I've played about a dozen games of the Halo 3 Beta (sorry basement - you'll just have to wait a few more days for painting to start up again), and this is what I think so far.
First, I think Bungie realized they had a hit with the Zanzibar map in Halo 2. Zanzibar had big spaces and small spaces, a unique layout, and lots of interesting features. Two out of the three Beta maps (Valhalla and High Ground) have the offense/defense setup, and both of them have complex and fun terrain. Valhalla is cool because the terrain is natural (it's set in an open area at the foot of some mountains). It's a big open space with all kinds of boulders, slopes, and valleys to use to your advantage. High Ground is also pretty large - and it's kind of like a canyon with a lot of man-made structures built in to it. There is no shortage of interesting features on High Ground. Lots of open space for long-distance battles and lots of interior spaces for close combat.
One challenge that I haven't remembered since the first days of Halo 2 was that everything in the new maps feels very foreign. I have no idea where any weapons are that I want, and I never really know how to get from point A to point B very well. This is especially true in High Ground. While the unfamiliarity of the maps makes it challenging to do well in the games, it also keeps things fresh for the time being.
In the pregame lobby, you now have the ability to veto the auto-selected game type and map. If a majority of the matched players veto the game, then a new map and gametype will be generated for you. What's interesting is that I've never seen a game on Valhalla or High Ground vetoed. The third map, Snowbound, gets vetoed pretty often. I'd guess that at least two people veto it every time. By Halo 2 standards, Snowbound is a pretty cool map (complex terrain/paths, open/closed spaces, etc). For some reason people just don't like it. I'm curious to see what Bungie does with their Beta feedback and whether or not they do anything (or remove) with Snowbound.
There are some fun new weapons in Halo 3. I've become attached to the dual-wielded Spiker pairs. They seem to be a great close-combat weapon. With only one, they don't seem as effective, although I haven't really tried a melee attack with one yet (it has a blade on the end so I wonder if it does more damage). The Spartan Laser is a blast (pun intended). I guess I'd describe it as an insta-rocket-launcher. When it fires, it creates an explosion where it hits. There a bit of a delay though from when you start squeezing the trigger - and that balances things out and doesn't give the weapon's wielder too much of an advantage. I've also come across a grenade launcher on Valhalla. It's different from the old Brute Shot in that it has a longer range. You know - I guess I can't say for sure that it's a grenade launcher as the explosions from my shots have always been far away, so I really don't know what it's doing on the receiving end. Your chracter walks really slow and kind of limps while carrying it though - which in itself makes it cool to carry.
The new ATV (I forget the name of it) is just plain fun. You can stack a few teammates on it and zip around, or launch it off of the man cannons. It's used purely for transportation but is fun to goof around with. I've noticed that the ATV slows down when you hit it with plasma weapons (e.g. the carbine or plasma pistol). I also read somewhere that vehicles' engines are harmed by plasma. Interesting.
If you've been watching the Halo 3 vidocs or trailers then you know that there is a new "bubble shield" you can use. There is also a power drainer and a mini launch pad you can pick up. To use these items after you pick them up, you press the X button. The items are pretty rare. I've found that once I pick one up, I completely forget that I have it. It's probably because those items didn't exist in H1 or H2. The bubble shield is pretty cool and definitely adds a unique dimension to the game. If you have it, you can throw it down to protect yourself and recharge while your enemy is pursuing you. By the time they walk in to your bubble, you'll probably be re-charged and you can continue fighting. There are also these weird "force field doors" that you can walk through, but no weapon or grenade can penetrate them. Makes for very interesting battles on each side of them :)
Last, there is the concept of "films". This is the ability to save the footage of your last game you played for later. You can also download any film that another player has saved. It's a pretty cool feature - especially for viewing the videos of good players to see what they are doing after they've totlly owned you in a game. And of course, the H3 montage and compilation video makers will love this feature.
That's about it. The beta only goes for another couple of weeks, and frankly I don't know how much more I'll play it since there are only three maps to play on. They're fun, but it's getting to be the same old thing. Plus, only a few of my other "friends" have the Beta, so there aren't a lot of people really enjoying it at the same time right now.
See you online in September!
tags: halo beta videogame xbox