clip as a Group, giving you the opportunity to call out that punk who keeps camping in the hills and taking potshots for most of the match.
But the opportunity for creativity and interaction doesn't stop there; no sir. The file storing and sharing process extends to screenshots you can capture during your stored replay. You can fiddle with the camera angles, zoom and player perspective to compose your awesome, freaky or hilarious moment. The plan is also to allow players to access these screens via the Bungie website for whatever innocuous or devious purposes you might devise. No mention of recording custom voice-overs though - we're sure the boys at Rooster Teeth (creators of Red vs Blue) would appreciate such a feature.
This is the File Share menu, where you can send off your screens and videos.
You can also, thankfully, save more practical things like your favorite game settings, map variants and modes too - no more having to tweak all the settings every time you want to play your favorite map and mode at a friend's place. If you're keen to see another player's saved content, favorite modes or map settings, all you need to do is highlight their GamerTag and click through. Easy.
After our hands-on with the new courses, in addition to a then-early play through the public beta, our conclusion is that the Halo series has fire in the belly and a team behind it that won't be satisfied with a game that is anything less than the best shooter on the system - on any system, even. The public beta is a good indicator of where it's headed, but what we saw is even better.
The stats page - expect lots of nifty medals in the final game.
The Halo series brings with it a sizzle that most franchises just can't muster; Halo 3's mechanics are razor sharp and deserving of all the critical praise the series has received so far. What's even more exciting is the idea that this is just a fraction of a segment of the game. We know next to nothing about the single-player campaign and the number of maps yet to be revealed outnumbers those that have. And that's why we're excited.
As some of you may know, im not the biggest Halo fan out there, but man did this stuff make me drool, and i havnt even read the entire thing yet!
xbox360.ign.com/articles/800/800896p1.html
Halo 3: Beyond the Beta
IGN visits Bungie for an in-depth look at new maps, vehicles, items and more. Hot new screens inside.
by Patrick Kolan, IGN AU
Australia, July 1, 2007 - A little while ago, IGN was invited to Bungie's military-compound-like studio for a very hush-hush look at what lies beyond the beta. Since then, the beta has come and gone, but the fire still burns. And, because we know that you want every scrap, every drop, every molecule you can scrounge on Halo 3's content, we humbly present a few fresh chunks of information on new maps, vehicles and items.
Plus, at no extra cost, we have an extensive interview with two of the most influential figures in Halo 3's development - Jaime Griesemer, Sandbox Design Lead, and Tyson Green, Multiplayer Design Lead. Check out their candid comments on the evolution of Halo 3's deployable equipment, the medals system, and the new film-capturing options and their implications.
Woah. Note the custom armour permutations.
Perhaps more telling than this interview, however, was Bungie's willingness to show off its game to a potentially critical audience - it was a vote of supreme confidence in their title and ultimately a show of force for a title that will be a key feature on the 360 by Christmas 2007. Halo 3 is also a test-bed for the potential for user-generated replay content - something that the team is looking to potentially integrate into their website. Bungie can rest assured - it's definitely on track to deliver a knock-out multiplayer experience.
Featured in an area either in Halo 3's menu, on its homepage or tantalizingly, both, 'Bungie Recommends' is a highlighted area where Bungie will promote its favorite user-generated content for the world to digest and reflect upon. User-generated content has long been limited to the platform from which it originated. However, if Bungie integrates its community pages into Halo 3's menus or the 360's blades, the game could pave the way for true online community building.
Such a point will remain moot until closer to release. However, one area we can delve into with absolute certainty are the fresh maps that were unveiled to us: Epitaph, Shrine and Last Resort. These are three new courses that will be in the final game - although their names may shift before the final game drops. Let's dive into the fray.
Epitaph
The first of the fresh maps unveiled to our eager eyes and twitching trigger fingers was the gothic and foreboding Forerunner-inspired 'Epitaph'. Dark and cathedral-like with towering panes of sky-blue glass stretching a hundred feet into the air, Epitaph is an intimidating map to play on. The walls are rendered in cement and stone with shades of grey, broken by bolts of blue light shining into the structure through enormous window panes. Blind corners abound, and the multiple levels and sheer length of the presumably religiously-significant chamber make for tense matches. It's not an enormous structure - from one end to another, the chamber spans perhaps 200 virtual feet - and the symmetry only adds to the confusion and chaos.
Epitaph - full of atmosphere and some amazing architecture.
The main chamber is lined with wide pillars that run down the sides of the space. These are wide enough to realistically support the steep and distant ceiling while providing plenty of cover at ground level.
The Forerunner-influenced building is perhaps more impressive from the outside - we were shown the structure with the free-roaming camera activated; this is presumably a function that will be useable in the saved replay video function, but for the sake of a more spectacular and effective preview, Bungie activated it during the game.
The map is definitely suited to close-quarters combat - it's a corridor shooter's dream. Forcing players into a confined space can also limit team-based game-types; it might not be the best suited environment for a sprawling king-of-the-hill game, for instance.
Halo 3 just gets better looking every time we see it.
On the other hand, the inclusion of two man-cannons (one at each end of the main chamber) adds considerably to the pace. A jump pad, set into the base of the wall, propels you into the air and onto the upper tiers of the level. From this point, you can leap across the chasm via man-cannon and land on a precariously shifting, gravity-affected platform containing a sole Covenant Energy Sword.
It's not an immediately classic map, unlike High Ground with its central gate system which we absolutely adore. Epitaph serves a different purpose. Half of the map's appeal lies in the solemn and foreboding atmosphere. What it lacks in gameplay gimmicks, it makes up for in personality and blind-corner challenge.
Last Resort - Zanzibar Reborn
Halo 2's fan-favorite, Zanzibar, lives on in the drastically improved and expanded Last Resort. In keeping with the coastal resort feel, Bungie used the opportunity to show off Halo 3's fantastic water effects - something also demonstrable in Valhalla's river system. The ripple and breaker effects, the refractions and reflections and the deforming surface of the water are all breathtaking.
Facing away from the sea shore, the far left side of the map has been drastically redesigned and expanded. For those who haven't played the original Zanzibar, the most iconic feature on this map is an enormous rotating, circular generator at the centre of the expanse. Set behind it, away from the shore, is a massive fortress. Defensive walls, outposts and a lot of natural environmental objects are spread along the width of the map. If the front half is a blend of nature and technology, the far end, with its warehouses and rooms, is almost a separate map unto itself.
The original Xbox Halo 2 version...
The scale has been upped considerably since the original Xbox version. This was emphasized by a pretty simple demonstration from Bungie, which ran the original version in 480p and then swapped across to the remake running on fresh hardware. Most noticeable were the improved textures - the Xbox original was positively unsightly by comparison. Full HDR lighting was also implemented and looked impressive when transitioning from indoors to outdoors.
Unlike the original, a greater emphasis has been placed on making the map much more vehicle-friendly. New vehicle paths, wrapping around the left side of the map and into the fortress, have been added. However, to get your set of wheels inside the complex requires deactivating large retractable cement blocks. The activation / deactivation console sits on a suspended walkway near the entrance - on the inside. For team-based game types, this is the perfect combination of required teamwork and risk-taking that fuels the most exciting matches.
...The Xbox 360 Halo 3 version.
Also newly added to the map are a number of suspended walkways. These extend from the expanded hangar area (containing the vehicle-blocker controls) and wrap around to the outside. The walkways are lined with guardrails; these are conveniently broken up in places, allowing for a clean line of sight for a well-timed blast with a rocket or peppering from an assault rifle.
We found that the fresh emphasis on vehicles makes for more flexibility with game modes - capture the flag in particular worked very well, with squads coordinating to lower the gates and infiltrate the building from two sides. Factor into this the sheer size of the map and you'll find the sweet-spot number of players sits at around 6-on-6.
Just as it was in Halo 2, Last Resort will likely continue to be a favorite pick for just about every game type. With just enough new content and redesigns to keep the map feeling fresh and fun, we can't wait to log a few more hours into it.
Shrine
The final map unveiled to us was perhaps the most interesting departure in design ethic for the series so far. Shrine is an open, expansive desert with a large, segmented cement shrine winding through the level like a spinal column. Like Epitaph before it, the Bungie design team explained that the structures in Shrine were of Forerunner origin. The strings of buildings jut out of enormous dunes, corners worn and weathered by the ages. Giant towers loom grey and tall in the distance, stretching high into the sky which itself is dominated by an enormous craft, almost like a mothership, looming ominously overhead.
Shrine - Big, wide and full of debris. Vehicular carnage for all!
The overall intended effect is that of overwhelming scale. This is by far the largest multiplayer map yet introduced - reportedly roughly the length of Valhalla, but four times as wide. It's huge. Therefore, Shrine has been designed as a vehicle-based map; players need to get themselves some wheels or wings in order to be competitive. Likewise, a map of this scale really needs the full 16 players in order to feel lively.
If Snowbound is the obligatory ice-map and Valhalla is the token Blood Gulch, then Shrine is desert through and through. The 360 does wonders with subtle heat-haze effects; characters and environmental objects cast clean shadows over rippling sand, and HDR adds to the feeling of intense, dry heat. It's the kind of map that, due to its size, really makes good use of native widescreen, too.
Note the very faint, enormous mothershuip looming over the map in the distance. That thing is Super-Star-Destroyer huge.
Shrine was only displayed in video form - captured via the in-game video creator - and as such, we were unable to play it. We have a lot of questions, such as how are players held within the boundaries of the map (Invisible walls? A continuous, sheer cliff face? Unscaleable dunes?), are the Forerunner buildings enterable and how will the map handle weapon and vehicle respawns, given the scale. However, the recreated footage also unveiled two previously unannounced features for the final release - a new vehicle called the Brute Chopper, and a fresh way to customize your character with unlockable armor, dubbed 'Armor Permutations'.
Brute Chopper
It is on the map Shrine that we were introduced to the Brute Chopper. Originally referred to online as the 'Brute Ghost', this vehicle is actually a new variety of vehicle altogether.
The Brute Chopper. Can you sense the chaos waiting to unfurl?
Being a Brute-based bundle of high-technology, the Chopper is all about muscle. The front wheel is huge, with steel treads and a lot of chutzpah. The rear of the Chopper hovers with a similar glitter-effect seen on Ghosts - hence the misnomer. However, the oversized, steel treaded front-drive wheel makes it very stable and quick. Even tearing along and making a tight turn on a slope barely fazes it - it's tricky to roll this sucker.
It's a cross between a Harley and a Ghost - with a giant ramming wheel at the front. Awesome.
The Brute Chopper is also packing some vicious firepower. Armed with twin front-mounted cannons, its offensive weaponry is based around the Brute Spiker rapid-fire handguns. As we know, Spikers are devastating at close range and since the Chopper's enormous wheel is perfect for ramming, expect a lot of devious, into-the-fray tactics. It also has in impressive boost function, adding to its already impressive abilities.
The Jammer
This tool is designed for players who like to freak out the opposing team via the clever use of electronic countermeasures.
When you fire up the Jammer, the sides pop out, exposing the red, glowing core. And when you see that core, it mean's you're too close. So run.
Deployable with the X button, the Jammer interferes with motion-tracking and causes your nemesis' screen, as well as your own, to flash. It also causes everybody's motion trackers to suddenly indicate points of activity all over the place. It's instant mayhem and causes lingering disorientation.
Mjolnir Spartan Armour Permutations
As we've established, Bungie is really heeding community trends right now, and part of its grand schemes is to allow much more customization with regard to your Halo 3 multiplayer alias.
One of the more elaborate permutations. Goldtastic!
Details are still sketchy, but we understand that at some point during the single player campaign, you'll unlock special armor and helmets that you can apply to your multiplayer character. These include two new variants - C.Q.B. (Close Quarters Battle) and E.V.A. (Extra-Vehicular Activity). Are they collectible? Tradable? Will they be associated with your online military-equivalent ranking? Will they improve your defensive capabilities, or are they merely 'decorative'? We tend to think it's solely a visual difference, but only Bungie knows, and even then, the implementation is still up in the air right now. All we know for certain is that having a unique online presence is very attractive right now, and Halo 3 is going to jump on that bandwagon.
Design-wise, only two new pieces of new Mjolnir Spartan armor were on display. These included a nifty alternate helmet with larger curved front glass stretching into the forehead of the helmet, like the armored variants on the cover of the Halo: Ghosts of Onyx novel. We also saw some pauldrons (effectively shoulder armor, for all you non-RPG players) and chest plates, but we'd speculate that there will be a tidy range of different items to collect and apply.
We've been fans of that helmet design ever since we saw it on the cover of the novel.
We'd love to see this tied to the 'Medals' system of accomplishments, where you gain new armor for pulling off spectacular kills and maintaining an impressive online presence. In this way, a person's armor can be tied to their abilities for an at-a-glance indication of their skills. Moreover, we'd also love to see fresh armor permutations released via the Xbox Live Marketplace to keep variations high.
Saved Films and Content Sharing
Also landing in the name of 'community', Bungie is offering players the ability to store a few cool things on its servers. As the beta has demonstrated (in a very limited capacity), players can save and replay matches. It's important to note that these aren't videos, which are prerecorded, static and very large in size. Instead, Halo 3 tracks data during the match and the game is able to recreate every player movement, whizzing bullet, roaring explosion, and accidental pratfalls on the fly. This keeps the file size very small which in turn reduces the burden on your bandwidth and Bungie's servers.
Note the screenshot controls on the bottom right.
These can then be exchanged with other players and, by all indications internally, there are plans to make sure the coolest videos are viewable by the masses. Players can activate the Saved Film option via the Post-game Lobby, where all you need to do is hit a button and the match is saved to your private Halo 3 File Sharing area. This area acts as a hub for watching replays, sending films to friends and editing the clip down to size - handy if you want to highlight a particular moment. You can also watch the clip as a Group, giving you the opportunity to call out that punk who keeps camping in the hills and taking potshots for most of the match.
But the opportunity for creativity and interaction doesn't stop there; no sir. The file storing and sharing process extends to screenshots you can capture during your stored replay. You can fiddle with the camera angles, zoom and player perspective to compose your awesome, freaky or hilarious moment. The plan is also to allow players to access these screens via the Bungie website for whatever innocuous or devious purposes you might devise. No mention of recording custom voice-overs though - we're sure the boys at Rooster Teeth (creators of Red vs Blue) would appreciate such a feature.
This is the File Share menu, where you can send off your screens and videos.
You can also, thankfully, save more practical things like your favorite game settings, map variants and modes too - no more having to tweak all the settings every time you want to play your favorite map and mode at a friend's place. If you're keen to see another player's saved content, favorite modes or map settings, all you need to do is highlight their GamerTag and click through. Easy.
After our hands-on with the new courses, in addition to a then-early play through the public beta, our conclusion is that the Halo series has fire in the belly and a team behind it that won't be satisfied with a game that is anything less than the best shooter on the system - on any system, even. The public beta is a good indicator of where it's headed, but what we saw is even better.
The stats page - expect lots of nifty medals in the final game.
The Halo series brings with it a sizzle that most franchises just can't muster; Halo 3's mechanics are razor sharp and deserving of all the critical praise the series has received so far. What's even more exciting is the idea that this is just a fraction of a segment of the game. We know next to nothing about the single-player campaign and the number of maps yet to be revealed outnumbers those that have. And that's why we're excited.
